Inside Congress: A Guide for Navigating the Politics of the House and Senate Floors

by Trevor Corning

Required reading for anyone who wants to understand how to work within Congress. The House and Senate have unique rules and procedures to determine how legislation moves from a policy idea to law. Evolved over the last 200 years, the rules of both chambers are designed to act as the engine for that process. Each legislative body has its own leadership positions to oversee this legislative process. To the novice, whether a newly elected representative, a lawmaker's staff on her first day at work, or a constituent visiting Washington, the entire process can seem incomprehensible. What is an open rule for a House Appropriations bill and how does it affect consideration? Why are unanimous consent agreements needed in the Senate? The authors of Inside Congress , all congressional veterans, have written the definitive guide to how Congress really works. It is the accessible and necessary resource to understanding and interpreting procedural tools, arcane precedents, and the role of party politics in the making of legislation in Congress.

Genres: Politics

123 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 25, 2017

Reviews

[Allison Riding Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dry, but should be required reading.

[Jason Anthony Cenzano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

This is a great book that describes its content well and gives examples on items that are either tricky to grasp, or little known. Especially in today’s world, if you’re paying attention to politics through any medium, reading this book will give you a better understanding of what’s going on.

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good primer on the workings of Congress. Congress also publishes a guide for incoming freshman on procedure. I also highly recommend the C-Span interviews of Tom Coburn. Regardless of your politics, he really walks the viewers through the process and whats often gets in the way.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very Senate heavy. Which just proved to me how much I have to learn about the Senate. I learned a lot. But it was so very dry. I think as a congressional staffer, things really came to life because I’ve seen these procedures in action.

[Colby · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good, quick, brief introduction to the Congressional system. Especially procedure.

[Vincent Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This a great book if you want a quick read on how Congress works. It provides solid descriptions of all the processes and procedures that are consistently used in the House and Senate.