From Absence of a Quorum to Zone Whip, this handy desk reference volume aides librarians, students, and adults with more than 900 entries.''''For example: ''''Hopper - a box on the clerk's desk in the House into which members deposit proposed bills. ''''Absolute Majority - A vote requiring approval by a majority of all members of a house rather than a majority of members present and voting.'' ''Queen of the Hill Rule - A House rule allowing votes on a series of amendments to a bill but directs that the amendment with the most votes wins, even if others also received a majority.''''American Congressional Dictionary was written originally by Walter Kravitz, who was senior expert on Congress with the Congressional Research Service. Since his death, the volume has been updated by former CRS colleagues and now serves as the official definition guide for CRS experts.''''''
This reference covers the range of terms and expressions in use in the US Congress, from Absence of a Quorum to Zone Whip. It contains almost 900 entries along with cross-references to related definitions. Many terms are illustrated with examples to illuminate the historical origins of a word.
A Guide to American Politics in Comparative Perspective
American Difference: A Guide to American Politics in Comparative Perspective takes the reader through different aspects of democracy-political culture, institutions, interest groups, political parties, and elections-and, unlike other works, explores how the United States is both different from and similar to other democracies.
"This is an excellent text in the field of U.S. educational history. The author does a great job of linking past events to the current trends and debates in education. I am quite enthusiastic about this book. It is well-written, interesting, accessible, quite balanced in perspective, and comprehensive. It includes sections and details, that I found fascinating - and I think students will too." -Gina Giuliano, University at Albany, SUNY "This book offers a comprehensive and fair account of an American Educational History. The breadth and depth of material presented are vast and compelling." -Rich Milner, Vanderbilt University An up-to-date, contemporary examination of historical trends that have helped shape schools and education in the United States... Key Features: Covers education developments and trends beginning with the Colonial experience through the present day, placing an emphasis on post-World War II issues such as the role of technology, the standards movement, affirmative action, bilingual education, undocumented immigrants, and school choice. Introduces cutting-edge controversies in a way that allows students to consider a variety of viewpoints and develop their own thinking skills Examines the educational history of increasingly important groups in U.S. society, including that of African American women, Native Americans, Latinos and Asian Americans. Intended Audience This core text is designed for undergraduate and graduate courses such as Foundations of Education; Educational History; Introduction to Education; Philosophy of Education; American History; Sociology of Education; Educational Policy; and Educational Reform in the departments of Education, History, and Sociology.
"This is an excellent text in the field of U.S. educational history. The author does a great job of linking past events to the current trends and debates in education. I am quite enthusiastic about this book. It is well-written, interesting, accessible, quite balanced in perspective, and comprehensive. It includes sections and details, that I found fascinating - and I think students will too." -Gina Giuliano, University at Albany, SUNY "This book offers a comprehensive and fair account of an American Educational History. The breadth and depth of material presented are vast and compelling." -Rich Milner, Vanderbilt University An up-to-date, contemporary examination of historical trends that have helped shape schools and education in the United States... Key Features: Covers education developments and trends beginning with the Colonial experience through the present day, placing an emphasis on post-World War II issues such as the role of technology, the standards movement, affirmative action, bilingual education, undocumented immigrants, and school choice. Introduces cutting-edge controversies in a way that allows students to consider a variety of viewpoints and develop their own thinking skills Examines the educational history of increasingly important groups in U.S. society, including that of African American women, Native Americans, Latinos and Asian Americans. Intended Audience This core text is designed for undergraduate and graduate courses such as Foundations of Education; Educational History; Introduction to Education; Philosophy of Education; American History; Sociology of Education; Educational Policy; and Educational Reform in the departments of Education, History, and Sociology.
There are rapid, and sometimes radical, changes now transforming energy production and consumption in the United States. Utilizing contemporary examples throughout his narrative, Rosenbaum captures this transformation while analyzing how important actors, institutions, and issues impact American energy policymaking. With clear explanations of relevant energy technologies-from controversial fracking to mountain top mining to nuclear waste storage-the book first looks at the policy options available in governing the energy economy and then discusses specific resources (petroleum and natural gas, coal, nuclear power, electricity, renewable energy, conservation) and the global energy challenges associated with climate change.
How can students best understand the ideas that animate U.S. foreign policy decisions and the processes that facilitate them? How can they come to terms with the motivations that guide these decision makers? In his distinctive new text, William O. Chittick identifies three value orientations--security, economic, and community--that fundamentally shape U.S. foreign policy choices. Chittick argues that it's not enough to look at only one of these dimensions--security, in the case of most traditional texts--or even one at a time. Instead, he makes a cogent and convincing case for the systematic study of all three and explains why privileging any one dimension over another leads to oversimplification and faulty decision making. Once students are shown how these value orientations work together in complex and interesting ways, they in turn can bring richer, more insightful analysis to the field. Chittick applies the book's cohesive analytical framework throughout, covering the history of U.S. foreign policy as well as such contemporary issues as humanitarian interventions, global environmental problems, and international terrorism. He carefully weighs the criteria for different policy options and explores their utility: how effective are trade sanctions? What is the best way to pursue economic development in underdeveloped nations? This comprehensive overview of the policymaking process considers the many policy inputs--the foreign and domestic political, economic, and cultural factors that shape U.S. foreign policy outputs--from the perspective of the three dimensions. Special features worth noting: Part openers provide useful and comprehensive overviews of each section of the book. Unique tables and figures help students understand and apply the framework. Maps and photos further enhance student comprehension. Key terms are bolded throughout the book and listed at the end of each chapter to enable students to identify core concepts. Suggested reading lists at the end of chapters provide rich sources for further study.
The text begins by using this analytic approach to look at the history of foreign policymaking and then examines how various parties inside and outside government influence decision making. In a unique third section, the book takes a regional approach, not only covering trends other books tend to miss, but giving students the opportunity to think comprehensively about how issues intersect around the globe-from human security and democratization, to globalization and pollution. Guided by input from adopters and reviewers, Ray has thoroughly re-organized the book and streamlined some coverage to better consolidate the historical, institutional, regional, and topical chapters and focus the thematic lens of the book. Ray has also brought the book fully up-to-date, addressing the latest events in American foreign policy, including the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the killing of Bin Laden, the WikiLeaks scandal and its aftermath, the impact of social media on foreign policy and world affairs, nuclear proliferation, developments in U.S.-Russian relations, climate change, and more.
American Foreign Policy since World War II has long set the standard in guiding students through the complexities of the field. This twenty-first edition features three new chapters that examine the aftershocks of the Arab Spring and the revival of power politics and discuss the implications of a changing American policy under the Trump presidency. Providing the historical context students need, this book helps them to grasp the functions and frequent dysfunctions of the nation's foreign policy agenda with historical insight into modern policy context.
