This new encyclopedia provides "a ready reference source on political ethics controversies, investigations and public ethics reforms throughout American history." While other reference sources on American politics, such as the Oxford Guide to the United States Government [RBB N 1 01], discuss a few key controversies, this volume focuses exclusively on political scandals and reform. Entries treat organizations, terms, concepts, court cases, and individuals. Emphasis is on the period since World War II, with coverage ending in January 2000. The most significant and well-known ethics controversies throughout U.S. history, such as Watergate, Whitewater, and the Monica Lewinsky case, are included. Minor events with little press coverage, such as the FDA's 1989 "Chilean Grape Scare," or partially unauthenticated affairs, such as the "October Surprise" 1980 election controversy, are excluded. Author Roberts, a professor in the political science department of James Madison University, has arranged the 264 entries alphabetically. A time line appears at the beginning of the volume to help readers place the entries into historical context. Other reader aids include an acronym list, more than 65 photographs, and heavy cross-referencing. In addition, there is a brief list of "Suggested Readings" after each entry, usually listing two or three sources from major newspapers (often the New York Times or Washington Post), journals, or monographs. Index entries such as sexual harassment controversies help pull together related material. The recent explosion of government-related scandals has led to the publication of several like-minded books, but most lack the scope and impartiality of Ethics in U.S. Government. Some focus exclusively on recent scandals, like Robert Williams' Political Scandals in the USA (Fitzroy Dearborn, 1998). Others focus on only one branch of government, like Congressional Ethics: History, Facts, and Controversy (Congressional Quarterly, 1992), or focus on one area of corruption, such as Bruce Felknor's Political Mischief: Smear, Sabotage, and Reform in U.S. Elections (Praeger, 1992). Still others are radical in the level of corruption they assert, like Rodney Stichs' Defrauding America: Encyclopedia of Secret Operations by the CIA, DEA, and Other Covert Agencies (Diablo Western Press, 1998). Ethics in U.S. Government is a unique reference source for those interested in the seedier side of American government. Individual entries provide patrons with quick, validated, easy-to-follow explanations, with the option of pursuing more detail through the suggested readings. Taken as a whole, the encyclopedia offers a fascinating look at the role of ethics controversies in the evolution of the national government. Recommended for public and academic libraries.

This book by the author of such titles as White House Ethics (CH, Dec'88) and From Watergate to Whitewater (CH, Mar'98) is unique in treating the history of ethics in US government. The entries, alphabetically arranged, provide access to scandal nicknames. Future editions should add a topical or popular-name index in addition to the general index this edition provides. Each entry lists further readings, but some entries would be better served if they had a subject-based bibliography rather than cross-references. This volume is best when covering the executive branch and the presidencies of Richard Nixon through William Clinton. It includes extensive entries on the Clinton presidential scandals and offers a time line that would be useful for comparing ethical dilemmas in government throughout US history. Of particular interest is the effect the Special Prosecutor mandate has had on the presidency since the Watergate Scandal. Roberts's work would be useful for readers who need a starting point for a paper on political scandals in the US and would interest both public and academic libraries. R. H. McDonald Auburn University