Group photo outside the UVA Colonnade Club (Photo by John Robinson, Batten School).
Advancing the Study of Effective Lawmaking: Highlights from CEL’s 8th Annual Research Conference
Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Charlottesville, VA – On Monday, June 22nd, 2026, the Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL) hosted its 8th annual research conference at the University of Virginia (UVA). The conference brought together researchers and practitioners from around the country to share their latest research findings and to discuss trends in effective lawmaking in the U.S. Congress and state legislatures. The morning opened with remarks from CEL Co-Director Craig Volden, Professor of Public Policy and Politics at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at UVA.
Opening remarks by Co-Director Craig Volden (standing) within the Colonnade Club (Photo by Colin Achilles, CEL).
The conference featured five research paper presentations:
- “The Politicization of Expertise in Congress” by Julia Park (The Ohio State University)
- “Improving Analysis of Legislative Effectiveness Scores” Fred Boehmke (University of Iowa)
- “The Impact of Public-Facing Personas on Legislative Activity in the U.S. Congress” by SoRelle Gaynor (University of Virginia)
- “Effective State Lawmakers as Lobbyists” by James Strickland (Florida State University)
- “Procedural Rights and Minority Party Influence in American Legislatures” by James Curry (University of Notre Dame)
In addition, several CEL Grantees gave presentations of their research and findings that have emerged from their CEL-sponsored projects:
- “How Does Lobbying Affect State Legislator Effectiveness?” by Fredric Kong (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
- “High Heels, Higher Standards: Exploring the Intersection of Gender and Incivility in Congress” by Eman Mohammad (University of Texas)
- “DEALS-AI: Developing Empathy and Legislative Skills with Artificial Intelligence” by David Barker (American University)
The attendees were also privileged to hear from U.S. Representative French Hill (AR-02), who was interviewed by CEL Co-Director Alan Wiseman, Professor of Political Science and Law at Vanderbilt University, to ask about topics such as his role as Chair of the House Financial Services Committee, how Congress has changed over the 12 years he has served, and the importance of bipartisanship.
(l-r) Co-Director Alan Wiseman and U.S. Representative French Hill (AR-02) (Photo by John Robinson, Batten School).
The Center also presented its annual award for the best publication on effective lawmaking published in the previous calendar year during the Conference. The recipients of the 2026 award were Charles R. Hunt (Boise State University) and Kristina C. Miller (University of Maryland and CEL Faculty Affiliate) for their article in the Journal of Politics, “How Modern Lawmakers Advertise Their Legislative Effectiveness to Constituents.”
Charles R. Hunt (r) being presented with the CEL’s Best Publication award by Co-Director Alan Wiseman (l) (Photo by Colin Achilles, CEL).
The conference concluded with an after-hours tour of President Thomas Jefferson’s home of Monticello, followed by a Feast of Reason Dinner, which featured guided discussions orchestrated by Monticello staff at the Jefferson Library.
Steve Light (standing), Vice President for Education and Guest Experience at Monticello, opening up the Feast of Reason Dinner at the Jefferson Library. (Photo by Colin Achilles, CEL).
The CEL was proud to be able to gather such an exciting group of scholars to present their new research on effective lawmaking in American legislatures. We are thankful for the financial support of the Batten School, the Bankard Fund, and the Hewlett Foundation, which made this conference possible.
In addition to the support from UVA staff for bringing this event together, we thank all the presenters and participants for their contributions to the field, and we look forward to seeing how their work develops between now and our next (9th) annual conference at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN in June 2027.
