Dr. Maya Kornberg Explores How Money, Media, and Violence Prevent Change in Congress

New book 'Stuck' chronicles efforts of congressional reformers and the forces keeping their reforms from creating meaningful change

Mar. 26, 2026 at 12:00am by Ben Kaplan

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In her new book 'Stuck', Dr. Maya Kornberg, a senior research fellow at the Brennan Center's Elections and Government Program, examines how political violence, astronomical campaign costs, relentless fundraising demands, shrinking staff, and centralized party leadership have constrained the ability of new, more diverse members of Congress to legislate and represent their constituents. Kornberg talked with dozens of individuals, examined congressional records, and heard from lawmakers past and present to present a sobering portrait of a legislative body paralyzed by its own internal dynamics.

Why it matters

Congress, the central democratic institution in the country, is facing an unprecedented crisis of unpopularity and inability to reform itself, even as the major party polarization has strengthened. Kornberg's research sheds light on the systemic forces that have kept congressional reformers from creating meaningful change, despite the arrival of younger, more diverse, and less entrenched members energized to legislate and represent their constituents.

The details

Kornberg's book 'Stuck' chronicles the efforts of congressional reformers over the last 50 years, including the 'Watergate babies' of 1974, the Contract with America conservatives of 1994, and the historic 2018 class fueled by backlash to Donald Trump. However, she documents the mounting forces that have kept their reforms from creating meaningful change, including political violence, astronomical campaign costs, relentless fundraising demands, shrinking staff, and centralized party leadership. Additionally, social media has heightened harassment and fed a performative culture that rewards spectacle over substance.

  • The book 'Stuck' was published on March 26, 2026.

The players

Dr. Maya Kornberg

A senior research fellow at the Brennan Center's Elections and Government Program who has explored the ways that Congress has become increasingly inhospitable to change.

Henry Waxman

A former U.S. Representative who was interviewed for Kornberg's book.

Toby Moffett

A former U.S. Representative who was interviewed for Kornberg's book.

Phil English

A former U.S. Representative who was interviewed for Kornberg's book.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

A U.S. Representative who was interviewed for Kornberg's book.

Lauren Underwood

A U.S. Representative who was interviewed for Kornberg's book.

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What they’re saying

“Congress has long been a punching bag for American dissatisfaction with their government or with the direction of the country. But its unpopularity keeps plumbing new depths, even as the major party polarization has strengthened.”

— Dr. Maya Kornberg, Senior Research Fellow, Brennan Center's Elections and Government Program

“In short, Congress—the central democratic institution in the country—is hanging on by a thread. But its biggest liability might be its inability to reform itself.”

— Dr. Maya Kornberg, Senior Research Fellow, Brennan Center's Elections and Government Program

What’s next

The book 'Stuck' by Dr. Maya Kornberg is scheduled to be released on March 26, 2026.

The takeaway

Kornberg's research sheds light on the systemic forces, including money, media, and political violence, that have constrained the ability of new, more diverse members of Congress to create meaningful change, despite their efforts to reform the institution. Her findings present a sobering portrait of a legislative body paralyzed by its own internal dynamics.