Good, though for my purposes (I teach a graduate level policy processes course), some could be broken down differently for my use. Third, Political Parties should precede elections in the book. 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. United States Government: A Textbook. 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. Instructors will have no difficulty omitting certain topics/chapters. Unfortunately, I found the hyperlinks within the text to be a bit distracting. Reviewed by Eric Radezky, Adjunct Professor, LaGuardia Community College, CUNY on 5/21/18, This textbook is very comprehensive. Verified. Uses contemporary examples, but not in depth cases that may be needed in higher level courses. It is easily the equal of most other traditional textbooks on the market now. The chapters have a mix of history, current facts and evidence along with key concepts traditional of American government texts. read more. The text is not culturally offensive, but I would like to see more sections or paragraphs that flesh out diversity and politics. Page_number_confidence 94.70 Pages 922 Pdf_module_version 0.0.20 Ppi 386 Related-external-id urn:isbn:0078786886 urn:oclc:435012046 urn:isbn:0078784050 urn:isbn:0078747627 urn:oclc . The textbook includes many illustrations, photographs, and examples that are recent enough for students to be able to relate to without much difficulty. It covers most, if not all, of the material that I typically cover in my American Government course and does so in an engaging way. Otherwise, I find the content accurate, sufficiently in depth, and excellent. I suspect students will read the chapters as rather lengthy. The book is comprehensive in that it has everything I usually look for in an intro to American government text: - clear framing around basic theories of representation and collective action (probably less explicitly on the latter than something like the Kernell book, but on balance thats a good thing). The coverage and scope is presented in a way that is well organized, concise, and engaging. 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. It is a well planned and logical progression of chapters and topics. The United States is an indirect democracy or a republic. The text is written in a way that undergraduate freshmen students would have no problem grasping. The text follows the standard format for American Government texts. An easy example is seen in not grouping the federal bureaucracy in part 4 with the other institutions, instead placing it in section 5, the outputs of government. Further, each section within the chapters does contain a glossary of bolded terms. Much of your textbook is solid, such as Chapter 8 on the Media. font-weight: 400; The book certainly has all of the topics expected of an Introduction to American Government text. Reviewed by Charles Young, Associate Professor, Umpqua Community College on 1/3/20, The text covers exactly what an introduction to political science/government textbook should cover. Identify Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln as leaders of our democracy: Connect with: Strand 1 Concept 4. The text does a good job of covering the standard content (governments, federalism, civil rights, separation of powers, media, etc.). Delivering Collective Action: Formal Institutions 5. I am also not sure that the students will click on the hyperlinks unless they are told to specifically read them. The analysis of Presidents attending Ivy League institutions is a bit misleading as evidence of elitism, for example. Democracy in the United States. 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. 36 Question #70. The foundational building blocks of the republic that are provided are similar to the last Further, the text includes supplemental readings, such as important primary source materials, such as the Constitution and Federalist Papers #10 and #51. More charts and illustrations interspersed would help maintain student engagement as they read the chapters. This book would be easy to update as changes occur. The text appears to be free from grammatical errors. 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. But thats ok! This textbook is very comprehensive. The book's content is accurate. 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. Includes audio, annotation tools, and approaching level option for the student text. As an 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. Furthermore, the textbook has the capacity to undergo straightforward updates, (such as to linked contents, etc.) And the text generally attempts to present its material in a balanced and unbiased way, presenting several perspectives on controversial issues. If the candidate fails to achieve 270 votes, then the election is sent to the House of Representatives. This text could very easily replace the book I have used Comprehensive in terms of concepts and how they related to current ideas. Making it possible for a student to read 2-3 pages and then stop/think about what they have covered. Similar to other Introduction to American Government textbooks this book covers the typical material and then some. However, the chapter lengths seem fairly typical for this type of text. Although this book is culturally sensitive, I challenge the authors to do more. I would like the links available, but not mixed in with the text. The current book I use fully integrates free people of color into each chapter. 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. 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. I am sure many people would leave these out, but they are there if you want them. Following this is a separate section on media, parties, and interest groups. This publication continues to be a popular introductory guide for American citizens and those of other countries who seek a greater understanding of our heritage of democracy. The links for figures seem to be useful in quickly navigating them. I also liked very much the "exercises" section allowing "assessment of learning." The textbook content and organization is consistent throughout. 