Arnold, R. Douglas. Congress, the Press, and Political Accountability. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2004. A comprehensive account of national and local media coverage of congress and its influence on citizens.
Bader, John B. Taking the Initiative. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 1999. Study of leadership agendas and the “Contract with America” during the era when Newt Gingrich was Speaker of the House.
Baker, Ross K. House and Senate, 3rd ed. New York: W. W. Norton, 2001. A comprehensive comparison of the two houses of Congress that relies on hundreds of interviews with members and their staffs, journalists, and lobbyists.
Casey, Chris. The Hill on the Net. Boston: AP Professional, 1996. An overview of Congress and the Internet covering the background history, uses, and challenges faced when legislative offices go online.
Cook, Timothy E. Making Laws & Making News. Washington, DC: The Brookings Institution, 1989. An exploration of the interactive relationship between the press and the House of Representatives that illustrates how media strategies influence lawmaking.
Davidson, Roger H., and Walter J. Oleszek. Congress and Its Members, 12th ed. Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2009. A comprehensive guide covering the formal and informal aspects of the institution of Congress and its members.
Fenno, Richard F., Jr. Home Style. New York: Longman, 2003. A landmark ethnographic study of members of Congress and their relationship to their constituents.
Jacobson, Gary C. The Politics of Congressional Elections, 7th ed. New York: Longman, 2007. Examines the connection between legislating and running for reelection.
Kedrowski, Karen M. Media Entrepreneurs and the Media Enterprise in the U.S. Congress. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press, 1996. Examines the growing trend of members of Congress who are proficient at courting media attention as well as legislating effectively.
Mayer, Kenneth R., and David T. Canon. The Dysfunctional Congress? Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1999. A study of the dilemma faced by members of Congress who need to satisfy both the needs of the institution and their interests of their constituents.
Mayhew, David. Congress: The Electoral Connection. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1971. Classic study arguing that members make policy decisions with the single-minded goal of getting reelected.
Rhode, David W. Parties and Leaders in the Postreform House. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1991. Argues that majority party control of the legislative agenda has increased since the 1970s.
Richie, Donald A. The U.S. Congress: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010. A good overview of the institution of Congress and how it works.
Sellers, Patrick. Cycles of Spin. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Discusses the communication strategies of members of Congress.
Sinclair, Barbara. Unorthodox Lawmaking, 3rd ed. Washington, DC: CQ Press, 2007. An accounting of changes in the legislative process that deviate from the textbook notion of how a bill becomes a law.
Vinson, Danielle C. Local Media Coverage of Congress and Its Members. Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press, 2002. A study of patterns in local media coverage of Congress focusing on the amount and substance of coverage.
