Increasing numbers of ISPs have begun implementing multicast infrastructure. Soon the Internet will provide multicast connectivity between any two points on the Internet the way it provides for unicast traffic today. Long-evolving protocols are reaching maturity, and enterprise networks and ISPs around the world are ramping up their multicast infrastructure. Now, more than ever, network engineers must be ready to deal with new applications that capitalize on the simultaneous, efficient delivery of data and imagery to multiple recipients.

With 150 accessible articles written by more than 130 leading experts, this essential reference provides authoritative introductions to some of the most important and talked-about topics in American history and politics, from the founding to today. Abridged from the acclaimed Princeton Encyclopedia of American Political History, this is the only single-volume encyclopedia that provides comprehensive coverage of both the traditional topics of U.S. political history and the broader forces that shape American politics--including economics, religion, social movements, race, class, and gender. Fully indexed and cross-referenced, each entry provides crucial context, expert analysis, informed perspectives, and suggestions for further reading. Contributors include Dean Baker, Lewis Gould, Alex Keyssar, James Kloppenberg, Patricia Nelson Limerick, Lisa McGirr, Jack Rakove, Nick Salvatore, Stephen Skowronek, Jeremi Suri, Julian Zelizer, and many more.