Center on Congress celebrates 10 years of education

The Center on Congress at IU is turning 10 this year, and it is celebrating with one of the most crucial people to its founding.

Lee Hamilton, a former U.S. Representative from Indiana and founder of the Center on Congress, will visit Bloomington for special events across campus Thursday and Friday.

His visit also coincides with the release of his second book, “Strengthening Congress,” which was printed by IU Press.

“IU has been terrific in the way they’ve supported the center,” Hamilton said. “The University and all its component parts have made our work so much easier and more effective.”

Two of Hamilton’s events are free and open to the public. Hamilton will be the featured speaker Thursday at the Robert G. Gunderson Forum in Rhetoric and Public Culture, a forum sponsored by the IU Department of Communication and Culture.

Hamilton will join a panel of experts on Congress, politics and the media Friday to analyze the themes explored in his new book. The discussion’s moderator will be Edward Carmines, the Warner O. Chapman professor and Rudy professor of political science and research director for the Center on Congress.

Panelists will include history professor John Bodnar; political science professor Marjorie Hershey; Sylvia Smith, veteran Washington editor for the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette; and Matthew Tully, political columnist for the Indianapolis Star.

While on campus, Hamilton is meeting with political science classes, representatives of the School of Education, Bloomington civic and business leaders and an advisory group of IU faculty. 

He is also having a luncheon with members of the newly created Political and Civic Engagement program. Joelene Bergonzi, the program’s associate director, said Hamilton’s views on Congress and politics are the basis of the PACE program.

“He talks about how important it is for citizens to be knowledgeable about working with people with different perspectives,” Bergonzi said.

To close out the visit, Hamilton and President Michael McRobbie are co-hosting a dinner.

Hamilton encouraged students to attend some of the Center on Congress’ celebratory events and to take advantage of the Center as a campus resource on government and civic engagement.

“It’s been a lot of fun and a very lively effort,” Hamilton said. “We have a terrific staff. Enjoy the support of IU.”

10 years of public education about Congress

The initial idea for the center came from late IU President Myles Brand, Hamilton said. Brand approached Hamilton after his retirement and suggested establishing the Center on Congress at IU.

Hamilton said upon reflecting on the many town hall meetings he was a part of as a U.S. representative, he remembered spending an enormous amount of time explaining Congress and found that many Americans didn’t understand its basic functions or purpose.

“There are lots of centers on Congress around the country, but IU’s is unique in that it focuses its message at trying to get ordinary people to better understand the role of Congress and its importance in a representative government,” Hamilton said.

He emphasized that the center is a non-partisan, fundamentally educational institution.

Hamilton said what started out to be a fairly simple idea, focusing on visiting classrooms around Bloomington and the rest of the state, is now a multi-faceted operation.

Ten years after its creation, the Center on Congress has produced Web products and interactive learning modules, worked with the Library of Congress, provided primary sources for teachers, worked with Time magazine to provide materials for elementary students, developed print products for the Congress visitor center in Washington and presented teacher awards and professional development seminars.

Hamilton also writes commentary on Congress for publication in newspapers and broadcast on radio and TV.

Since the 2008 election, Hamilton said there has been increased interest in the Center’s work. He added that sometimes the demand is more than the Center’s seven employees and additional interns can keep up with.

People have a lot of concerns and criticisms about Congress but are overwhelmed about how to deal with the complex government system, Hamilton said. He added that one of the center’s main goals is to make clear not just the role of Congress but how to approach Congress to voice concerns.

“We’ve certainly tried to promote the concept that the freedoms we enjoy in this country carry with them the responsibility to be informed, listen to different points of view and to participate,” Hamilton said.