How many presses can claim 40 percent of their books as winner or finalist in one of the publishing industry’s most prestigious awards? TheCapitol.Net is one that can. The Virginia-based DC-area publisher has published ten titles, all on understanding how the federal government, Washington, and the media actually work. Four of them have received recognition … Read more
New laws and programs are often initiated as a way of resolving problems. At the same time, new laws and programs serve as “accomplishments” for members of Congress. Unfortunately, more often than not, such “accomplishments” do not actually differ that much from programs and laws that are already in existence. As a result, the federal … Read more
“Accomplishments” in Congress are often collected and touted to fuel reelection bids. Every two years representatives face the grind of election while senators face election every six years. During the interim, members continue to run reelection campaigns. The question of “what have you done for me lately?” hangs over the heads of all Congressional members. … Read more
There is no getting around the fact that members of the majority party typically decide the most crucial questions presented to Congress. Furthermore, members of the majority party also primarily control what will be considered by their chambers on a daily basis. In the end, the fact that a member can vote does not really … Read more
Upcoming Media Appearances by Joseph Gibson, Author of A Better Congress January 21, 2011, 8:40 am Eastern WATD, Boston, MA South Shore’s Morning News with Rob Hakala January 24, 2011, 10:00 am Eastern WGTD, Milwaukee, WI The WGTD Morning Show January 30, 2011, 11:00 am Eastern WLW, Cincinnati, OH The Bill Cunningham Show Journalists: To … 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
If you’re looking for a last-minute stocking stuffer for the Congress-watcher in your life (or for yourself), look no further than A Better Congress: Change the Rules, Change the Results. The book is written by a congressional insider who knows how the system works—and how people work within the system. Author Joseph Gibson served as … Read more
In his new book “A Better Congress: Change the rules, change the results,” Joseph Gibson proposes a novel idea, why don’t members of Congress use plain English when they write legislation. “If bills were drafted in clearer language, perhaps more members would read and understand them. If the bills then became law, the public might … Read more
“A Better Congress” Author Joseph Gibson Interviewed by Doug McElvein and Debbie Monterrey on Total Information AM, on KMOX-AM, St. Louis, MO Washington insider Joseph Gibson spoke with us about his new book “A Better Congress: Change the Rules, Change the Results”. Listen to the audio here: http://www.thecapitol.net/Publications/ABetterCongress.html From a reader: “Makes a great gift … Read more