Working in Congress is the most challenging and rewarding job you’ll ever have.
Learn how it really works. Surviving Inside Congress tells you how to navigate the Floor, Committees, Leadership and more. Everything you need to excel on and working with the Hill.
We delivered 4,500 copies to Capitol Hill. Please email book@conginst.org from your congressional email address if you did not receive a copy.
Develop Your Career on Capitol Hill with Surviving Inside Congress
After reading Surviving Inside Congress, you will…
- Know who’s who on the Hill
- Decipher the difference between the House and Senate rules and culture
- Steer clear of ethics violations
- Understand the budget process
- Communicate effectively with colleagues, constituents and the media
- Build constructive relationships with issue advocates
- Revere the history and traditions of Capitol Hill
- Manage a staff of highly talented people, spanning multiple generations (and time zones!)
- Know why a court tossed out the law you worked so hard to pass
- Understand why the parties are fiercely competitive sometimes and quite cooperative other times
Thrive inside Congress
If you’ve picked up Surviving Inside Congress, there’s a good chance you’re an eager congressional staffer looking to make a difference, develop policy expertise, lead a talented team or become the next smart political pundit. The hard part is getting there. Few resources show how to navigate The Capitol’s complexities. Whether you’re a Republican or Democrat, Surviving Inside Congress will guide you.
Capitol Hill is the center of our republic. It also is an exceedingly complex place. Surviving Inside Congress can help you navigate the twists and turns and avoid the pitfalls and dead ends.
Kevin R. Kosar, American Enterprise Institute
What People Are Saying about Surviving Inside Congress
Our Founders designed such a unique and beautiful system of representative democracy, but the complexities of our legislative branch can be difficult to understand and navigate. Surviving Inside Congress demystifies how Congress really works. It expertly details the players, processes, and pressure points involved in policy-making and other readers a comprehensive roadmap to understanding Capitol Hill. Surviving Inside Congress is invaluable for anyone looking to make a difference and the countless kernels of wisdom it provides will benefit staff and Members alike.
Paul D. Ryan
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives
About the Congressional Institute
The Congressional Institute was established in 1987 as a not-for-profit organization committed to the excellence of Members of Congress and their professional staff. By hosting conferences and development opportunities, the Institute effectively provides resources for continued excellence.
Since the organization’s founding, the contours of legislating and governing have evolved so that the Institute itself has risen to meet those changes. The Institute’s professional board of directors is composed of former senior Hill leadership aides who provide expert advice and counsel. Additionally, the Institute works closely with the most talented government affairs professionals who lend their policy expertise as a valued resource.
The Institute hosts major conferences for the benefit of Members of the United States Congress as well as a number of smaller gatherings, all devoted to an examination of important policy issues and strategic planning. Congressional Institute programming is widely regarded as premium level and often draws attendance from high-level elected officials including U.S. Presidents and Vice Presidents, as well as foreign leaders such as Prime Ministers and others. It provides space for Members and staff to discuss legislative priorities and strategies as well as develop professional relationships with each other and experts in their fields.
Consistent with its mission, the Congressional Institute also develops resources such as a House Floor Procedures Manual and Surviving Inside Congress, a manual for Capitol Hill staffers and a guidebook for academic and collegiate level instruction. It regularly produces policy papers and issue guidance and has sponsored Oxford-style bipartisan Congressional debates.
Additionally, the Congressional Institute sponsors the bipartisan annual Congressional Art Competition, a celebration of artistic discovery by the nation’s high school students. Each congressional district hosts an individual competition with the first-place artwork hanging prominently in the United States Capitol for one year.
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