How Washington Actually Works for Dummies - (For Dummies) by Greg Rushford (Paperback)

About the Book

Go inside the political process in Washington, and learn how the government's power has grown through the years. Discover the ins and outs of what is done by federal bureaucrats, lobbyists, Congress, and the president.

Book Synopsis

Get the inside scoop on the most powerful city on Earth

Washington, D.C.: Capital of the Free World; the most powerful city on Earth. No other country, company, or international organization can compare with the reach and wealth of the federal government. Policymaking -- the art of deciding what programs to support, what laws to pass, or what regulations to write -- is at the core of what Washington does and is what everyone, from the President on down, wants to influence.

How Washington Actually Works For Dummies isn't a dry explanation of the American system of government but a playbook for how Washington really works: who has a seat at the table, how the policymaking process works, and how one survives. It takes you inside the political process in Washington, discusses changes in recent decades, and explains how the parts fit together. You find out:

• Who really runs Washington
• Why the President's power is limited
• How Congress (and its committee structure) works
• What the bureaucrats -- the men and women behind the curtain -- do to earn your tax dollars
• How lobbyists, activists, and other players influence policy

In a presidential election year when economic issues are center stage and the candidates will go head to head in policy debates, there's no better time to discover the ins and outs of how policy is actually made.

From the Back Cover

Get the inside scoop on the most powerful city on Earth

How Washington Actually Works For Dummies isn't a dry explanation of the American system of government but a playbook for how the policymaking process really works: who has a seat at the table, who is on the outside wielding influence, and who implements policy after it's approved. It takes you inside the political process in Washington, discusses how the government's power has grown through the years, and explains how the parts fit together.

• Washington's past and present -- get a brief history of the city from its humble beginnings to its emergence as a seat of true power, and find out what life in D.C. is really like today
• The men and women behind the curtain -- acquaint yourself with federal bureaucrats, from the Executive Office of the President to the Cabinet to the federal agency workers who keep the government running
• Professional persuaders -- discover the ins and outs of what lobbyists do, what rights they have, and how they influence Washington
• The Oval Office -- glimpse the day-to-day inner workings of the White House and how the president works with Congress, lobbyists, media, and constituents

Open the book and find:

• Who really wields power in Washington
• Why the president's influence is limited
• How a good policy idea can become a law
• How to spot a federal worker
• Tips for getting your foot in the door in D.C.
• What think tanks, activists, and other D.C. players do
• Ten ways to influence policymaking

Learn to:

• Grasp what it's like behind the scenes in the most powerful city on Earth
• Experience a day in the life of Congress
• Discover the workings of the White House
• Make sense of how policy ideas are born

About the Author

Greg Rushford has been observing Washington's political scene since 1967 -- first as a student, then as a congressional aide during the 1970s, and, in recent decades, as a journalist who specializes in the politics of international trade and diplomacy.