However, the preponderance of examples from the Obama and Trump eras will become outdated and need updates supplied by the instructor. The current book I use fully integrates free people of color into each chapter. But it is an impressive work overall. Go Go. Chapters six and seven are uncharacteristic. At the time this edition was written, the information in figure 3.17, presented data on the legality of same sex marriage by state in our country in an easily understood and precise manner. Students first learn what constitutes a government. It is comparable to other American Government textbooks, and I will consider using it in my future courses. The book is actually slightly longer and denser than other texts I have assigned for an introductory course in American American Government is a very comprehensive textbook. Reviewed by Jeremiah Castle, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Metropolitan State University of Denver on 8/17/20, An innovative inclusion is that, in addition to the standard chapter on federalism, American Government (2e) also includes a separate chapter (14) on State and Local Governments. There is very little jargon, and technical terms are adequately summarized. United States Government: Democracy in Action United States Government Our Democracy Chapter 1 PDF - BOOK KEG This textbook provides a comprehensive framework for introductory American government. Would be nice to build out the list for a bunch of other chapters as well. The writing is clear and accessible to an introductory-level undergraduate reader. The formatting of the text throughout is excellent. Excellent charts and interactive materiel. Accuracy is excellent, with essentially an unbiased and error-free content (and i do judge rather stringently the accuracy of historical content given I teach history as well). I haven't found inconsistencies throughout the text as to terminology and framework. This is a very impressive work, and I will most certainly adopt this book. You can use that resource if you would prefer, but you're responsible for locating the correct excerpts. Changes like these are expected and I do not think that this would be too difficult to do. There is a vibrant discussion in modern research on the balance between socialization and genetics in public opinion research that should be included. Whenever the next update does occur, I would strongly suggest change the order of the paragraphs so Part 4 comes after Part 1. The more niche chapters like Public Opinion could use a freshen up on the theoretical concepts. The authors also included new terms such as the use of Astroturf movement on page 379 and PIRGS on page 382. has on the daily lives of each and every American, motivating students to become active participants in all aspects of our political system, and helping overcome the United States Government: Our Democracy 2016, LearnSmart Social Studies Overview Flyer. Instead the textbook chooses to avoid the high stakes conversations. I had no problems with navigation and saw no distortion of images and charts. Page_number_confidence 94.70 Pages 922 Pdf_module_version 0.0.20 Ppi 386 Related-external-id urn:isbn:0078786886 urn:oclc:435012046 urn:isbn:0078784050 urn:isbn:0078747627 urn:oclc . The material is not overly self-referential. } Some chapters have one; others dont. I didnt find any interface issues in this textbook. Here, citizens vote for their government officials. Though I had trouble accessing the PDF and online versions, it appears to have been an issue with the browser I was using at the time. The textbook is ideologically neutral throughout, with one exception. The textbook follows a traditional American government textbook format, starting with the Constitution and covering, Federalism, Civil Liberties and Rights, Interest Groups, Political Parties, and the three branches of government. However, it does do a nice job of considering the broader themes that characterize United States politics today. More textbook info. Overall, an excellent textbook which covers the needed subject matter comprehensively. The index is clear and useful and the chapter glossaries are excellent. For example, the chapter on political parties has a nice section about divided government and political polarization (section 9.4), and the chapter on Congressional representation does a nice job of recognizing both the growing diversity of Congress as well as the continued ways in which Congress is less diverse than the American public (section 11.3). It covers necessary topics clearly and comprehensively. Chapter 8, Section 3 discussing the media and particularly the FCC is a very strong section of the text. Generally, I don't think my critique of the modularity poses a problem for the use of this text. The sources cited, within the sections of each of the various chapters, are from reputable, recognizable experts in their fields of study. It is such a long and comprehensive textbook that possibly it might suffer from not having a clear and overriding theme. The textbook's content is accurate, free from errors, and unbiased. Revolution and the New Nation (1754-1820s) Expansion and Reform (1801-1861) Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877) The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900) The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930) The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945) In fact, I would critique the text somewhat in the other direction, there are a few points where important related ideas are broken into different subsections. Differentiate with Spanish language resources, and strategies for approaching level, beyond level, and ELL students. The endnotes are difficult to follow. I agree that the content is relevant, and can be easily updated. 