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 various appendixes include the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, Federalist 10 and 51 and a couple of other items. 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. 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. Second, key terms in Chapter 17 are wanting. 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. 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]. I like how you included the FCC. Images and charts were appropriate, visually appealing, and supported the text content in a meaningful way. I found no problem with navigating the text. Below are the modified excerpts that are assigned to you. The material is not overly self-referential.
Study: US is an oligarchy, not a democracy - BBC News Most textbooks for undergraduates in this topic area American Government 2e offers a comprehensive survey of the core aspects of the US political system. The textbook is very comprehensive with more than 650 pages of content plus appendices with relevant documents. For over eight decades, The United States Government Manual has been the "official handbook" of the Federal Government. Very well done. The textbook includes virtually all topics that are critical to foundational course(s) in U.S. Government. The book seemed to use inclusive examples--for example, the racial breakdown of the federal judiciary. The writing is clear and accessible to an introductory-level undergraduate reader. Where is the concept of deterrence? }, United States Government: Our DemocracyRemy Ritchie Arbetman Scott Hanson. 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). 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. This looks like an excellent resource--well researched and in depth.
United States Government : Democracy in Action - Google Books 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. I am seriously considering using this text the next time I teach introduction to American Government. 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). I think it does an excellent review of the issue of slavery and how it impacted US government. , but for next semester, the text needs to provide 2016 turnout and election data. My only critique here is substantial amounts of white space following some images which may distract the reader. Great examples, engaging stories, and clever interactive readings; the textbook would be relevant to most community college students today. This is a good choice as the textbook for beginning level political science courses. That noted, I will assign a section or two to aid in a specific class activity and these chapters can be used to supplement material in another course or two, particularly State & Local Government. This is a pragmatic generation of learners. I choose this title because it underlines student political participation. It covers necessary topics clearly and comprehensively. The text provides an accurate, informative, cost-effective option for college students. Overall I find the writing to be at an appropriate level for first-year college students. Chapter sections are easily divisible and do not overwhelm the reader with too much information in any single subheading. Electoral case studies provide for a story within a history. 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. read more. Straightforward comparisons with oligarchy and monarchy. However, I believe that the chapter on Bureaucracy (Chapter 15) would be better placed after the discussion of the Presidency (Chapter 12). The textbook is written in a way that is easy to understand. Excellent use of sub-sections in each chapter. Welcome to our textbook for the year. Afterwards, the Bill of Rights was adopted to appease anti-federalist and it was ratified in an amendment process of Art.
United States Government Manual - Getting Started Others may view this as a downside, because students will have less guidance in identifying the major themes or "thesis" of the course. Separation of powers refers to the process of dividing government into different branches and giving .
PDF TEXT: United States Government: Democracy in Action US GOVERNMENT I never saw any problems with that concern. You have been searching for correct information on United States Government Our Democracy Textbook . 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. I clicked on many, but was not taken to that particular resource. 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. 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 . I think the flow of the book is clear, with different headings and images to explain the material. This isn't physics, it's politics. It presents materials clearly. 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. This is an excellent and comprehensive American Government textbook. For example, Chapter 1, Section 3 has a discussion on civic engagement along with colorful graphs and data pertaining to 18-29 yr olds and their political participation. However, it does do a nice job of considering the broader themes that characterize United States politics today. Those items in chapter 8 are among my favorites. But that does not render it an invalid tool. The writing appears to be objective and factually correct. To report a technical problem with this Web site, please contact the Web Producer.Web . I am impressed with the comprehensiveness of the textbook. Overall, an excellent textbook which covers the needed subject matter comprehensively. In summary, this is a high-quality book that has most everything anybody would want. Offers coverage of topics that most instructors would cover in such a class, including political behavior, civil rights/liberties, American political culture, and structure. 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. The text is fairly clear but lacks some of the professional editing that I frequently see in pay-to-play textbooks. text-decoration: underline;
Updating some of the pictures will be easy ( how many of our freshmen will remember that much about Mitt Romney?) Nearly every chapter has classic and current concepts to understand the evolution and development of institutions. These hyperlinks will distract the reader. 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. The textbook is relevant and up to date, relative to the time it was published. There is an additional chapter on State & Local government aside from the chapter on federalism - which offers instructors an option to discuss state & local government as well. 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 Founders and Federalism. There is little to nothing lost compared to a mainstream textbook. In his haste to laud American democracy as a good, if evolving, system, the author sometimes fails to recognize critical perspectives, or interpret them as straw-men. 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. Reviewed by John Herbert, Instructor, Anoka-Ramsey Community College, Coon Rapids, MN on 6/15/19, 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. Material is presented in an unbiased manner without any noticeable errors. The text is culturally sensitive and consistently makes use of examples that are inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, backgrounds, etc. Our sense of legitimacy is tied to the desire for democratic government D. What is democracy? The textbook is written well. Given by award-winning professors and experts in their field, these recorded lectures dive deep into the worlds of religion, government, literature, and social justice. In fact, the whole world pretty much looks democratic and thats not true. 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. Reviewed by Robert Asaadi, Instructor, Portland State University on 2/22/22, 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. At the edges, the composition of Congress and descriptive representation will need to be updated. Reviewed by Jeremiah Castle, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Metropolitan State University of Denver on 8/17/20, 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. It covers all the bases of an Introduction to American Government and then some. Overall the textbook is highly consistent. The organization of the text is fairly traditional, with the decision to include the topic of bureaucracy under the Outputs of Government as one less conventional approach. The interface is excellent. United States Government: Democracy in Action emphasizes 14 key government concepts. Chapters are structured in reasonable ways. The definitions in the glossary are precise.
