Congress

Dan Rather Reports: The Best Congress Money Can Buy
$9.95
Who`s really running Washington? The lobbying industry has grown into a billion dollar industry. Dan Rather Reports investigates the "shadow government".This product is manufactured on demand using DVD-R recordable media. Amazon.com's standard return policy will apply.

Congress: The Electoral Connection, Second Edition
$19.50
David Mayhew's Congress: The Electoral Connection examines the activities of the individuals and the specifics of the institutions of the US House of Representatives, in an effort to determine the primary goals of House members elected to serve America and their constituents in the House. The thinking is that understanding House members' motivations better will allow observers to predict their actions.

He's well qualified to address this topic, having taught at Yale on political and legislative institutions since 1968.

Mayhew concludes that the main motivation behind what United States Congressmen say and do is not the best interests of the folks back home or even the well-being of their country - they are mainly concerned with their own reelection. In fact, he goes further, dismissing the idea that reelection is one of many motivations of Congressmen, saying that they are "...indeed, in their role [in Washington] as abstractions, interested in nothing else." He goes on in this book to display evidence, in the name of activities of Congresspeople and the policies and institutions of the House of Representatives, that supports his thesis well.

Don't be dismissed by the book's brevity and breezy tone. It's packed with insight and supportive data. And, don't think that this 1974 book is irrelevant to today's Congress. The themes and pressures ring true to today's world.

The conclusions are disheartening to those of us hoping for more from our elected leaders, but Mayhew's tone isn't cynical, just factual. Congress: The Electoral Connection is a foundation on which a library of research has been conducted on US political institutions. Political science students and those interested in how the direction of our country is set should read it.

Paul Simon and Friends: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song [Blu-ray]
$34.99
This concert was definitely a special tribute to Paul Simon for all his good, hard work, and dedication. I say,the best performances were the ones of James Taylor, Lyle Lovett performing with Buckwheat Zydeco, and Stevie Wonder performing with the Dixie Hummingbirds. I think the most special performance was the one of Art Garfunkel singing with Paul. All the other singers were good, too. Steve Gadd is still the most brilliant drummer he's ever been.
This DVD is definitely a collectible item. All Paul Simon fans should own one. (I do!)

Standard Deviants School - American Government, Program 7 - The Congress (Classroom Edition)
$29.98
It's time to meet the Congress. The Standard Deviants break down the rules and regulations for getting into Congress and then show you what the members of Congress do once they get there. It's a lot more than just voting, and it's a lot more complicated than you might think. See how Congress organizes itself and proposes the legislation that affects us every day.