The Encyclopedia Of American Political History [Hardcover]

Paul Finkelman (Author), Wallenstein P (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2, 2001 | ISBN-10: 1568025114 | ISBN-13: 978-1568025117 | Edition: 1

Particularly helpful to anyone hoping to understand the evolution and intricacies of the modern American political process, The Encyclopedia of American Political History identifies the most significant personalities, trends, campaigns and elections, protests and rebellions, laws, statutes, and policies in American political history.

Alphabetically organized for easy access to include:
-- A complete chronology and an at-a-glance timeline of American political history, which helps establish a context for key figures, events, and concepts
-- More than 240 signed, original articles by prominent scholars o American political history, organized alphabetically and cross-referenced by subject for easy access
-- A glossary of frequently used abbreviations and their meanings as well as historical summaries of presidential election results for quick lookup
-- Thorough historical coverage beginning with the late 1700s.
-- Over 150 photographs, illustrations, maps, and tables to provide a rich visual presentation
-- Detailed index for easy searching and reference plus bibliographic references with most articles.

High school and beginning college students (most of them born in the mid-1980s) will find it invaluable in their struggle to understand the history of modern political events.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

In one slim volume, editors Finkelman (The Encyclopedia of World Slavery) and Wallenstein (From Slave South to New South) provide a worthwhile reference tool for anyone interested in gaining a quick understanding of significant events, people, or concepts in U.S. political history. Organized alphabetically, the 225 entries vary in length from a few paragraphs to several pages. The book opens with a descriptive time line of political events and ends with an appendix of acronyms and abbreviations used in U.S. history. The writing is clear and will be accessible to readers with no background in the subject. This work meets its stated purpose--to be "a starting place for ready answers to immediate questions"--very well. Although other resources on U.S. political history are available, they tend to offer much more extensive treatment of a particular subject rather than a quick, easy-to-use overview. Recommended for all public and private libraries regardless of size. Thomas J. Baldino, Wilkes Univ., Wilkes-Barre, PA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

This encyclopedia embodies the quality that reference librarians have come to expect from CQ Press. More than 240 signed articles by prominent scholars address the people, organizations, parties, political movements, statutes, and events that have shaped American political history. Coverage begins with events leading up to the American Revolution and continues through the Clinton-era scandals. Current developments are reflected in many of the articles: Social Security, for example, discusses proposals to invest a portion of the fund in the stock market; Reform Party discusses friction between Jesse Ventura and Ross Perot.

Articles range from less than a column in length (Cloture; Harrison, William Henry; Liberty Party) to five pages (Democratic Party; Treaties: Peace, Armament, and Defense). They clearly define and describe the subject and its importance to the nation's political history. Entries focus almost exclusively on the political aspects of the topic, but bibliographies at the end of each article lead interested readers to additional sources for in-depth research. Cross-referencing is comprehensive, and photographs and cartoons add visual interest. A descriptive time line of political events in U.S. history and an appendix of acronyms and abbreviations complete the volume.

The editors have ensured a consistent level of quality throughout the work and a writing style that makes it accessible to readers beginning at the high-school level. As stated in the introduction, teachers will find this volume useful in preparing lessons relating to the National Standards for United States History. Students will find it a helpful supplement to course texts, and researchers at all levels will find it a good starting point. REVWR
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 555 pages
• Publisher: CQ Press; 1 edition (March 2, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568025114
• ISBN-13: 978-1568025117
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,974,010 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)