United States Government - Adventist Education Also, the hyperlinked notes provide a way for students who want to learn more about an issue. I haven't seen anything quite like that before, and it's useful. And sections on the actually branches of government come near the end. Differentiation strategies as well as project-based learning materials are included. Reviewed by Eric Goddard, Lecturer, Trine University on 5/28/19, The book is comprehensive, covering the major topics one would expect to find in a U.S. government textbook. One particular aspect related to the question of comprehensiveness was the authors decision to include a chapter on state and local government. The text also does a better job than most of discussing the importance of Voter Registration in Chapter 7 (Voting and Elections), including coverage of the Voting Rights Act and Shelby County v. Holder (2013). The book leans more towards describing American government than explaining it, which may be fine for many instructors, especially for an introductory course. This text could very easily replace the book I have used ("We the People") for the past 3 years. Chapter 8 on the Media is the best chapter I've seen on that subject. 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. I found the textbook culturally sensitive and in no way offensive. The book certainly has all of the topics expected of an Introduction to American Government text. 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 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. The text is internally consistent with respect terminology and framework. The text is wide-ranging and inclusive to a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds in its examples, particularly in the chapters on individual agency and action. read more. It even has a section on Civil Rights and Native Americans. The images and charts used in the book help clarify the concepts very well. Mrs Doering s Classroom Government Wikispaces. Reviewed by Wayne Jones, Assistant Professor, Virginia State University on 6/20/17, American Government is a very comprehensive textbook. The president signs bills into law or vetoes them. I read the "theme" as being about civic engagement, and the theme appears consistently throughout the text. The only issue I had was that the NOTES that are interspersed through the chapters and appear to be hyperlinks do not work. Aristotelian "rule of the many" (direct or participatory democracy) a) Fourth-century B.C. The text follows the standard format for American Government texts. I didn't read every line, but the broad sections I read contained no technical writing errors that I observed. 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. The index is concise and effective, and the book has key terms aggregated toward the end of each chapter. Other critical concepts such as "security dilemma" and "domino theory" need to be introduced. Also, where is David Hume? There are some lapses here. Creating the Constitution. .nav-contain-highered{
The book is consistent with similar complementary materials. The "Key terms" sections at the end of each chapter will be helpful to students who aren't sure whether they understand a particular term. According to Locke individuals held authority through a divine power that existed in the people that formed the basis for the "fountain of authority"? In my own courses, I am going to make up for this by assigning articles from CQ Researcher. I like the "exercises" section for assessment of learning and the "glossaries." There is no unifying logic, but the lack of this epistemological perspective is one strength of the book. I found the language clear.
PDF DEMOCRACY: ITS PRINCIPLES AND ACHIEVEMENT - Inter-Parliamentary Union read more. I like the additional chapter on State and Local Government (Chap 14). I have used this text this semester (fall 2017) here at Penn State Berks with good success. There's A LOT of flexibility with the text content. I am glad to have discovered this book. I am skeptical that 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. It would be easy to rearrange the chapter order of this textbook to suit the needs and style of most anyone teaching an American government 101 course. This means that our government is elected by citizens. If anything, the text may be a bit on the long side. This is a particular strength of the text book from my view. Modularity is excellent. This is a welcome inclusion: Although most Americans interact far more with their state and local governments than the national government on a daily basis, historically American government courses have de-emphasized sub-national politics. Similar to other Introduction to American Government textbooks this book covers the typical material and then some. 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. After review, I was impressed with this text on a number of fronts namely its clear writing style and comprehensive nature. The first unit of the text ('Students and the System') outlines the necessary historical context without getting too bogged down in general introduction. suggestions as to taking featured topics a step further. No Rating Yet Discover. Most of the content of the different chapters focus on the mechanics of the system and on relevant examples that will be important for years to come. 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). The headings and subheadings are appealing and provide the students with direction about what is coming next. These officials represent the citizens' ideas and concerns in government. Uses contemporary examples, but not in depth cases that may be needed in higher level courses. 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. In a couple instances such as above, they simply need to be done.
