I found the book well-organized and based on a logical structure. } AP United States Government and Politics - AP Students - College Board The text builds on the foundation in a logical and consistent manner. In my view, chapters four and five are stellar and provide alternative voices to the narrative. font-weight: 400 !important; The book also includes more whitespace than a typical textbook (e.g. It is a well-written and solid introduction to American Government. Finally, the "further reading" section is missing major works. ACT & SAT Practice Books. Thus, instructors who want to cover highly salient domestic policy issues like healthcare or immigration may need to assign supplements. read more. The textbook's content is accurate, free from errors, and unbiased. .nav-contain-highered{ This text, American Government 2e by Krutz and Waskiewicz, covers all areas and ideas of the subject appropriately beginning with the origins of each political construct, through its evolution in America, and trends into the future. This is disappointing but not fatal as I can update in class using the overhead. And the Fall of the Patronage system in Section 1 of Chapter 15 also stood out to me as excellent. I wish the footnotes included links back to main text. Some texts may cover only one additional chapter other than the basic chapters one would expect. A chapter on State and Local government is also included as a useful addition. The division of provisions of the Bill of Rights into three categories is arguable at best. Gun-rights groups believe that the Second Amendment gives citizens the right to own and carry guns. Reviewed by Matthew Wright, Associate Professor, American University on 2/1/18, The book is comprehensive in that it has everything I usually look for in an intro to American government text: V. Democracy (pp. It even has a section on Civil Rights and Native Americans. To learn more about how the presi-dent makes important decisions and leads our nation, view the Democracy in You have been searching for correct information on United States Government Our Democracy Textbook . suggestions as to taking featured topics a step further. This textbook is perfect for my American government course that I teach to undergraduates at the community college level. This text could very easily replace the book I have used American Government 3e aligns with the topics and objectives of many government courses. List of forms of government - Wikipedia There are occasional editorial comments and examples of protests which suggest liberal criticisms of the status quo. There is very little jargon, and technical terms are adequately summarized. The text is fairly clear but lacks some of the professional editing that I frequently see in pay-to-play textbooks. For example, what were free people color doing while such issues as Shay Rebellion and debates about military involvement in the Revolutionary War were going on . read more. Because the textbook has less of an editorial voice, it is easier to move chapters around. Furthermore, it also includes chapters on linkage institutions like parties, interest groups, and the media. Washington set precedents. There are no grammar or spelling errors, but sometimes the choice or placement of topics doesnt align with the larger argument being made in a chapter, which can be confusing. read more. The highlighting of key terms and the examples that are provided are helpful. The text appears to be free from grammatical errors. The Art Program, which "is designed to enhance students understanding of concepts through clear and effective statistical graphs, tables, and photographs", is excellent. Many different races, backgrounds, ethnicities are presented to give the reader a well-rounded picture of how all different groups participate in the American governmental process. The 2020 census will alter the reapportionment section on Congress and the Electoral College. This book does a much better job of bringing these groups in than some other texts I have seen. The accuracy of this text is equivalent or higher than any introductory text I am familiar with. Additionally, there is a strong foundation of accurate historical background presented, especially in the Constitution chapter that provides the background necessary for understanding. It was updated in 2020. The content is up-to-date including most of the Trump presidency, which is helpful for students' understanding and familiarity. Figures and images were clear and undistorted. I look at these minor issues as an opportunity for teachers to clarify in lecture, rather than deal-breaking issues. Democratic Values Liberty, Equality, Justice. US Government Textbook PowerPoints - McGrawHill; Power Points Economics; Power Point files from US Government: Mr. Juan Calderon. (1) I liked the narrative on different types of government but I think that a table with the Greek classification of types of governments based on how many rule and whether they are good or bad would have clarified it better for students. The chapter on civil rights includes sections on African Americans, women, native Americans, Alaskans, Hawaiians and the LGBTQ community. Most of the chapters are accurate but I found two main problems: the map on different types of government (Chapter 1) and the chronology of the Bill of Rights (Chapter 2). Democracy divides us | Alexander Guerrero IAI TV American Government [ushistory.org] GOVERNMENT Arms War It's a long-standing debate. Then again maybe that is just my bias because of what information was included and what was omitted. The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. The textbook includes many illustrations, photographs, and examples that are recent enough for students to be able to relate to without much difficulty. Sometimes the beginning of the paragraphs are repetitive but this may favor