ABSTRACT
This chapter constitutes an effort to offer appraisal in an objective fashion. It constructs a series of benchmarks for Congress to meet. These benchmarks were built from a number of basic aspirations for congressional performance found in normative political theory and the thinking of Americans, particularly influential ones like the Founders. A large number of citizens still think of themselves as politically independent. Political activists watch different cable news stations—Republicans tend to like Fox, Democrats CNN. The news often frames political developments in threatening ways with profound effects on public attitudes. In the political world this is demonstrated by the constant shrinking of the news sound bite—a chunk of television or radio time allotted to the coverage of a candidate explaining her policy positions. Congress is also a transparent and responsive legislature in a media-saturated, robust, representative democracy that values vigorous competition, majority rule, individual liberty, and political and legal equality.
