A classic description of the legislative process, tracing the drafting and passing of a single piece of legislation with all the maneuvering, frustrations, and triumphs involved.
The Dance of Legislation has long been considered a classic description of the legislative process. In it, Eric Redman draws on his two years as a member of Senator Warren Magnuson’s staff to trace the drafting and passing of a piece of legislation — S.4106, the National Health Service Bill — with all the maneuvers, plots, counterplots, frustrations, triumphs, and sheer work and dedication involved. He provides a vivid picture of the bureaucratic infighting, political prerogatives, and Congressional courtesies necessary to make something happen on Capitol Hill. In a Postscript to the 2000 edition, Redman reflects on how that process has, and has not, changed in the thirty years since the book was first published.
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"What Redman has written about the evolution of a health bill could be written about comparable constellations of personalities and pressures affecting an education or a housing or farm or tax bill. But few writers have actually produced a book that has such a useful blend of information, self-deprecatory humor, and keen rendering of the distinctive atmosphere of Congress."
" - New York Times Book Review
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"An outstanding book for undergraduates interested in politics."
" - Choice
