Dr. Maya L. Kornberg
Dr. Maya L. Kornberg, senior research fellow and manager at NYU Law’s Brennan Center for Justice, is the author of” Inside Congressional Committees: Function and Dysfunction in Lawmaking.” She has taught political science at NYU, Georgetown, and Oxford and worked at the UN and Inter-Parliamentary Union. Her most recent book is, “Stuck: How Money, Media and Violence Prevent Change in Congress.” Violence is dangerous as it constricts civic engagement; intimidates members to express their opinions; and causes a wave of early political retirements. A second problem preventing change in Congress is due to the vast sums of “dark” money in politics. Certain Supreme Court decisions, e.g. Citizens United, opened the floodgates to allow Members to “pay to play” with their contributors. Media helps inform the public of the importance of the legislative process. Many mainstream media tend to emphasize the most salacious aspects of Congress and euphemistically downplay some issues.
June 29, 2026
