Term Limits for Congress? .

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8Students doing reports on either of these hot election-year topics will find these books useful. Both are clear, concise, and readable. In well-balanced, unbiased terms, Feinberg covers the arguments for and against congressional term limits. She presents the history of the debate that began with the Articles of Confederation and the founding of the republic. The author also explains the thinking behind the 141 proposals to limit congressional terms that have been introduced since 1789. The most valuable section of the book is its coverage of the current debate. A final section includes recent Supreme Court cases dealing with individual states' legislation limiting their representatives' and senators' terms. The National Debt uses a sometimes colloquial second-person voice to make its points, but is thorough in its explanations. Sandak defines terms, describes past budgets and the relatively recent phenomenon of exorbitant deficits, discusses the alternatives of raising taxes or borrowing to cover shortfalls, and explains the problems caused by excessive government debt. There is some coverage of how state and local governments' budgets are affected by the federal budget and a passage on the debate of 1996, pitting Republican efforts to cut social programs and protect business interests against President Clinton's wish to protect education and social services. While somewhat easier reading, Sandak's book is a worthwhile update to Bertha Davis's The National Debt (Watts, 1987; o.p.). In both books, the photos and illustrations are more decorative than informative.Jeffrey A. French, Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library