Interested in legislative oversight research? Apply for the Elise J. Bean Oversight Fellowship and receive $10,000 to support original scholarship on Congress or the 50 state legislatures. Applications due Jan. 31. Details:

Happy holidays from the Levin Center!

New report from WXYZ-TV highlights concerns over Oakland County leaders’ private business ties and calls for stronger ethics rules. Levin Center Director @jim-townsend.bsky.social says financial disclosure is key for public trust and accountability. Read/watch now! www.wxyz.com/news/local-n...

Applications are open for the Elise J. Bean Oversight Fellowship! Early-career scholars can receive $10,000 to conduct original research on congressional or state legislative oversight and produce a scholarly paper. Deadline: Jan. 31. Learn more and apply:

The Levin Center is being visited by a very good boy today!

A federal judge got it right: Congress must be able to conduct unannounced inspections of ICE detention facilities. Real oversight means real-time access—not sanitized tours or delay tactics. Transparency and accountability are not optional. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/17/u...

Applications are now open for the Elise J. Bean Oversight Fellowship! Early-career scholars can receive $10,000 to support research on legislative oversight by Congress or the 50 state legislatures and produce a scholarly paper. Apply by Jan 31 📅 Learn more & apply: levin-center.org/levin-center...

“Oversight is a cornerstone of our democracy...The work of holding government accountable is too important to leave in partisan hands," said Sen. Irwin. Michiganders deserve true oversight, which must include working together. We support this effort! michiganadvance.com/briefs/two-m...

"In @ccleavitt.bsky.social's view, good government isn’t possible without good oversight. 'The purpose of Congress is to problem solve, & you can’t solve problems if you are uninformed,' she says." @levincenter.bsky.social www.smith.edu/news-events/...

Credit to Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) for fighting against a bill to cripple NJ’s crucial watchdog agency. Democrats and Republicans alike have a duty to invest in and protect the power and independence of these agencies at the state and federal level. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/n...

Read more about Eugene Hasenfus and the Iran-Contra Affair in our Portrait in Oversight! levin-center.org/what-is-over...

As we near the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the @Levin_Center is launching #Congress250 on Jan. 12—celebrating Congress as the first branch with weekly Friday Facts. Want to contribute a fact? Submit one and join us! levin-center.org/congress-250/

Happy Giving Tuesday! What better way to celebrate than contributing to your favorite nonprofit helping to strengthen legislative oversight? www.givecampus.com/campaigns/37...

Thanks to the Wayne Lawyer for featuring coverage of our 10-Year event in the fall issue! digital.law.wayne.edu/issue/fall-2...

Our deepest thanks to the 15 million+ individuals living today who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. On Veterans Day, we honor their service - the time away from home and loved ones, the risks they took, the comrades they supported, and the disabilities many of them incurred. Thank you.

"Congress needs to fight harder than it has so far to defend this independent voice that brings to light facts that Congress and the American people need to know," following Trump's firing of more than a dozen, argues Levin Center director @jim-townsend.bsky.social. thehill.com/opinion/cong...

Check out the Levin Center's own Lauren Jasinski on WJR Radio's School Talks! She discussed our Learning by Hearings curriculum for high school civics. open.spotify.com/episode/5lQq...

Check out the new Capitol Quirks reel from our State Oversight Academy! The #Arizona legislature is full of interesting history, including a measles outbreak, a long-serving lady, and a Capitol building design that nobody wanted! www.instagram.com/p/DQmOz9-jV1g/

Happy #Halloween and don't forget to #vote!

Happy #Halloween! Some of our staff have done some impressive decorating at home. Check it out!

🎥 Missed our 2025 Oversight Research Award presentation? Prof. Leavitt of Smith College joined us to discuss how congressional #oversight evolved during the Trump administration and what those lessons reveal about the resilience of democratic institutions. www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLvm...

New in the Oversight Case Law Tracker! 🔹Neguse v. ICE: Members of Congress challenge agency policy restricting access to ICE detention centers. 🔹U.S. v. Rep. McIver: Key ruling on whether congressional staff can be compelled to testify about internal cmte deliberations. levin-center.org/case-list/

STARTING SOON! Prof. Claire Leavitt (Smith College) is the recipient of our 2025 Award for Excellence in Oversight Research for “I’ll be the Oversight: Lessons from the (First) Trump Era." She will present her award-winning paper on Oct. 30 from 12:15–1:30 PM ET. us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

TOMORROW!

The Alaska Legislature has so many interesting Capitol Quirks! Check out our newest IG reel to learn more. www.instagram.com/reel/DQJ8aOs...

