The organization and structure are good. I think the book could benefit from a more extensive glossary at the end of each chapter, rather than each section. There are questions and glossary words at the end of each chapter to help clarify issues. I read the "theme" as being about civic engagement, and the theme appears consistently throughout the text. The language is sophisticated throughout the text. One small issue: I found that I could not order a free 'desk' printed version from the publisher, as is standard for normal texts. Please read our Terms of Use and Privacy Notice before you explore our Web site. LGBT rights seem to be given less treatment than African American rights. Cumulative Hands-On Chapter Projects and additional Technology Extension activity provide authentic performance assessment. The printed version (and online replica version) has all review questions at back of each chapter, without answers provided, the way I wanted it. The United States has a complex government system. Technical terms are clearly explained allowing the typical college to understand unfamiliar terms/concepts. The book's organization/structure/flow is very good. Ways to Participate in Our Democracy 59. The book builds upon what students have already learned and emphasizes connections between topics as well as between theory and applications. It incorporates an impressive amount of historical references to add context and depth. 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. font-weight: 400 !important; Right from the get go I enjoyed the section on Civic Engagement as many textbooks do not cover civic engagement to the level it was covered in this text. The term is derived from the Greek dmokratia, which was coined from dmos ("people") and kratos ("rule") in the middle of the 5th century bce to denote the political systems then existing in some Greek city-states, notably Athens. Very well done. Reviewed by Wayne Jones, Assistant Professor, Virginia State University on 6/20/17, American Government is a very comprehensive textbook. Figures and images were clear and undistorted. 11th Amendment: Grants states immunity from outside lawsuits, 1795. . But that seems like a limitation of this medium, not of this particular textbook. This is somewhat backwards to how I teach the course in my mind. Relevant archival documents and photos add to the appeal. Reviewed by Brian Jones, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Political Science, Northern Virginia Community College on 6/20/17, The comprehensiveness of Krutz's American Government text is such that it more than adequately addresses the curricular requirements of the American government and politics courses offered by the Virginia Community College System. The textbook does not contain grammatical errors. These examples were not solely places in the civil right unit, but incorporated throughout the text; which is significant. 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). While it is rare for any textbook to be completely full of errors, there are a few more errors in this book than in my preferred American Government textbook and other leading textbooks on the topic. But I would rather have it smaller so I Basics of American Government - University of North Georgia While there's always room to incorporate more diversity, overall the book does a nice job. It follows the standard layout of American Government textbooks and offers an effective and easily searchable index. The order in which I present material in the course varies from the order in which chapters are presented in the text, but I have experienced few difficulties in subdividing chapters and assigning them in the order needed to support teaching. 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. This is something that can be adjusted by the instructor, and I rarely teach in the order books present the material anyway. Overall the textbook is highly consistent. It is very comprehensive and covers all the necessary information. The textbook's content is accurate, free from errors, and unbiased. While there are a few points where the text could be more concise, overall the text is well written and accessible. Are the media an "it" or a "they?". 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. Digital Student Learning Center:Includes the full student edition and inquiry journal, plus engaging resources that provide context and bring the narrative to life such as maps, timelines, infographics, primary sources, images, and videos. I am also happy it comes in a printed version. I would consider using this textbook in my American Government 101. Exam Weighting (Multiple-Choice Section) Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy. The previous comment represents a slight stylistic concern in the area of organization, but not a major one. The book is available in multiple formats. It means "rule by the people" or "sovereignty of the people". We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.--Preamble to the United States Constitution Terminology is placed bolded for easy identification. The index is clear and useful and the chapter glossaries are excellent. Nearly all of the material presented is relevant. My kudos to the author. I do find, however, the text to be more densely worded than preferable. Yes, the text is clearly divided into sections, chapters, and subchapters, all numerically outlined and structured in a clear way. Understanding Economics. I did not identify any issues with the accuracy of the textbook content. While I would like a comprehensive glossary for each chapter, the fact that each subsection within the chapter has its own glossary makes assigning small sections very easy, though I would not recommend assigning sections in place of a full chapter. The units are ordered to provide a guiding conceptual framework for study. This text covers nearly all of the major topics covered in American Government texts. For instance, I find the unit groupings to be effective and have always taught special interest groups before Congress. The details and interpretations of major issues provided by the text are accurate and helpful. 1. Not every one covers Civil Rights and Liberties or Foreign and Domestic Policy, but this text does offer a chapter on each of those. Images and charts were appropriate, visually appealing, and supported the text content in a meaningful way. The text is easily divisible into smaller sections that can be reordered within the course. This textbook is very comprehensive. I love the inclusion of recent current events. The book is very comprehensive. }. The book is actually slightly longer and denser than other texts I have assigned for an introductory course in American government. The fully integrated print and digital content of United States Government: Our Democracy is grounded in solid pedagogy, strong authorship, and includes a full suite of thoughtfully designed teaching and learning tools. Here, the author does provide a chapter on our crappy treatment of some groups, but it is not as inclusive as it could be, and sidesteps coverage of some important groups. I suspect some will like this placement and others not, it is likely a matter or preference, but is worth noting. The material is generally laid out in a straightforward fashion that should make sense to the reader. 