Customer Reviews

Almanac of American Politics

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This is the 1996 edition of the famous book by Michael Barone and Grant Ujifusa who have teamed every two years since 1971 to bring us the very latest of information on all the members of the United States Congress and the Senate.

Voting records and districts of the members are analyzed in this book to provide the very latest political profile of every member of the Congress and Senate.

Additionally, the book provides the latest information on the governors of all 50 states as well as the names of all the constitutional officers and the political makeup of the legislatures of all 50 States.

Even though the researcher/lobbyist or citizen owning this book will want to upgrade the book every two years to stay current, old editions of this book are also valuble as historic records on how a particular long-term member may have voted on a particular issue years before. All with an eye towards predicting how that member will vote on a current issue before Congress.

This book has information regarding any canditate you what to know more. The book explain where the candidate stand in his/her believes.

My 1996 edition is so dog-eared, highlighted, and noted that you can tell it's one of my most common reference tools. I use it when politicians are on talk shows, to give me an idea of where they are coming from. It usually proves there is a huge media imbalance of views on network television, so I've switched to C-Span. Seeing a voting record clues me in on where a Congressman is likely to stand on an issue, before he opens his mouth. I use it for background information, and to send faxes and letters. I use it to keep track of my own Congressmen and to find others who have voted the way I would vote, to contact, if an important issue is pending for a vote. It's only big handicap is a lack of E-Mail addresses. I could do much more with it, if I had them. I highly recommend this book and am saving for an updated version.

Since 1971, every two years Michael Barone and Grant Ujifusa (in early editions Douglas Matthews also contributed) have teamed to provide a comprehensive study of the latest Congress just elected the previous November.

This book is a staple of research inside the "beltway" of Washington D.C. and is priced by the standards of reference books sold there. The price can cause "sticker shock" for those of us located outside the beltway. Nonetheless, it is an invaluable research tool which belongs close at hand, near the desk of any one who hopes to speak knowledgeably to a member of Congress or a committee of Congress regarding any issue currently being voted on by Congress.

Additionally, the book provides the most up-to-date information on the governors, lists the constitutional officers and provides the political makeup of the legislature of each of the 50 states.