CPP to host presentation on congressional gridlock Sept. 16

Ripon College’s Center for Politics and the People (CPP) and the Department of Political Science will sponsor a presentation on U.S. Congress gridlock in Room 104 of Todd Wehr Hall, Tuesday, Sept. 16, from 12:30-1:30 p.m.

The presentation titled “Why Congress Gets Stuck: Gridlock in the U.S. and How Europe Avoids It,” will be presented by Dr. Márton Sulyok, JD, LLM, and is free and open to the public.

Sulyok will discuss why Congress often seems stuck while European democracies act more quickly. Drawing on comparative constitutional design, he will compare how America’s separation of powers contrasts with Europe’s parliamentary systems, shaping both policymaking and gridlock. The talk will explain why certain key legislators have so much power in the U.S. and what this means for the future of governance.

Sulyok is a visiting researcher at Georgetown Center for the Constitution. He is the head of the Public Law Center at MCC Law School in Budapest, Hungary, and the senior lecturer in constitutional law and human rights at the University of Szeged, Hungary.

“To make our political institutions more effective, it is helpful to step back and see how others do it,” Professor of Political Science, Department Chair and CPP Director Henrik Schatzinger said. “By comparing our system with Europe’s parliamentary democracies, we can better understand the roots of gridlock in Congress and consider lessons for improving U.S. governance.”

The Center for Politics and the People at Ripon College was created to promote constructive political debate, analyze public policy and foster the engagement of citizens and their government. Students and faculty work together to plan meaningful events throughout the year that attract policymakers, academics, experts, candidates and politicians to share their experience and expertise with the Center.