This study used both qualitative and quantitative methodologies to examine the similarities and differences among different types of institutions of higher education in regard to federal relations. A 1994 mail survey of college presidents resulted in 1,554 respondents. Responses were analyzed based on the Carnegie classification system and control (with special emphasis on comparisons of public and private, two-year and four-year, and research and other institutions). Analysis supported the conventional wisdom that control (i.e., public or private) is the principal factor differentiating institutions, but also found that size and Carnegie classification play a role in shaping institutional attitudes and practices toward federal relations. Institutional complexity appeared to determine the degree of involvement an institution has with federal relations. Respondents from larger institutions with research and doctoral emphases reported the use of the widest array of resources to foster federal relations whereas smaller institutions with more narrowly defined roles were more likely to rely on the expertise of the major Washington associations. In spite of the variations among institutions, institutional attitudes and approaches regarding federal relations were remarkably similar. Given the value of consensus positions and a unified approach, this bodes well for the effectiveness of the Washington higher education domain. (Contains 16 references.) (PRW)