Courtesy of Grinnell College

Peter Hanson will speak at the next Amicus Curiae lecture on Thursday, March 28.

Marshall’s Amicus Curiae Lecture Series will continue this Thursday, March 28, with a discussion on Congress’ current condition.

Peter Hanson, American politics specialist and professor, will bring the topic of his book, “Too Weak to Govern: Majority Party Power and Appropriations in the U.S. Senate,” to campus at the lecture. Hanson currently teaches political science courses at Grinnell College in Iowa. He has appeared in many publications, including “The New York Times” and “Los Angeles Times.” 

Hanson received his doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley in 2010 following his work under Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle from 1996-2002.

The series, which is sponsored by the Simon Perry Center for Constitutional Democracy, has presented at Marshall throughout the academic year. This lecture will be the fourth of the 2023-2024 school year.

Patricia Proctor, founding director of the Simon Perry Center, said discussing the U.S. legislative branch is both important and well timed.

“Dr. Hanson’s lecture could not be more timely or relevant,” she said. “The current Congress is the focus of intense scrutiny on a daily basis due to its failure – and often refusal – to pass laws. In the last few days, because of political brinksmanship, the entire country was again facing a crisis, wondering whether we would suffer a government shutdown or the government would be funded. Once again, it barely passed at the very last minute.”

She also said Hanson’s research has identified solutions to the branch’s problem. 

“Whether one supports the current state of gridlock or does not, it clearly is related to the polarization affecting our county,” Proctor said. “Dr. Hanson’s work explores not only whether Congress still has the capacity to solve critical problems, but also how the situation might be improved.”

The lecture begins at 7 p.m. in the Brad D. Smith Foundation Hall and is open and free to the public.