Power Game: How Washington Works

As a non-American, interested in US politics, Smith's book is a more than useful insight into how Washington politics works - the deals, counter deals, and a good examiniation of the machinery that makes it all works. Smith stays away from the personalities, and concentrates on the machinery and plotical strcutures and systems, and how they all interact (and some cases how they don't) and it all reveals a complex but continually fascinating political system.

Perhaps a political science classic - Hedrick Smith provides an insightful glimpse not only into Washington's political scene but offers a phenomenal analysis of politics and power itself. he presents why so much of the system has become so cumbersome and complex as people fight for power and control of various aspects. He describes PACs and lobbying groups and their impact on the political system. He also describes how the various players in Wahsington have grown over time. Take this interesting tidbit from the book: Journalists: 1,522 were acredited to Congrssional press galleries in 1961 and 5,250 in 1987; the 1980 census showed 12,612 journalists citywide. When Truman ordered the dropping of the atomic bomb on Japan in 1945, I was told, he broke the news to the entire White House press corps - twenty-five reporters. By mid-1987, some 1,708 people had regular White House press passes. So enormous had the wider political community grown - lobbyists, lawyers, journalists, policy think tanks, defense or health consultants, and the hotels, offices, accountants, resterautns, and the service industries that support them - that by 1979 this whole nongovernmental sector actually outnumbered federal government employees in Washington!Other fascinating facts like that are found throughout the book helping to maintin the interest of the reader. If you want to read a book about Washington, politics and the ultimate Power Game, this is the one for you. You won't be disappointed.

Hedrick Smith's "The Power Game" is easily the best, and most informative, political book to come out in the last 25 years. Through his myriad of stories, Smith pieces together a definitive profile of Washington: what its like, who wins, who loses, and what the games are. It gives an informative outline as to the fundamental strategies and actions are in Washington, and what the role of certain circles of power are, such as the media, the military, and the lobbies. The examples Smith uses to illustrate his points on Washington come mainly from the Reagan administration. Smith's analysis of the Reagan era is very troubling, and he specifically says that the actions of the Reagan team are similar to all the teams of "successful" Presidents. Inadvertently (or perhaps purposefully), Smith raises serious questions about the ethics of Washington today, and the actions of the present day administration. He also points out the actions of Congress, and the faults with the present-day system. Smith also delves into the origins of our system, tracing the impact of various political events throughout history. Smith manages to make this not only readable, but highly interesting. He mixes humor and wit with biting sarcasm and investigative journalism, all making for a very intelligent and thorough analysis of Washington. Even Smith's solutions are concise and cogent. Smith is not a brilliant writer: he is adept, but he is not brilliant. His strength lies in research and presentation of his extensive material. Surprisingly, Smith is able to deliver the material in a very readable, friendly way. Despite being an insider for so many years, he is able to write as a tourist, stunned by the denigration of Washington over the years. He is also able to use his experience to give first-hand insight into corrupt Washington, all of which leads to a very smart, very good book. Smith is a little wordy, and he has many passages which are extraneous, but despite the flaws, he has packed this book with information every American must know. A must-read for all interested in our government at all. In fact, this is a book that every person who votes must read, because it gives tremendous insight into our system. A fine job.

...or doesn't work! This is one of the most eye-opening books I have ever read. Learn about "power surfing" and other useful techniques used by the most savy of power players in our nation's capital. Before I read this book, I naively thought power in our federal government was a linear, north-south, hierarchic beast. Boy, was I wrong. It gets passed around like a beach ball. Hedrick Smith uses the Reagan Administration as his example, but the template he draws can easily be transferred to the Clinton White House. This is a long book, but it's worth the investment if you want to become a wiser citizen or just to be entertained by the power plays of our elected officials. I just finished reading former Labor Secretary Robert Reich's memoirs, "Locked in the Cabinet". I venture to say that if he had read this book before he became a Cabinet member, it would have saved him a LOT of grief and made him a more effective official. This book should be required reading to anyone who gets elected or appointed to federal positions in Washington.

Hedrick Smith has answered the troublesome question, "Why don't our current leaders measure up to those I read about in history books?" The answer is simple: our previous leaders have successfully exercised power in a few instances, and in hindsight it looks easy. People who are trying to exercise power have to deal with the fact that grasping power is like squeezing a balloon -- the harder you squeeze, the more slips through your fingers. Institutional checks and balances are described, but the most compelling aspects of Smith's book come from his analysis of the role of lobbyists, staffers, and constituents and their role in giving and taking power from our leaders. Reagan, currently championed by conservatives as the epitome of the powerful president, is exposed as more susceptible to the political winds after blunders like Iran-Contra. Powerful congressional committee chairs have had their power split asunder by new voting rules, and the laws have become so complex that no single poltician can know all the detail behind them. The power therefore transfers to the staffers who take the time to understand the piles of data and who can communicate it effectively. And there is always the fickle wind of public opinion wafting across D.C., changing politicians' courses as quickly as it can be ascertained which direction it's blowing. Of course, as soon as the politicians figure out where it's blowing, it changes, and the whole scramble starts again. A true gem for the political junkie, every student of D.C. and the exercise of governmental power must read this book