Description
Book SynopsisGet 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.
Table of ContentsIntroduction 1
About This Book 2
Conventions Used in This Book 2
Foolish Assumptions 2
Icons Used in This Book 3
Where to Go from Here 3
Chapter 1: A Brief History of Washington 5
Becoming the National Capital 5
Putting D.C on the map 6
Building Georgetown and Alexandria 6
Sitting far from the early seats of power 7
Meeting in Mount Vernon and Annapolis 8
Wheeling and dealing 9
Designing the national capital 11
Watching the City Develop 12
Growing the Government in the 20th Century 14
The Roosevelt Years: The New Deal and World War II 14
From the Cold War to the new millennium 15
Eyeing D.C Today 16
Charting a changing demographic 16
Touting a recession-proof economy 17
Respecting D.C.’s rankings 18
Identifying the Washington Establishment 19
Putting the President and Congress in their place 20
Focusing on federal bureaucrats 20
Spotting the lobbyists 21
Recognizing other voices in the debate 21
Trying to figure out who really runs the show 21
Ignoring the establishment at your own peril 22
Chapter 2: The People behind the Curtain: Federal Bureaucrats 23
Embracing the Bureaucracy 24
Filling Plum Positions: Career Officials versus Appointees 25
Appreciating the Power of the Executive Office of the President 26
Running the Nation’s Business in the Cabinet and Departments 30
Filling in the Gaps with Agencies from A–Z 31
What to Wear, or How to Spot Federal Workers 32
Chapter 3: Professional Persuaders: Lobbyists 35
Exercising the Right to Petition 36
Identifying Interest Groups 37
Large corporations 37
Trade associations 39
Labor unions 41
Issue-oriented organizations 41
Other interest groups 42
Realizing the Role Played by Lobbying and Consulting Firms 42
Bringing Legal Firms into the Lobbying Mix 43
Regulating the Lobbying Industry 44
Defining a lobbyist 44
Considering the case of foreign agents 46
Following the gifting rules 48
Lobbying via Social Media 50
Chapter 4: Other Voices in the Debate: Outsiders, Gatecrashers, and Wallflowers 51
Figuring Out What Think Tanks Do 52
Trying to influence policy debates 52
Representing a cause or agenda 53
Employing former public servants 54
Informing the public 54
Analyzing the Efforts of Activists and NGOs 55
Feeling the Influence of Foreign Governments 57
Interacting with International Organizations 59
All Press Is Good Press: The Media 61
Spotting the many players 61
National, local, and foreign media outlets 61
Specialist media outlets 62
24-hour outlets: Cable news and social media 63
Breaking news in a cutthroat environment 63
Influencing policy (for better or worse) 65
Chapter 5: Congress 67
Browsing the Basic Responsibilities of Congress 67
Wielding the power of the purse 68
Overseeing the executive branch 68
Carrying out other constitutional duties 69
Studying the Structure of Congress 70
Spotlighting the Senate 70
Homing in on the House 70
Spotting the legislative leaders 71
Appreciating the Committee Process 73
Helping legislators gain expertise 73
Serving as a source of power 74
Bringing a Bill — and Possibly a Law — to Life 76
Investigating the Importance of Money 78
Focusing on campaign fundraising 78
Playing with PACs and special interests 79
Becoming beholden to financial supporters 79
What do you get for your money? 80
Chapter 6: The Presidency 81
The Workings of the White House 81
Fulfilling the duties of office 82
Constitutional duties 82
Self-imposed duties 84
Knowing his limitations: Can one man change Washington? 84
Using the bully pulpit 85
Relying on his support team 86
Governing from the bubble 87
Campaigning and Policymaking 89
Donating money and influencing policy 89
Concentrating disproportionate power in swing states 90
Dealing with party politics 91
A Day in the Life 92
Chapter 7: Policymaking 95
Realizing That Anyone Can Think Up New Policy 95
Getting Ideas to the Policymakers 96
Recognizing the policy triangle 96
Putting the idea on the decision-makers’ agenda 97
Employing Advocacy to Influence Policy Decisions 98
Defining our terms: Advocacy and lobbying 98
Distinguishing indirect and direct advocacy 100
Building an advocacy message 101
Practicing a powerful delivery 101
Getting a reality check from Washington insiders 103
Turning Bills into Laws 103
Writing Regulations to Support the Laws 107
Wielding Influence beyond Laws and Regulations 108
Spotting Checks and Balances in Policy Implementation 108
Congressional oversight: Keeping the executive branch in check 109
The interagency process 110
Untangling the Policy Web: The Power of Washington Insiders 112
Chapter 8: Ten Ways to Participate in Washington Policymaking 113
Be Informed 113
Run for Congress (Or Join a Staff) 114
Join the Bureaucracy 115
Contact Your Member of Congress 115
Join an Interest Group 117
Be an Activist for a Day 117
Be a Lobbyist for a Day 118
Submit Public Comments 119
Be a Citizen Journalist 119
Join the Washington Establishment 120
