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Series editor Norman Ornstein points out that making laws is messy by nature, and with Congressional activity more open than ever to media exposure, those messier aspects of legislating are subject to public scrutiny. Another factor is the world has changed, become more complicated, so that tends to lead to more pessimistic viewpoints when solutions to problems are not apparent or easy to implement. Show host Edwin Newman asks if the Congressional establishment needs to be as large as it is. U.S. Senator Dale Bumpers (D-AR) suggests reforming tenure in Civil Service. In a representative government where politicians are supposed to respond to the people and be held accountable, yet no matter how many names and faces change in either chamber or in the White House, the bureaucrats never really go away, so that needs to change. Ornstein asks about Senate staffs, if they really are running things more than they should. Senator Bumpers says yes, but each Senator uses their staff differently. Newman asks whether there is the perception that staffers are becoming "un-elected members of Congress." U.S. Representative Dick Cheney (R-WY) thinks that is true despite the House having less committee assignments and workload than Senators. He understands staffers are needed to provide information but there is the danger of information overload. Rep. Cheney thinks there is a more efficient way to get information and make informed decisions, but nothing is coming soon.