Inside the House

Lou Frey Jr. is the founder of the Frey Institute of Politics and Government at the University of Central Florida. Michael T. Hayes is Department Chair and professor of political science at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York.

Lou Frey and Michael Hayes have recruited an excellent roster of former members to tell their stories of the House. What comes through, time after time, is how much all these individuals, in their own individual ways, cared for the institution of the U.S. House. From Jim Wright to Lawrence Hogan to Tom Downey to Eugene McCarthy, the singular voices of our Representatives stand out. These stories offer eloquent testimony to the vitality of representative democracy. Congressional scholars, political junkies, reporters, and Washington insiders all owe a real debt to Frey and Hayes for compiling a grand collection of wisdom from former Members—who continue to "represent" the House with candor, insight, and good humor.

• Chapter 1 PrefaceChapter 2 IntroductionChapter 3 Making a Difference:Chapter 4 Ron, What Really Did You Do for a Living All Those Years in WashingtonChapter 5 The Youngest Woman Elected to CongressChapter 6 Constituencies within Congress: The Experiences of an Hispanic CongressmanChapter 7 A Republican Hawk Takes on the PentagonChapter 8 Getting Elected and Settling In:Chapter 9 The Lure of PoliticsChapter 10 Mr. Sundquist Goes to WashingtonChapter 11 Settling into Washington as a First-Term RepresentativeChapter 12 Tales from the House GymnasiumChapter 13 What Can a New Member Accomplish?Chapter 14 Old Advice for New Members of CongressChapter 15 Congressman-At-Large: Representing the State of MarylandChapter 16 The Personal Side of Life in the House:Chapter 17 Family Life in Washington: The Spouse's PerspectiveChapter 18 Dynamic Duo: A Marriage Devoted to Public ServiceChapter 19 Religious Idealism and Reality in Congressional PoliticsChapter 20 The Impeachment of Richard Nixon: A Personal RecollectionChapter 21 Never Quite Over the Hill: Working as a Congressional StafferChapter 22 Political Parties and the Life of the House:Chapter 23 Party Government in CanadaChapter 24 How Political Parties Shape the Policy Decisions of CongressChapter 25 Challenges that Speakers FaceChapter 26 The Job of the Minority LeaderChapter 27 Crossing the Party Line: My Life as a Republican. . . and a DemocratChapter 28 Wielding Influence as a Conservative DemocratChapter 29 Serving on Committees in Congress:Chapter 30 Congress and Ways & MeansChapter 31 The Appropriations CommitteeChapter 32 Forty-Eight Hours in the Life of a Congressional AppropriatorChapter 33 A Ranking Member of a Committee of the US CongressChapter 34 Power in the US House and the Florida State SenateChapter 35 The Member's Environment: Interest Groups, Constituents, and the Media:Chapter 36 Questions People Ask Me About RepresentationChapter 37 The Role of Mail in Decisions in CongressChapter 38 Lobbies and Political Action Committees: A Congressman's PerspectiveChapter 39 Soft Behavior Responses: How Legislators Serve Lobbyists in the Shadows of Capitol HillChapter 40 Congress and the MediaChapter 41 Dealing with the PressChapter 42 Congress and Policy-Making:Chapter 43 A Look at the Rules of the HouseChapter 44 Taking on AT&T: Rewriting the Communications ActChapter 45 Legislative Entrepreneurship: Different Strategies for Different IssuesChapter 46 Congress in Foreign AffairsChapter 47 Changes in the Role of Congress in Foreign AffairsChapter 48 The Legislator's Role in DefenseChapter 49 Congress and the Pentagon: Civil-Military Relations for a New MillenniumChapter 50 The Evolution of Congress:Chapter 51 Early History and Development of the United States CongressChapter 52 A Governor's Reflections on the Life in the US HouseChapter 53 Congress-It Used to WorkChapter 54 Partisan Memories: Watergate RevisitedChapter 55 Contributors