The text is free of interface issues; charts and graphics are clear and are explained and analyzed. American Government 3ealigns with the topics and objectives of many government courses. The text is not culturally insensitive, supplying context to why the Founders created the government originally and how it has evolved. In recent years rather than being an efficient mechanism for collective decision-making and progress, democracy seems to be fueling discord, division, and distrust of the other side. Mixed views of structural changes in the political system. Everything is going to be okay. The text covers everything that an introduction to American government should. Its inclusive treatment of a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds is especially evident in the texts treatment of civil rights, but it is evident in other sections of the text as well. Further, each section within the chapters does contain a glossary of bolded terms. Tipping the Scales Toward National Power. Ive covered organization under clarity above, so setting this aside, the textbook is good at being consistent in its tone and content, and chapters are easy enough to utilize. I look at these minor issues as an opportunity for teachers to clarify in lecture, rather than deal-breaking issues. The text is easily and readily divisible. A chapter on State and Local government is also included as a useful addition. It supplements text content with useful links that serve as a great tool for boosting application and comprehension. These aren't things I ever bother with in textbooks, so I have no opinion about whether they are useful or not in this case. An example of a high degree of accuracy is the discussion on the problem of divided government. Reviewed by Robert Asaadi, Instructor, Portland State University on 3/11/20, updated 4/16/20, Thorough coverage of the main thematic areas generally addressed by introductory American Government textbooks. Making it possible for a student to read 2-3 pages and then stop/think about what they have covered. The unit heading probably need more explanation and their rationale for selecting the chapters under each unit topic spelled out. The reason I say this is because the choice of content is a subjective process in itself and surely there are other content areas that could be added on a particular theme. The main framework chapters are excellent and thorough. The text does not contain any grammatical errors. Chapter three necessitates a revision in order to re-create its relevance. My institution, CUNY, currently has money for instructors to print course packets for students, so it would be possible to print the chapters I want to use and then the students would have a hard copy. I would have preferred more of this, but the book was adequate in this regard. This text is not culturally insensitive. Almost all said that the United States . I saw no problems with the navigation or images. Welcome to our textbook for the year. The foundational building blocks of the republic that are provided are similar to the last I wish there were more pictures though to break up the text and to enhance the reading. 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. Pricing for school accounts will display in the cart once you are logged in. 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. In terms of content, the textbook has all the chapters one normally expects from an introductory American Government textbook. My kudos to the author. For me, this was one of the strengths of the textbook. Aristotelian "rule of the many" (direct or participatory democracy) a) Fourth-century B.C. Ways to Participate in Our Democracy 59. The next time I teach American politics, I will definitely use this text. For example, I appreciate the discussion of women as political candidates in the chapter on elections. The topics are presented in a clear fashion. I have not found culturally insensitive comments. I noticed no issues of the kind. 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. The content of the book is accurate. I found the content of the book accurate and complete. All government textbooks have a tendency to show their age quickly, but this text may be more resilient than most. 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. GOVERNMENT Arms War It's a long-standing debate. In addition, there are charts, visual aids, and extension activities to expand and complement the text. Uses contemporary examples, but not in depth cases that may be needed in higher level courses. I looked more at concepts and content. However, the concepts are so strong here (thorough, well laid out) that an instructor could easily supplement the text for a variety of courses and levels. Unit II Assignments. Second, key terms in Chapter 17 are wanting. The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. The coverage and scope is presented in a way that is well organized, concise, and engaging. The book looks very good, is easily navigable, and has a pleasing visual style (viz. The text is easily and readily visible and permits an instructor to select what to cover based on the learning objectives of each chapter. The topics seem to be organized in a clear, logical fashion, with no jarring transitions. This edition (2016) has been eclipsed by the huge changes under Trump, but that is also true of all 'standard' texts. . Issues related to race, ethnicity, gender, and class are addressed in appropriate ways. I love the inclusion of recent current events. Overall, this is a good text that seems to be accessible for student learning. 