Today, such issues as abortion, capital punishment, sex education, racism, prayer in public schools, and family values keep religion and politics closely entwined in American public life. This encyclopedia is an A-to-Z listing of a broad range of topics related to religious issues and politics, ranging from the religious freedom sought by the Pilgrims in the 1620s to the rise of the religious right in the 1980s.

In the 80 years since gaining the right to vote, women have continued to make their political voices heard. This is the first comprehensive work to describe the political struggles and achievements of American women, who were historically underrepresented in a system dominated by men. Containing over 700 entries in an A-to-Z format, this single volume provides balanced coverage of the people, issues, and events that shape any discussion of women in U.S. politics.

In this essay collection, a variety of authorities explore the significance of parent-child interaction and its implications for all stages of family life. Numerous aspects of this socialization process in changing societies throughout the world are represented, for relatively uniform societies, such as in Western Europe; multicultural societies, such as in North America; and traditional societies facing the impact of modernization or Westernization of values, such as in India, China, or Japan. Individual approaches range from analyses of typical intergenerational changes to direct...