“An inside look at the way Congress works and how it impacts the lives of all Americans, by an eminent former congressman. Part criticism and part vigorous defense of the legislative branch, the book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the inner workings of Congress, and how all citizens can participate in its unique mission.”
“Lee Hamilton’s book not only describes the Madisonian vision of what Congress is supposed to be and assesses how it measures up to that vision today, it also serves the same function of educating and edifying the American public that the Federalist papers did. . . . Every student of Congress, and every American, can benefit from this book.”
— Norman J. Ornstein, Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute
“A passionate and eloquent defense of the essential role Congress plays in the American constitutional system and a reasoned call for citizens to engage more actively in their representative democracy. Like Hamilton himself, this volume is scrupulously honest, fair-minded, and accessible to a wide audience.”
— Thomas Mann, W. Averell Harriman Senior Fellow in American Governance, The Brookings Institution
“Lee Hamilton's new book . . . should be required reading for any American contemplating writing a ‘Letter to the Editor’ or calling into (or hosting) a radio talk show, or for that matter, stepping into a voting booth. It is an owner’s manual for citizens interested in their Congress.”
— Charlie Cook, Editor and Publisher
“Americans cannot be faulted for having a deeply jaundiced view of their Congress, says Hamilton (Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars); he ought to know, because he served as a Representative for Indiana from 1965 to 1999. But he argues that people can and should fix it rather than give up on it completely.February 2010”
— SciTech Book News
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