An interesting interview which explains the meaning of "Transparancy" in Americ
Corrupt Transparency - One easy way to stop corruption in Congress
In this special report, Brigida Santos investigates the dark side of congressional transparency and how it has been weaponized to fuel corruption, empower lobbyists and benefit those in power. James D’Angelo from the Congressional Research Institute reveals how sunshine laws contribute to political decline, rising inequality and hyper-partisanship.
Host Brigida Santos interviews James D’Angelo
May 08, 2018
https://www.rt.com/shows/rt-america
https://twitter.com/JamesGDAngelo
http://www.congressionalresearch.org
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legislative_Reorganization_Act_of_1970
https://washingtonmonthly.com/magazine/januaryfebruary-2017/why-does-congress-do-so-little
Part I of II
(YouTube Video)
Part II of II
Full Interview
Another Lecture:
Weaponized Transparency - How Transparency & Accountability Overwhelmingly Favor Special Interests
Harvard based researcher James D'Angelo presented his idea of Weaponized Transparency.
In the talk James discusses how all transparency can be weaponized leading to the corruption and destruction of legislation
Several important steps toward legislative transparency in the 1970s have fundamentally altered how the U.S. Congress and state legislatures operate. Some of these reforms, like mandating recorded votes in the Committee of the Whole and opening up Conference Committees to public view, were widely supported in the wake of the escalation of the Vietnam war. Congressional reforms were quickly mirrored in other legislatures.
We explore the origins of these reforms, highlighting the 1970 Legislative Reorganization Act. Key reforms were inserted by lobbyists seeking to more efficiently monitor the behavior of legislators. Representatives adjusted by changing their behavior on votes in the Committee of the Whole, which soon became a contentious proving ground for ideological purity and fidelity to special interests and party leadership. We elaborate on theories of representation to understand how behaviors change when different types of monitoring are in place.
Consistent with the theory, increases in transparency were followed by increased narrow-interest lobbying, wasteful and pernicious legislative gamesmanship, increased partisanship, and more. And we investigate these changes as likely drivers for income inequality, climate change, gridlock and demosclerosis. Finally, we call attention to specific new reforms that could reestablish deliberative spaces for legislators.
----
0:04 Intro
1:03 Background - Opening of committees
2:37 The Rise of Roll Call Voting
5:03 The Concurrent Rise of Lobbying, Partisanship and Inequality
10:11 The Reasons For Transparency - The Three Pillars of the Pro-Transparency Argument
11:25 The Five Arguments Against Transsparency
12:46 Story 1 - Special Interests Benefit on All Legislation
18:49 Story 2 – Weaponized Transparency – How to Corrupt an Ideal Legislator
29:18 Story 3 Weaponized Transparency – Torpedo & Gotcha Amendments
Talk Delivered to The League of Women Voters, Boston 2017
Congressional Research Institute 2
By James D'Angelo
March 22, 2017
Congressional Research Institute 2
https://twitter.com/JamesGDAngelo
The Congressional Research Institute
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legislative_Reorganization_Act_of_1970
https://washingtonmonthly.com/magazine/januaryfebruary-2017/why-does-congress-do-so-little
Part I of II
(YouTube Video)
Part II of II
Question and Answer Session
0:00 What If We Better Educate Constituents?
4:19 One Caveat To Legislative Transparency
5:51 Does This Apply To State And Local As Well?
8:14 The NRA Story - How Intimidation Trumps Bribery
14:28 The NRA Is Not Unique - Mohair
17:48 What's The Solution
20:38 How Does This Apply To Presidential Election?
23:18 Comment On Massachusetts Inequality
24:15 What Would You Do If You Could Do Anything?
27:12 You Are Assuming That The Candidates Are Honest?
31:21 Does Transparency Effect Voter Turnout?
34:27 Are There Negatives To Your Argument/Secrecy? Discussion of “The Critics of Transparency Are Wrong” By Brookings, Norman Eisen, Bass and Brian
38:13 How Does This Apply To The Delegate And Trustee Models Of Representation?
