Strategy: Empowering Congress

This grant will support a two-year research project to study how primary elections impact political polarization and congressional dysfunction, explore the potential of congressional primaries as a vehicle to increase political equality, restoring public trust in the electoral system, and ultimately what gives rise to more equitable economic opportunities.

This grant is designed to help support planning by the OpenGov Foundation as they aim to create a Congressional Digital Service. The Congressional Digital Service would provide resources and infrastructure to help build out the digital needs of Congress.  A successful plan would likely include a fundraising plan, hiring of a director, and a strategic plan for the next 3-5 years.

The purpose of this grant is to foster bipartisan expert collaboration among several organizations in the field on providing to congressional staff needed training on conducting oversight of the executive branch as part of the regular, civil function of government.

The University of Virginia’s Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL) is a nonpartisan organization that uses quantitative and qualitative analyses to promote legislative effectiveness among lawmakers across the United States.

This grant will support the development of an App Market that reviews tech products for use by congressional staff, focusing on key features like whether those tools can handle the required volume and whether they meet security requirements. 

Support the Aspen Congressional Program efforts to improve trust, dialogue, and informed participation among Members of Congress.