The terminology is consistent and the textbook has a glossary at the end of each chapter; which is useful for students to identify terms and concepts. Reviewed by Colin Glennon, Associate Professor, East Tennessee State University on 4/11/19, The book certainly has all of the topics expected of an Introduction to American Government text. 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. read more. Mediating Institutions and Collective Action 4. This means that you promise loyalty to the United States. margin-bottom: 1rem !important; PDF The State of Democracy in the United States - CGTN The book seemed reasonable "inclusive", although I suppose this is pretty subjective and I'll admit to not usually judging texts on this ground. U.S. Government - Mr. Tredinnick's Class Site I look at these minor issues as an opportunity for teachers to clarify in lecture, rather than deal-breaking issues. PDF OUR AMERICAN GOVERNMENT - GovInfo Finally, I thought that the chapters (4 & 5) in Civil Liberties & Civil Rights were in particular very informative and well done. This is somewhat backwards to how I teach the course in my mind. One issue that does not receive a lot of direct attention is American political culture, including the values that underlie our democratic system, but this can be supplied complementary readings. Generally, I don't think my critique of the modularity poses a problem for the use of this text. Again, these are things the author may want to consider. The concepts are: growth of democracy, federalism, separation of powers, checks and balances, civil liberties . All of the topics you would expect to be covered in an American government 101 course are here: origins of our republic, institutions, individual action and collective action. The information is up-to-date through the 2016 presidential election and makes reference to the race between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Knowing that I would be using the book over many sections and many semesters, I ordered a copy from Amazon and I am glad I did. The text is not overladen with jargon, and when specialized terms are used, there is an effort to provide definitions for terms. I mentioned this earlier, but I think it is important to have the chapters presented in a different order. United States Government: Democracy in Action - FREE PDF 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. The presentation of the material lends itself to be easily modified to accommodate changes in the political sphere. The framework of the chapters is internal consistent. I was not able to determine any instances of errors, although there are a few places where the coverage was a bit subjective or questionable. 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. United States Government Our Democracy | Bookshare font-weight: 400; 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 American Government by Glenn Krutz covers a lot of ground. This book is easy to divide into chapters or sections that make sense for the progression of the semester. 3. These officials represent the citizens' ideas and concerns in government. The best way to protect these rights was by limiting the power of government and allowing people to govern themselves. For the most part, you could move around chapters if not sections. First President of the United States. I found no appreciable errors in the textbook. The text is arranged using logical progression and builds upon itself so that it effectively connects topics, theory, and application for the reader while at the same time being structured in such a way that modules are easily and readily divisible (see modularity comments). In the course of using this textbook, I have discovered no significant errors. I would consider using this textbook in my American Government 101. 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. Has good index. In the pages that follow you will find information to help you better understand how the machinery of . The Feature Boxes act as a springboard to easily engage students beyond the confines of the text. I found the navigability of the textbook easy. Two points will be commented on here. The book is consistent with similar complementary materials. The reader benefits from content that is organized in a fashion that is both comprehensible and predictable. 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. Back to List. The beginning of each module clearly identifies the learning objectives and is organized in such a way that it can be assigned at any point within the course as the instructor sees fit. Students may find it annoying. The use of terminology appears to be consistent between chapters and is a strength of the textbook as repetition is valuable for student retention of a particular term or concept. It follows the standard layout of American Government textbooks and offers an effective and easily searchable index. This may just be me, but I take issue with this statement from page 9, "Democracy and capitalism do not have to go hand in hand." I do think you have to have a free market to have democracy, although it might be a regulated market. It covers all of the major topics an introductory text should cover and a few others as well. 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. I can see myself using this textbook in the future. Material is presented in an unbiased manner without any noticeable errors. In other words, most of the world's countries are parliamentary, not presidential. The text is not culturally offensive, but I would like to see more sections or paragraphs that flesh out diversity and politics. The organization and structure are good. I have detected nothing in the text that could be considered culturally insensitive or offensive. The hyperlinks are effective for those who want to review the source and to learn more. However, the day after Election Day, this chapter will need an overhaul. My experience is that a significant number of my students will not read/fully comprehend a 30-40 page chapter at one pass. One Day University presents a series of audio lectures recorded in real-time from some of the top minds in the United States. Multiple perspectives on issues and areas of controversy are acknowledged.Enduring themes and tensions between ideas and realities are presented in a way that There is a consistent pattern in terms of the major headings outlined at the beginning of the book. Go Go. In addition, there are charts, visual aids, and extension activities to expand and complement the text. 