40:48 How Does This Apply To The Local Level & The Executive Branch – FOIA
43:48 The Story Of Hurricane Katrina And Intimidation
(YouTube Video)
Corrupt Transparency - One easy way to stop corruption in Congress
In this special report, Brigida Santos investigates the dark side of congressional transparency and how it has been weaponized to fuel corruption, empower lobbyists and benefit those in power. James D’Angelo from the Congressional Research Institute reveals how sunshine laws contribute to political decline, rising inequality and hyper-partisanship.
Host Brigida Santos interviews James D’Angelo
May 08, 2018
https://www.rt.com/shows/rt-america
https://twitter.com/JamesGDAngelo
http://www.congressionalresearch.org
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legislative_Reorganization_Act_of_1970
https://washingtonmonthly.com/magazine/januaryfebruary-2017/why-does-congress-do-so-little
Part I of II
(YouTube Video)
Full Interview
Another Lecture:
Weaponized Transparency - How Transparency & Accountability Overwhelmingly Favor Special Interests
Harvard based researcher James D'Angelo presented his idea of Weaponized Transparency.
In the talk James discusses how all transparency can be weaponized leading to the corruption and destruction of legislation
Several important steps toward legislative transparency in the 1970s have fundamentally altered how the U.S. Congress and state legislatures operate. Some of these reforms, like mandating recorded votes in the Committee of the Whole and opening up Conference Committees to public view, were widely supported in the wake of the escalation of the Vietnam war. Congressional reforms were quickly mirrored in other legislatures.
We explore the origins of these reforms, highlighting the 1970 Legislative Reorganization Act. Key reforms were inserted by lobbyists seeking to more efficiently monitor the behavior of legislators. Representatives adjusted by changing their behavior on votes in the Committee of the Whole, which soon became a contentious proving ground for ideological purity and fidelity to special interests and party leadership. We elaborate on theories of representation to understand how behaviors change when different types of monitoring are in place.
Consistent with the theory, increases in transparency were followed by increased narrow-interest lobbying, wasteful and pernicious legislative gamesmanship, increased partisanship, and more. And we investigate these changes as likely drivers for income inequality, climate change, gridlock and demosclerosis. Finally, we call attention to specific new reforms that could reestablish deliberative spaces for legislators.
----
0:04 Intro
1:03 Background - Opening of committees
2:37 The Rise of Roll Call Voting
5:03 The Concurrent Rise of Lobbying, Partisanship and Inequality
10:11 The Reasons For Transparency - The Three Pillars of the Pro-Transparency Argument
11:25 The Five Arguments Against Transsparency
12:46 Story 1 - Special Interests Benefit on All Legislation
18:49 Story 2 – Weaponized Transparency – How to Corrupt an Ideal Legislator
29:18 Story 3 Weaponized Transparency – Torpedo & Gotcha Amendments
Talk Delivered to The League of Women Voters, Boston 2017
Congressional Research Institute 2
By James D'Angelo
March 22, 2017
Congressional Research Institute 2
https://twitter.com/JamesGDAngelo
The Congressional Research Institute
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legislative_Reorganization_Act_of_1970
https://washingtonmonthly.com/magazine/januaryfebruary-2017/why-does-congress-do-so-little
Part I of II
(YouTube Video)
Question and Answer Session
0:00 What If We Better Educate Constituents?
4:19 One Caveat To Legislative Transparency
5:51 Does This Apply To State And Local As Well?
8:14 The NRA Story - How Intimidation Trumps Bribery
14:28 The NRA Is Not Unique - Mohair
17:48 What's The Solution
20:38 How Does This Apply To Presidential Election?
23:18 Comment On Massachusetts Inequality
24:15 What Would You Do If You Could Do Anything?
27:12 You Are Assuming That The Candidates Are Honest?
31:21 Does Transparency Effect Voter Turnout?
34:27 Are There Negatives To Your Argument/Secrecy? Discussion of “The Critics of Transparency Are Wrong” By Brookings, Norman Eisen, Bass and Brian
38:13 How Does This Apply To The Delegate And Trustee Models Of Representation?
40:48 How Does This Apply To The Local Level & The Executive Branch – FOIA
43:48 The Story Of Hurricane Katrina And Intimidation
(YouTube Video)
