See Amendment Tree / Filling the Tree (CongressionalGlossary.com) Courses Congressional Operations Briefing – Capitol Hill Workshop Drafting Federal Legislation and Amendments Writing for Government and Business: Critical Thinking and Writing Custom, On-Site Training Drafting Effective Federal Legislation and Amendments in a Nutshell, Audio Course on CD Congress, the Legislative Process, and the Fundamentals … Read more
Each year, countless dollars are spent on public relations efforts that are specifically designed to capture the attention of legislators. Whether it is an advertisement in Roll Call or a web site ad meant to persuade busy lawmakers and staff, a creative array of messages are developed to formulate a successful advocacy campaign. photo credit: … Read more
Writing for Government and Business: Critical Thinking and Writing – How to Compose Clear and Effective Reports, Letters, Email, and Memos Our writing courses have been described as “really about how to get better job reviews and get promoted” because they help you improve one of your most important, and visible, job skills: written communication. … Read more
One of the earliest tasks of many new press secretaries and communication directors is the development of a communications plan. A large portion of early reviews, research and interviews will result in the development of this plan. Without the presence of such a plan, any proactive press work is virtually impossible. photo credit: jeremyfoo In … Read more
Running a campaign for Congress can require resources that are typically out of reach of most average Americans. As a result, the pool of people that can realistically even consider mounting a campaign to run for Congress is naturally small. In order to mount a congressional campaign, potential candidates must be prepared to devote their … Read more
In general I find Congressional reform proposals, including filibuster abolition, difficult to evaluate. There is no simple model at hand. Sometimes the median voter model is useful, but in most cases it implies the reforms don’t matter, a conclusion which I would not wish to accept so readily. Multi-dimensional cycling models often imply that either … Read more
When it comes to identifying and cultivating contacts and influential individuals who can assist you with your issue, it is never too early to begin. Start working with key decision makers on your issue as early as possible. Make it a priority to identify leaders that other congressional members will look toward regarding the development … Read more
It’s no secret that the key to gaining support for an issue in Washington is to gather as many allies as possible and then translate those allies to critical votes. Congress responds to pressure, so the more people and groups you have as allies, the greater chance you have to achieve your goals. photo credit: … Read more
Our “Preparing and Delivering Congressional Testimony” course is commonly offered as a 2-day custom on-site training program for executives, scientists, managers, attorneys, and others who are involved with preparing for and delivering testimony at congressional hearings. For more than 30 years, TheCapitol.Net and its predecessor, Congressional Quarterly Executive Conferences, have been training professionals from government, … Read more
In many instances, witnesses who testify before Congress were invited to do so. In other cases, witnesses have offered to testify. The other ways in which witnesses are selected to testify before Congress are by recommendation and under subpoena. photo credit: bhanu.t On occasion, congressional committees consider or request recommendations made by individuals and organizations … Read more