The U.S. Constitution A to Z, 2nd Edition (CQ's American Government A to Z) [Hardcover]

Robert L Maddex (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0872897648 | ISBN-13: 978-0872897649 | Publication Date: June 1, 2008 | Edition: 2

There is no other volume that so clearly and concisely explains every key aspect of the U.S. Constitution. This classic, easy-to-use reference is thoroughly updated with new entries covering the events of recent years including court cases with impact on Constitutional rights. Each of the more than 250 entries, arranged in encyclopedic A-to-Z format, provides accessible insight into the key questions readers have about the U.S. Constitution. All entries are updated with content through the end of 2007.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 10 Up—A chronology of legal milestones, 510 B.C.E. to C.E. 2003, is just the beginning of this finely crafted volume that describes how the U.S. Constitution continues to shape the laws and lives of our citizenry. The alphabetically arranged entries cover a wide variety of topics such as abortion, the electoral college, gun control, minorities, religion, slavery, and the Watergate scandal. Many specific Supreme Court cases and their ramifications are explained; updates include developments relating to the September 11th attacks and gay marriage. "Framers of the Constitution" features a state-by-state biography of each contributor. Extensive cross-references take the form of "More on this topic" boxes, and "see" entries, both in-text and following articles. Quotation and "Closer Look" sidebars add information and insight to the text, which is also enhanced by well-captioned black-and-white photographs, tables, and a few graphs. The encyclopedia section is followed by a collection of primary sources—the First Charter of Virginia, the Mayflower Compact, the Ratification of the U.S. Constitution by the State of Delaware—many of which might be found in a variety of scattered resources, but this volume provides one convenient location. This excellent title also boasts a table of Supreme Court cases and an extensive index. Though the opening chronology is not as up-to-date as it might be, this work is a must for any library supporting an American Government class.—Eldon Younce, Harper Elementary School, KS
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Librarians familiar with previous volumes of CQ's Ready Reference Encyclopedia of American Government series will welcome The U.S. Constitution A to Z. The 250 alphabetically arranged entries, running from Abortion to Zoning, clearly describe the concepts, issues, events, and persons that have kept the "world's oldest written national constitution still in force" a dynamic work in progress.

The author, an attorney who specializes in international law, presents this volume as a useful overview of our constitutional history rather than an exhaustive work. But the inclusion of primary source documents (such as the First Charter of Virginia and both Virginia's and New Jersey's plans for the U.S. Constitution), a table of relevant court cases, a selected bibliography, and a list of Internet resources make it more than a simple introduction. Each entry's additional readings and the black-and-white illustrations throughout the book enhance its value for students wanting to learn more.

Whether to purchase this volume, however, might depend on other similar holdings and space available. Many excellent reference sources on the U.S. Constitution have appeared in recent years, including Encyclopedia of Constitutional Amendments, Proposed Amendments and Amending Issues, 1789-1995 (ABC-CLIO, 1996), and Constitutional Amendments, 1789 to the Present (Gale, 2000). In addition to these one-volume works, there are the four-volume Constitution and Its Amendments (Macmillan, 1999) and the six-volume Encyclope dia of the American Constitution (2d ed., Macmillan, 2000).

CQ's entry into the field is more current, including as it does coverage of the 2000 presidential election and alluding to some of the antiterrorism measures proposed after 9/11. It is recommended for academic, public, and high-school libraries that do not already own some of the above-mentioned works or could use an additional single-volume resource on the Constitution. RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 693 pages
• Publisher: CQ Press; 2 edition (June 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0872897648
• ISBN-13: 978-0872897649
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.5 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,633,910 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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