Congress A to Z: A Ready Reference Encyclopedia - Hardcover

Congressional Quarterly

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0871878267 ISBN 13: 9780871878267

Publisher: Cq Pr, 1993

Synopsis

Identifies influencial members of Congress, explains Congressional terms and concepts, and includes information on scandals, the legislative process, appointments, and appropriations

About this title

From Library Journal

Congressional functions such as appointment power, investigations, the legislative process, and war powers are here explained in lengthy essays updated since this work's first edition in 1988. In addition, more than 200 updated shorter entries define terminology and procedures; here, Especially useful are the descriptions of committee jurisdictions are especially useful. New entries have been added for such events as the Keating Five Scandal (1991), and the biographies of important Congressional members have also been revised to include new House and Senate leaders. Also updated are the bibliographies; the appended tables of Congressional leaders, salaries, women, black, and Hispanic members, etc.; and the inset boxes on such things as treaties killed by the Senate. This first volume of Congressional Quarterly's "Encyclopedia of American Government" series ( The Presidency A to Z , LJ 3/1/93; The Supreme Court A to Z, LJ 9/1/93) is a unique source. Paul Dickson and Paul Clancy's The Congress Dictionary: The Ways and Meanings of Capitol Hill ( LJ 9/15/93) is mostly specialized "slang" terminology and not meant to be an explanation of Congressional procedures. Jeffrey Elliot and Sheikh Ali's Presidential-Congressional Political Dictionary (ABC-CLIO), 1984) has fully detailed explanations of Congressional procedures such as apportionment, but is now somewhat dated. There is also the briefer Congressional Quarterly's American Congressional Dictionary (1993) and the more in-depth Guide to Congress (Congressional Quarterly, 1991, 4th ed.), which offers expanded coverage of topics and similar historical tables of members. Libraries already owning the Guide might be able to get along without Congress A to Z if the budget is tight, but it is still highly recommended for almost any school, public, or academic library.
- Louise Stwalley, Univ. of Colorado at Denver Lib.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Identical in format to the first edition [RBB Mr 1 89], this work provides an introduction to the forces that shape our nation's major legislative body. Written in nontechnical language, the more than 275 entries provide readers with an insight into the workings of both the House and Senate. Through both extensive essays and short descriptive entries, the work focuses on the organizational structure of the Congress, the legislative process, important individuals, and issues affecting Congress. Historical and statistical material is included in several appendixes, listing such information as sessions of Congress and their leaders, minorities and women in Congress, party affiliations of members, and committee chairs. Several new entries have been added since the first edition, including Keating Five, Office of Technology Assessment, and Gephardt, Richard. Other entries have been updated to cover events through mid-1993, including the Clarence Thomas hearings, the House Post Office scandal, and election results. Some of the black-and-white illustrations have also been updated.

Along with its companion volumes, The Presidency A to Z and The Supreme Court A to Z, this work comprises CQ's Encyclopedia of American Government. These sources are an excellent introduction to the three branches of government and are an essential selection for high school, public, and college libraries.

Edition details

• Publisher: Cq Pr
• Publication date: 1993
• ISBN 10: 0871878267
• ISBN 13: 9780871878267
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 560