The framework of the text is internally consistent. The textbook includes virtually all topics that are critical to foundational course(s) in U.S. Government. 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). p. 176 on Civil Rights for Indigenous Groups). The textbook is consistently outlined. For example, when discussing the Boston Tea Party, the authors claim, "Today, many who do not agree with the positions of the Democratic of Republican Party have organized themselves into an oppositional group dubbed the Tea Party (41)." Unfortunately, I found the hyperlinks within the text to be a bit distracting. 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. 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. Lincoln preserved . The supplemental materials (graphs, charts, figures, etc.) I think that's important to show that most of the world's nations do operate with a democratic framework. A menu to the left of the online textbook allows readers to quickly and efficiently navigate to another topic of the textbook. For instance, the many examples of LGBTQ issues like marriage was well documented and current through recent case law like Masterpiece Cakeshop. Similar to other Introduction to American Government textbooks this book covers the typical material and then some. There is an additional chapter on State & Local government aside from the chapter on federalism - which offers 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. The prose is accessible, and the authors' have done an outstanding job avoiding the jargon that can unnecessarily complicate a text. 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. The book is competently written and produced. The writing appears to be objective and factually correct. I am impressed with the comprehensiveness of the textbook. One Day University presents a series of audio lectures recorded in real-time from some of the top minds in the United States. . The topics in the text are organized, structured, and flow in a logical sequence. Complete List of Documents. 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. I agree that the content is relevant, and can be easily updated. The text would be easily divisible by chapter. 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. The material is not overly self-referential. A number of important factors are left out. Reviewed by Eric Radezky, Adjunct Professor, LaGuardia Community College, CUNY on 5/21/18, This textbook is very comprehensive. 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). Right from the get go I enjoyed the section on Civic Engagement as many textbooks do not cover civic engagement to the level it was covered in this text. The text is culturally sensitive and consistently makes use of examples that are inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, backgrounds, etc. I didn't notice any serious grammar problems. Has good index. 1. I do think that some modules could be combined, but for the most part the author accomplishes this well. Everything appears to be up to date, especially in the Voting and Elections chapter, with 2012 statistics and current pictures. no out-of-focus or bad images, good graphs, clear text, etc). Uses contemporary examples, but not in depth cases that may be needed in higher level courses. The analysis of Presidents attending Ivy League institutions is a bit misleading as evidence of elitism, for example. Below are the modifiedexcerpts that are assigned to you. 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). The online navigation is exceptionally good. The respective discussions involving each of the aforementioned groups is objective, open minded, and balanced. This is a major issue with political science texts as the students are very focused on the present time, so the texts need to be very current. There is also a Link to Learning in each module that guides readers to content related updates that are available online. The text then moves through its substantive topics in a coherent manner with useful transitions between topics. Within each chapter, sections are consistently arranged to first build comprehension and then work toward deeper analysis of topic, which is an effective pedagogical framework. Not a major issue for $40, but annoying. I am sure many people would leave these out, but they are there if you want them. 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. Democratic backsliding in the United States is no longer a matter of speculative concern. I have used this text this semester (fall 2017) here at Penn State Berks with good success. I certainly will moving forward. The pure number of citations is impressive, however they are shown to the reader throughout a chapter in a separated gray box. The book's seventeen chapters are well-divided into five parts. But there is never a number or way to identify the image/picture attached to the Figure reference. I didnt have any difficulty navigating the book. The concepts are: growth of democracy, federalism, separation of powers, checks and balances, civil liberties . The text is impressively comprehensive, both with respect to its range of coverage and depth of discussion of each topic. It looks easier to move sections around. The language is sophisticated throughout the text. There is very little jargon, and technical terms are adequately summarized. Madison and Hamilton cite him in the Federalist Papers. It even has a section on Civil Rights and Native Americans. The printed version (and online replica version) has all review questions at back of each chapter, without answers provided, the way I wanted it. I think students would have an easier time digesting the information in this book than some of the other textbooks I have used. Digital Teacher Lesson Center: Easily access all teaching resources and classroom management tools for the curriculum. The textbook is ideologically neutral throughout, with one exception. This means that our government is elected by citizens. Logical and standard fare. B. The book is up to date and has most of the usual citations one would expect of an Introduction to American Government text. I did not see any clear grammatical errors in my review. American Government and Civic Engagement, entire unmodified textbook can be accessed here on OpenStax, SLED (Statewide Library Electronic Doorway), "Slave Streets, Free Streets" - Virtual Tour of Baltimore, c. 1815, World War I: Why Young Men Wanted to Go To War. 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; The examples used throughout the text are inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, genders, and backgrounds. One example to consider is presented in chapter 10, section 5 discussing the free speech rights of interest groups versus calls to regulate their activity. Pretty standard for many similar texts and courses. My preference would be to have these topics addressed earlier on in the textbook. 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. For example, the chapter on political parties resembles a history text. I think the book could benefit from a more extensive glossary at the end of each chapter, rather than each section. This . This is a positive choice as it provides students with some knowledge of state and local government without usurping the information that is taught in a state and local government class. As clearly noted, I found far more to like about the text than not. 