The Congress Dictionary: The Ways and Meanings of Capitol Hill [Paperback]

Paul Dickson (Author), Paul Clancy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 16, 1995 | ISBN-10: 0471119881 | ISBN-13: 978-0471119883 | Edition: 1

An A-to-Z treasure trove of information for those who want to know what is going on at the center of American government "You can’t follow the game without a scorecard, and this is the best scorecard of its kind ever compiled about the game called the Congress of the United States." —Jim Lehrer "The MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour" "A masterful work that should help dispel any notion that the Congress is a foreign power unconcerned with the public’s business." —Paul Duke "Washington Week in Review" "Could be a big help in bringing about a better understanding of what goes on in Washington. It will make you grin, laugh, groan. It gets my vote." —Edwin Newman "A marvelous contribution to the literature and language of Washington … A significant help, even for old hands." —Jim Wooten ABC News "Brings a nice light touch to the lexicon of legislators." —William Satire Encyclopedic reference, political junkie’s handbook, browser’s delight, The Congress Dictionary is the definitive guide to the language of Capitol Hill. Ribald and witty, subtle and clear, with definitions of more than 3,000 terms, phrases, names, and symbols, and more than 100 illustrations, the Dictionary is an indispensable resource for anyone interested in the history and language of American government and the high-stakes game of national politics.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Beltway Bandits , teflon , velcro, Death Squad Democrats , Murtha's Corner, and plumbook are among the 3000 special terms and phrases, current and historical, used on "The Hill" and defined in this new dictionary. Dickson ( The Dickson Word Treasury , LJ 6/15/92) and Clancy, a former Congressional reporter for USA Today , frequently include the etymology of a term as well as cross references to other terms. In addition, there are useful tables such as historical lists of Speakers of the House, rejected Supreme Court nominees, top ten political action committee (PAC) recipients, Lame Duck sessions, and Congressional salaries. Over 100 photographs and illustrations enhance the text. The closest rival to this work, Jay Shafritz's HarperCollins Dictionary of American Government and Politics ( LJ 6/1/92), offers 5000 entries that include many of the same political slang terms but not necessarily with such full descriptions or with the same historical background. Milton Greenberg and Jack Plano's American Po litical Dictionary (HBJ College Pub., 1989. 8th ed.) includes some political jargon but not nearly as many Congressional terms. Jeffrey Elliott and Sheikh Ali's Presiden tial-Congressional Political Dictionary (ABC-CLIO, 1984) concentrates half its contents on Congressional terms, giving longer entries and more history and explanation, but it does not include the more recent terms from the last ten years. The Congress Dictionary is clearly a good buy as an informative resource for anyone studying the political process.
- Louise Stwalley, Univ. of Colorado at Denver Lib.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (February 16, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471119881
• ISBN-13: 978-0471119883
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,962,278 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)