In this accessible and popular book, veteran Hill observer Walter J. Oleszek explains how the contemporary Congress makes laws and how its rules and procedures shape domestic and foreign policy. A wealth of real-life examples brings the book to life and help readers make sense of the complicated business of lawmaking.Among the topics that receive new or expanded coverage in this thoroughly revised edition are: the shift from the politics of deficit to the politics of surplus; innovations in Senate floor procedures and the use of new rules in the House; new developments in the ways that chambers resolve their differences; and new trends in legislative oversight.

Product Description: Evans and Oleszek, well-known authors and Washington "insiders," use interviews, congressional documents, and their personal experiences to present thoughtful insights and an original framework that helps students evaluate the congressional reforms of the 1990s.