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. Of course the book's "longevity" is not likely to be long just because of the nature of the subject matter. There seem to be problems with the formatting, though that could just be on machine, with some not converted paragraphs. Not every one covers Civil Rights and Liberties or Foreign and Domestic Policy, but this text does offer a chapter on each of those. It is not overly complicated and written at the appropriate level. Teach Me Economics. A second point, is figure 3.17 regarding marriage equality. I found the textbook culturally sensitive and in no way offensive. While I would like a comprehensive glossary for each chapter, the fact that each subsection within the chapter has its own glossary makes assigning small sections very easy, though I would not recommend assigning sections in place of a full chapter. I really liked the authors writing style. Toward Collective Action: Mediating Institutions, Delivering Collective Action: Formal Institutions. 28 . 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. I am especially impressed by its multi-dimensional approach to topic coverage. Only problem I saw: there are 2 versions of this book in OpenStax. For printing purposes, it would be helpful if graphics and/or sections did not run onto the next page. In each unit, there is a clear progression of thought from basic description of concepts toward more critical analysis. Donald A. Ritchie, Richard C. Remy. 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. For example, the civil rights chapter is organized into five components, including: 1) what are civil rights, 2) African-American civil rights, 3) women's civil rights, 4) civil rights for indigenous groups, and 5) equal protection for other groups. 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. I haven't seen anything quite like that before, and it's useful. 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. are excellent for visual learners and certainly enhance the message of each section/chapter. 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. To be clear, it is not culturally insensitive. 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. Reviewed by Nicole Kalaf-Hughes, Assistant Professor, Bowling Green State University on 2/1/18, The text covers all areas that one would expect from an introduction to American Government textbook. The writers were able to demonstrate intersections across time, incorporating themes that could easily be segregated in a single chapter. font-weight: 400 !important; Everything was clear and easy to find, including graphics, charts, and figures. My only critique of the book is that the sections on Congress, the presidency, and the court system appear later on in the textbook. It dedicates entire chapters to state and local Reviewed by Alexandre Couture Gagnon, Associate Professor, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on 10/26/20, This textbook covers the main topics of a course on American government. In the balance, I would say that the textbook does not do as good a job of providing multiple viewpointsor being honest about its own orientationsas those that are professionally published. Further, the writing is clear and concise. I didnt find any interface issues in this textbook. Overall, the organization and flow of the textbook is logical and it follows a traditional American Government textbook. For over eight decades, The United States Government Manual has been the "official handbook" of the Federal Government. The text is consistent in its use of terminology. For example, I do a lot with the 9th Amendment, but it only has three paragraphs in the textbook. 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. From an aesthetic perspective, the textbook has a fair amount of graphic material that is appealing to students. Also, discussions are not biased toward any political ideology. At the edges, the composition of Congress and descriptive representation will need to be updated. Overall, this looks like a viable option for an American government 101 course. Overall the book is extremely well edited. 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 did not identify any grammatical issues with the textbook content. The cosmetics of the book is well done. Style is straightforward. 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. There are even two chapters on public policy, which many basic textbooks omit. Do away with elections and democracy itself might be saved, argues Alexander Guerrero. In short, more up to date statistics and graphics should be there. But I would rather have it smaller so I can add what I think is important than have too much material overwhelm the students. Revolution and the New Nation (1754-1820s) Expansion and Reform (1801-1861) Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877) The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900) The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930) The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945) Sentence structure and grammar are excellent. The judiciary doesn't change that often and it rarely affects more than two members at a time. Overall, an excellent textbook which covers the needed subject matter comprehensively. p. 176 on Civil Rights for Indigenous Groups). It covers all the areas that may be taught in an American Government intro class. 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. In addition the appendix with major judicial cases will withstand the passing of time and it isn't difficult to add a couple of relevant cases per judicial year and then review the choices every four or five years. On the Appendices section, I like that it includes an appendix with relevant court cases (Appendix E). 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. Chapter 8, Section 3 discussing the media and particularly the FCC is a very strong section of the text. If the candidate fails to achieve 270 votes, then the election is sent to the House of Representatives. Updating some of the pictures will be easy ( how many of our freshmen will remember that much about Mitt Romney?) when necessary. It was quite easy to use. .nav-contain-highered p{ However, the preponderance of examples from the Obama and Trump eras will become outdated and need updates supplied by the instructor. 