The decision-making process is much more complicated. Say you have a particular issue with the Senate Armed Services Committee. In the past, they would be the only decider. Now, you have everyone from the Pentagon all the way down to community groups involved in the process. Everybody is much more organized.
Decision makers have a lot more voices to hear.
You need to understand how to tailor your client's argument to that. When I worked on the Hill, it's night and day compared to how it is now. I still hold the quaint notion that there are honorable men and honorable women in politics. I don't care how sexy that argument is or what argument some of the press wants to make. I see honorable men and honorable women doing complex work in a complex system.