In a recent article in Bloomberg, Celeste Wallander, the Executive Director of Penn Washington, cautioned that without a plan from the White House to impose costs on Russia, a second meeting that concludes without an acceptable agreement would “allow Putin to use the opportunity to send a message to the world that he’s kind of…
This story was originally published on April 29, 2025 in Penn Today Wallander will assume leadership and operational management of Penn Washington, and its mission and bridge Penn research with policy discussions on pressing issues, beginning June 1. Provost John L. Jackson Jr. and Vice Provost for Global Initiatives Ezekiel Emanuel have announced that Celeste A. Wallander will join the University…
Some Democrats believe the only viable strategy for slowing and eventually halting the Trump steamroller is all-out resistance on every issue in every forum. Others prefer giving Trump plenty of rope, confident they will pursue radical policies that will prove so unpopular that Republicans will lose the next two elections. The first approach is likely…
Brendan Buck, a top aide to former Republican Speakers John Boehner and Paul Ryan, posted an eloquent essay in the New York Times today recounting the many ways in which Congress has allowed its legislative muscles to atrophy and its power to be usurped by a succession of presidents. The essay echoes many of the…
Paul Kane of The Washington Post recently featured the work of Fixing Congress at Penn Washington in his article about lawmakers’ desires to change how the legislative body functions. He discussed how a potential Democratic House majority, led by a new generation of leaders, could bring about reforms to address a broken system. Kane also highlighted Fixing Congress’…
About the Author Steven Pearlstein was a Pulitzer-prize winning columnist for the Washington Post. He is now the Robinson Professor of Public Affairs at George Mason University and a senior fellow at Penn Washington’s Fixing Congress Initiative. According to recent polls, more than three quarters of Americans believe democracy is on the line in this year’s presidential…
The Senior Fellows will lead two programs focusing on higher education and Congress and policy. Penn Washington, which serves as the physical and programmatic home for the University of Pennsylvania in the nation’s capital, is pleased to appoint distinguished scholars, The New York Times best-selling author Julian Zelizer and Pulitzer Prize-winning business and economics columnist Steven Pearlstein of The Washington Post, as…
In a recent article by Carl Hulse of The New York Times, the focus was on the ongoing challenges that Congress faces. The piece sheds light on the structural issues that hinder legislative progress, as discussed at the inaugural “Fixing Congrees” seminar held at Penn Washington. Former lawmakers highlighted institutiPennsylvania’ssuch as short workweeks, deep-seated partisan…