American Political Leaders 1789-2005 [Hardcover]

CQ Press Editors (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 26, 2005 | ISBN-10: 1568029675 | ISBN-13: 978-1568029672 | Edition: Revised

The answers to these questions are just a few of the fascinating facts contained in this handy guide to biographical information on approximately 9,000 of the most important U.S. elected and appointed leaders. Newly updated, this volume now includes key facts on political leaders spanning 215 years of United States history. Organized for quick, easy reference, the book contains six chapters--one for each group covered--in which readers will find:
- Basic Facts: all significant biographical data, such as:
birth and death dates
periods of public service
party affiliations
- Special Information: boxed features and analytical commentary on topics such as:
Presidential Disability and Succession
Religious affiliations of the U.S. presidents
Women, African Americans, Hispanics, and Asian Americans in Congress, the Cabinet, and the Supreme Court
Attempts at Term Limits

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

CQ Press has compiled a handy one--volume source for quickly finding facts on American political leaders from 1789 to 2005. Concise information on more than 14,000 elected and appointed leaders is organized in chapters covering presidents, vice presidents, cabinet members, Supreme Court justices, members of Congress, and state governors.

A general overview in each chapter provides historical information as well as interesting facts about the office and officeholders--the history of the office and the role of the vice president; the origins and development of cabinet posts and the role, function, and appointment process of cabinet members; the choosing of the first justices; and more. Many boxes and tables cover topics relevant to each office, such as presidential disability and line of succession, longest vacancies on the Supreme Court, congressional members who became president, and limitations on governors' terms. The overview is followed by a biographical section listing all officeholders in alphabetical order (except in the "Governors" chapter, where listings are by state) with birth and applicable death dates, political affiliation, periods of public service, and family relationships with other political figures.

The appendixes include a chronological list of presidents and vice presidents, a list of cabinet members and chief justices arranged by president, sessions of the Congress, congressional committee chairs, and more. A name index and a subject index complete the volume.

Several sources were used in compiling the book, among them Book of the States (Council of State Governments, 2004), Facts about the Presidents (Wilson, 1993), and Guide to the U.S. Supreme Court (CQ, 2004). Like all CQ publications, this resource is easy to use and presents fascinating facts and figures. Although the information can be found elsewhere, the reasonable cost makes this an excellent purchase for libraries with limited budgets that cannot afford the more detailed works. Recommended for high-school, public, and academic libraries. kaye talley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Recommended to anyone seeking basic factual information about U.S. political leaders."

Product Details

• Hardcover: 571 pages
• Publisher: CQ Press; Revised edition (April 26, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568029675
• ISBN-13: 978-1568029672
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,544,739 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)