Surviving Inside Congress, 5th Edition

by Mark N. Strand, Michael S. Johnson, Jerome F. Climer, Timothy Lang (Editor)

Overview

Want to work for Congress or just understand it better? Learn the ins-and-outs of how Congress really works.

The fifth edition of Surviving Inside Congress includes all you need to know to succeed as a congressional staffer or stay informed as a private citizen. Understanding how Congress really works--or doesn't, as the case may be--is the difference between being a valuable contributor to the nation's work and being an outsider who never really knows what is going on.  Surviving Inside Congress tells the story of the creation of the legislature and important events in its evolution, leading to how the institution operates today. It not only explores the essentials of House and Senate legislative procedures, but also takes an in-depth look at congressional communications, public opinion, and the partisan polarization that has much of the country frustrated with their legislature. 

Surviving Inside Congress has been revised and expanded to reflect important developments during the 114th and 115th Congresses. Updates include a new chapter on the President's role in the legislative process; new research on social media best practices; how and why Congress is dysfunctional and how it can be reformed; and a Floor procedures manual and congressional glossary for the 115th Congress. 

Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: In the Beginning
Chapter 2: A Job or a Career?
Chapter 3: Who's Who
Chapter 4: Power Stations
Chapter 5: Genesis of a Law
Chapter 6: Formal Introductions
Chapter 7: The Role of the Legislator-in-Chief
Chapter 8: The Budget – The One Essential Duty of Congress
Chapter 9: Managing to Succeed
Chapter 10: Plotting Course
Chapter 11: The Constant Revolution: How Citizens Get Their Political News
Chapter 12: Strategic Communication – What It Takes to Be a Good Communication Staffer
Chapter 13: Public Opinion and Public Judgment
Chapter 14: Putting It All Together
Chapter 15: Playing By the Rules
Chapter 16: Working with the Private Sector
Chapter 17: Can't We All Just Get Along?
Epilogue
Appendix I: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Procedures Manual for the 115th Congress
Appendix II: Congressional Glossary

Product Details

BN ID:	2940158749865
Publisher:	Congressional Institute, Inc.
Publication date:	12/08/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	464
Sales rank:	912,956
File size:	13 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Mark N. Strand has been the president of the Congressional Institute since 2007. He was named a Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government Institute of Politics Fall Fellow in 2017 and is an adjunct professor of legislative affairs at George Washington University. He spent nearly 24 years on Capitol Hill, most recently (2003-07) as chief of staff to Sen. James Talent (MO). From 2001-02, Strand was vice president of government affairs for the American Water Works Company. He was previously staff director of the House Committee on Small Business when Talent was chairman. He was chief of staff for Talent, Bill Lowery (CA) and Stan Parris (VA). Strand has a BS in political science and history from Excelsior College, an MBA in marketing from the University of Phoenix, and an MPS in legislative affairs from GWU’s Graduate School of Political Management. He frequently speaks to groups about how Congress works.

Michael Johnson served in the public sector for 14 years, first on the White House communications staff of President Gerald Ford. He was press secretary and later chief of staff for former House Republican Leader Bob Michel (IL). He entered the private sector in 1990, as a lobbyist with Texas and Ohio law firms. He served as a senior vice president of APCO Worldwide before joining the OB-C Group in 2001. Johnson has served on the staff of each Republican National Convention since 1980. He co-founded the Congressional Institute and continues to serve on its Board of Directors, which he previously chaired. He writes periodic columns for the Washington Examiner blog and newgopforum.com. Johnson began his career as a reporter and eventually became executive editor of an Illinois daily newspaper.

Jerome Climer came to Capitol Hill in 1967, serving for two years as the legislative staff to a freshman House Member. He also spent a few years in the executive branch, including serving as Assistant to the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture. He returned to the House as chief legislative assistant to Rep. Tom Coleman (MO) and then served for six years as chief of staff to Rep. Ed Bethune (AR). He served his final five years on Capitol Hill as leadership assistant to the late Rep. Guy Vander Jagt (MI). Then Climer co-founded the Congressional Institute, which he served as president for 20 years until his retirement in 2007.