“In the Shadow of the Dome. Chronicles of a Capitol Hill Aide”. By Mark Bisnow
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This book looks at who really runs the US Congress and the influence of Congressional aides – staffers – and the influence they have. If you are about to work for a politician or deal with politicians you should read it.
It is the viewpoint of a decade long staffer who worked for Democrats and Republicans.
I worked for two British Labour MEPs in my late twenties. I learned a lot. After that, I am always happy to meet political aides.
From this memoir, you’ll realise:
- A lot of the work and decisions are taken by the political aide
- A lot of people step in too late to make any difference at all
- Expertise, both issue and process, matters. It is the currency of legislating.
- Academics and advocates don’t win votes or help people get elected, and usually step in too late.
- CEOs have little influence. They start speaking when the draft laws have already drafted.
- Many of the ideas and solutions for political aides come from lobbyists representing interests.
- Most votes and decisions are Pro-forma, they go through on the nod
- A handful of people, the people with the persistence to follow from the beginning to the end, and never relent, get what they want.
- Being informed, pleasant and cogent goes a long way. Only clear and short memos work.
- Political staff have no authority other than that delegated to them by their politician. And, some staff find that hard to deal with.
If you or a client won’t speak with a political aide and insist on only meeting with the politician, you are likely speaking with the wrong person.
Special Mentions
The book is full of useful insights. I highlight some that struck a cord:
1. Meeting CEOs they were delighted to give advice, but it was often too general to translate into concrete legislation. The draft laws had already been written.
2. Politicians prefer to ignore the real economic reasons and prefer a diagnosis whose prescription is legislation
3. Painful economic adjustments are inevitable and politicians are urged to think there is some other reason for it. There is not.
4. Losers from trade competition are often more motivated than winners since their very jobs are on the line.
5. In contrast, economics professors or consumer advocates, who might be counted on to expound the virtues free trade or at least counsel patience, are not renowned for their ability either to raise campaign funds or to get out the vote for their friends. They tend to be heard only if quoted in the newspaper foreign aid goes to the trouble of reading a publication crosses his desk from the scholarly Institute.
6. Very few politicians are consistent free traders. Even Regan was not.
7. Expertise – issue and process – carries considerable weight. The people who matter rate it. Few have it.
8. Foreign governments and interests have little influence as compared to local interests from those who vote.
9. Many political aides and politicians share perspectives, which to normal human beings might have seemed evidence of maladjustment.
10. Is it really worth the effort to block a law you don’t like? Putting up a fight would require learning massive detail about the case, which might be worth the effort if a truly important principle were at stake or if the issue had the potential to become Watergate-level news that could catapult the diligent senators to national glory.