comprehension of the content. United States Government Our Democracy | Bookshare I didnt notice obvious grammatical errors in this textbook. Democracy is a means of selecting policymakers and of organizing government so that policy reflects citizens' preferences. The text is free from interface issues as it was easy to read and navigate, and the graphics displayed properly. Similar to other Introduction to American Government textbooks this book covers the typical material and then some. Building Democracy for All - EdTech Books For class, it would probably be necessary to inform students of the most important links to review. The text effectively frames controversial topics in American politics and the reader does not come away with the impression that the author's are putting their thumbs on the scale in favor of a particular interpretation or political ideology. read more. I do not see the natural connection that ties those topics together. That might help to draw students into the material earlier in the semester, that is if you teach the chapters in order. Actually, I think it is. The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework. This is a pragmatic generation of learners. The inclusion of the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, selected Federalist Papers and electoral college results will aid the student in referencing those materials over the instructor including a link (to be lost) or the student conducting a search. 35. It avoids jargon and does a very good job clearly defining terms. I am especially excited about he design combining theory and practice and critical thinking. Key terms are also defined at the end of each chapter. There certainly is enough relevant and timely material to assign a chapter per week for the one semester Intro type class, especially when combined with the supplementary material noted above. I didnt have any difficulty navigating the book. While there are a few points where the text could be more concise, overall the text is well written and accessible. The book builds upon what students have already learned and emphasizes connections between topics as well as between theory and applications. The text is not culturally insensitive. This is a plus of this text. The invitation to re-introduce discussion of governors, state legislatures, city councils, and other forms of sub-national government is much appreciated. Would be nice to build out the list for a bunch of other chapters as well. Chapter Tests and Lesson Quizzes:Printed blackline master booklet of Lesson Quizzes and Chapter Tests includes all the editable tests available online. That was the first online textbook that I looked at and it gave me pause when considering using one. The previous comment represents a slight stylistic concern in the area of organization, but not a major one. I believe the entire flow of the text and ease of read would increase by ditching this method of citation and simply using end notes or foot notes. Third, Political Parties should precede elections in the book. Identity politics should be an integral part of academic conversations and should provide opportunities to students to engage with difficult topics by using critical thinking strategies. LGBT rights seem to be given less treatment than African American rights. Glen Krutz, Professor of Political Science and Associate Director, Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center at the University of Oklahoma. 28 . The cosmetics of the book is well done. Even though the publishing date is 2019, however, many of the charts, maps, graphs, pictures, and statistics in general are from 2015 or earlier. Students at all levels will have no difficulty with the language used therein. However, the preponderance of examples from the Obama and Trump eras will become outdated and need updates supplied by the instructor. Teach Me Economics. All government textbooks have a tendency to show their age quickly, but this text may be more resilient than most. 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. The book does a nice job of acknowledging racial injustice at the time of the American founding, including the Three-Fifths Compromise, as well as the importance of the Civil War Amendments in beginning to correct those wrongs (p. 63). This is tricky, as some American politics textbooks emerge from an activist mentality of pointing out howfor lack of a better termmessed up American culture can be. Further, each section within the chapters does contain a glossary of bolded terms. Key words repeated throughout so students would be exposed them at various points in the text. 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. read more. line-height: 1.5 !important; Those items in chapter 8 are among my favorites. The etymological origins of the term democracy hint . Individual Agency and Action 3. As mentioned earlier, chapters are structured in reasonable ways. I found this textbook to have excellent coverage and scope. I encourage any professor of U.S. Government to take a good look at this text and strongly consider its adoption. This is not a pervasive problem, however but an occasional one. This immediately gives an indication of how the material will flow. The textbook follows the usual model of an American Government textbook. 