The Upper House

They come to Washington for reasons as varied and complex as human motivation itself-driven perhaps by some deep and emotional commitment to an issue, or believing that their time in the Senate can make their dream of the presidency a reality. Senators like Jon Tester, Jim Webb, Al Franken and Amy Klouchbar come craving power or out of a need to be in the spotlight. No matter why they've come, or how, freshmen have three traits in common: they will be members of one of the most powerful deliberative bodies on the planet; they will have far less leverage and influence than they might have imagined; and finally, none of them - not even the most experienced political hands - will have any idea of exactly what it means to be a United States Senator. The Upper House is about the making of the modern U.S. Senator. Terence Samuel gets to the heart of the Senate and will follow the people and the institution through displays of dazzling power, bewildering helplessness and sacred traditions both ancient and modern.