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. Overall, the content is relevant and won't quickly become obsolete. These help to engage students and cultivate reading, writing, and critical-thinking skills in a unique, and ever-growing platform. font-family: ProximaNova,Helvetica Neue,Arial,Noto Sans,Liberation Sans,sans-serif,Apple Color Emoji,Segoe UI Emoji,Segoe UI Symbol,Noto Color Emoji !important; 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. Identify politics should be present in more sections of the text. In a couple instances such as above, they simply need to be done. United States Government Our Democracy | Bookshare 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 Below are the modified excerpts that are assigned to you. This textbook provides a comprehensive framework for introductory American government. The textbook does not contain a glossary. Accuracy is overall quite good. Overall, the text is free of interface issues and navigation problems; the main drawback is the sheer volume of links - can get a bit cumbersome. The textbook is highly relevant with topics that will continue to be important to include in a foundational study of U.S .government. Mrs Doering s Classroom Government Wikispaces. The framework of the text is internally consistent. Swapping out these examples for newer ones in the future should not be too onerous. 3. 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 There is an additional chapter on State & Local government aside from the chapter on federalism - which offers 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. Create assignments for whole class or individual students. I think the book could benefit from a more extensive glossary at the end of each chapter, rather than each section. 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. I did not see any clear grammatical errors in my review. This progression is evident, for example, in the learning objectives that begin each section of the text. I found it especially comprehensive in its coverage of civil rights, voter registration and turnout, and the concluding policy chapters. The chapters are well organized and reader friendly. The textbook provides for a comprehensive overview of American Government. Find step-by-step solutions and answers to United States Government: Our Democracy - 9780076634538, as well as thousands of textbooks so you can move forward with confidence. In particular, the text's chapters on interest groups and bureaucracy could be kept separated or recombined to provide instruction, as necessary, on the topic of public policy. This textbook provides a comprehensive framework for introductory American government. The writing is clear and concise. Again, the sections of the book include origins of the republic (in this case called "Students and the System"), individual action, collective action, formal institutions and government output. The book builds upon what students have already learned and emphasizes connections between topics as well as between theory and applications. The textbook is consistently outlined. Further, the text includes supplemental readings, such as important primary source materials, such as the Constitution and Federalist Papers #10 and #51. in District List . You have been searching for correct information on United States Government Our Democracy Textbook . United States makes some of the nation's most important decisions. 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). This textbook covers all the main topics need for American government 101. 266-267, and the Electoral College, the idea of achieving a tie vote is irrelevant. There are currently no items in your shopping cart. I did not see any grammatical errors. 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. Page 1 Reading text only The United States is a representative democracy. This includes a host of the Critical Thinking questions that I found to be on point and thought provoking. Grammar was excellent. PDF Democracy in the United States - USCIS It incorporates an impressive amount of historical references to add context and depth. This isn't physics, it's politics. Instructor and student resources are need improvement. I do think that some modules could be combined, but for the most part the author accomplishes this well. And finally, it contains both sections on individual rights and liberties as well as policy and bureaucracy. I also liked very much the "exercises" section allowing "assessment of learning." Reviewed by Gina Flakes, Adjunct Professor, Aiken Technical College on 5/24/21, American Government 2e offers a comprehensive survey of the core aspects of the US political system. It is comparable to other American Government textbooks, and I will consider using it in my future courses. It presents materials clearly. Although in the last decade I have opted for brief editions of American government, in an electronic format a longer text is useful for Origins Of American Government Teaching Resources | TpT Its framework is solid. 