What is the importance of "telephones" in the novel, Advise and Consent?

Telephones are incredibly important in the novel. In the late 1950s, telephones had become commonplace in the United States, much the way computers and smartphones are commonplace in the 2010s. Telephones are routinely used in the novel for personal and professional reasons. In the Senate and in the Senate Office Building, telephones are daily used by Senators to keep in touch with one another and with the White House. Telephones are also used to keep in touch with constituents back home. Telephones can also be used for nefarious purposes, such as when Ackerman’s thugs make harassing calls to Anderson’s wife.