Surviving Inside Congress, Third Edition

by Mark N. Strand, Michael S. Johnson, Jerome F. Climer

Overview

The United States Congress can be an enigma—overwhelming even those who have been in Washington for years. To assist Members of Congress, staff, government relations professionals and the general public through the Hill’s complexities, the Congressional Institute has published Surviving Inside Congress. This guide tells the story of how Congress was created and highlights important events that have formed the modern-day institution. It not only explores the essentials of House and Senate legislative procedures, but also takes an in-depth look at critical topics like Congressional communications, public opinion, ethics, and the partisan polarization that has frustrated the nation.

Although the second edition of Surviving Inside Congress was published only two years ago, life on Capitol Hill changes so quickly that another was warranted. This latest version covers a number of events that have occurred since the last publication: the 2012 Presidential and Congressional elections, changes to ethics rules concerning insider trading, and Senate filibuster reform. Other sections have been significantly expanded, including discussions of parliamentary procedure, management, communications, and political incivility and partisanship.

Working as an aide to a Member of Congress can be a daunting task. Most new staff members are ill equipped to the meet the diverse and critical needs of elected officials and their constituents. There are no comprehensive training programs, and no curriculum that adequately addresses the multiple roles they will be responsible for. Surviving Inside Congress tries to address these challenges by providing essential and non-partisan educational information to new Congressional staff and filling in some gaps for experienced Hill professionals. Written by three former Congressional staffers whose collective service to the institution totals more than 50 years, it is the first publication of its kind to give staff detailed insight into what is expected and required of those who are the glue that holds the institution of Congress together. No resource is better for current or aspiring staffers.

Although it is widely distributed on Capitol Hill, Surviving Inside Congress will interest a much larger audience. It has served as a textbook at the university level but is written in a tone that the general public will find readable, making it the perfect resource for anyone who would like an insider's view of how Congress really works.

Founded in 1987, the Congressional Institute, Inc. is a not-for-profit 501(c)(4) corporation dedicated to helping Congress better serve its constituents and helping their constituents better understand the operations of the national legislature.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940148217930
Publisher:	Congressional Institute, Inc.
Publication date:	07/10/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Mark N. Strand has been the president of the Congressional Institute since 2007 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. After retiring to North Carolina, he has served as president of the Public Governance Institute, a 501 (c)(3) organization and heads Policy Implementation Consultants, LLC, a private consulting endeavor.