Sarah Binder

Sarah Binder is professor of political science at George Washington University and Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. She studies American political institutions, especially Congress. Her most recent book (co-authored with Mark Spindel) is The Myth of Independence: How Congress Governs the Federal Reserve (Princeton University Press, 2017).


Why the House Speaker finally greenlit Ukraine aid

There are underappreciated factors behind Rep. Mike Johnson’s shift.

What Mitch McConnell leaves behind

He normalized obstruction but sometimes made the Senate work.

Good to Know: Continuing resolutions

Here’s why Congress can’t kick the habit.

In Memoriam: Charles O. Jones

Chuck helped us understand the promise and limits of power in the U.S. constitutional system.

Why Congress’s 2023 was so dismal

And be ready for a repeat in 2024.

What retired Republican members of Congress really think

Their attitudes are surprisingly different from those of Republican voters and from current Republican lawmakers’ positions.

Will Congress shut down the government over aid to Israel and Ukraine?

Four experts examine how U.S. foreign policy is dividing both Republicans and Democrats.