Watch the presentation by Professor Sara Zdeb, recipient of the 2026 Levin Center Award for Excellence in Oversight Research, of her award-winning paper, Cooperative Oversight and the Separation of Powers.
In this timely and innovative work, Professor Zdeb challenges the conventional assumption that Congress can strengthen its oversight authority only through conflict with the executive branch. Instead, she explores how cooperation between Congress and the executive branch during periods of unified government can create precedents that enhance Congress’s ability to obtain information and conduct effective oversight in the future. Following the presentation, Professor Claire Leavitt of Smith College discussed the paper with Professor Zdeb and engaged with attendees’ questions on the paper’s implications for congressional oversight, separation of powers, and executive accountability.