Congress and the Cycle of Dysfunction

Who’s really to blame?

Congress Is Failing the American People

⋯ and an even deeper problem is that it has been failing for a long time. A core responsibility of Congress is to fund and oversee the necessary activities of the federal government. Yet, for years, it has neglected this duty, instead funneling taxpayer dollars into donor-driven projects and pork-barrel spending while essential government functions remain inadequately resourced.

Why Does It Keep Happening?

One answer lies in a political system corrupted by the very laws that govern campaign finance. Members of Congress are beholden not to the voters who elect them but to the donors who finance their campaigns.

The result? A Congress that spends more time fundraising and cultivating donors than addressing the concerns of everyday Americans. Some bills aren’t even written by elected officials and their staffs — but are initially drafted by lobbyists representing special interests. The priorities of the people are secondary to the driving financial requirements for re-election.

Beyond this financial dysfunction, Congress has increasingly focused on social and cultural engineering, often at the urging of ideological donors from both the left and right. This obsession distracts from Congress’ most fundamental constitutional duties: implementing the will of the people through legislation, ensuring the government is adequately funded, holding the executive and judicial branches accountable, and maintaining Constitutional checks and balances through oversight and impeachment.

Yet, in recent years, we’ve seen these constitutional roles blur. The executive branch stretches its powers — effectively making laws, Congress abandons its lawmaking responsibilities, and too often the judiciary is an arena for politics and making — rather than interpreting — laws. This dysfunction is not confined to one party or administration — it is systemic.

A Hard Truth That Many Americans Don’t Want to Face

Congress is a reflection of us, the electorate. Every member of Congress (except those filling vacant seats by appointment) was put there by voters. If Congress is failing, it is because voters have either tolerated or encouraged this failure. Our system is stuck in a cycle where apathy, partisanship, and short-term thinking drive electoral decisions, ensuring that the same broken system perpetuates itself.

If Stupidity got us into this mess, then why can’t it get us out? — Will Rogers

As Will Rogers pointed out, stupid begets stupid. The dysfunction of Congress is not new — it’s just more visible. The question is whether Americans will continue to accept it or demand real change. Until voters prioritize competence over tribal loyalty and accountability over campaign slogans, the cycle of dysfunction will continue.

The solution isn’t easy, but it starts with an informed and engaged electorate willing to challenge the status quo. Congress has failed us, but only because we have allowed it to.