Even though most textbooks still describe the process of how a bill becomes law as they did decades ago, Steven Waldman’s book, The Bill, shows how lawmaking has changed dramatically in recent years. A Newsweek journalist, Waldman had nearly unlimited access to lawmakers directly responsible for pushing the Clinton Administration’s national service bill through Congress. The book follows the bill’s history, from its beginnings as a campaign promise through its final result: creation of AmeriCorps and a new college loan system. In this work, we are able to watch the behind-the-scenes machinations of those responsible for the bill and those who are opposed to it. We see that lobbyists, senators, and businessmen often share the spoils of a political environment that is preoccupied with money more than good intentions. We see the side-switching, back stabbing, and belabored efforts of those in favor of the bill and those opposed to it. We also see that conflicting ideals are either reconciled or buried. So, too, we are able to see that one of former President Clinton’s greatest strengths was his ability to cater to the largest possible numbers of people while remaining true to his beliefs and ideals. This analysis will use concrete examples from The Bill to demonstrate the characteristics of the American legislative process that influenced policy and outcomes when it comes to the passing of the National Service Act.
In today’s Congress, bills typically move through a variety of routes. Several committees may consider some bills, while others are reviewed by none. Special task forces may shape omnibus measures of they may be formed in formal executive-congressional summits. Floor consideration in the House may be used to speed-up or slow-down a bill’s progress. So, too, bills are often subjected to non-germane amendments of are filibustered on the Senate floor. In Waldman’s description of the National Service A...