The historical approaches 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. Useful explanation with visual of common goods & excludability; unitary, federation and confederation; contents/concepts of Constitutional amendments. The pros and cons of government regulation of group activity (spending) are both presented accurately, and the student is asked to make their own determination. That said, there are areas where the text is quite brief and doesn't provide terribly deep discussion. Faculty involved in the project have endeavored to make government workings, issues, debates, and impacts meaningful and memorable to students while maintaining the conceptual coverage and rigor inherent in the subject. It provides an effective index as well as a glossary of key terms at the end of each chapter. Technical terms are clearly explained allowing the typical college to understand unfamiliar terms/concepts. I noticed no issues of the kind. Within each chapter, sections are consistently arranged to first build comprehension and then work toward deeper analysis of topic, which is an effective pedagogical framework. } Nearly all of the material presented is relevant. Relevant archival documents and photos add to the appeal. read more. The text would be easily divisible by chapter. I suspect some will like this placement and others not, it is likely a matter or preference, but is worth noting. Reviewed by Gale Czerski, Adult Basic Education Instructor, Portland Community College on 6/20/17, This textbook provides a comprehensive framework for introductory American government. The more niche chapters like Public Opinion could use a freshen up on the theoretical concepts. - 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. And finally, it contains both sections on individual rights and liberties as well as policy and bureaucracy. The framework of the text is internally consistent. It covers all the areas that may be taught in an American Government intro class. These aren't things I ever bother with in textbooks, so I have no opinion about whether they are useful or not in this case. Formal Institutions include Congress, The Courts, and The Presidency). American Government - 3e - Open Textbook Library It is only mentioned in the chapter on civil rights. I can definitely see the advantage of having them all in one place. It covers all the bases of an Introduction to American Government and then some. As clearly noted, I found far more to like about the text than not. This is probably a sensitive issue. I found the organization of chapters a bit unconventional, and certainly different than the way I teach this course. Unlike many other textbooks, it has a separate chapter on State and Local government which I think would be useful as I found it is helpful for students to understand the And while all the topic areas you would anticipate are present, the structure is different. While I am generally unfamiliar with how open-resource textbooks are supposed to be ideally positioned, the book provides excellent navigational tools on the left side of the bar that made it easy for me to find what I wanted. The textbook includes virtually all topics that are critical to foundational course(s) in U.S. Government. A chapter on State and Local government is also included as a useful addition. The information is presented in a logical way. While the textbook references race, ethnicity, gender, and other identities in expected chapters like Civil Liberties, Civil Rights, and even the Media, overall the textbook offers a limited approach to identity politics in the context of American politics and government. Overall it is a bit smaller in word count than a traditional hard copy textbook and some of the chapters are smaller than I would like. 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. One area it could be more inclusive is by including more primary sources and perspectives from underrepresented groups both as parts of chapters and suggested readings/bibliography citations. 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. The Political Genius of Franklin D. Roosevelt - Audiobook - Jeffrey Some chapters have one; others dont. The online navigation is exceptionally good. The text repeatedly incorporates up-to-date examples to illustrate its reasoning and explain how foundational themes relate to contemporary political developments. The end-of-the-chapter resources are also quite good (better than I've seen in many books from commercial publishers). 35. For example, the term latent opinion comes up in the introductory chapter. If faculty want to remove a section, it is not difficult for students to follow the main concepts. Material is presented in an unbiased manner without any noticeable errors. There could be more treatment of the concept of power in the beginning of the book. "in order to" was overused. It is not overly complicated and written at the appropriate level. United States Government: Our Democracy 2016, LearnSmart Social Studies Overview Flyer. by Richard C. Remy. Are the media an "it" or a "they?". The United States democracy is based on principles and ideals that are embodied by symbols, people, and documents. 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. Each module is self-contained with its own summaries, key terms, assessments, and suggestions for further study. The writing appears to be objective and factually correct. Students and the System 2. There are some nice inserts in each chapter called Link to Learning. Chapters are structured in reasonable ways. Issues related to race, ethnicity, gender, and class are addressed in appropriate ways. No Rating Yet Discover. The framework/layout of each chapter is consistent which is an aid to both the instructor and the reader. However, it does do a nice job of considering the broader themes that characterize United States politics today. I am considering switching to this textbook for my department. (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. You can use that resource if you would prefer, but you're responsible for locating the correct excerpts. Many textbooks cover these two topics together in one chapter and I believe that it may be easier to teach if there is dedicated material to each topic in separate chapters. Many varied examples and leaders are highlighted. Some of the current graphs and charts will need to be updated.The links to learning sections make it possible to quickly find current data and information. The authors updated the contents reflecting current events and political landscape. 