Historical Dictionary of the US Congress

Although modest in size, Dr Schraufnagel's book is a useful addition to the Scarecrow series. It is a small mine of information on two hundred years of Congressional history but kept within a brief compass. In such an enterprise, of course, selectivity is crucial.

Most Americans have a high regard for the office of president although they have reservations about some of its holders; Congress is a different matter. It is mostly agreed that the work of Congress is important but attitudes to it are usually negative. Here are some examples: “life in Washington is a gravy train ($174,000 a...