The concepts are: growth of democracy, federalism, separation of powers, checks and balances, civil liberties . Citizen control of the agenda 5. p. 176 on Civil Rights for Indigenous Groups). Chapter three necessitates a revision in order to re-create its relevance. There isnt much to say here. Democracy 10 days 20 days Students analyze inherent tensions in American democracy between rights and freedoms and between promoting the public good and protecting individuals. For many such students, the clarity in organization will further help clear any obstacles in understanding the political system. 33. 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. Charles N. Quigley, Executive DirectorCenter for Civic Education5115 Douglas Fir Road, Suite JCalabasas, CA 91302(818) 591-9321(818) 591-9330 (fax)e-mail: web@civiced.org. GOVERNMENT Arms War It's a long-standing debate. This textbook provides a comprehensive framework for introductory American government. Verified. It is not overly complicated and written at the appropriate level. If anything, the text may be a bit on the long side. I choose this title because it underlines student political participation. However, many pages have blank gaps in the middle of chapters. I like the fact that the authors attempt to present both sides in discussing problems and issues which contributes to an unbias pr This topic will require frequent updating. LGBT rights seem to be given less treatment than African American rights. Students can read individual sections or chapters online (in a way vaguely reminiscent of Wikipedia), they can download a free PDF of the entire book, or more traditional students can order a hard copy of the book from Amazon (at a price that's still less than half of what students might pay for a book from a commercial press). Modularity is excellent. This is an excellent and comprehensive American Government textbook. One of the first things that I check when reviewing any textbook is the organization of the information in the table of contents for its structure. Differentiate with Spanish language resources, and strategies for approaching level, beyond level, and ELL students. You can use that resource if you would prefer, but you're responsible for locating the correct excerpts. Overall, I like the organization of each chapter with the review questions, further reading and film suggestions. The book was not culturally insensitive or offensive. In fact, I would critique the text somewhat in the other direction, there are a few points where important related ideas are broken into different subsections.
PDF OUR AMERICAN GOVERNMENT - GovInfo The book uses a standard framework/structure, and so there is no problem with consistency. . Elazar is a bit dated to present as useful fact (14.2) Many Supreme Court Justices do not regard the Court systems as the guardians of individual rights, but reserve this right to Congressthe Court, in their eyes, is there only to enforce laws that are made, whether right or wrong, so long as they are strictly in concordance with the Constitution. Each chapter culminates in a Taking Action activity designed to translate learning into informed action. New Blasts are being added regularly; Spanish language Blasts are also included. More than other textbooks I have used or read the framework of this textbook is more attuned to my style of teaching and presentation of material. For printing purposes, it would be helpful if graphics and/or sections did not run onto the next page. The book also includes more whitespace than a typical textbook (e.g. 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. It follows the standard layout of American Government textbooks and offers an effective and easily searchable index. At present, this text meets that need but it may not completely in a couple of years. This article lists forms of government and political systems, according to a series of different ways of categorizing them.The systems listed are not mutually exclusive, and often have overlapping definitions. Us Government Democracy In Action Teachers 2000. Textbooks Submitted By: Daproim Africa Proofread By: Daproim Africa Usage Restrictions: This is a copyrighted book. The text is highly segmented, which may seem overwhelming at first, but flows in a way that makes sense. In order to help students understand the ways that government, society, and individuals interconnect, the revision includes more examples and details regarding the lived experiences of diverse groups and communities within the United States. Maybe not from top to bottom, but often enough that it is a concern. In fact, in several places the book includes specific discussion of how the subject relates to minority or historically underrepresented or repressed communities that other texts tend to ignore (e.g. This textbook is perfect for my American government course that I teach to undergraduates at the community college level. Obviously, fundamental concepts such as the origins of the republic and the founding era need to be at the beginning of the book. The way the book is organized makes a lot of sense. ACT & SAT Practice Books. I liked the fact that the book had several subsections within each chapter. Third, Political Parties should precede elections in the book. Im not sure, for instance, that 6.2 and 6.3 need to be different chapters, and have concerns about the modularity of chapter 5 in particular. Enrollment . The text of each chapter does form a consistency. The index is clear and useful and the chapter glossaries are United States Government: Our Democracy 2016, LearnSmart Social Studies Overview Flyer. Its framework is solid. The more niche chapters like Public Opinion could use a freshen up on the theoretical concepts. United States Government: Our Democracy (2016) Publisher: McGraw-Hill . As an introduction to American Government, the text covers the areas and ideas of the subject at a very comprehensive level. I have used it in my classes and value its comprehensive nature and the ease of access and affordability it provides for my students. 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. The writing is clear and error-free. Chapters six and seven are uncharacteristic. $47.96. One important tenet of this system is democracy, in which the ultimate power rests with the people. The text being published in 2016, there are several locations that need to be updated. For example, I do a lot with the 9th Amendment, but it only has three paragraphs in the textbook. This is something that can be adjusted by the instructor, and I rarely teach in the order books present the material anyway. 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 text contains a variety of ideas and concepts. The division of provisions of the Bill of Rights into three categories is arguable at best. of the topic in a clear, straightforward way. It is licensed as such: Portions may be subject to prior copyright or may be in the Public Domain. I note there is a link to the homepage of those repositories in the text. United States Government: Our Democracy allows students to master an understanding of the structure, function, and powers of government at all levels. This textbook is very comprehensive. The organization and structure are good. The United States has a complex government system. I did not identify any issues with the accuracy of the textbook content. Information is presented in a logical order. The point-by-point "Summary" section is a great way for students to review the main ideas in the chapter. }, United States Government: Our DemocracyRemy Ritchie Arbetman Scott Hanson. Not every one covers Civil Rights and Liberties or Foreign and Domestic Policy, but this text does offer a chapter on each of those. 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. The textbook content and organization is consistent throughout. Welcome to our textbook for the year. 9. 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. The writers also relied on tons of well-referenced outside sources that can easily be reorganized and incorporated into additional units. In addition to what I discussed earlier, here are some other things about the book I enjoyed that did not easily fit into the previous topics provided: I very much apricate the discussion of The Articles of Confederation in Chapter 2, Section 2. And a printed version is also available for those who prefer it (including me!) The book is very accessible. If a student is particularly interested in a topic, this would give them an immediate opportunity to find more information. For example I like to group Congress and Interest Groups together, the Presidency and Political Parties, and Civil Rights and Civil Liberties with the Judiciary. Perhaps the next addition could add a supplement for each chapter or unit containing other voices which could be an effective shortcut for the instructor and of interest to our contemporary student base that is more diverse in many areas than 10-20 years ago. Here, citizens vote for their government officials.