3. Such being said, I believe this textbook is far ahead of other options I have seen as far as modularity and the ability for the instructor to chunk portions of the chapter for the assigned reading each week. This text had no major interface issues. Log in to your program from these platforms: McGraw Hill Science Interactives (612), .bs3-nav-link-support a{ and J. D. and Lee Arbetman and Megan L. Hanson and M.S. Excellent. Each chapter is structured similarly. 9780078747625 United States Government Democracy in. Chapter three necessitates a revision in order to re-create its relevance. Learning goals are explicit and each chapter has a clear structure and consistent features that carry throughout the chapters. read more. Foundations of American Government. read more. Otherwise, I find the content accurate, sufficiently in depth, and excellent. The chapter organization is clear, so it would be easy to teach the chapters in a different order. It covers most, if not all, of the material that I typically cover in my American Government course and does so in an engaging way. - clear framing around basic theories of representation and collective action (probably less explicitly on the latter than something This is not a pervasive problem, however but an occasional one. To be clear, it is not culturally insensitive. The concise introductions at the beginning of each chapter effectively frame the chapter topic. I think the book could benefit from a more extensive glossary at the end of each chapter, rather than each section. I believe students prefer more than black and white words. Offers many examples and insights to a wide variety of political views and cultures. Mrs Doering s Classroom Government Wikispaces. The book is comprehensive in that it has everything I usually look for in an intro to American government text: - clear framing around basic theories of representation and collective action (probably less explicitly on the latter than something like the Kernell book, but on balance thats a good thing). For example, the definition of the margin of error that is provided is not technically correct, and the example that follows the definition is not correct even in a non-technical sense. American Government and Civic Engagement, entire unmodified textbook can be accessed here on OpenStax, SLED (Statewide Library Electronic Doorway), "Slave Streets, Free Streets" - Virtual Tour of Baltimore, c. 1815, World War I: Why Young Men Wanted to Go To War. I reviewed several chapters for discussion areas that students often time find difficult to understand due to the terminology used, such as federalism, civil liberties, civil rights and bureaucracies. However, the concepts are so strong here (thorough, well laid out) that an The respective discussions involving each of the aforementioned groups is objective, open minded, and balanced. The textbook is highly relevant with topics that will continue to be important to include in a foundational study of U.S .government. The textbook is relevant and up to date, relative to the time it was published. There are also some advantages to this textbook, including clarity of the writing and various appendixes that include the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Federalist 10 and 51 right in the book. The book covers all the main topics that good introductory American Government textbooks typically cover and also includes chapters on topics that are not covered in detail in many textbooks. In addition to the readings at the end of the book like The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, and Federalist #10 and Federalist #51, the textbook includes links to other readings and primary source documents to supplement the material. Each chapter begins with an introduction, moves into the various sections and concludes with the summary and then supplemental material. Complete List of Documents. If faculty want to remove a section, it is not difficult for students to follow the main concepts. Gun-rights groups believe that the Second Amendment gives citizens the right to own and carry guns. At the same time, given the overall quality of this book and the money my students would save if I assigned it, I am seriously considering changing texts for the first time in over a decade. Again, these are things the author may want to consider. The content delivers plenty of perspective for students to learn about American government. The relevance of content is a real strength of this text. I think it does an excellent review of the issue of slavery and how it impacted US government. United States Government: Our Democracy 2016 - McGraw Hill The textbook is written well. The book seemed to use inclusive examples--for example, the racial breakdown of the federal judiciary. Students may struggle with somewhat dated, routine examples. Further, the writing is clear and concise. Some paragraphs are quite long in word count as are some sections that continue for pages without a break such as a graphic, figure, table or photograph which may inhibit overall comprehension of the material within. read more. The index is comprehensive, and it helpfully allows the reader to link directly back to the text. Very well done. The book covers all of the basic components of American government. The textbook is structured in a logical manner with chapters that have clearly