About the Chair

The Library of Congress Chair in Congressional Policymaking conducts research in policymaking related to legislative negotiations using the Library’s collections, and disseminates findings through written products and a public event. The Chair provides a research-based foundation for improving existing training for congressional staff in legislative negotiations.

The Library of Congress Chair in Congressional Policymaking was established with the generous support of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

Most Recent Chair

Sophia Jordán Wallace

Second Chair in Congressional Policymaking (2020)

Sophia Jordán Wallace is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Washington in Seattle and the Director of the Washington Institute for the Study of Inequality and Race (WISIR). Her co-authored book, Walls, Cages, and Family Separation: Race and Immigration Policy in the Trump Era was published by Cambridge University Press in 2020. It examines public opinion towards contemporary immigration policies and focuses on the role of racial attitudes in driving support for certain policies. She is currently working on a book project that investigates Congressional negotiations on and framing of immigration bills over the last fifty years, and considers the conditions under which passage of immigration bills may be possible in the future.

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