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. United States Government Democracy in Action Student. There seems to be a great emphasis on students and the system, as indicated in Part 1, and civic engagement more generally. Would hope a new edition will be forthcoming over the next year or so? I do think the other subsections on elections get a little shortchanged. The fact that it is free is even more impressive. The textbook is relevant and up to date, relative to the time it was published. Similar to other Introduction to American Government textbooks this book covers the typical material and then some. I like the fact that the authors attempt to present both sides in discussing problems and issues which contributes to an unbias pr I have detected nothing in the text that could be considered culturally insensitive or offensive. Changes on the composition of the members of the elected branches are easily updated and/or can be explained in the classroom. The attention to both content and process in the chapters on policy is useful. In my classes using the book, I have done quite a bit of rearranging. Within each unit, the chapters are structured to provide connections between topics that build upon the prior chapter's learning objectives . The textbook includes many illustrations, photographs, and examples that are recent enough for students to be able to relate to without much difficulty. PDF Your Government and You Lesson Answer Key - USCIS ACT & SAT Practice Books. Fourth, the idea that the winner-take-all approach to election is the reason for the two-party system is a conventional and weak argument, and there are no citations to back up the text (pp. when necessary. The text's interface is similar to any American Government textbook and has clear charts, tables, and numerous features that are clear and unobtrusive. I am not sure about the process of updates though and I suspect that within one or two years the book will need a refresh. read more. But that does not render it an invalid tool. The textbook is sensitive to a range of minority communities including African Americans, immigrants, the LBGQT community, gender and womens issues, and persons who practice the Muslim faith. Good, though for my purposes (I teach a graduate level policy processes course), some could be broken down differently for my use. Everything seems consistently written and well-integrated. Reviewed by Leo Keneally, Associate Professor, Thomas Nelson Community College on 3/29/19, The textbook covers all the essential parts of American government. Finally, as noted earlier, the book does a nice job of showing that Congress is growing more diverse, while at the same time acknowledging the many ways that Congress is still not representative of the American public (Chapter 11, Congress). In fact, I wish there was an entire chapter devoted to Campaigns and Elections. If a student is particularly interested in a topic, this would give them an immediate opportunity to find more information. Although the U.S. has been a strong proponent of democracy, it did not invent democracy. I clicked on many, but was not taken to that particular resource. Key terms are also defined at the end of each chapter. An instructor could easily rearrange the order of topics without presenting much disruption to the reader. PDF The Crisis of - ed The book leans more towards describing American government than explaining it, which may be fine for many instructors, especially for an introductory course. The only suggestion that I would make is to include a little bit more political psychology, especially in the chapters on public opinion and the media. This is a positive choice as it provides students with some knowledge of state and local government without usurping the information that is taught in a state and local government class. United States Government: Democracy in Action. One designed to be looked at online, another one that is essentially a replica of the printed version. I am going to consider using it and ask students for their feedback on the textbook because after all, they are the ones deciphering the material. 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' There's A LOT of flexibility with the text content. The modularity is effective, though the order of the contents is the order I've been using for years, so I wouldn't have to make any changes.. I like the text's thematic emphasis on student participation. 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. But as with any American government textbook, this information will need to be periodically updated. Other similar books dive too deeply for my purposes into the minutiae of government without providing concepts or making those concepts too academic sounding. This is the first time that I have thoroughly reviewed an open source textbook for potential use in a course, and I was impressed by the overall quality of the book. The writers do have material distributed into sections of the text that are not always the best choice in my view (this could be said of any textbook). LearnSmart with SmartBook adaptive ebook helps students learn faster, study more efficiently, and retain more knowledge. For their effort and expertise, I commend them and those who have supported this project. In fact, Kurtz et al. The text is not culturally offensive, but I would like to see more sections or paragraphs that flesh out diversity and politics. On the Appendices section, I like that it includes an appendix with relevant court cases (Appendix E). 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. Democracy divides us | Alexander Guerrero IAI TV Overall, the content is up to date. 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. I did not see any clear cultural bias on the part of the authors. Also, discussions are not biased toward any political ideology. 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. Citizen control of the agenda 5. This is a plus of this text. Would be nice to build out the list for a bunch of other chapters as well. Overall it is a bit smaller in word count than a traditional hard copy textbook and some of the chapters are smaller than I would like. For example, p. 44. and in most of the chapters. Chapters provide plenty of information for pedagogical instruction; which is well organized. It looks easier to move sections around. United States Government: Our Democracy - 9780076634538 - Quizlet 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. Print Edition ISBNs: Student (2018): 978--07-668113-6 ; Teacher (2018): 978--07-668108-2 ; Contact the company representative for ISBN numbers for online/eText editions. text-decoration: underline; At present, this text meets that need but it may not completely in a couple of years. read more. In the table of contents, chapter 17 is titled "Chapter 17: Foreign Polict.". Foundations of Geopolitics - Wikipedia LBGTQ issues were integrated in many of the chapters and this is refreshing. The textbook content is thorough yet very clearly written. This is a well put together textbook and with periodic revisions should be useful for students of American government for many years and decades to come. The book is consistent, though I think its framework of effective engagement could have been implemented more consistently. 