How is a Law Passed?

Children's Literature - Sylvia Whitman

The third in Crabtree's "Your Guide to Government" series, this nonfiction primer surveys American lawmaking through a series of two-page spreads. It defines law and government, discusses citizen input, points out that old laws "may need to be removed or changed," considers local laws, and then follows the evolution of a law through Congress. Topics include "A Member of Congress," "Congress Listens," "Lobbyists," "Studying a Bill" and "How a Vote Is Taken." Anchoring each spread lower left and top right are two enormous illustrations (mostly color photographs), each with a caption in a call-out box. Occasional fact boxes also break up the text. Many offer interesting trivia: only 650 of the 10,000 bills proposed during a two-year Congressional session make it into law. A few pose questions that readers will be ill-equipped to answer. One mentions that it is illegal to throw confetti in Mobile, Alabama. "Why do you think this law was made? Should it be changed?" Like the text, the captions and photos have a generic, a historic (often random) quality. Under "National Laws," we see a photo of Jim Bunning in his Phillies uniform and learn that he was "a great baseball player" before he became a senator. When? Is this relevant? Did he pass any laws about baseball? There are no case studies, no controversies. Under "Lobbyists," the author gives an example: if Congress planned to move a Jeep plant to another city, "workers could hire a lobbyist." A head shot of Bono ("A rock star like Bono can lobby Congress to pass certain laws. So can you!) faces a photo of a shabby factory. "Lobbyists can try to change congresspeople's minds about closing factories like this one." Although the book offersuseful information, it labors under generalities and bland hypotheticals. A glossary and index follow the text. Reviewer: Sylvia Whitman