Short Takes: CQ Press

Acquired by SAGE in 2008, CQ Press originally made its reputation as a formidable political reference publisher in 2000, when its health-care series won the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award of Excellence. Two years later, it claimed the Silver Gavel Award for its liberty and justice series. Still, it is perhaps best known for its 15 annually printed political directories and the CQ Electronic Library (CQEL), which combines four online periodicals and five digital databases. While it continues to present superior guides to the particulars of American government, political history, public policy, and current affairs, CQ is expanding its offerings into the fields of international affairs and journalism. Here is a selection of their recent releases.

At a time when voting records receive ever closer scrutiny, CQ Press documents each 110th Congressional member's Second Session votes on the House's 690 motions and the Senate's 210 bills and amendments. in 2008. Divided into two major segments, the book opens with House records and closes with the smaller Senate account. Each motion, bill, or amendment is listed numerically by HR or S number. Each is succinctly defined and appears beside a quick-reference chart listing votes first by alphabetized state name and then by congressperson's surname. Accessible and closely focused, this work is rivaled only by the free, information-packed web site OpenCongress.org.

An excellent primer for both the middle-school student and the curious adult, this book presents accessible, engaging mini-biographies of the Presidents, from George Washington to Barack Obama. Organized chronologically by presidential term, entries run three pages and contain information on each President's early life, his political or military positions, his election, and the defining events of his presidency. Three sidebars contain short First Lady biographies, a time line of significant life events, and a map indicating noteworthy world developments. Especially vital are objective overviews of presidential defeats and triumphs, allowing readers to identify broader partisan tendencies and changing political preoccupations. [See also Facts About the Presidents, p. 101.]

Journalists McCutcheon (Nuclear Reactions) and Lyons (Adoption Controversies) profile the policymakers comprising the 111th Congress. Since its June publication, events like Sarah Palin's early July resignation have outdated some of the information. However, the book still provides revealing portraits of key figures in American politics, detailing their election date, term number, committee memberships, family members, religious affiliations, previous careers, and election results. Organized alphabetically, first by state or territory name and then by district, the chapter-long entries each include multipage profiles of governors, senators, and representatives. Sidebars offer voting records and constituency composition. An outstanding, highly detailed guide to contemporary politicians.

This book will prove a vital resource for understanding 2008's defining issues. Although organized chronologically by month, it offers three other methods of document location: by major theme, by source, or by a retrospective index detailing the people, places, and events involved. Each document is prefaced by a contextual overview by Kleba (Retire Rich). Whether whole or excerpted, each document or transcript is followed by relevant subject cross-references, even those outside the volume's scope. Full bibliographic citations conclude each entry in this essential tool for scholarly researchers.

In this update to the 2004 edition, Savage (reporter, Los Angeles Times) explores the personal impact of Supreme Court decisions made through 2008. He divides his content into six thematic chapters that explore our guaranteed rights, like Freedom of Speech, along with restricted facets, such as flag burning. With each topic, historic cases involving individuals' rights are carefully explained. Half-page sidebars further clarify complex issues, such as the Court's history regarding cases involving slavery's legality and state sedition laws. While filled with case examples, the book is concept focused, using cases chiefly for illustration. Thus, specific cases sometimes cannot be located without the index.

This update to the 1997 edition puts Savage (reporter, Los Angeles Times) in the authorial seat, replacing the previous volume authors Joan Biskupic and Elder Witt. The revision also saves topics concerning individuals' rights for the subject-specific volume reviewed above. Savage divides the book into six chapters, beginning with the Court's powers to shape legislative and executive powers and ending with these branches' reciprocal influence on Court decisions. A separate chapter treats the Court's relationship to individual states' rights. Sidebars define Supreme Court inventions, like Senate Term Limits. Using specific cases as illustration, the book engagingly explains complex historical and procedural issues.

Updated annually since 1975, this guide to U.S. government organizations has expanded by nearly 200 pages since 2008. Dziobek (Issues in Juvenile Delinquency) divides content into 19 alphabetically organized categories, from "Agriculture" to "U.S. Congress." Each paragraph-long entry profiles each organization's mission and offers contact directives. Two appendixes offer detailed information on committees of the 111th Congress, foreign embassies, and government organizations outside the Beltway. This substantial and user-friendly guide remains a vital resource for navigating Washington's intricate bureaucratic web.