RSVP NOW! Prof. Claire Leavitt (Smith College) is the recipient of our 2025 Award for Excellence in Oversight Research for “I’ll be the Oversight: Lessons from the (First) Trump Era." She will present her award-winning paper on Oct. 30 from 12:15–1:30 PM ET. us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

The Alaska Legislature has so many interesting Capitol Quirks! Check out our newest IG reel to learn more. www.instagram.com/reel/DQJ8aOs...

President Trump has again removed another inspector general (Export/Import Bank) without any apparent justification. IG’s by law are to serve “without regard to political affiliation and solely on the basis of integrity…" (1/3)

Prof. Claire Leavitt at @smithcollege is the recipient of our 2025 Award for Excellence in Oversight Research for “I’ll be the Oversight: Lessons from the (First) Trump Era." She will present her award-winning paper on Oct. 30 from 12:15–1:30 PM ET. RSVP! us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Thanks to all who attended our panel this morning at the Michigan Political Science Association Conference!

We had a great time at #MIPSA2025! The State Oversight Academy participated in the poster session last night and a panel today on our recent research on state legislatures and performance audits.

Prof. Claire Leavitt at @smithcollege is the recipient of our 2025 Award for Excellence in Oversight Research for “I’ll be the Oversight: Lessons from the (First) Trump Era." She will present her award-winning paper on Oct. 30 from 12:15–1:30 PM ET. RSVP! us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Congrats to Prof. Jack Mogk, who serves as the chair of our Faculty Advisory Board, for his well-deserved John W. Reed Michigan Lawyer Legacy Award. We have all benefited from his dedication to the law, @waynelawschool.bsky.social, and the city of Detroit. law.wayne.edu/news/decades...

📢 New Committees Added to CORD! Our Congressional Oversight Reports Database (CORD) added 134 new reports from: - Senate Commerce, Science & Transportation - Senate Select Committee on Intelligence - House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Available for FREE! www.cord-levin-center.org

The Trump Administration's move to cancel funding for the CIGIE is a grave mistake that GOP leaders in the Senate are condemning. CIGIE saved $71 billion in federal $ in 2024, or $18 for every $1 it spends. Congress must defend CIGIE funding now. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Not passing regular appropriations bills is a failure to represent the people. Continuing resolutions freeze in amber policies of prior Congresses despite elections that purport to represent the people’s will. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

"The House...establish[ed] a new subcommittee to investigate...the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021....they all have an opportunity to approach this work in a genuinely bipartisan fashion, for the good of the country," writes @jim-townsend.bsky.social. thehill.com/opinion/cong...

It was shocking to hear the President of the United States on Sunday tell the world that he hates - not injustice, not racism - but his opponents. To our knowledge, no President has publicly used the word “hate” against fellow Americans. It’s a “first” that we wish had never happened.

Thanks to all who helped us celebrate our 10th anniversary! @slotkin.senate.gov @waynelawschool.bsky.social

Thanks to all who helped us celebrate our 10th anniversary! @slotkin.senate.gov @waynelawschool.bsky.social e

On September 13, the Levin Center for Oversight and Democracy at @waynelawschool.bsky.social marked its 10th anniversary with an evening that blended reflection, inspiration, and celebration. Catch up with @slotkin.senate.gov and our other speakers on YouTube! youtu.be/me28rGFFAOI

Check out the State Oversight Academy's new IG series, Capitol Quirks! Every state legislature is unique, weird, and fascinating -- find out why in less than three minutes! #Alabama #statelegislature #stategovernment www.instagram.com/reel/DO5-tjb...

Carl Levin would never complain. He would act. He would investigate. He would take on both parties, and he would find common ground.

Thanks to all the Wayne Law (@waynelawschool.bsky.social) students who came to our open house today! We look forward to working with and supporting you as you progress in your legal education.

This is one of the best opportunities I’ve had since becoming Senator: I got to speak at the 10th Anniversary of the Carl Levin Center for Legislative Oversight and Democracy (@levincenter.bsky.social) at Wayne State University Law School (@waynelawschool.bsky.social). (1/5)

On September 11, 2001, the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil resulted in the deaths of 3,025 people. This led to the first ever bicameral investigation by the two standing intelligence committees in Congress. Read our Portrait in Oversight. levin-center.org/what-is-over...

"Professor @ccleavitt.bsky.social will present and discuss her award-winning paper on October 2, 2025 from 12:15 – 1:30 PM (Eastern). Join us then!" @levincenter.bsky.social us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

"Today, the @levincenter.bsky.social announced that the winner of its 2025 Award for Excellence in Oversight Research is “I’ll be the Oversight”: Lessons from the (First) Trump Era, by @ccleavitt.bsky.social, Assistant Professor of Government at Smith College." www.levin-center.org/2025-researc...

Congressional site visits are key to democratic oversight—especially for intelligence ops where the stakes are highest. Blocking Sen. Warner’s visit is unconstitutional. The public has a right to know what is happening in gov agencies. Both parties must demand it be rescheduled.