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. I am glad to have discovered this book. The Founders and Federalism. read more. I have not found culturally insensitive comments. Current and updated; the textbook has a wealth of information ad applicable activities. United States Government Our Democracy | Bookshare The book is divided into chapters, and then subdivided again into sections. 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. The text is easily navigated and free of any significant interface issues. It contains every topic I cover and more in an Introductory course. The authors also included new terms such as the use of Astroturf movement on page 379 and PIRGS on page 382. Greek city-state or polis b) New England town meeting c) Abandoned as size of towns increased and issues became more complex 2. I find it useful assigning my students questions based on discussions in various sections of chapters. Below are the modifiedexcerpts that are assigned to you. } Identify Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln as leaders of our democracy: Connect with: Strand 1 Concept 4. Images and charts were appropriate, visually appealing, and supported the text content in a meaningful way. Most importantly, the emergence of Donald Trump simply alters how the institution of the presidency communicates and respects (or doesn't respect) past institutional norms. The Right to Privacy section of Chapter 4, Section 4 that describes activity from the 9th and 10th Amendments is well done. For example, on page 205 of the text, the author writes "With the rise of the Internet and social media, however, traditional media have become less powerful agents of this kind of socialization." I don't see how you could read text meant for an 8.5 by 11 inch page on a smart phone. This is another useful function to organize student assignments around. It seems to be equal to any 'standard' Am Gov text. 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. The historical approaches in many chapters provide contextualization of concepts. PDF OUR AMERICAN GOVERNMENT - GovInfo Traditional Democratic Theory 1. My only critique of the book is that the sections on Congress, the presidency, and the court system appear later on in the textbook. 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. The president signs bills into law or vetoes them. Overall, this is a good text that seems to be accessible for student learning. The material could easily be reorganized or covered in a different sequence at the discretion of the instructor without much disruption. The Charter of the OAS was signed in Bogot in 1948 and entered into force in . 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 offers a consistent presentation of terms situated within a logical and approachable framework for college students. The book looks very good, is easily navigable, and has a pleasing visual style (viz. PDF Course: United States Government, Course# 2106310 Title: United States 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. - clear framing around basic theories of representation and collective action (probably less explicitly on the latter than something The text is highly relevant for students studying American government and politics today and will serve students well in subsequent years without seeming obsolete. 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. 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. }. An example of a high degree of accuracy is the discussion on the problem of divided government. the text covers many inclusive and powerful cases of civil rights from African Americans and the Civil Rights Movement to women's suffrage to Occupy Wall Street. As another example, the description of Adam Smiths views on wealth accumulation is oversimplified and arguably misleading. Others may view this as a downside, because students will have less guidance in identifying the major themes or "thesis" of the course. There are even two chapters on public policy, which many basic textbooks omit. Thankfully, though, the chapters are easy to move around. The topics in the text are presented in a clear and logical fashion. I am also not sure that the students will click on the hyperlinks unless they are told to specifically read them. read more. New Blasts are being added regularly; Spanish language Blasts are also included. 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). United States Government; Our Democracy, c 2018, 9780076681136 . According to Locke individuals held authority through a divine power that existed in the people that formed the basis for the "fountain of authority"? Political behavior for presidential and mid-term congressional elections should be analyzed independently. I love the inclusion of recent current events. Welcome to our textbook for the year. These examples were not solely places in the civil right unit, but incorporated throughout the text; which is significant. I also think the book does an exceptional job bringing in minorities not traditionally covered in American politics texts (Asian Americans, Native Americans, etc.) The text features sophisticated and accessible prose. read more. The book uses a standard framework/structure, and so there is no problem with consistency. Seems quite well written. There is an additional chapter on State & Local government aside from the chapter on federalism - which offers This book contains everything I need for intro American government classes. Democracy and government, the U.S. political system, elected officials and governmental institutions Americans are generally positive about the way democracy is working in the United States. The writers were able to demonstrate intersections across time, incorporating themes that could easily be segregated in a single chapter. If anything, a few additional terms could likely be added, but this is a nice feature. And a printed version is also available for those who prefer it (including me!) Not every one covers Civil Rights and Liberties or Foreign and Domestic Policy, but this text does offer a chapter on each of those. Tipping the Scales Toward National Power. The concepts represented in the text also make case teaching via policy/politics news easy, even if the textbooks examples were to be stale - - which they are unlikely to be. Most textbooks for undergraduates in this topic area dont include this topic, and its a welcome addition.
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united states government: our democracy textbook pdf