1997. For example, p. 44. and in most of the chapters. I note there is a link to the homepage of those repositories in the text. The work provides a comprehensive overview of both the formal and informal political institutions that one would expect to find in an introductory-level American Government text. For example, while Federalism (Chapter 3) is included in the "Students and the System" section, State and Local Government comes much later in the book (Chapter 14, in the "Formal Institutions" section). Reviewed by Hyokyung Kwak, Assistance Professor, College of Charleston on 9/19/21, This textbook covers all the main topics need for American government 101. The images and charts used in the book help clarify the concepts very well. Free Solutions for United States Government: Our Democracy - Quizlet For example in the discussion on the writers influencing the colonies toward revolution, Locke, no doubt an important writer, is presented while many others could have been highlighted. There is a good selections of "photographs.". The chapters are arranged in a way that makes sense to the material. OAS - Organization of American States: Democracy for peace, security Prior to reviewing this text, I was not very familiar with open source textbooks. Reviewed by David Weiden, Associate Professor, Colorado State Board of Higher Education on 11/23/19, The book covers all of the basic components of American government. The examples used throughout the text are inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, genders, and backgrounds. This follows from previous comments. This publication continues to be a popular introductory guide for American citizens and those of other countries who seek a greater understanding of our heritage of democracy. The textbook is relevant and up to date, relative to the time it was published. The content of the book is accurate. These examples were not solely places in the civil right unit, but incorporated throughout the text; which is significant. There are currently no items in your shopping cart. Title: Reviewed by M. Victoria Perez-Rios, Adjunct Assistant Professor, La Guardia Community College on 5/21/18, The textbook is very comprehensive with more than 650 pages of content plus appendices with relevant documents. This book would be easy to update as changes occur. In my classes using the book, I have done quite a bit of rearranging. In particular, the sections on civil rights, civil liberties are grouped near the beginning with section on public opinion and elections. It is as accurate as any standard, mainstream textbook on American government. Although there is an internet link to the Articles in Chapter 2, I find it more useful for students to have access to the Articles within the textbook so they see they are important. Constitutional Democracy - civiced.org But as I noted above, the unhelpfulness of bolded terms can be genuinely confusing and are inconsistent (Katie Holmes gets bolded? The topics in the text are presented in a clear and logical fashion. The pure number of citations is impressive, however they are shown to the reader throughout a chapter in a separated gray box. The structure is on par with leading texts in this area. It is both well researched and written. Democracy Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster Some of the pages could use a little more color to add some pop. of the topic in a clear, straightforward way. I haven't found inconsistencies throughout the text as to terminology and framework. For example, Plato and Aristotle are not included in the further readings of the introductory chapter on government. The entire unmodified textbook can be accessed here on OpenStax, where you can also download a PDF, install the app, or even order a hard copy from Amazon if you desire. There are minor mistakes in some of the tables and figures, too. - Good supplementary framing around the founding documents and federalism More textbook info. Naturally, in a subject like government and politics there are a host of judgment calls relating to the meaning of certain terms and events and in this regard, I respect the judgment of the authors and believe they presented the material in an unbiased manner. Mrs Doering s Classroom Government Wikispaces. This is an excellent and comprehensive American Government textbook. United States makes some of the nation's most important decisions. For example, the text's section on "Engagement in a Democracy," outlines how individuals can become more civically engaged and showcases how ordinary people can effect change. My preferred text, The Logic of American Politics (Kernell et al. In reviewing the table of contents, I found the book has a logical flow that begins with defining what government is and then proceeds to provide information on the critical subjects of our Everything seems consistently written and well-integrated. Offers coverage of topics that most instructors would cover in such a class, including political behavior, civil rights/liberties, American And finally, it contains both sections on individual rights and liberties as well as policy and bureaucracy. For every chapter a special effort could be made to fully integrate the experiences and writings of people of color. Welcome to our textbook for the year. I found it easy to adapt it to the different needs of my course. Well written with solid organization, the chapters flow nicely together. read more. In the book, the word Figure will appear to let the reader know to look for an image. Otherwise, jargon is well defined and explained with the body of the text itself in such a way that material is accessible to the intended audience. In fact, Kurtz et al. Milestone Documents | National Archives For printing purposes, it would be helpful if graphics and/or sections did not run onto the next page. New Blasts are being added regularly; Spanish language Blasts are also included. It is very comprehensive and covers all the necessary information. I find first and second year college students (the levels I teach) have limited attention spans with regard dense text no matter how articulately written. Origins of American Government Articles of Confederation Power Point Note Packet. One issue that does not receive a lot of direct attention is American political culture, including the values that underlie our The information is up-to-date through the 2016 presidential election and makes reference to the race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. There is an additional chapter on State & Local government aside from the chapter on federalism - which offers The respective discussions involving each of the aforementioned groups is objective, open minded, and balanced. I find it useful assigning my students questions based on discussions in various sections of chapters. The concepts are: growth of democracy, federalism, separation of powers, checks and balances, civil liberties . Chapters are structured in reasonable ways. Overall, it is solid and accurate. Oak Meadow Website . 