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By Michael L. Koempel and Judy Schneider Contributing Authors: Eugene Boyd, Peggy Garvin, Bill Heniff Jr., Henry Hogue, and Robert Keith  The Congressional Deskbook is the comprehensive guide to Congress, now in its Fifth Edition. This 15 chapter publication explains the legislative and congressional budget processes along with all aspects of Congress.  716 pages  Softcover, $47 Available from your bookseller or online. Table of Contents The Authors Reviews Sample Sections Details

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Reviews

"The Deskbook is a highly readable, timely and comprehensive resource on Congressional operations and procedures. It is a consistently reliable tool for any student of Congress and any legislative practitioner, regardless of their level of experience."
-- Martin B. Gold, Covington & Burling, Washington, DC

"The Congressional Deskbook is perfect for anyone who wants to understand how Congress works. It is concise, clarion clear and comprehensive all at once. It is spare and crisp -- but it never oversimplifies. It is written in lay language, but it never 'dumbs it down.' The Congressional Deskbook is a unique tool, one that I use regularly."
-- David Hawkings, Senior Editor, Congressional Quarterly

"The Congressional Deskbook is almost too good to be true. The breadth and depth of its coverage of Congress and of the institution's innumerable rules and practices are truly extraordinary. Most importantly, such detail is presented in an exceedingly accessible and efficient fashion. I have no doubt that the Deskbook will become an indispensable teaching tool and reference volume in my teaching and research pursuits."
-- Sarah Binder, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, The George Washington University

"It is hard to imagine an interested citizen or policy practitioner who would not learn something from the Congressional Deskbook."
-- Steve Frantzich, Professor, Department of Political Science, U.S. Naval Academy

"The Congressional Deskbook is a treasure trove of practical information on the U.S. Congress. It can be used effectively as a basic text on the operations of the legislative branch and as a reference guide for answers to simple and complex questions about the first branch of government. An essential resource for those working within, reporting on, lobbying, or just trying to understand our very complicated and essential national legislature."
-- Thomas E. Mann, W. Averell Harriman Chair and Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution

"The Congressional Deskbook puts between two covers what would take most people hundreds of hours to track down separately (let alone decipher). It pulls it all together by using concrete examples and documents to make things easily understandable--no mean feat given the labyrinthine ways of Congress."
-- Don Wolfensberger, Former staff director, House Rules Committee

"The Congressional Deskbook is the perfect one-stop reference tool for anyone seeking information on the legislative branch of government. Beyond the valuable information about how Congress works and how bills become laws, the Congressional Deskbook takes the reader inside the Capitol, explaining the customs and power structure. If you want to know how House and Senate leaders are chosen or if you are searching for a list of those who have lain in state or in Honor in the Capitol Rotunda or how federal spending decisions are made, this reference book has all that plus more."
-- Gebe Martinez, Reporter covering Congress and politics, The Houston Chronicle

"I first came across the Congressional Deskbook in the spring of 2004 and can't imagine getting along without it in the future.  The Deskbook contains an amazing amount of highly useful information for anyone who deals with Congress or wants to fully understand its workings.  It has clear and pertinent information on legislative procedure and organization, how to contact members of Congress, committees, and subcommittees, and includes a chapter on the budget process, a chapter on "How to Monitor and Research Congress," and a comprehensive glossary of legislative terms. The Congressional Deskbook is of great value to academicians, public administrators at all levels of government, politically engaged citizens, lobbyists, and policy advocates. I know of no other book that explains the people, politics, policy, and procedures of Congress so completely, clearly, and skillfully. The authors are to be commended and thanked for giving us an all-in-one-place fabulous guide to Congress."
-- David H. Rosenbloom, Distinguished Professor of Public Administration, School of Public Affairs, American University

"The Congressional Deskbook is an excellent and user-friendly compilation of helpful information about Congress that provides valuable insight into the legislative processes on Capitol Hill. I use it in my government relations practice, and it is required reading in the graduate school course I teach on business representation and lobbying."
-- William LaForge, Winstead Sechrest & Minick, Washington, DC

"A valuable, detailed, and highly functional synthesis of information about the legislative branch. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All collections."       
-- CHOICE (click for full review)

"[A]n excellent resource for individuals seeking to learn or expand their knowledge of Congress and our system of lawmaking. What's best about the book is that it puts so much valuable information into one place and provides hundreds of additional resources, should the reader desire to learn more."     
-- Wisconsin Lawyer (click for full review)

"No personal, professional, academic, or community library political science collection can be considered complete without the inclusion of the Congressional Deskbook...."    
-- Midwest Book Review 
 

Clear explanation of the legislative process, budget process, and House and Senate business Flowcharts for legislative and budget processes How to research members and committees Explanation of the electoral college and votes by states Research guidelines and resources - print and online Maps of the Capitol and Capitol Hill House and Senate committee and subcommittee office locations and phone numbers Glossary of legislative terms Relationship between budget resolutions and appropriations and authorization bills Also see the Congressional Operations Poster

Amendment tree and amendment procedures Guide to lobbying, campaign finance, and ethics laws How members are assigned to committees Agenda for early organization meetings (after election, before adjournment) Sample legislative documents with explanatory annotations Addresses and phone numbers of members of Congress and their staffs Bibliographic references throughout Phenomenal compendium of web-based information resources Sample sections