Congressional Deskbook 2003

"A valuable, detailed, and highly functional synthesis of information about the legislative branch. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All collections." CHOICE, DEc. 2003. The complete guide to congress, clearly describing the legislative and congressional budget processes. Includes 15 chapters that discuss all aspects of congress, including: legislative process flowchart; congressional budget process flowchart; clear description of the legislative process; how to research members and committees; research guidelines and resources (print and online); sample legislative documents with explanatory annotations; bibliographic references throughout; how members are assigned to committees; explanation of the electoral college and votes by states; compendium of web-based resources; and how to track legislation. See www.CongressionalDeskbook.com for more details.

The Congressional Deskbook, now in its Sixth Edition, explains the legislative and congressional budget processes along with all aspects of Congress. Many of the sections are expanded online at CongressProfile.com And an expanded legislative and budget glossary is available online at TCNLG.com This comprehensive guide to Congress is ideal for anyone who wants to know how Congress really works, including federal executives, attorneys, lobbyists, media and public affairs staff, government affairs, policy and budget analysts, congressional office staff and students. Complete Table of Contents with links to other material at CongressionalDeskbook.com

This comprehensive guide to Congress is ideal for anyone who wants to know how Congress really works, including federal executives, attorneys, lobbyists, media and public affairs staff, government affairs, policy and budget analysts, congressional office staff and students. - Clear explanation of the legislative process, budget process, and House and Senate business - Flowcharts for legislative and budget processes - Explanation of the electoral college and votes by states - Glossary of legislative terms - Relationship between budget resolutions and appropriation and authorization bills - Amendment tree and amendment procedures - How members are assigned to committees - Agenda for early organization meetings (after election, before adjournment) - Sample legislative documents with explanatory annotations - Bibliographic references throughout.

What does Congress do? How does it do it? Why is it such a complicated institution? This concise primer offers students and general readers a brief and systematic introduction to Congress and the role it plays in the US political system. Drawing on his experience as a former Congressional staff member, the author explores the different political natures of the House and Senate, examines Congress's interaction with other branches of the Federal government, and looks ahead to the domestic and foreign challenges that are likely to drive the Congressional agenda for decades to come. The book provides revealing insights into the sometimes-contradictory Congressional responsibilities of representation and lawmaking; oversight and appropriation; and managing and organizing the government. It includes a case study (on the formation of the Department of Homeland Security) that sheds light on Congress's often-complicated procedures. The book also includes boxed features on Congressional action - highlighting such topics as file sharing and student loans - that show students how Congress's work affects their lives. Chapter-ending lists of web resources add to the book's usefulness.