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. Yes, the topics are presented in logical and clear fashion. This textbook is perfect for my American government course that I teach to undergraduates at the community college level. The situation is presented to students in a completely objective fashion. Reviewed by Nicholas Pyeatt, Associate Professor of Political Science, Penn State, Altoona on 2/1/18, The book is very comprehensive. The explanation of disagreements and legal decisions in particular is objective yet clear what values, tradeoffs, etc were at stake and how the decisions affected government especially. 5. The topics seem to be organized in a clear, logical fashion, with no jarring transitions. First, on page 15, in Figure 1.6, is a map illustrating different forms of government throughout the world. Focus on big ideas with an accessible student text built around essential questions and inquiry. I can definitely see the advantage of having them all in one place. Grammar was excellent. After review, I was impressed with this text on a number of fronts namely its clear writing style and comprehensive nature. With this objective in mind, the content of this textbook has been developed and . 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). Chapter 2: The Origins of American Government Other similar books dive too deeply for my purposes into the minutiae of government without providing concepts or making those concepts too academic sounding. Democracy is a term that derives from the ancient Greek language. read more. The founding chapter and the Constitution are great chapters and will always be relevant. The book contained appropriate section breaks so that students can jump directly to the relevant subsection. The book is updated through to the present day. And the text generally attempts to present its material in a balanced and unbiased way, presenting several perspectives on controversial issues. 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. The framework/layout of each chapter is consistent which is an aid to both the instructor and the reader. read more. Its designed with the C3 Framework for social studies in mind. Nice level of reading; grammatically correct. OAS - Organization of American States: Democracy for peace, security Sylvie Waskiewicz, PhD, is an editor, researcher and writer who specialties include textbook publishing and e-learning instructional design, including copyediting and proofreading with meticulous review of text, layout, and media from first pages to printer proofs as well as QC of web content (HTML/XML). SKU: b117200 . The text contains no grammatical errors that jumped out at me which is quite an accomplishment in such a voluminous text. Unfortunately, I found the hyperlinks within the text to be a bit distracting. Regarding 7.3 Direct Democracy, although I understand why it is where it is currently, I think that the concept needs to be covered earlier in the text (time of American founding perhaps or even in the first chapter if possible). It supplements text content with useful links that serve as a great tool for boosting application and comprehension. The definitions in the glossary are precise. Equality in voting 2. Perhaps its status as an open textbook is one reason why it is so easy to avoid a chapter on Trumps tweets, as this is stuff that publishers vaunt as the need for new editions. Also, the map on page 15 lists Russia as a representative democracy. TEXT: United States Government: Democracy in Action US GOVERNMENT COURSE CALENDAR 2014 - 2015: Unit 1: Foundations of American Government August 19 - September 10 In this Unit: Exploring the Big Ideas Resources & Activities Chapter 1: People and Government. The text will be accessible to students. I feel like I'm on a rollercoaster and everyone else has a seat belt. The subchapters are very short, and while they sometimes deal with distinct topics, it would often be more efficient to discuss big ideas by combining them into a more cohesive and less chopped-up narrative. I would have preferred more of this, but the book was adequate in this regard. The material offered more than meets the appropriate standard for a textbook used in a first or second year course in American Government and Politics. Terminology is placed bolded for easy identification. I dont think its as good as hearing from some of the real experts in the field and their approach, and I dont think it would be a good match for some faculty who like to teach from a given perspective. I read the "theme" as being about civic engagement, and the theme appears consistently throughout the text. It contains every topic I cover and more in an Introductory course. Back to List. I think that the textbook goes too far in this direction. Overall, the content is relevant and won't quickly become obsolete. Answer Key Chapter 2 - American Government 3e | OpenStax The authors certainly did not skimp on providing information nor did they fail to provide source material in most instances. The grammar is fine, and the book seems well-written. It can be said that in capitalism, government accumulates wealth and then redistributes it to citizens. China is not a socialist country; it is an oligarchic authoritarian regime. Even worse, most of the Domestic Policy chapter is a theoretical discussion of policy; the only substantive area that gets much coverage is budgeting and tax policy (section 16.5). The text contains a variety of ideas and concepts. It also includes a chapter on read more. This textbook is very comprehensive. This is a slightly difficult area to comment on. The text is internally consistent with respect terminology and framework. The analysis of Presidents attending Ivy League institutions is a bit misleading as evidence of elitism, for example. 11th Amendment: Grants states immunity from outside lawsuits, 1795. . It is certainly a viable option for my course. It follows the standard layout of American Government textbooks and offers an effective and easily searchable index. On the other hand, if students were to use their phones to try to read the book I could see that being a problem. The chapter on State and Local Government was a nice addition, but I am not sure how many instructors would be able to cover this material in addition to the other material required in an Introduction to American Government course. For example, section 1.3 shows up as not converted. The textbook does not contain a glossary. The chapters are arranged in a way that makes sense to the material. It includes the entire student text along with a variety of planning and instructional support for the print and digital resources. font-weight: 400 !important; - clear framing around basic theories of representation and collective action (probably less explicitly on the latter than something read more. 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. Reviewed by Carley Shinault, Assistant Professor, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania on 3/13/19, The text covers the full range of standard American Government textbooks, from government and civic engagement, to civil liberties and rights to branches of government and foreign policy. Overall, this was an excellent e-book. The content is concise to the point it is accessible for early undergraduates, but also in depth enough that real coverage of the topics exists. For instance, right off the bat, the critique of socialism seems to take the position that socialism is inherently and entirely distinct from our system, which isnt accurate. The etymological origins of the term democracy hint . : My goal in writing this book is to help you develop the knowledge, skills, and ideals you need to protect your own freedom; to keep democracy alive in the United States. I really like that a section on state and local government is included. However, after assigning the questions, I found that the 'full online' version has the review questions INTEGRATED into the text (scattered in the chapter) AND provides ANSWERS to them. The real differences of course align along questions of *what* aspects of society and the economy ought to be controlled, and by whom--liberals want to control some areas, conservatives others. read more. democracy: [noun] a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections. In the next sentence, the author writes "Another way the media socializes audiences is through framing." Americans believed all people (i.e., White males) possessed the rights to life, liberty, and property. 