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 plan to print around 100 pages double-sided in additional to providing the online and PDF links. Some may view this as a benefit, as there is more room for each instructor to add their own "big story" to their courses. Similar to other Introduction to American Government textbooks this book covers the typical material and then some. It is both well researched and written. Equality in voting 2. Would be nice to build out the list for a bunch of other chapters as well. The chapters, at more than thirty pages are relatively long for some students so all of the material within a chapter may not be read. read more. 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. Perhaps the next addition could include an index listing the section number of those various tools to make it easier for students to find. The chapter on Congress should also be updated and with data from 2016 and 2018. Reviews. Of course, the question is how many students really do that? This is an excellent and comprehensive American Government textbook. Students will develop an appreciation for the value of citizenship and civic . From the origins of the US political system, the constitutional framework, participatory inputs, formal institutions, and public policy, the major points are addressed. 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. This text can definitely be broken down not only by chapter but by sections. Each chapter includes an introduction, theory and history of particular governmental entity, Links to Learning credible websites, graphs, photos, documents, Insider Perspectives introducing a biography of an icon of the chapter, ways to engage in real life government , glossary, and Bibliography for Further Study including books and films. Enrollment . I found no problem with navigating the text. 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. This edition (2016) has been eclipsed by the huge changes under Trump, but that is also true of all 'standard' texts. Washington set precedents. The "finding a middle ground" boxes are a neat idea, particularly in the context of an increasingly polarized country. However, I cant really think of a way to sidestep these concerns all authors must make choices. 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. Chapters are structured in reasonable ways. It does a good job of defining terms used in the text and citing relevant sources. Of course, where to draw those lines is subjective and not all will see the value. My preferred text, The Logic of American Politics (Kernell et al. The text is evenly written with no discernible bias. The text is written in a way that undergraduate freshmen students would have no problem grasping. Words seem arbitrarily capitalized (why capitalize Scalia and McConnell)? Perhaps more specific information about the Supreme Court case regarding employment and other cases could be fleshed out. But at the mass level most Tea Party identifiers are Republicans, and in Congress the vast majority of Tea Party sympathizers (perhaps all) are Republicans. Although in the last decade I have opted for brief editions of American government, in an electronic format a longer text is useful for students who want to know more about topics that are difficult to cover in a fifteen week semester, including state and local government, public policy and foreign policy. In terms of content, the textbook has all the chapters one normally expects from an introductory American Government textbook. The textbook content is thorough yet very clearly written. In addition, the chapter on the Bureaucracy is placed in the "Outputs of Government" section alongside the chapters on domestic and foreign policy, rather than its more traditional place just after The Presidency. I didn't read every line, but the broad sections I read contained no technical writing errors that I observed. By breaking each chapter into sections, the modularity of the textbook itself is enhanced and should allow the instructor to break apart and/or chunk particular sections of interest. It seems to be equal to any 'standard' Am Gov text. The organization of topics conforms with what one finds in many other introductory level texts on American Government. However, chapters are sometimes questionably or confusingly organized, and compress wider subjects that usually receive broader treatment into footnotes or brief passages. Ive covered organization under clarity above, so setting this aside, the textbook is good at being consistent in its tone and content, and chapters are easy enough to utilize. It even has a section on Civil Rights and Native Americans. The text acknowledges multiple perspectives of race, ethnicity, gender, ability and other backgrounds. As for bias, the author(s) definitely stayed neutral in their descriptions of the events regarding the Trump presidency and their effect on American society. 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. I also liked very much the "exercises" section allowing "assessment of learning." The interface is well done. The book's seventeen chapters are well-divided into five parts. Generally, I don't think my critique of the modularity poses a problem for the use of this text. If anything, as I noted above, breaking chapters into even more sections or sub-dividing those sections would enhance the ability of the instructor to chunk material. They are usually a couple of paragraphs long and illustrate key concepts with practical examples followed by links to websites that have additional relevant information. The text is also 100% iPad compatible. democracy: key principles, institutions and problems professor david beetham 21 the judiciary in democratic governance: some insights from the indian experience ms. justice m. fathima beevi 31 some important problems and aspects of democracy in the context of the black african states professor abd-el kader boye 37 It follows the standard layout of American Government textbooks and offers an effective and easily searchable index. This progression is evident, for example, in the learning objectives that begin each section of the text. The Charter of the OAS was signed in Bogot in 1948 and entered into force in . I did not see any clear grammatical errors in my review. There is also a Link to Learning in each module that guides readers to content related updates that are available online. The professor can supply larger themes to the broader course and this textbook can fit nearly any theme with important and clear information on American Government. Overall, all expected topics, and then some, are covered, hence the text is certainly comprehensive enough by any measure of expectation in an introduction to American government text. al have done so in this text. 1997. The book is consistent, though I