Encyclopedia of the Reagan-Bush Years

by Bloomsbury Academic

Overview

This is the first and only ready-reference source on the Reagan-Bush years, 1980-1992. No other single volume provides readily available and concise information on the key developments and figures of this period. Organized A-Z, it features over 250 entries on key personalities, issues, events, political and governmental developments, foreign and domestic concerns, laws, terms and catchphrases, and social and cultural trends of the era. Entries are 100-1,000 words in length and conclude with a list of suggested readings. The work also features a chronology of events, statistical charts and tables, and photographs and is thoroughly cross-referenced in boldface for ease of use.

The organizing principle of the work is a focus on individuals and events that directly relate to Presidents Reagan and Bush and their administrations. In addition there are entries on social trends, world events, and popular culture. The book presents a balanced account of the Reagan-Bush years. Entries favor description over judgment while at the same time offering a sense of the controversy that surrounded and in some cases still surrounds the events and actions of the Reagan-Bush presidencies. Biographies of key figures in their administrations, Supreme Court appointments, related players on the national and world stage, summaries of significant pieces of legislation, and balanced analyses of their domestic and foreign policies are featured. Entries also include many terms and catchphrases such as Reaganomics, No New Taxes, and A Thousand Points of Light. This is the perfect first-stop for information on all aspects of this important period in American history and will fill a gap in public and high school library reference collections.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313290183
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	04/16/1996
Pages:	456
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 1.00(d)
Lexile:	1240L (what's this?)

About the Author

PETER B. LEVY is Associate Professor of History at York College, York, Pennsylvania. He is the author of 100 Key Documents in American Democracy (Greenwood Press, 1993), Let Freedom Ring: A Documentary History of the Modern Civil Rights Movement (Greenwood Press/Praeger, 1992), and The New Left and Labor in the 1960s. He is currently working on a case study of the race relations in Cambridge, Maryland, an analytical overview of the civil rights movement, and a reader on the 1960's.

Table of Contents

Introduction
The Encyclopedia
Chronology
Acronyms
Index

Editorial Reviews

Levy (Let Freedom Ring: A Documentary History of the Modern Civil Rights Movement, LJ 4/1/92) here uses a detailed dictionary approach to the personalities and political events of 1980-1992. The more than 250 entries, arranged alphabetically, range from abortion to yuppies, with many predictable items in between: the B-1 Bomber, the Challenger disaster, Grenada, homelessness, the Iran-Contra affair, the moral majority, the Persian Gulf War, and Reaganomics, to name a few. There is even a brief entry for broccoli! In addition to all the major political figures of the period, other influential names appear (e.g., Oliver North, Robert Bork, John Sununu), and there are few surprises (e.g., Ivan Boesky, Donald Trump, Lee Iacocca, and Bernard Goetz.) However, several less-visible cabinet members are not included (e.g., Lauro Cavazos, James Watkins, and Robert Mosbacher). Except for major events and people, the entries are several paragraphs long and take a neutral tone. Most entries contain cross references, and all include citations to suggested readings. A useful timeline of key events and a statistical profile of the Reagan-Bush years offering mostly economic indicators round out the book. Highly recommended for public and academic libraries.Thomas A. Karel, Franklin & Marshall Coll. Lib., Lancaster, Pa.,

Library Journal

Gr 9 Up-This volume includes information on the people, places, and events of importance during the Reagan-Bush presidential era. Each article has a list of suggested readings and related entries at the end. Black-and-white photographs appear throughout the book, but some of them are fuzzy and dark. There are plenty of graphs, tables, and figures that delineate election results, distribution of workers, inflation, and a misery index. Levy takes an objective stance and his narrative is easy to read. A useful title for research.-Maureen Connelly, New York Public Library

School Library Journal

The Iran-Contra affair, the Moral Majority, Bhopal, Ross Perot, and the war on drugs are among the 250 entries covering foreign and domestic concerns, laws, slogans, personalities, politics, government, and social and cultural trends. Each is followed by a list of suggested readings. Includes black-and-white photographs, a chronology, economic graphs, and an index. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

During the 12 years Ronald Reagan and George Bush occupied the White House, the U.S. saw a recession and inflation; military actions in Grenada, the Persian Gulf, and Somalia; the "Challenger" disaster; and other events that continue to shape our lives. Levy, a history professor at York College, gives a balanced picture of those years In articles ranging from 100 to 2,000 words, he covers a variety of topics from "Abortion" through "Yuppies". He includes brief biographies of many people involved in the administrations, particularly cabinet members, as well as such Democrats as Jimmy Carter and Tip O'Neill and laypeople such as Michael Milken and Donald Trump. The entry "Popular Culture" lists top-rated TV shows and award winners and discusses how popular culture reinforced the conservative message of the period. There are copious cross-references indicated by boldface type within the work and "Related Entries" cited at the end of many articles. "Suggested Readings" at the end of each entry include books and periodical references on the topic. A time line, listing important events of the two administrations (beginning with Reagan's election and ending with Clinton's inauguration), and a statistical profile of the period precede the index. The statistics include Gallup Poll approval ratings, economic performance, and government deficits. Tables and charts are also found within entries, and black-and-white photos illustrate many pages Few people have neutral opinions about this controversial period in American history, but Levy shows no bias. For example, in "Reaganomics" he states that "the success or failure of Reaganomics is still hotly debated" and describes its outcomes. In "Communism, Collapse of" he says "The Ronald Reagan and George Bush administrations' role in this dramatic turn of events is a matter of much debate" and provides both sides of the argument. "Encyclopedia of the Reagan-Bush Years" will be useful in academic and medium-size to large public libraries. It is also an attractive purchase for high-school libraries as a starting point for assignments on the issues, events, and personalities of the period.

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