What Congress can learn from the Ferguson Commission

In Missouri, the Ferguson Commission, a taskforce created by Governor Jay Nixon, has just released a report full of policy ideas to help the St. Louis region address issues of race, poverty, and injustice.  Many of those ideas have merit — but aside from the substance, Congress could learn a lot from how the Commission members did their work.

In Congress, disagreement prevents action.  Not so in the Ferguson Commission.  Their report explains: “Each working group intentionally included voices and philosophies of practice that were in tension with one another.” Yet, instead of getting mired in disagreements, commissioners agreed “to align behind the final calls to action” that emerged from their work.

{mosads}All too often, Congress reaches a very different result.  Both sides accuse the other of stonewalling.  Many members act like compromise is a dirty word. If they cannot win outright, they much prefer obstruction and inaction to compromise so they can blame the other side.  And, sadly, voters don’t seem to mind.

In fact, today, several senators threaten yet another shutdown of the government over funding for Planned Parenthood.  On this and a number of other issues, Congress has a choice to compromise and work out real solutions, or obstruct the process to pursue a symbolic reward. 

What if, instead of places for scoring political points and thwarting opponents, Congress became a “problem-solving machine” like the Ferguson Commission’s subcommittees and used congressional committees as they were intended?

According to the Commission, a problem-solving machine “brings together people, organizations, and resources to study a problem, gain a deep understanding of the core issues underlying the problem, and develop a strategy for solving that problem.” It encourages active involvement by individuals, businesses, faith communities, civic groups, and universities. 

Part of the difference lies in core goals and incentives: the Ferguson Commission has always aimed towards taking real actions to change the St. Louis region for the better.  In Missouri, inaction is no longer an option. Congress, on the other hand, remains paralyzed by disagreements.  Some members act like compromise is a dirty word. If members cannot win outright, they much prefer obstruction and inaction to compromise.

Taking the difficult path for the sake of all is rare in Congress these days, but not unprecedented.  One committee was able to reach meaningful compromise and support the Elementary and Secondary Education Act reauthorization.  Like the Ferguson Commission, it successfully engaged in tough work and difficult discussions.

The Ferguson Commission approach sought to “place outcomes before egos” and “keep people at the table, even when — especially when — things get hard.”  America needs this in the halls of Congress.  In committee meetings, negotiations between party leaders, and on the chamber floor, we need legislators who prioritize working together to solve problems over everything else.  Then, when a decision is reached, instead of acting like sore losers if they didn’t get 100 percent, legislators should stand behind negotiated solutions out of respect for the inclusive process that produced them.  This approach might go a long way, not just towards solving our country’s problems, but also towards restoring Congress’s dismal reputation with the American public. 

Granted, Congress and its committees differ in many ways from the Ferguson Commission.  Congress exists from session to session, faces few deadlines (at least, few deadlines that can’t be postponed with continuing resolutions), and addresses many problems that have not yet come to the kind of breaking point that the Mike Brown shooting brought to Ferguson.  But these should be reasons for more effective collaboration, not excuses for less.  After all, shouldn’t our nation’s elected leaders keep us from reaching such breaking points, instead of pushing us towards them?

Rice and Theising are associate professors of Political Science at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and members of the Scholars Strategy Network.