Congress

Research by Vanderbilt political science professor Alan Wiseman and his coauthors find women in Congress in the minority party are more effective than their male counterparts when it comes to introducing and negotiating bills, spurring action on those bills, and ultimately seeing them become law. Read More

Jeff Balser, M.D., Ph.D., left, discusses Vanderbilt’s drug discovery program during a congressional briefing Nov. 29 in Washington, D.C. Read More

John Geer (Daniel Dubois/Vanderbilt) Negative ads, excessive campaign spending, and the agenda of the “lame duck” Congress were topics of discussion at the Oct. 15 Federal Forum panel held at The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons at Vanderbilt multipurpose room. The event, hosted by Vanderbilt’s Office of Federal… Read More

Hope is being offered by Vanderbilt professor Marc Hetherington and a colleague that generational turnover and a few adjustments now could cause the end of gridlock in Congress in the long run. Read More

Policy will increasingly involve complex scientific concepts, but this does not mean that the available technical input will automatically match those needs. Read More

Post-doctoral researcher Andrew Steigerwald has been selected by the Materials Research Society and the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society as their 2012-2013 Congressional Science and Engineering Fellow. Read More

A new award, called the Golden Goose Award, has been established in order to highlight the often unexpected or serendipitous nature of basic scientific research by honoring federally funded researchers whose work may once have been viewed as unusual, odd or obscure but which has produced important discoveries that have benefited society in significant ways. Read More

Vanderbilt political scientist David E. Lewis says a move for authority to shrink the federal government by President Obama is an attempt to preempt Republican challenger Mitt Romney from positioning himself as the candidate associated with government efficiency. Read More

The nomination of former Ohio attorney general Richard Cordray to head up the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau “is clearly an issue that has come to the forefront because of election year politics,” said David Lewis, William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Political Science at Vanderbilt University. Read More

What makes some members of Congress better than others at moving bills through the legislative process? Alan Wiseman, co-director of the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, has taken an in depth look at Congress’ last 35 years and tells us why women may have the upper hand. Read More

If you think that the word ‘compromise’ is a lost art in Congress, you are right. Marc Hetherington, professor of politcial science and co-author of the book Authoritarianism and Polarization in American Politics, tells us why our political leaders are digging in their heels. View 2012 election expertise information… Read More

While listening to a physics colloquium titled “Science: What the Public is Thinking, What Congress is Doing, How You Can Contribute” delivered by Michael S. Lubell, professor of physics at the City College of New York and director of public affairs for the American Physical Society (APS), I couldn’t… Read More

Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos and Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs Jeff Balser traveled to the nation’s capital June 22 and 23 to meet with Tennessee congressional leaders, Vanderbilt alumni and others to discuss Vanderbilt’s health care, research and educational priorities and their role in the federal agenda. Read More

Federal funding from the National Institutes of Health contributed to the development of a new laser technique being used at Vanderbilt to aid in drug discovery. Research Amanda Kussrow is pictured. (Joe Howell / Vanderbilt) Federal investment in scientific research is a major driver of job growth… Read More

Pat Schroeder, an outspoken advocate for women’s and family issues during her 12 terms in Congress, will speak at Vanderbilt’s Central Library on April 29. Read More

Watch video of the March 22 Federal Forum: The 112th Congress: Expect the Unexpected. This Forum focuses on what to expect from the 112th Congress, the new faces on Capitol Hill and the latest on budget and appropriation issues. The keynote speakers are Christina West, assistant vice chancellor of federal… Read More