defined subareas that more than adequately provide students with an understanding of American government. Reviewed by Charles Young, Associate Professor, Umpqua Community College on 1/3/20, The text covers exactly what an introduction to political science/government textbook should cover. That said, many of what appear to be hotlinks in the text did not work when I tested them in December 2018. By the standards of Introduction to American Politics textbooks, this is a comprehensive offering. Our School" Reopening Plan; Daily Bulletin; S3 Grant; Principal's Message; Mission & Vision Statement; Bell Schedule; Contact Us; Policies & Procedures; . The book includes internal links to all notes and figures within the text, and also external web links where relevant. I found the textbook culturally sensitive and in no way offensive. . The text is fairly clear but lacks some of the professional editing that I frequently see in pay-to-play textbooks. The 5 sections of the book could also be broken apart, for instance I would assign Chapter 15, but not 16 or 17, given the constraints of time. The authors for this book have used a standard structure that will stay relevant as long as any other. United States Government: Our Democracy, Student Edition Hardcover full-color textbook divided into chapters and lessons, with table of contents, atlas, glossary, and index, 952 pages]. The text contains no grammatical errors that jumped out at me which is quite an accomplishment in such a voluminous text. Overall, this is a very good text. Additionally, if I made any additions to the text, you may not have them. It is only mentioned in the chapter on civil rights. United States government (2003 edition) | Open Library "in order to" was overused. 5. It offers an excellent collection of concepts and ideas useful to political science students. This is a good choice as the textbook for beginning level political science courses. read more. The online Student Learning Center This means that pretty much every major topic you could want is in this book and all you have to do is choose which chapters you want to cover. It covers all the areas that may be taught in an American Government intro class. Two points will be commented on here. I am sure many people would leave these out, but they are there if you want them. The text contains a variety of ideas and concepts. If anything it simplifies our history as to discrimination and racism in the direction of being overly intolerant of past civil rights violations in the light of past cultural norms based on ignorance and insecurities that darken our history, and with which the present continues to deal with. My only critique of the book is that the sections on Congress, the presidency, and the court system appear later on in the textbook. This book contains everything I need for intro American government classes. The text is wide-ranging and inclusive to a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds in its examples, particularly in the chapters on individual agency and action. $47.96. Also in terms of comprehensiveness, there are 17 chapters in total, which at one chapter per week is at least three or four more chapters than most instructors will be able to get through in a semester. As an instructor of pre-college ABE students working towards a GED, I am always looking for relevant, engaging materials to hook my students. United States makes some of the nation's most important decisions. Excellent use of sub-sections in each chapter. Very clearly explains important concepts; I can use my own assignments to require graduate level thinking and expand on the complications/interactions of the text concepts, etc. Examples used are inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, and gender. I really liked that it had information from the 2016 election, as that is interesting to many students. The chapters have a mix of history, current facts and evidence along with key concepts traditional of American government texts. The information presented in the text book is accurate and comparable to all other books I have used on the market. Obviously, fundamental concepts such as the origins of the republic and the founding era need to be at the beginning of the book. There are a number of instances where, as was previously noted, there are significant blocks of text in long paragraphs without subheadings or some other type of break. It also includes a chapter on I am seriously considering using this text the next time I teach introduction to American Government. One of the strengths of the Krutz text; each chapter format patterns the same learning styles and methods. read more. The textbook was first published in 2019. Exceptionally clear. I read the "theme" as being about civic engagement, and the theme appears consistently throughout the text. The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. Inquiry Journal:This interactive print worktext is built around essential questions and permits students to develop their inquiry skills using analysis, primary sources, and evidence-based writing. I saw no problems with the navigation or images. At that meeting the establishment of the International Union of American Republics was approved. are excellent for visual learners and certainly enhance the message of each section/chapter. The material in the book is relevant and up to date with current politics and elected officials. A second point, is figure 3.17 regarding marriage equality. Overall, the content is relevant and won't quickly become obsolete. Milestone Documents. At