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]. I usually wind up giving the students a link to these materials on the web, so having them in the actual textbook would be a nice bonus of using this text. SKU: b117200 . The book is actually slightly longer and denser than other texts I have assigned for an introductory course in American government. It is well-written and proof-read. The text covers exactly what an introduction to political science/government textbook should cover. Where is the concept of deterrence? Complex ideas were synthesized inlanguage that was easy to understand. The point-by-point "Summary" section is a great way for students to review the main ideas in the chapter. PDF OUR AMERICAN GOVERNMENT - GovInfo Reviewed by Mary Anne K. Clarke, Adjunct Faculty, Rhode Island College on 4/11/17, American Government by Glenn Krutz covers a lot of ground. Overall, I found the text to be clear and readable. United States Government: Our Democracy (2016) Publisher: McGraw-Hill . The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. Particularly well written is the "Approach to Foreign Policy, p. 650, especially, the "Classic Approach" and the more recent history of U.S. foreign policy. This is the easiest area for remarks for this review. For example, in section 8.1 there is no break for 11 paragraphs/over one thousand words. PDF Course: United States Government, Course# 2106310 Title: United States The writing is clear and concise. Uses contemporary examples, but not in depth cases that may be needed in higher level courses. Chapter objectives, appealing graphics and photos, glossaries of 'key terms,' recommended reading, summaries, and quizzes are some of the text features that make this inviting. In recent years rather than being an efficient mechanism for collective decision-making and progress, democracy seems to be fueling discord, division, and distrust of the other side. This book contains everything I need for intro American government classes. 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. The required terminology for the curriculum is present with context in every chapter. Please read our Terms of Use and Privacy Notice before you explore our Web site. Yet both Justice Gorsuch and Justice Kavanaugh are not present in the graphic. Instead the chapters information jumps around and the data needs organizing. If practical, it would be helpful if there were a hyperlink to OYEZ or Cornell LII for each case. I found no appreciable factual errors and appreciate the wealth of source material provided therefor. Overall the organization is quite good. I did not see any grammatical errors while doing so. I recommend considering the use of this book for an introductory American Government course. From the founding and Constitution to the major institutions of Congress, Courts, and the Presidency, these major areas are No obvious grammatical errors that I noticed. Engaging for an open textbook. I use review questions in each chapter for mandatory homework. The text is very culturally sensitive and I see no cultural offensiveness. Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy. The content delivers plenty of perspective for students to learn about American government. margin-bottom: 1rem !important; The opening parts of the book though do focus a bit more on economics than I would prefer. I do not think this book is at all culturally insensitive. Because of the breakdown by the author, students can tackle smaller blocks of material easily and I believe that this will help with comprehension of the material. Obviously, fundamental concepts such as the origins of the republic and the founding era need to be at the beginning of the book. In fact, I wish there was an entire chapter devoted to Campaigns and Elections. Similar to removing the bureaucracy form the discussion of institutions, I found the grouping of Civil Liberties and Civil Rights with Public Opinion and Elections to be an odd placement decision. This edition (2016) has been eclipsed by the huge changes under Trump, but that is also true of all 'standard' texts. In particular, I would like to see some more/more direct discussion of motivated reasoning. This is a very impressive work, and I will most certainly adopt this book. Most of the content of the different chapters focus on the mechanics of the system and on relevant examples that will be important for years to come. The book does a nice job of bringing in gender concerns throughout the text, as well. For instance, I find the unit groupings to be effective and have always taught special interest groups before Congress. The text was clear and devoid of any unnecessary jargon. However, the editorial voice of the textbook is less clear than some alternatives from commercial publishers. An example is found in Chapter 13, Section 4 in a visually appealing graphic on the timeline of the Supreme Court justices arriving at the Court. Use it to preview online test questions or print for paper and pencil tests. United States Government - Holt McDougal 2011-02-10 The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America - Richard Rothstein 2017-05-02 New York Times Bestseller Notable Book of the Year Editors' Choice Selection One of Bill Gates'