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. Before joining OU, he served on the faculty of Arizona State University and helped run two large-scale National Science Foundation projects as a doctoral student at Texas A&M University. And, as an instructor, I particularly appreciate the supplemental resources provided for teachers and the study aides in each chapter for students. The links that I checked were still functioning. The writing is generally very clear. The graphics, photos, and primary documents add a visual appeal as well as provide students to other literacies. Great examples, engaging stories, and clever interactive readings; the textbook would be relevant to most community college students today. 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. The only issue I had was that the NOTES that are interspersed through the chapters and appear to be hyperlinks do not work. While there are changes I would like to see, that is true for any book. In fact. The sections on Native Americans lose their lands and on the rights revolution are too simplistic historically. I spotted no factual inaccuracies, and the text does not belay any obvious political bias. I found the navigability of the textbook easy. This matters very much for American government texts, and the author has done a very good job here mixing long-standing historical examples with contemporaneous material. The coverage of competing philosophies of Judicial Activism and Judicial Restraint in Chapter 13, Section 5 nicely presents these approaches to novice readers. Its framework is solid. The book is actually slightly longer and denser than other texts I have assigned for an introductory course in American government. Download Here pdfsdocuments2 com. 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. However, it does do a nice job of considering the broader themes that characterize United States politics today. 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 have also discovered no instances in which the presentation seems unduly slanted or biased. Modularity in this textbook is handled well. One nice feature of the text is the ability directly to citations through the texts footnotes. The textbook has clear images and charts. The text was easily navigable and the Index, search function, and drop-down menus in the Table of Contents functioned seamlessly. While it clearly has a logical structure and is thoughtfully organized, chapters could be selected based on the theme and objectives of the course. Overall, the content is up to date. The text did not include culturally offensive material and seemed inclusive in its examples and discussion. read more. The textbook content is clearly organized into sensible modules. read more. The writing appears to be objective and factually correct. 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. 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. American Government is a very comprehensive textbook. Photos and other content (such as graphs) are clearly positioned and captioned, providing useful supplementation to the written content. Each chapter is clearly divided into main sections with learning objectives, and there the text is further divided under clearly delineated sub-section heads. The text will be accessible to students. 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. 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. no out-of-focus or bad images, good graphs, clear text, etc). The book is accurate with but few exceptions. However, the chapter lengths seem fairly typical for this type of text. The Iroquois Confederacy, founded by the Great Peacemaker in 1142 1, is the oldest living participatory democracy on earth 2. 5. Everything appears to be up to date, especially in the Voting and Elections chapter, with 2012 statistics and current pictures. The examples used throughout the text are inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, genders, and backgrounds. According to Yale professor Juan Jos Linz there are three main types of political systems today: democracies, totalitarian regimes and, sitting between these two, authoritarian regimes . If you click on the Media icon subsets you can go straight to that subsection of the Media chapter. Right from the start is an engaging "What is Government" and "Who governs" introductory sections, followed by excellent descriptions of our constitutional backgrounds and developments, Democracy in the United States. For their effort and expertise, I commend them and those who have supported this project. The goal of each section is to enable students not just to recognize concepts, but to work with them in ways that will be useful in later courses, future careers, and as engaged citizens. In other words, most of the world's countries are parliamentary, not presidential. 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. Thorough coverage of the main thematic areas generally addressed by introductory American Government textbooks. The book is available in multiple formats. The online navigation is exceptionally good. American Government, as a textbook, maintains consistency in its use of terminology throughout every chapter. Publication date 2003 . 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; Overall, all expected topics, and then some, are covered, hence the text is certainly comprehensive enough by any measure of expectation in an introduction to American government text. Relax. There were a few places where the order within the chapter was slightly distracting (the media chapter comes to mind), but this was not a major issue. For example, in section 8.1 there is no break for 11 paragraphs/over one thousand words. For many such students, the clarity in organization will further help clear any obstacles in understanding the political system. Further, the text includes supplemental readings, such as important primary source materials, such as the Constitution and Federalist Papers #10 and #51. Its publication in 1997 was well received in Russia; it has had significant influence within the Russian military, police, and foreign policy elites, [1] [2] and has been used as a textbook in the Academy . In this textbook, I was pleased with both. } Customize the learning experience for differentiated instruction using leveled reading, customizable assessments and worksheets, and flexible online learning tools. Title: The textbook is very comprehensive with more than 650 pages of content plus appendices with relevant documents. For example, while Federalism (Chapter 3) is included in the "Students and the System" section, State and Local Government comes much later in the book (Chapter 14, in the "Formal Institutions" section). 