This episode addresses one of the fundamental issues of our time – our democratic form of representative government – and how the Archives actively participates in our democracy and supports one of its fundamental principles—Accountability. After all, ours is a “government of the people, by the people, for the people”. As such, the individuals who represent us in townhalls, statehouses and Congress are accountable to those who sent them there. And the political collections held by Archives & Special Collections are here to assist researchers in studying the who, what, when and how our Congressional representatives conduct the “Peoples Business.” As representatives of the people of Connecticut, the purpose of our Congressional delegation is to work with their colleagues to legislate on issues of concern to their constituents and the responsibility of the constituents to know what and how their representatives are fulfilling those responsibilities. Access to the Congressional records in Archives & Special Collections serves both purposes.
Related Websites:
- Association of Centers for the Study of Congress
- Biographical Directory of Congress
- Congressional Papers Section (SAA)
Citations:
- Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln
- Governance Network
- Image of the U.S. Capitol
- Oath of Office
- Freedom of Information Act
- Papers of Prescott Bush, Sr., Thomas J. Dodd, Sam Gejdenson, Robert Giaimo, Nancy Johnson, Barbara Kennelly, Francis Maloney, Bruce Morrison, William Ratchford, Robert Simmons