Democracy | Definition, History, Meaning, Types, Examples, & Facts And while all the topic areas you would anticipate are present, the structure is different. Current and updated; the textbook has a wealth of information ad applicable activities. 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. I plan to print around 100 pages double-sided in additional to providing the online and PDF links. And as stated above, the book is very clear and easy to read, which would make this text easy for students to understand. It covers all of the major topics an introductory text should cover and a few others as well. 35. The framework of the text is consistent and simple to understand.
Free Solutions for United States Government: Our Democracy - Quizlet Then they are taught about the Founding of our country; moving on to the concepts of federalism, civil liberties, civil rights, and then to the institutions of our democracy. Krutz joined the Department of Political Science in 2002. The writers were able to demonstrate intersections across time, incorporating themes that could easily be segregated in a single chapter. The textbook utilizes a wide array of references to various cultures, both in its written content and its supplementary graphics. read more. Do you need help? The current book I use fully integrates free people of color into each chapter. I found the textbook culturally sensitive and in no way offensive. While it clearly has a logical structure and is thoughtfully organized, chapters could be selected based on the theme and objectives of the course. For me, this was one of the strengths of the textbook. There are occasional editorial comments and examples of protests which suggest liberal criticisms of the status quo. Reviewed by Andrew Thangasamy, Associate Professor, Metropolitan State University of Denver on 8/28/20, In terms of content, the textbook has all the chapters one normally expects from an introductory 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). The authors updated the contents reflecting current events and political landscape. read more. Well written with solid organization, the chapters flow nicely together. The textbook includes virtually all topics that are critical to foundational course(s) in U.S. Government. But the chapter in Foreign Affairs (Chap 17) is thin and needs more meat. I suspect some will like this placement and others not, it is likely a matter or preference, but is worth noting. The accuracy of this text is equivalent or higher than any introductory text I am familiar with. The relevance of content is a real strength of this text. I did not find any grammatical errors in the text. Text is well written and provides adequate context for necessary political science terminology. Most textbooks for undergraduates in this topic area dont include this topic, and its a welcome addition. The chapters are well organized and user friendly. I would have included in most, if not all chapters after the constitution, sections where students would be guided on how to engage with politics effectively in the context of each chapter. For every chapter a special effort could be made to fully integrate the experiences and writings of people of color. I can definitely see the advantage of having them all in one place. Surely, it would be impossible to cover all the relevant material in this book, but its format does allow the instructor to be selective about the sections within each chapter to be emphasized. The chapters have a mix of history, current facts and evidence along with key concepts traditional of American government texts. For instance, the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 election, and key aspects of the first-term of the Biden administration are usefully addressed in the 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 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. margin-bottom: 1rem !important;
The Bill of Rights. The text is easily and readily divisible. 3. 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. Finally, the "further reading" section is missing major works. The book certainly has all of the topics expected of an Introduction to American Government text. 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. In some cases, the additional or special chapter focuses on a specific policy area such as environmental policy or housing policy. The book is consistent, though I think its framework of effective engagement could have been implemented more consistently. The text does not contain any grammatical errors. From the founding and Constitution to the major institutions of Congress, Courts, and the Presidency, these major areas are all covered. Reviewed by Rod Hanson, Political Science Instructor, Central Oregon Community College on 5/26/19, Krutz textbook is set up exactly the same as the three different United States Government textbooks I have used in nine years of teaching at the community college level. Overall the book is balanced, but there are areas where things could be more even handed. Chapter 8, Section 3 discussing the media and particularly the FCC is a very strong section of the text. It is only mentioned in the chapter on civil rights. One designed to be looked at online, another one that is essentially a replica of the printed version. The online navigation is exceptionally good. Content is very much up to date. The chapter-to-chapter progression is logical. Language is neutral and seems to avoid leading or biased undertones. I like the "Feature Boxes" with the "Get Connected!" Reviewed by Matthew Jacobsmeier, Associate Professor, West Virginia University on 4/15/20, 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. The definition of public opinion is probably not as accurate as it could be. The best way to protect these rights was by limiting the power of government and allowing people to govern themselves. The headings and subheadings are appealing and provide the students with direction about what is coming next. By the standards of Introduction to American Politics textbooks, this is a comprehensive offering. read more. It was supplemented by a survey conducted March 7-14 among 1,466 adults on landlines and cellphones. The clearer organization is a benefit to undergraduate students who may be taking the course as a required course. There's A LOT of flexibility with the text content. All about United States Government Our Democracy Textbook is exactly what you need. 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. Identify politics should be present in more sections of the text. read more. read more. 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.