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. Within the chapters, there are simple navigational linksoften to external resourcesthat are helpful and not distracting. Finally, the "further reading" section is missing major works. Overall, I like the text very much. Maybe not from top to bottom, but often enough that it is a concern. Finally, there is no sufficient definition of due process anywhere in the book. 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. read more. PDF Basics of American Government - University of North Georgia This book uses clear language and of-the-moment context that brings the idea of government to life. In the case of the United States, that power is exercised indirectly, through elected representatives. I recommend considering the use of this book for an introductory American Government course. Moreover, I found the film selection stiflingno documentaries, no TV series, no foreign films. The book seemed to use inclusive examples--for example, the racial breakdown of the federal judiciary. I will admit, however, I could not get the hyperlinks to work. This is a very impressive work, and I will most certainly adopt this book. In other words, most of the world's countries are parliamentary, not presidential. Chapter 13: Constitutional Freedoms - Freeman Middle School 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. font-weight: 400; There are some chapters I would probably not use (the policy chapters) and I would prefer the chapters in a different order (institutions before behavior), but that is something that can come through teaching. read more. I think it would be very easy to pick and choose which parts of the book you would want to assign. The text is very up to date, using examples from as recently as 2016. The book certainly has all of the topics expected of an Introduction to American Government text. American government textbooks, in order to stay relevant, demand frequent updates. I will likely use this book to replace and supplement my graduate level course materials. Concept 1: Foundations of Government . This book would be easy to update as changes occur. The organization and structure are good. Sometimes it is used in plural sense, but most often used in the singular sense. I found the navigability of the textbook easy. 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. I liked the Supreme Court and Electoral College Appendices, very nice additions beyond the usual set of founding documents. It is only mentioned in the chapter on civil rights. For example, the definition of the margin of error that is provided is not technically correct, and the example that follows the definition is not correct even in a non-technical sense. The language might not appeal as well to the Z generation. The information is presented in a logical way. I found the content of the book accurate and complete. The text is free from interface issues as it was easy to read and navigate, and the graphics displayed properly. Nearly all of the material presented is relevant. My experience is that a significant number of my students will not read/fully comprehend a 30-40 page chapter at one pass. Subchapter titles like organizing to govern are a bit confusing. 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. The graphics were very well done. Thorough coverage of the main thematic areas generally addressed by introductory American Government textbooks. Additional sections within a chapter or sub-sections within a section and/or more topic headings could break up the volume of information into smaller chunks for the reader, especially one who may have distractions present. I believe that modularity is one of the strengths of this text. Also helpful are the key historical moments "milestones" allowing a broader context viewpoint. read more. The topics in the text are organized, structured, and flow in a logical sequence. I encourage any professor of U.S. Government to take a good look at this text and strongly consider its adoption. The Organization of American States (OAS) is the world's oldest regional organization, dating back to the First International Conference of American States, held in Washington, D.C., from October 1889 to April 1890. The cosmetics of the book is well done. American Government - 3e - Open Textbook Library The framework of the text is internally consistent. I did not find any grammatical errors in the text. The sections on Native Americans lose their lands and on the rights revolution are too simplistic historically. p. 136, in which only a small fraction of the page is filled with an external link) , though if you are not strictly concerned with minimizing page count or aesthetics, this is feature rather than a bug, as it reduces the need for thing like including figures on a page with unrelated text to maximize efficient spacing. The importance of this issue reflects so much for students about the goals of those at the convention and the individuals who ratified the document, coupled with the impact this very high hurdle for change has had on governing in America, leads me to believe that students need more time with this material and a further discussion of the impact that Article V has had. In the table of contents, chapter 17 is titled "Chapter 17: Foreign Polict.". I plan to regularly assign these items to use in discussion and written work. Instructor and student resources are need improvement. The information presented in the text book is accurate and comparable to all other books I have used on the market. At that meeting the establishment of the International Union of American Republics was approved. I spent a significant amount of time reviewing and reading this textbook. Text is well written and provides adequate context for necessary political science terminology. The authors updated the contents reflecting current events and political landscape. Democratic Values Liberty, Equality, Justice. PDF Your Government and You Lesson Answer Key - USCIS The textbook is ideologically neutral throughout, with one exception. United States Government: Our Democracy (2016) Publisher: McGraw-Hill . The concise introductions at the beginning of each chapter effectively frame the chapter topic. A second point, is figure 3.17 regarding marriage equality. I think it does an excellent review of the issue of slavery and how it impacted US government. . The text was easily navigable and the Index, search function, and drop-down menus in the Table of Contents functioned seamlessly. Mediating Institutions and Collective Action 4. 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, the chapter on political parties resembles a history text. A number of important factors are left out. The process of Amending the Constitution is under developed. Digital Teacher Lesson Center: Easily access all teaching resources and classroom management tools for the curriculum.

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