In his youth, Eric Redman was a logger, longshoreman, Rhodes Scholar, and writing teacher, as well as a legislative
aide. Today he is a Seattle attorney specializing in public policy and energy law.
Review
"What Redman has written about the evolution of a health bill could be written about comparable constellations
of personalities and pressures affecting an education or a housing or farm or tax bill. But few writers have actually
produced a book that has such a useful blend of information, self-deprecatory humor, and keen rendering of the
distinctive atmosphere of Congress."
--New York Times Book Review
"An outstanding book for undergraduates interested in politics."
--Choice
"The Dance of Legislation reads like a suspense novel: will a much-needed program of medical care for the
ghettos, and for isolated rural areas, make it through the Congressional maze? Eric Redman . . . makes us feel
the drama of the democratic process--the comedy, the grief, the moments of despair and triumph which he experienced
in the course of a year on Capitol Hill."
--Harry McPherson, author of A Political Education
University of Washington Press Web Site, March, 2001
Summary
The Dance of Legislation has long been considered a classic description of the legislative process. In it, Eric
Redman draws on his two years as a member of Senator Warren Magnuson's staff to trace the drafting and passing
of a piece of legislation--S.4106, the National Health Service Bill--with all the maneuvers, plots, counterplots,
frustrations, triumphs, and sheer work and dedication involved. He provides a vivid picture of the bureaucratic
infighting, political prerogatives, and Congressional courtesies necessary to make something happen on Capitol
Hill. In a Postscript to the 2000 edition, Redman reflects on how that process has, and has not, changed in the
thirty years since the book was first published.