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. The text's prose is written in a clear and concise fashion. It is comparable to other American Government textbooks, and I will consider using it in my future courses. The accuracy of the content is reinforced by the textbook's frequent use of references, such as source citations, to articles, books, and studies. I wish there were more pictures though to break up the text and to enhance the reading. I set up an assignment for my students to respond to a question based on the discussion in this section in an online class. As other agents of socialization dont seem to educate students in how essential their participation is to a healthy democratic system, any text that emphasizes and provides easy ways to engage in politics is welcome. First President of the United States. This item: United States Government; Our Democracy, c 2018, 9780076681136, 0076681130. by McGraw-Hill Education Paperback . The chapters contain accurate information. Publication date 2003 . I liked the film recommendations as references, although I wondered why they only came after three chapters (Intro, Congress, Courts)? Also, I was disappointed that I requested access to the instructor resources a few weeks ago, but as of the start of the semester I have still not received access. See previous answer immediately above I do not detect any issues here. This book does a much better job of bringing these groups in than some other texts I have seen. 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. The sections on Native Americans lose their lands and on the rights revolution are too simplistic historically. A textbook with a framework as solid as this will not go out-of-date quickly. 7. It dedicates entire chapters to state and local The chapters are well organized and reader friendly. 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. most of the chapters are pretty well self-contained and explain relevant concepts from other chapters so the student doesn't get lost. The material is not overly self-referential. The text is a fully integrated print-digital solution for students and teachers. The book's layout is consistent. 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]. Reviewed by Alexander Cohen, Assistant Professor, Augustana College on 6/19/18, By the standards of Introduction to American Politics textbooks, this is a comprehensive offering. The authors certainly did not skimp on providing information nor did they fail to provide source material in most instances. }, United States Government: Our DemocracyRemy Ritchie Arbetman Scott Hanson. The "Key terms" section at the end of each chapter is a great resource for students studying for multiple choice exams. Its review of Civil Rights and the groups fighting for their rights is one of the strongest parts of the text. In the preface, there is a chart of the makeup of the United States Supreme Court, listing the justices, and their ideology of conservative versus liberal. Generally I would say the text would be easy to divide into smaller subsections. Changes on the composition of the members of the elected branches are easily updated and/or can be explained in the classroom. The book addresses difficult issues in an appropriate way. Would grade this as 4.5 if possible. Other mainstream textbooks will generally issue an updated edition every few years to include the outcomes of new presidential elections. Sections open with learning objectives that tell students the 2-5 most important things to take away from that reading, and quiz questions populate the text at the end of sections to help students self assess their understanding of the reading. I found the language clear. I find it useful assigning my students questions based on discussions in various sections of chapters. It offers an excellent collection of concepts and ideas useful to political science students. I read the "theme" as being about civic engagement, and the theme appears consistently throughout the text. The opening parts of the book though do focus a bit more on economics than I would prefer. I am skeptical that instructors can get through 17 chapters in a normal semester, but the material is nice to have if desired. I like the fact that the authors attempt to present both sides in discussing problems and issues which contributes to an unbias pr Wish contents would take me straight to the chapter I click. Chapter sections are easily divisible and do not overwhelm the reader with too much information in any single subheading. A good example of such are the Continuing Challenges sections. As a teacher of history also, I especially look for historical accuracy. 11th Amendment: Grants states immunity from outside lawsuits, 1795. . I found the content of the book accurate and complete. There are even two chapters on public policy, which many basic textbooks omit. This is tricky, as some American politics textbooks emerge from an activist mentality of pointing out howfor lack of a better termmessed up American culture can be. 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. At the edges, the composition of Congress and descriptive representation will need to be updated. Thus, instructors who want to cover highly salient domestic policy issues like healthcare or immigration may need to assign supplements. I found it easy to adapt it to the different needs of my course. 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' Analyze a variety of primary and secondary sources including text excerpts, political cartoons, photographs, graphs, charts, and maps. Question #55 61. - A timely set of examples, nicely updated through the beginning of the Trump presidency. This has become such an important issue. To be clear, it is not culturally insensitive. Students and the System 2. The text's consistency is quite strong in that it provides a comprehensible, conceptual framework and predictably organized units, chapters, and sections for the study of American government and politics. The authors updated the contents reflecting current events and political landscape. But there is never a number or way to identify the image/picture attached to the Figure reference. The text covers everything that an introduction to American government should. Students first learn what constitutes a government. It also includes a chapter on pdf: Download File. The reader benefits from content that is organized in a fashion that is both comprehensible and predictable.