by Agnes Woebkenberg

Widener University Masters of Public Administration Student

Advise and Consent (1962) is an really interesting movie, although produced in 1960s its quite relevant to today’s public view of Congress.  The stereotypes of members of Congress and how things get done in Washington portrayed in the movie are the same ones we see today: back room deals, power plays, inner circles  and pursuit of one’s agenda at any cost.

The current bickering over Presidential appointments, even within the same party, is reminiscent of the movie.  All we have to do is to look at recent Presidential nomination of Chuck Hagel to the US Secretary of Defense post and the hostile style of questioning from Congress.   And let’s not forget the UN Ambassador Susan Rice whose name came up in the news as a candidate for the Secretary of State post and who was vilified by number of Congressmen for the Benghazi incident.  It’s clear that not much changed in the way we perceive the inner workings of Washington since 1960s but perhaps in current political environment, with Congress rated by the public lower than cockroaches, the stereotypes of ‘Advice and Consent’ appear tame in comparison.