The Upper House: A Journey Behind the Closed Doors of the U.S. Senate

By Terence Samuel

They come to Washington for varied and complex reasons--driven perhaps by some deep emotional commitment to an issue, or believing that their time in Congress can make their dream of the presidency a reality. No matter what their motivation or particular route, freshmen have three traits in common: they will be members of one of the most powerful deliberative bodies on the planet; they will have far less leverage and influence than they might have imagined; and finally, none of them--not even the most experienced political hand--will have any idea exactly what will take to succeed as a United States Senator. In The Upper House , political analyst Terrence Samuel journeys inside the legislative arm of the government to discover what makes a modern senator. He gets to the heart of the Senate and follows the people--Harry Reid, Jim Webb, Amy Klobuchar, Jon Tester, Chuck Schumer, Bob Corker--and the institution through displays of dazzling power, bewildering helplessness, and sacred traditions both ancient and modern.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0230623611
• ISBN13: 9780230623613
• Release Date: May 2010
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.6" x 1.0" x 6.4"