the same time, I should point out that, at least in my view, the book is organized in an unconventional way. I am also happy it comes in a printed version. According to Locke individuals held authority through a divine power that existed in the people that formed the basis for the "fountain of authority"? The Links to Learning and Insider Perspective features in the text help to enrich the material without breaking the overall flow of discussion. But I would rather have it smaller so I can add what I think is important than have too much material overwhelm the students. An example of a high degree of accuracy is the discussion on the problem of divided government. United States Government Our Democracy | Bookshare My only critique here is substantial amounts of white space following some images which may distract the reader. This is one of the pluses of this text. Key terms are defined with appropriate detail in a glossary and the summaries serve to reinforce the material covered in each section. The book contained appropriate section breaks so that students can jump directly to the relevant subsection. 978-5-8592-8019-3. I believe that modularity is one of the strengths of this text. On the other hand, if students were to use their phones to try to read the book I could see that being a problem. And while all the topic areas you would anticipate are present, the structure is different. For example, Chapter 1, Section 3 has a discussion on civic engagement along with colorful graphs and data pertaining to 18-29 yr olds and their political participation. The chapters are well organized and user friendly. Each module is self-contained with its own summaries, key terms, assessments, and suggestions for further study. The textbook is written in a way that is easy to understand. 13-23) A. Republic vs. Democracy: What Is the Difference? - ThoughtCo So concludes a recent study by Princeton University Prof Martin Gilens and Northwestern University Prof Benjamin I Page. Democracy 10 days 20 days Students analyze inherent tensions in American democracy between rights and freedoms and between promoting the public good and protecting individuals. PDF The State of Democracy in the United States - CGTN The foundational building blocks of the republic that are provided are similar to the last two textbooks I used (We the People & By the People) and for that matter correspond to the textbook I myself used over thirty years ago in my Intro course which I still refer to in the classroom. - Chapter organization around the set of themes that any proper intro gov class would teach: institutions plus civil rights liberties, parties, elections, public opinion, and so on. I found it very appropriate for undergraduates. If the candidate fails to achieve 270 votes, then the election is sent to the House of Representatives. The "glossaries" are very good as well. The Organization of American States (OAS) is the world's oldest regional organization, dating back to the First International Conference of American States, held in Washington, D.C., from October 1889 to April 1890. While it clearly has a logical structure and is thoughtfully organized, chapters could be selected based on the theme and objectives of the course. The is consistent in its use of terminology, and the frameworks that it provides are generally helpful and clear. U.S. Government: Our Democracy helps educators teach students about government and how to "do democracy.". That is, of course, just one area. But that seems like a limitation of this medium, not of this particular textbook. The Government Manual is a regularly updated special edition of . Particularly appropriate for an undergraduate audience. Reviewed by Peter Wielhouwer, Associate Professor of Political Science, Western Michigan University on 12/14/18, This text covers nearly all of the major topics covered in American Government texts. After review, I was impressed with this text on a number of fronts namely its clear writing style and comprehensive nature. Almost all said that the United States . PDF Us Government Democracy In Action Teacher Edition Reviewed by Carley Shinault, Assistant Professor, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania on 3/13/19, The text covers the full range of standard American Government textbooks, from government and civic engagement, to civil liberties and rights to branches of government and foreign policy. I found the language clear. There are currently no items in your shopping cart. The text is easily and readily divisible. Formal Institutions include Congress, The Courts, and The Presidency). The examples used throughout the text are inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, genders, and backgrounds. Sometimes the beginning of the paragraphs are repetitive but this may favor comprehension of the content. This consistency and clear explanation of the concepts behind the examples makes the book particularly strong. The use of the Electoral College and same-sex marriage across chapters are examples that I found useful in this regard. Usually the image it only an inch or two from the Figure citation, but not always clear. The book builds upon what students have already learned and emphasizes connections between topics as well as between theory and applications. As I have shared, I suggest fewer "Note" features within the already long paragraphs of content, and in fact a tightening as well of the length of the reading text. In order to help students understand the ways that government, society, and individuals interconnect, the revision