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Reader's Guide

Checks and Balances: The Three Branches of the American Government offers relevant, easy-to-understand information on the inner workings of the American federal government, from its earliest beginnings to its current structure. The eight chapters of each volume focus on the American government and a particular branch: Volume 1, executive; Volume 2, legislative; and Volume 3, judicial. The first chapter of each volume begins with an identical overview of the American government. The other seven chapters focus on the following aspects of the specific branch:

• Historic roots
• Constitutional role
• Changes through the years
• Key positions
• Daily operations
• Checks and balances with each of the other two branches (two chapters)

Each of the "checks and balances" chapters appears twice in the set. For instance, the "Executive-Legislative Checks and Balances" chapter in the executive branch volume is duplicated as the "Legislative-Executive Checks and Balances" chapter in the legislative branch volume. Illustrations and sidebars vary in those chapters, however.

All chapters include "Words to Know" boxes that provide definitions of important words and concepts within the text. Other sidebars highlight significant facts and describe other related governmental information. A timeline of events, a general glossary, reprints of the U.S. Constitution and the Constitutional Amendments, a general bibliography, and a cumulative index are included in each volume. Approximately 150 black-and-white photos help illustrate Checks and Balances.

Acknowledgments

Many thanks go to copyeditor Rebecca Valentine, proofreader Amy Marcaccio Keyzer, indexer Dan Brannen, and the folks at Integra Software Services for their fine work.

Comments and suggestions

We welcome your comments on Checks and Balances and suggestions for other topics to consider. Please write: Editors, Checks and Balances, UXL, 27500 Drake Rd., Farmington Hills, Michigan 48331-3535; call toll free: 800-877-4253; fax to 248-699-8097; or send e-mail via http://www.gale.com.