Congressional Procedures and the Policy Process (9th Edition)

As a governing body, Congress continually adapts to changes in process and practice. This procedural context governs every aspect of the House and Senate and affects lawmakers as they make voting decisions, expedite or delay legislation, or defeat a bill. Walter Oleszek′s definitive work examines how the majority and minority parties use procedural devices to achieve their political goals and offers an assessment of the role of conference committees in reconciling bicameral differences. Not shying away from the complexity of the topic, Oleszek ensures that the machinations of Congress are understandable through an array of interesting examples, cases, and anecdotes that he is well-positioned to witness and experience first-hand.

Walter J. Oleszek is a senior specialist in the legislative process at the Congressional

Research Service. He has served as either a full-time professional staff aide or consultant

to many major House and Senate congressional reorganization efforts beginning

with the passage of the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1970. In 1993, he served as

policy director of the Joint Committee on the Organization of Congress. A former

adjunct faculty member at American University, Oleszek is a frequent lecturer to various

academic, governmental, and business groups. He is the author or co-author of several

books, including Congressional Procedures and the Policy Process, 11th ed. (2020),

and Congress Under Fire: Reform Politics and the Republican Majority, with C. Lawrence

Evans (1997).