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. Although the disinclination students sometimes feel toward politics is examined , the many and various avenues to address grievances or engage in government enterprises are the centerpiece of the book's mission. One important tenet of this system is democracy, in which the ultimate power rests with the people. The glossary, summaries, and review questions including critical thinking are all conducive to learning and it will help students prepare for exams. Also, I believe that the material on Parties should be placed closer to the material on campaigns and elections. This immediately gives an indication of how the material will flow. The images and charts used in the book help clarify the concepts very well. It's very well organized. United States government : democracy in action by Remy, Richard C; Congressional Quarterly, inc. The historical approaches in many chapters provide contextualization of concepts. -- to shed light on a wide variety of phenomena and encourage students to think analytically. SKU: b117200 . Elsewhere in the same chapter, the descriptions of Shays's Rebellion and the Boston Tea Party leave out important details that would help students relate the events to the broader topics under discussion. That said, many of what appear to be hotlinks in the text did not work when I tested them in December 2018. Likewise, the reasoning in Chapter 9 Political Parties as to why we have only two major parties lacks depth. Although I found having a chapter on Bureaucracy toward the end of the textbook unconventional, overall organization of the topics covered in the text are presented in a logical fashion. The updates to the text with respect to the 2016 election are topical and serve to make the content more easily understand without the risk of seeming outdated in a short period of time. For example in the discussion on the writers influencing the colonies toward revolution, Locke, no doubt an important writer, is presented while many others could have been highlighted. Individual Agency and Action 3. However, the chapter lengths seem fairly typical for this type of text. But by sticking to institutional logic, historical examples, and well-established topic controversies that are not going to go away (abortion, executive orders and the use of force, the civil service), the book does an excellent job at avoiding the publishing industrys penchant for planned obsolescence. In particular, I would like to see some more/more direct As mentioned above, I found the text slightly denser than the average textbook for an Introduction to American Government class. I found no appreciable errors in the textbook. The text uses the 2016 election, in particular, to help the reader better understand the varying voting methods within the Electoral College by stating: "In 2016, Republican Donald Trump won one congressional district in Maine, even though Hillary Clinton won the state overall. At that meeting the establishment of the International Union of American Republics was approved. 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. The United States Government Manual. The 5 sections of the book could also be broken apart, for instance I would assign Chapter 15, but not 16 or 17, given the constraints of time. Nearly every chapter has classic and current concepts to understand the evolution and development of institutions. - Good supplementary framing around the founding documents and federalism 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. Moreover, I found the film selection stiflingno documentaries, no TV series, no foreign films. The textbook is error-free and unbiased. Students will develop an appreciation for the value of citizenship and civic . Some texts may cover only one additional chapter other than the basic chapters one would expect. 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. It contains every topic I cover and more in an Introductory course. However domestic and foreign policy are rushed at the end while lobbyists and other peripheral topics enjoy a more central position. I was quite impressed by the clear prose used in this text. Following this is a separate section on media, parties, and interest groups. It would also be helpful if the text came with bookmarks to the main chapters and subsections. Identity politics should be an integral part of academic conversations and should provide opportunities to students to engage with difficult topics by using critical thinking strategies. Modularity is excellent. The text focuses on current events less than many commercial publishers' alternatives (Keeping the Republic comes to mind). Second, key terms in Chapter 17 are wanting. A couple of further notes (in no order) that didn't seem to fit anywhere else: 1. Landmark cases and events bring history alive. : 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. Diverse student populations will appreciate this aspect of the text. The text is written in lucid prose with technical terminology highlighted, defined in the text, and listed again in a glossary. Feb. 23, 2017. This is one of the strengths of this textbook. I also don't perceive any bias. The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework. Additionally, there are sections within each chapter that can be assigned in other courses. read more. Your textbook makes no mention of Rousseau. The Foundations of Geopolitics: The Geopolitical Future of Russia is a geopolitical book by Aleksandr Dugin. It dedicates entire chapters to state and local The accuracy of the content presented in the Kurtz et al book is as accurate and unbias as one would expect. The index and glossary are well formulated. United States Government Our Democracy View larger image. 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. Style is straightforward. Overall I find the writing to be at an appropriate level for first-year college students. ), does a bit better job of using a small number of key concepts transaction costs, conformity costs, free riding, the prisoners dilemma, etc. The chapter on Congress should also be updated and with data from 2016 and 2018. For example, the term latent opinion comes up in the introductory chapter. There is a very broad selection of examples relating to variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds--the Civil Rights chapter is a good example. Very well done. Defining Democracy 1. Although the order of the chapters differ from the way I may group chapters together, the book does maintain a consistent pattern based on the logic of the book it presents. This textbook is perfect for my American government course that I teach to undergraduates at the community college level. .nav-contain-highered p{ However, it does do a nice job of considering the broader themes that characterize United States politics today. The text does not contain any grammatical errors. read more. I am glad to have discovered this book. Although in the last decade I have opted for brief editions of American government, in an electronic format a longer text is useful for 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. Relevant archival documents and photos add to the appeal. The attention to both content and process in the chapters on policy is useful. The historical approaches Back to List. Generally speaking, I think this textbook does as good a job at this as any other good textbook. Gerrymandering and redistricting is continually evolving. The various appendixes include Generally I would say the text would be easy to divide into smaller subsections. 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. Analysis of political institutions is well-balanced with substantial attention to the role of the individual and collective action. The text is written in a way that undergraduate freshmen students would have no problem grasping. Identify Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln as leaders of our democracy: Connect with: Strand 1 Concept 4. But the book helpfully highly new and key phrases, and uses plentiful figures and sidebars to improve clarity. 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). Of course, this is a college textbook and there is much to learn, my recent experience is that if the volume of the reading appears ominous such may not be read in whole or be comprehended as well as the instructor may have hoped. read more. United States Government Democracy in Action Student. As I have shared, I suggest fewer "Note" features within the already long paragraphs of content, and in fact a tightening as well of the length of the reading text.
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