INSIDE THE HOUSE: FORMER MEMBERS REVEAL HOW CONGRESS REALLY WORKS
In March 2001, the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress published a book, Inside the House: Former Members Reveal How Congress Really Works.

The book contains 44 chapters, authored by 35 different former Members, a congressional spouse and two congressional staff, and covers subjects such as "Challenges That Speakers Face" by former Speaker Jim Wright and "How Congress Used to Work" by former Senator and Congressman Eugene McCarthy.

As former Congressman Lou Frey, Jr., who co-edited the book, said in the Preface: "During my many trips to college communities, I learned that there was no one book that gave the reader an inside look at the Congress from a personal viewpoint. Both teachers and students asked me to put together a book that incorporated the information they obtained during our informal lectures and talks. On one of these trips, to Colgate University, I met Professor Michael Hayes. He and I decided to work together to produce such a book."

As Suzanne Nelson reported in Roll Call: "[The book is] a collection of essays on topics ranging from the personal side of serving in Congress to party switching to political action committees….Although narrative at times, the tome more often imparts an intimate portrait of life in Congress without continually lapsing into anecdotes. The chapters manage to distance themselves enough from the subject to capture the totality of an event without allowing the readers to forget that the author was a participant."

David Baumann commented in the National Journal: "The chapters range from scholarly pieces on the House Rules Committee to far more personal reflections. 'I hope the human side really comes out,' said Frey, who served in the House from 1969 to 1979. He noted that when he first came to Washington, the personal side of life on Capitol Hill was 'really what shocked me.' Political scientists often try to quantify reasons to explain members' votes. As the Frey-Hayes book shows, however, sometimes that just doesn't work. Frey said he believes the book gets beyond attempts to quantify politics. 'You really get a bloody feel for how the place works,' he said, 'and the friendships that develop.'"

Aubrey Jewett, Professor of Political Science at the University of Central Florida, states: "Inside the House is the best edited volume on Congress I have read….it provides a unique view of congressional elections, political parties, committees, policy-making, history and much more. Inside the House is written with an accessible style that will appeal to students and the general public, yet contains so many original insights it will be in great demand among academics as well. After reading this book, you will come away with a better appreciation for the individuals who serve on Capitol Hill and a new found respect for the United States Congress as an institution."

Inside the House: Former Members Reveal How Congress Really Works, ISBN Number 0-7618-1937-1, is available for $32.50 from

University Press of America phone: 800/462-6420
or
The U.S. Capitol Historical Society

In Addition, the Association has published comparative stdies of The U.S. Congress and the German Bundestag and The Japanese Diet and the U.S Congress, as well as a comprehensive study of The President, the Congress and Foreign Policy.






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