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. Perhaps the next addition could include an index listing the section number of those various tools to make it easier for students to find. United States Government: Our Democracy allows students to master an understanding of the structure, function, and powers of government at all levels. The Greeks are often credited with pioneering a . This textbook is extremely comprehensive. Formal Institutions include Congress, The Courts, and The Presidency). But the chapter in Foreign Affairs (Chap 17) is thin and needs more meat. PDF The Crisis of - ed The pure number of citations is impressive, however they are shown to the reader throughout a chapter in a separated gray box. The index is concise and effective, and the book has key terms aggregated toward the end of each chapter. I did not notice a significant number of grammatical errors. Similar to other Introduction to American Government textbooks this book covers the typical material and then some. Reviewed by Charles Young, Associate Professor, Umpqua Community College on 2/8/17, I am impressed with the comprehensiveness of the textbook. Here again I suggest that there are too many long blocks of text to read made even more so by the frequent "Note" sections expecting students to further read about key court cases. Students may struggle with somewhat dated, routine examples. For instance, the many examples of LGBTQ issues like marriage was well documented and current through recent case law like Masterpiece Cakeshop. One designed to be looked at online, another one that is essentially a replica of the printed version. The textbook follows the usual model of an American Government textbook. The uniqueness of the American system is rarely mentioned (e.g., the fact that it has a presidential, federal system, with true separation of powers). In some cases, the additional or special chapter focuses on a specific policy area such as environmental policy or housing policy. 36 Question #70. - A good set of basic references at the end of each chapter. All the chapters have commendable "Finding Middle Ground," "Insider Perspectives," and "Links to Learning" website listed. 9780785438724 United States Government Teachers Edition. Very well done. But as I noted above, the unhelpfulness of bolded terms can be genuinely confusing and are inconsistent (Katie Holmes gets bolded? As for as substantively, I find the grouping of Chapters 4-7 to be curious. My preference would be to have these topics addressed earlier on in the textbook. Actually, I think it is. The text is a fully integrated print-digital solution for students and teachers. I like how you included the FCC. ISBN: 9780076634538. The United States democracy is based on principles and ideals that are embodied by symbols, people, and documents. 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 fact, the whole world pretty much looks democratic and thats not true. Also, the authors do not explain the Electoral College sufficiently as it relates to the 2 parties. The only section that I would point to specifically that I think could be improved significantly comes in Chapter 2, Section 5 and the discussion of Constitutional Change. 334-335). 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. 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. It is a good alternative to expensive textbooks. The authors or editors clearly made an effort to be inclusive in this chapter. The attention to both content and process in the chapters on policy is useful. It contains accurate references to the Trump presidency. I feel like I'm on a rollercoaster and everyone else has a seat belt. I do think the other subsections on elections get a little shortchanged. The following key features of U.S. Government: Our Democracy support both government content and civic engagement standards: Government in Your Community, which prompts students to . Have used it this semester in 2 sections of my intro Am Gov class with no student complaints. The graphics tables, charts, photos and the like are effective visual representations of important information and all appeared to display properly both online and in the PDF. Thorough coverage of the main thematic areas generally addressed by introductory American Government textbooks. Concepts well explained and presented. 1. I think it would be very easy to pick and choose which parts of the book you would want to assign. Differentiation strategies as well as project-based learning materials are included. It avoids jargon and does a very good job clearly defining terms. I set up an assignment for my students to respond to a question based on the discussion in this section in an online class. Recent elections and the up to date makeup of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches are provided, along with the most recent as possible statistical aspects of our bureaucracy. SKU: b117200 . Overall, this looks like a viable option for an American government 101 course. My only critique here is substantial amounts of white space following some images which may distract the reader. It is impossible to cover all the material in a quarter college course, this format allows selective teacher emphasized learning outcomes. For example, when discussing the Boston Tea Party, the authors claim, "Today, many who do not agree with the positions of the Democratic of Republican Party have organized themselves into an oppositional group dubbed the Tea Party (41)." 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. Krutz joined the Department of Political Science in 2002. Uses contemporary examples, but not in depth cases that may be needed in higher level courses. All government textbooks have a tendency to show their age quickly, but this text may be more resilient than most. Most textbooks for undergraduates in this topic area dont include this topic, and its a welcome addition. Foundations of American Government. 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). However, the concepts are so strong here (thorough, well laid out) that an 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. 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. This text could very easily replace the book I have used ("We the People") for the past 3 years. The text did not include culturally offensive material and seemed inclusive in its examples and discussion. The content is very up-to-date and includes/examines relevant current issues. And I would rather see the civil rights and liberties grouped with discussion of the constitutional framework and courts, while voting and elections are groups with parties and media.