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. I am going to consider using it and ask students for their feedback on the textbook because after all, they are the ones deciphering the material. 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. Below are the modified excerpts that are assigned to you. You'll learn how the men who created the U.S. Constitution set up a structure of government intended to stand the test of time, and how the compromises they made left some questions unresolved that continue to be debated today. The entire unmodified textbook can be accessed here on OpenStax, where you can also download a PDF, install the app, or even order a hard copy from Amazon if you desire. This New Deal-era publication was published initially as a loose-leaf notebook, its pages held in place by three metal rings. al consideration. The president can also send troops into battle, and nominate individuals to serve in the cabinet or on the Supreme Court. } I found the book well-organized and based on a logical structure. The text is very written and edited, I did not notice any grammatical errors, although that was not the primary focus of my review. I am impressed with the comprehensiveness of the textbook. Reviewed by Gale Czerski, Adult Basic Education Instructor, Portland Community College on 6/20/17, This textbook provides a comprehensive framework for introductory American government. My only critique here is substantial amounts of white space following some images which may distract the reader. Most of the other chapters are in the 35 to 40 page range. Overall, it is solid and accurate. It offers an excellent collection of concepts and ideas useful to political science students. The book was very internally consistent in terms of terminology. Unit. Was: $150.00 Now: $120.00. 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 such a long and comprehensive textbook that possibly it might suffer from not having a clear and overriding theme. I encourage any professor of U.S. Government to take a good look at this text and strongly consider its adoption. I don't think that would be a problem here, because the chapters are for the most part logically defined and pretty self-contained. The text is extremely consistent. I had no problems with navigation and saw no distortion of images and charts. The way the book is organized makes a lot of sense. 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. Below are the modifiedexcerpts that are assigned to you. Do you need help? One issue, however, that might be addressed is with the word "media." Overall, I like the organization of each chapter with the review questions, further reading and film suggestions. However, on the library listing page, there is a typo in the index for chapter 17. This follows from previous comments. 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 book is very up to date for early 2017, including data from the 2016 campaign and elections, as well as very contemporary policy debates and legal issues. But at the mass level most Tea Party identifiers are Republicans, and in Congress the vast majority of Tea Party sympathizers (perhaps all) are Republicans. Moreover, I found the film selection stiflingno documentaries, no TV series, no foreign films. The book is clearly and accessible written. I am strongly considering adopting this for my students, though I wish that it were weightier and lengthier. A downside of the online version is that the section, source and other links do not open in a new page, at least for me, which causes the reader to then backtrack with the effect that after a few instances some readers may not bother. The material progresses in a way that makes the most sense. Chapters are structured in reasonable ways. Enrollment . For students looking to identify key terms, this bolding does feel mightily inconsistent. The textbooks language is not as direct and as appealing to the pedagogical style of this new generation of students. The book covers all of the basic components of American government. Overall, this book is a strong introductory text. Log in to your program from these platforms: McGraw Hill Science Interactives (612), .bs3-nav-link-support a{ Chapter 4. - Good supplementary framing around the founding documents and federalism Also in terms of comprehensiveness, there are 17 chapters in total, which at one chapter per week is at least three or four more chapters than most instructors will be able to get through in a semester. You can use that resource if you would . LearnSmart with SmartBook adaptive ebook helps students learn faster, study more efficiently, and retain more knowledge. Those considering a new adaption for the introduction to American Government class would do well to give Kurtz et. I didnt notice obvious grammatical errors in this textbook. It covers all the bases of an Introduction to American Government and then some. [et al.] Given the nature of an American politics course, I don't frequently see my colleagues, nor do I, order concepts much differently than they are ordered in this book. I think that's important to show that most of the world's nations do operate with a democratic framework. If you click on a chapter title, say Media, nothing happens, except it opens the subsections of the chapter.
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