think its framework of effective engagement could have been implemented more consistently. The language seems accessible. Its framework is solid. The AP U.S. Government and Politics framework is organized into five commonly taught units of study that provide one possible sequence for the course. In each chapter, there are charts, diagrams, pictures from the news media that are appropriate, and informative that connect with the material in the chapter. New Blasts are being added regularly; Spanish language Blasts are also included. Those items in chapter 8 are among my favorites. Each chapter is structured similarly. Issues related to race, ethnicity, gender, and class are addressed in appropriate ways. There is no unifying logic, but the lack of this epistemological perspective is one strength of the book. Sold by Apex_media and ships from Amazon Fulfillment. Although the U.S. has been a strong proponent of democracy, it did not invent democracy. I also wish that some videos were integrated into the text as students love videos and this might help to draw them into the content even more. That is as comprehensive or more comprehensive than other textbooks I have used. It is impossible to cover all the material in a quarter college course, this format allows selective teacher emphasized learning outcomes. This product will be available on 09/22/2015. In my own courses, I am going to make up for this by assigning articles from CQ Researcher. Fifth, Page 338 discusses the Electoral College as the reason for a two-party system, but the explanation given does not explain why the Electoral College is one of the main reasons why there is an entrenched two-party system. Reviewed by Jack Philips, Lecturer, University of Texas at Arlington on 11/12/20, This book contains everything I need for intro American government classes. ISBN: 9780076634538. Toward Collective Action: Mediating Institutions, Delivering Collective Action: Formal Institutions. 36 Question #70. No Rating Yet Discover. Reviewed by Alexandre Couture Gagnon, Associate Professor, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on 10/26/20, This textbook covers the main topics of a course on American government. In addition, some of the information on the map can be confusing for students: the UK is a monarchy and a democracy; and some countries that appear as democracies are transitioning to democracy or are really autocracies. read more. The current book I use fully integrates free people of color into each chapter. I am impressed with the comprehensiveness of the textbook. Verified. font-weight: 400; The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework. Reviewed by Charles Young, Associate Professor, Umpqua Community College on 2/8/17, I am impressed with the comprehensiveness of the textbook. 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. The concise introductions at the beginning of each chapter effectively frame the chapter topic. read more. I only use online textbooks and sources for my classes, but have students who want a hard copy option. I found the navigability of the textbook easy. Other critical concepts such as "security dilemma" and "domino theory" need to be introduced. United States Government Our Democracy Textbook PDF Book Details . Great examples, engaging stories, and clever interactive readings; the textbook would be relevant to most community college students today. These long reading stretches are furthermore too frequently interrupted by "Note" features that while allowing for the opening up of key court cases concerning the topic at hand also lengthens the necessary attention span expected of the students beyond a reasonable extent. Page 1 Reading text only The United States is a representative democracy. 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. Each topic by chapter is integrated with all the others in some way. Only problem I saw: there are 2 versions of this book in OpenStax. My biggest concerns lie with the unconventional ordering of the material, as well as the density of the text throughout. Diverse student populations will appreciate this aspect of the text. I didn't notice any serious grammar problems. This book is easy to divide into chapters or sections that make sense for the progression of the semester. 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. The Links to Learning and Insider Perspective features in the text help to enrich the material without breaking the overall flow of discussion. The text provides an accurate, informative, cost-effective option for college students. Overall, the textbook provides accurate information, but there are some places where it comes up short in this regard, and a few statements made in the book are not as clear as they could be. If anything, the text may be a bit on the long side. And the Fall of the Patronage system in Section 1 of Chapter 15 also stood out to me as excellent. Although the order of the chapters differ from the way I may group chapters together, the book does maintain a consistent pattern based on the logic of the book it presents. Your textbook makes no mention of Rousseau. The book was not culturally insensitive or offensive. Well, longevity is a tough matter for this kind of text. It looks easier to move sections around. The deeper learning tools like Middle Ground and so forth allow the reader to learn more about a specific concept using a real world application and should provide the instructor with a ready-made activity that will more actively engage the student be it in an online or seated class. The chapters in the Kurtz et al e-book covers all relevant chapters of American Government and even offers chapters on Foreign policy, Domestic policy and State and Local government. The online Student Learning Center The case law is also an effective addition. When you become a U.S. citizen, you also make these promises: give up loyalty to other countries defend the Constitution and laws of the United States obey the laws of the United States serve in the U.S. military (if needed) do important work for the nation (if needed) And a printed version is also available for those who prefer it (including me!) Two points will be commented on here. Building Democracy for All is an interactive, multimodal, multicultural, open access e-book for teaching and learning key topics in United States Government and Civic Life. Chapter 8 on the Media is the best chapter I've seen on that subject. United States government : democracy in action by Remy, Richard C; Congressional Quarterly, inc. The text covers exactly what an introduction to political science/government textbook should cover. There are even two chapters on public policy, which many basic textbooks omit. Facilitate mastery of complex principles with dynamic digital tools. The materials contain frequent references to variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. The United States is an indirect democracy or a republic. Chapters provide plenty of information for pedagogical instruction; which is well organized.
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