includes more examples and details regarding the lived experiences of diverse groups and communities within the United States. The index is useful. Building Democracy for All - EdTech Books The images and charts used in the book help clarify the concepts very well. They examine these conflicts in our democracy by reading primary sources, summarizing based on textual evidence, and beginning analysis of multiple perspectives for text. The book is competently written and produced. The text is easily and readily visible and permits an instructor to select what to cover based on the learning objectives of each chapter. It seems to be equal to any 'standard' Am Gov text. The book also includes more whitespace than a typical textbook (e.g. The framework/layout of each chapter is consistent which is an aid to both the instructor and the reader. This is not, however, a reason not to use the book as currently written and hope that it is appropriately updated in the years ahead. I note there is a link to the homepage of those repositories in the text. Chapters are structured in reasonable ways. Do you need help? read more. The materials contain frequent references to variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. And as stated above, the book is very clear and easy to read, which would make this text easy for students to understand. Concept 1: Foundations of Government . The book does not seem to be culturally insensitive, and I like the inclusion of the Equal Protection for Other Groups in section 5.5. Reviewed by Amanda Sink , Senior Lecturer , UNCG on 12/5/16, It covers all the areas that may be taught in an American Government intro class. The authors updated the contents reflecting current events and political landscape. Most textbooks for undergraduates in this topic area dont include this topic, and its a welcome addition. 266-267, and the Electoral College, the idea of achieving a tie vote is irrelevant. Geared as a unit in t Although it lacks some of the additional material that other traditional textbooks provide (i.e., more information on judicial decision-making or constitutional interpretation), the text accomplishes its goal--to provide a clear and accessible overview of the American political process. There are areas where graphics examples could be updated; a few of the federalism chapter charts are using 2014 data. It can be said that in capitalism, government accumulates wealth and then redistributes it to citizens. China is not a socialist country; it is an oligarchic authoritarian regime. For me, this was one of the strengths of the textbook. Feb. 23, 2017. Greek Influence on U.S. Democracy - National Geographic Society democracy: [noun] a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections. Democracy in the United States is strong, but showing some cracks. Faculty are used to getting free copies of texts. The text is impressively comprehensive, both with respect to its range of coverage and depth of discussion of each topic. The text covers the full range of standard American Government textbooks, from government and civic engagement, to civil liberties and rights to branches of government and foreign policy. This enabled some students to essentially cheat on my homework. p. 136, in which only a small fraction of the page is filled with an external link) , though if you are not strictly concerned with minimizing page count or aesthetics, this is feature rather than a bug, as it reduces the need for thing like including figures on a page with unrelated text to maximize efficient spacing. Answer Key Chapter 2 - American Government 3e | OpenStax Modularity is clearly possible in this text, although I do not think this criteria should be rated high in importance as to determining whether this is a solid textbook. United States Government: Our Democracy allows students to master an understanding of the structure, function, and powers of government at all levels. Grammar is as good as one would expect from a textbook from a commercial press. Glen Krutz, Professor of Political Science and Associate Director, Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center at the University of Oklahoma. 1st - 10th Amendments: The Bill of Rights, 1791. This is a major issue with political science texts as the students are very focused on the present time, so the texts need to be very current. Not every one covers Civil Rights and Liberties or Foreign and Domestic Policy, but this text does offer a chapter on each of those. PDF The Crisis of - ed The opening parts of the book though do focus a bit more on economics than I would prefer. My institution, CUNY, currently has money for instructors to print course packets for students, so it would be possible to print the chapters I want to use and then the students would have a hard copy. First, on page 15, in Figure 1.6, is a map illustrating different forms of government throughout the world. Likewise, the reasoning in Chapter 9 Political Parties as to why we have only two major parties lacks depth. These officials represent the citizens' ideas and concerns in government. I particularly liked the "Get Connected," "Links to Learning," and "Insider Perspectives." I do wish there was a bit more of a unified explanatory framework that was used throughout the chapters, though. Other critical concepts such as "security dilemma" and "domino theory" need to be introduced. read more. PDF Course: United States Government, Course# 2106310 Title: United States At the edges, the composition of Congress and descriptive representation will need to be updated.
