Summary

The United States Congress is charged with the immense task of making our country's laws, using a system that can seem complex and confusing to the outsider. Encyclopedia of the United States Congress is an effort to inform the reader about the political process of Congress and how this institution has been a vital part of America's democratic experiment.

Written by an expert on the topic, this comprehensive A-to-Z volume provides a thorough look at the United States Congress, including the people, events, and terms involved in the legislative branch of government. It also provides explanations of the relationships between the legislative and other branches of government, court cases, elections, political opponents, congressional leaders, scandals, controversial issues, and the inner workings of Congress.

Entries include:

• Backdoor spending
• Tom DeLay
• Filibuster
• Impeachment powers
• Lobbying
• Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill Jr.
• Pork barrel
• Racial gerrymandering
• Recess appointments
• Savings-and-loan crisis
• Speaker of the House
• Daniel Webster
• and more.

Specifications

Black-and-white photographs. Index. Bibliography. Cross-references. Tables.

About the Author(s)

Robert E. Dewhirst received his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Nebraska and currently teaches at Northwest Missouri State University. His publications include Rites of Passage: Congress Makes Laws and Congress Responds to the Twentieth Century.