The purpose of this encyclopedia is to be a "single source that shows the public how to navigate through the complexities" of the U.S. government. Both authors, who teach U.S. politics and have written several other books on politics and law, have achieved their goal.
The volume's arrangement corresponds to the government's structure, with chapters on "Executive Branch," "Independent Entities and Commissions," "Quasi-official Agencies," "Legislative Branch," and "Judicial Branch and Federal Court System." By far the largest section is devoted to the executive branch. A brief history of the White House is followed by a description of each office (e.g., Office of the Vice President, National Security Council, United States Trade Representative). A discussion of the cabinet is followed by brief histories, descriptions, and contact information for each department and its activities, programs, and services. Organizational charts are included for each department.
The chapters that follow provide the same type of information as found in the executive branch entries. Examples of the 100 independent entities and commissions explored are Amtrak, the Central Intelligence Agency, NASA, and the Smithsonian Institution. Three entries--Legal Services Corporation, National Institute of Justice, and U.S. Institute of Peace--comprise the section on quasi-official agencies. Congress and the governmental agencies it supervises (e.g., General Accounting Office, Government Printing Office) are covered in the section on the legislative branch. Introduced by a description of the authority and jurisdiction of the federal court system, the section on the judicial branch and federal court system briefly describes the Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals, and the U.S. District Courts. The last pages of the encyclopedia contain the Constitution of the United States, introduced by a short essay, a brief bibliography, and an index.
Each entry is well written, and the encyclopedia is easy to use. Targeted to grades nine and up, this encyclopedia will be a good addition to high-school, college, and public libraries. kaye talley