"A selection of 262 significant laws, beginning with the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 and concluding with the Department of Homeland Security Act of 2002, these congressional acts are explained in detail and with historical context. The entries are well written and accessible to students and the general public. Contributors include legal scholars, practicing attorneys, economists, and political scientists. Same-page definitions of terms, sidebars and illustrations illuminating historical events, a glossary, and a timeline enhance this useful ready-reference work."--"Reference that rocks," American Libraries, May 2005.