Customer Reviews

Congressional Deskbook: The Practical and Comprehensive Guide to Congress, Fifth Edition (Legislative Series)

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A bit of background. The authors began their careers as Congressional staffers and maintained contact with Members of Congress (MCs hereafter) and staff over time. Lessons learned from staff and MCs are the focus of this book and (page xxi) "continue to inform this book as Congress evolves. . . ." The mission of this book? To cover and explain how Congress works to the book's readers. The volume, in the authors' words, covers (page xxvii) "legislative, budget, and special procedures; how various procedures relate to each other; the forms of impact and competition on Capitol Hill". . . . And so on. In short, if you want an insider's view of how Congress operates, this would be a valuable resource.

This is not a book to snuggle up with at bedtime (unless, I suppose, the reader were a "political junkie"). But it is a fine resource. There are 15 chapters and several appendices (if you want to know your MCs address and phone number, you can find it here!).

No need to summarize each chapter. But a sampling will give a sense of the nature of this volume. Chapter 1 begins with a discussion of what it means to be a member of Congress. It gives some insight into the daily lives of an MC (busy and hectic and not altogether under an individual's control)--and their family lives, too. Chapter 2 focuses on a related subject for the MC: campaigns and elections. After getting elected, MCs cannot afford to relax, since another election looms. The chapter provides information about election laws, the nature of campaigns and elections. There are many sources of information provided on elections that the reader can follow up with. Once a person is in Congress, what resources can the use? Chapter 5 examines staff and allowances (pay and support for the project of being a member of Congress, such as office expenses) and relevant administrative units, such as the Government Printing Office, Office of Management and Budget, and so on. Much of the work of Congress is in the House and Senate committees and subcommittees. Chapter 7 provides an overview of this. Ever hear of those mysterious "holds" in the Senate? Chapter 8 discusses this and other matters relating to the legislative process, with much nuts and bolts description. Chapter 15 is an effort to pull the various chapters together by exploring one working example from the 106th Congress--a specific bill. The chapter follows this bill, step by step, through the labyrinth that is the legislative process.

For the citizen interested in understanding Congress as it does its work from day to day, this would be a nice resource. Once can keep it in reserve until something piques one's interest about Congress and then open the pages and find the answer to questions. It's not the kind of volume to purchase and then look to it for fun reading. However, this book, in the end, will be valuable for those with an interest in the subject.

This is a first-rate guide to Congress, for the political junkie, K street lobbyist, activist citizen, federal bureaucrat and--especially--members and staff of Congress. Written primarily with the latter in mind, the volume--which publishes every two years for a new Congress--has a vast amount of information, technical and general, that explains in and outs of Congress: organization, structure, procedures, traditions, ethics, rules, media and more. Not content with nuts and bolts the authors in the latter chapters delve into the legislative and federal budget process, congressional documents, and how to do legislative research, including a vast array of web sites. Both are long-time experts in the Congressional Research Service, although they prepare the book outside their duties there and the volume is not a CRS publication. A great value.

Everyone who is involved with public policy, advocacy, and congressional relations should have this book and updates.