This op-ed by State Policy Network’s Steven Johnson was first published at Governing.

Investigations into Hunter Biden. A modern-day “Church Committee” to tackle the weaponization of the federal government. An accounting of what went wrong in Afghanistan. New year. New Congress. New investigations.

The balance of congressional power flipping to the president’s opposing party brings about investigations quicker than the FBI can find the next batch of classified documents.This is a tradition in America as old as the “factions” that worried some of the Founders and evolved into today’s political parties.Whether you think it’s a process necessary to hold government accountable or mere political theater probably depends on who you voted for and who sits in the White House.

But while political gamesmanship may drive the headlines, legislative bodies conducting proper oversight in a consistent manner is a necessary function if our government is to control itself as our Founders intended. A legislative branch that passes laws without assessing how well the executive branch carries them out is one that has failed our system of checks and balances. Unfortunately, this describes not only the U.S. Congress but also too many state legislatures.

Read the full piece at Governing here.