Worst Congress in History?

There, are people in Washington who say that the present Congress is the worst in memory. “Worst” is a big word, of course, like “forever” and “never,” and there may be little profit, except for the historian, in the analysis of past Congresses to see if one might be found where the members did so little and where their principal—perhaps sole—concern was their own reelection.

Members of Congress are concerned about possible loss of votes at home; it is a legitimate concern. But historically, persons of principle have seldom accepted voter reprisal as an excuse for casting a bad vote. An analysis of congressional votes, especially in the House, shows that both the first- and sec...