Stavros Atsas (Graduate Student, Research, Measurement & Statistics), co-authored a book, The Cost of Congress: What Americans Get for Their Money, 1st Edition, (Santa Barbara, California: Praeger), (2022), 351 pgs.
A word from Astas:
"Congressional ratings have fallen to single digits; citizens believe that Congress fails to do the things its members are publicly paid to do. What does Congress do for our dollars, and how has that changed in the last 50 years?
Congress’s increasing use of continuing resolutions and agencies’ almost semi-annual preparations for government shutdowns come at a significant cost. Combining extensive documentary research with interviews of current and former members and staffers, The Cost of Congress assesses not only how Congress spends tax dollars on its operations but also what Americans receive for those dollars.
Kunz and Atsas assign dollar values, using federal data, to congressional practices and policies. They examine the costs of producing legislation, court challenges, and Supreme Court reversals. They also look at the costs of committee and special investigations, committee assignments, staffing and facilities, and such perks as the gym, meals, and franking. Readers—taxpayers from all walks of life—will come away with a comprehensive view of the costs of operating Congress."