Getting Things Done in Washington: Lessons for Progressives from Landmark Legislation

Boyett has written a book that will inspire you, lift your spirits, renew your faith in what progressives can accomplish, and show you a way forward. Getting Things Done in Washington tells the exciting stories of six great moments of progressive legislative history and the people who made them happen:

- James Madison and the founding fathers' struggle to expand the power of the federal government, - The Ladies of Beekman Hill, George Wiley and the struggle for pure food and drugs, - Wilbur Mills and the struggle for universal health insurance, - Robert Wagner and the struggle for the right of labor to organize, - John Sherman and the struggle to rein in and regulate big business, and - Lyndon Johnson and the struggle for civil rights legislation.

Boyett describes what it was like to live in America before progressives secured these historic pieces of legislation and how these legislative achievements changed the lives of every American. He introduces you to the fascinating men and women who led the efforts to pass this legislation and shows us how to defeat conservatives and once again get progressive things done in Washington.

Getting Things Done in Washington is vivid and exciting history. It will inspire you to work even harder for progressive causes. Most importantly, it will give you the tools to begin getting things done in Washington.

I am a liberal/progressive Democrat in addition to being a professional writer.  I supported Hilary Clinton and then Barock Obama in the 2008 election.  Like most progressives, indeed most Americans, I was disappointed that it seemed so difficult to secure passage of legislation such as the stimulus, health reform, regulating the financial industry and so on.  I was frustrated with the gridlock I saw in Washington.  In my typical fashion, I began researching the issue.  I began reading everything I could find about the causes of gridlock and possible remedies.  Most books and articles on the topic discussed the same issues-party polarization, divided government, bicameral Differences where members of the House and Senate hold differing views about policy etc.  Most proposed remedies such as changing the rules of the Senate to limit filibusters that I felt were unlikely to be adopted anytime soon, if ever.  Dissatisfied with what I was reading, I decided to take a different approach to the issue of getting things done in Washington.  I decided to investigate some of the great legislative achievements of the past.  Our parents, grandparents and great grandparents had gotten major legislation passed such as Medicare, the pure food and drug laws, the laws regulating monopolies and trusts, the civil rights laws and so on.  If they could get things done in Washington, then we could too.  I went in search of what I could learn from what they accomplished.  What lessons did they have to teach us about getting things done in Washington?  I spent the next two years researching the issue and writing this book.  Along the way, I became convinced that all was not gloom and doom.  We could get things done in Washington.  It would not be easy, but it could be done if we learned the secrets from those who had fought great legislative battles in the past and won.
Only 9% of Americans approve of the job their elected representatives are doing in Washington according to the most recent surveys.  They are angry that nothing of consequence ever seems to get done in Washington and consequently the nation's problems are not even addressed, much less solved.  Some are so frustrated with Washington gridlock that they have taken to the streets.  If you are one of these, my book offers a positive message that Washington can function, if we learn how to make it function.  My book provides hope.  I take you on a journey back in time to relive some great moments in our nation's history where they get to know some fascinating people, some well known and some just everyday Americans who rose to the challenges of their day and got things done in Washington.  You will be inspired by the achievements of these remarkable people.  Also, you will gain a greater appreciation of how important these legislative accomplishments were to the country and how the lives of all Americans can be dramatically changed for the better when things get done in Washington. You will come away confident that we can get things done in Washington and convinced that it is critically important that we do so.  Additionally, you will take away a set of practical tools to start making a difference, to start once again getting things done in Washington.