Democracy Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster Political behavior for presidential and mid-term congressional elections should be analyzed independently. The accuracy of this text is equivalent or higher than any introductory text I am familiar with. I found the insertion of bold links in the middle of the text rather distracting. I note there is a link to the homepage of those repositories in the text. I mentioned this earlier, but I think it is important to have the chapters presented in a different order. It is difficult to be so comprehensive and not lose the forest for the trees at times. Relax. 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). I have detected nothing in the text that could be considered culturally insensitive or offensive. The textbook provides for a comprehensive overview of American Government. Enrollment . }
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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 text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework. The text makes the content more relevant to students by providing opportunities to analyze and interpret charts, data, and graphs to better understand current examples and the applications of the material. Chapter . 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. ISBN: 9780076634538. 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. 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. I am considering switching to this textbook for my department. 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. This item: United States Government; Our Democracy, c 2018, 9780076681136, 0076681130. by McGraw-Hill Education Paperback . My issue is that the map doesn't show differences among those democracies (e.g., parliamentary, presidential, etc.). Technical terms are clearly explained allowing the typical college to understand unfamiliar terms/concepts.
United States Government Our Democracy | Bookshare 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. US Government Textbook . I have no comment or assessment of either the usefulness of "supplementary" stuff like outside websites or discussion questions. Yes, the topics are presented in logical and clear fashion. The text moves cleanly through concepts and important sections of each chapter. The writing is clear and concise. this revised book on our United States Government. To learn more about how the presi-dent makes important decisions and leads our nation, view the Democracy in The Links to Learning and Insider Perspective features in the text help to enrich the material without breaking the overall flow of discussion. Reviewed by Leslie Caughell, Assistant Professor, Virginia Wesleyan College on 2/8/17, This book is very comprehensive. It covers all the bases of an Introduction to American Government and then some. The organization of topics conforms with what one finds in many other introductory level texts on American Government. margin-bottom: 1rem !important;
I would teach the course with Part 1 first, the Part 4 and Chapter 15, then Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4. This book contains everything I need for intro American government classes. But thats ok! The chapters relating to State & Local Government plus Domestic & Foreign Policy (14,16 & 17) are an added bonus although I will not assign these whole chapters in the Intro course due to time restrictions. I was actually surprised at the 'updatedness" of the book. United States Government: Our Democracy, Student Learning Center Online interactive website, accessible with login and password. 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). Engaging for an open textbook. An instructor could easily rearrange the order of topics without presenting much disruption to the reader. The text is not culturally offensive, but I would like to see more sections or paragraphs that flesh out diversity and politics.
Chapter 9: Presidential Leadership - Freeman Middle School The more niche chapters like Public Opinion could use a freshen up on the theoretical concepts. The textbook is error-free and unbiased. Overall, the content is up to date. However, there were some paragraphs, that were a bit wordy and I am concerned that at times the author may lose the student due to this wordiness. This is one of the pluses of this text. While there are a few points where the text could be more concise, overall the text is well written and accessible. At the same time, given the overall quality of this book and the money my students would save if I assigned it, I am seriously considering changing texts for the first time in over a decade. The United States has a complex government system. Of course, the question is how many students really do that? 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). Please read our Terms of Use and Privacy Notice before you explore our Web site. The Government Manual is a regularly updated special edition of . These will not significantly modify the content of the text, so you should be alright either way. Mixed views of structural changes in the political system. A democracy, consequently, must be confined to a small . 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. I believe the language used in the text is entirely appropriate for an introductory college course on the subject. There are a couple other places in the text where this is noticeable. The Declaration of Independence and parts of the Constitution are in the Appendices. Because of the breakdown by the author, students can tackle smaller blocks of material easily and I believe that this will help with comprehension of the material. One of many things I like about this textbook is that it is well organized throughout. The supplemental materials (graphs, charts, figures, etc.) Students may understand the material better and make a deeper connection regarding the relationship of the Bureaucracy to the Executive Branch if it is covered after the chapter on the Presidency, before the Courts. : 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. 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.. Focus on big ideas with an accessible student text built around essential questions and inquiry. 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. These definitions are located at the end of the chapter, which is not entirely user-friendly but understandable given the format of the text. Plus, they blend with the gray boxes of the same color that are often used, otherwise effectively, to present case studies or specific examples. read more. I see no sign of bias or editorial spin from the authors. The chapters contain accurate information. 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. This book is very comprehensive. 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. There isnt much to say here. I believe that modularity is one of the strengths of this text. Go Go. The book is available in multiple formats. The book includes internal links to all notes and figures within the text, and also external web links where relevant. Some may view this as a benefit, as there is more room for each instructor to add their own "big story" to their courses. Having learning objectives at the beginning of each subsection (not just in a chapter) could help students stay focus on important takeaways. The book seems to presume knowledge of the concept based on preceding chapters. I do think that some modules could be combined, but for the most part the author accomplishes this well. I haven't found inconsistencies throughout the text as to terminology and framework. As clearly noted, I found far more to like about the text than not. The textbook does not include much material on current elections, but an instructor can easily add his or her own supplemental materials.