18
NATIONAL HISTORY DAY 2016
Food for Thought
Exploration and Exchange, Congressional Archives,
and Legislative History
E
Kristine Schenk, Education Specialist, Dole Archive & Special Collections, Dole Institute of Politics,
University of Kansas
xchanging food is an activity inherent in the human experience. Food sharing is found across cultures and plays an integral
role in many encounters across the globe. The Silk Road and the Columbian Exchange are examples of how groups across
continents have adopted new food and technologies as the result of conquest and
trade. Today the exchange of food is influenced by political, social, and economic
forces, locally, nationally, and internationally.
Several U.S. government programs have had a large impact both domestically and
internationally in the last 60 years. Some of this activity is documented in the
collections of the Robert J. Dole Archives & Special Collections
(dolearchives.ku.edu/) at the University of Kansas, as former Senator Bob Dole
was a key contributor to agricultural policy during that same period.
Senator Dole represented the state of Kansas in the U.S. Congress for 36 years,
from 1961 to 1996. The longest-serving Republican leader to date, he was
the 1996 Republican nominee for president and President Gerald Ford’s vice-
presidential candidate in 1976. Though a partisan conservative, Dole engaged in
many bipartisan initiatives throughout his career, representing a broad range of
issues including those promoting food security in the United States and beyond.
Since retiring from the Senate in 1996, Dole has worked as an advocate for local
and global programs that fight food insecurity.
T
Former U.S. Senator Robert J. Dole
Courtesy Dole Institute of Politics
Exploration and Exchange in the Legislative Process
he legislation mentioned here—or any piece of legislation—is a product of both exchange and exploration. The legislative
process is a long and complex give-and-take between many different interests, roles, individuals, and groups, formal and
informal. Whether or not legislation addresses exchange as a literal activity, studying the process through official government
documents and archives can reveal a dynamic interplay.
Likewise, legislators and their staffs are constantly exploring new ideas and solutions to today’s problems. What you will not
find in the official records of government is much insight into how a legislator forms his or her opinion—only the actions
taken and public statements on the issue. A congressional archive takes you behind the scenes, into layers of exploration and
analysis, all information to be weighed by the legislator as he or she makes crucial decisions. You will find yourself asking,
“What would I do in this situation?”