However, all textbooks--standard or OER--face this issue.
PDF The State of Democracy in the United States - CGTN The coverage and scope is presented in a way that is well organized, concise, and engaging. Overall, this book is a strong introductory text. A number of important factors are left out. I clicked on many, but was not taken to that particular resource. read more. Ways to Participate in Our Democracy 59. The chapter summaries, quizzes, the suggestions for extra activities in particular are useful. p. 176 on Civil Rights for Indigenous Groups). Furthermore, it also includes chapters on linkage institutions like parties, interest groups, and the media. That seems to make the text even more "modular" than would normally be expected. In 1988, the U.S. Senate paid tribute with a resolution 3 that said . The information presented in the text book is accurate and comparable to all other books I have used on the market. 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.
PDF Your Government and You Lesson Answer Key - USCIS 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). Mediating Institutions and Collective Action 4. Gerrymandering and redistricting is continually evolving. 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.
American Government [ushistory.org] Learning objectives are clearly identified for each unit, and each unit concludes with a concise summary of main points followed by multiple-choice and short answer questions. On the plus side, the fact that the chapters are divided into sections aids the instructor in assigning chunks of material and the reader in being able to jump to a particular section therein. I'm seeing paragraph errors on my machine, but that may be unique to me. The opening parts of the book though do focus a bit more on economics than I would prefer. read more. The text contains no grammatical errors of any significance. The point-by-point "Summary" section is a great way for students to review the main ideas in the chapter.
AP United States Government and Politics - AP Students - College Board History, Nonfiction, Textbooks, Politics and Government Grade Levels: College Freshman, College Sophomore, College Junior, College Senior, Undergraduate Student Submitted By: Daproim Africa Proofread By: Daproim Africa Usage Restrictions: This is a copyrighted book. I have used it in my classes and value its comprehensive nature and the ease of access and affordability it provides for my students. Ideas are presented in a clear, logical fashion, and transitions between sections flow smoothly. The endnotes are difficult to follow. The language is sophisticated throughout the text. The text is highly relevant for students studying American government and politics today and will serve students well in subsequent years without seeming obsolete. Overall, the content is up to date. Solid end of chapter educational aids are provided. 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. Faculty are used to getting free copies of texts. I suspect students will read the chapters as rather lengthy. PDF EBOOK United States Government Democracy In Action. Also, the map on page 15 lists Russia as a representative democracy. These will not significantly modify the content of the text, so you should be alright either way. It isnt a text about how, say, rational choice affects American politics, but more of a carpet-bombing of information. Key terms are included at the end of each chapter. This has become such an important issue. Students first learn what constitutes a government. Finally, as noted earlier, the book does a nice job of showing that Congress is growing more diverse, while at the same time acknowledging the many ways that Congress is still not representative of the American public (Chapter 11, Congress). For example, reelection rates to Congress stops at 2014. 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. 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. There is an additional chapter on State & Local government aside from the chapter on federalism - which offers I can definitely see the advantage of having them all in one place. It supplements text content with useful links that serve as a great tool for boosting application and comprehension. I found the insertion of bold links in the middle of the text rather distracting. The formatting of the text throughout is excellent. The content delivers plenty of perspective for students to learn about American government. It was quite easy to use. 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. It focuses on the importance of community engagement and social responsibility among middle and high school studentscore themes in the Massachusetts 8th Grade History & Social Science Curriculum Framework. Most textbooks for undergraduates in this topic area American Government 2e offers a comprehensive survey of the core aspects of the US political system. 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. It is as accurate as any standard, mainstream textbook on American government. It includes the entire student text along with a variety of planning and instructional support for the print and digital resources. It also includes a chapter on State and Local Government. For example, I may not get the chance to dedicate a whole class to elections but I can use sections of the chapter on elections in relation to civil rights, to Congress and to the Executive. 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. United States Government: Democracy in Action emphasizes 14 key government concepts. Reviewed by Peter Wielhouwer, Associate Professor of Political Science, Western Michigan University on 12/14/18, This text covers nearly all of the major topics covered in American Government texts. read more. Everything appears to be up to date, especially in the Voting and Elections chapter, with 2012 statistics and current pictures. Create assignments for whole class or individual students. The structural framework of the chapters maintains a similar design throughout. It offers an excellent collection of concepts and ideas useful to political science students. 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. 3. There is a consistent pattern in terms of the major headings outlined at the beginning of the book. I found no appreciable errors in the textbook. At that meeting the establishment of the International Union of American Republics was approved. I found it especially comprehensive in its coverage of civil rights, voter registration and turnout, and the concluding policy chapters. 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. 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). The textbook, American Government, has been written to be a lucid and detailed, book that more than adequately gives context to the terminology used in every chapter. Changes like these are expected and I do not think that this would be too difficult to do. To learn about the specific purchase options for this program, please contact our Customer Service team at 800-338-3987. The modularity of the chapters should allow the instructor to more effectively chunk material than most other textbook options. It does not explain some additional reasons why the two-party system in the U.S. persists. I have not tested it on a smartphone; however, on a computer the book is easy to navigate - to move between chapters, sections, pages, etc is easy. The figure icon needs to be fixed or dropped. I also wish that some videos were integrated into the text as students love videos and this might help to draw them into the content even more. I am considering switching to this textbook for my department. Today's must-read. It is very comprehensive and covers all the necessary information. My own opinion is that the biggest shortcoming is a lack of current events coverage. 3. However, it does do a nice job of considering the broader themes that characterize United States politics today. The organization of topics conforms with what one finds in many other introductory level texts on American Government. There are even two chapters on public policy, which many basic textbooks omit. The division of provisions of the Bill of Rights into three categories is arguable at best. And while all the topic areas you would anticipate are present, the structure is different. Chapter 5 . Instead the chapters information jumps around and the data needs organizing. The textbook does not contain a glossary. I am glad to have discovered this book. Us Government Democracy In Action Teachers 2000. Do you need help? Reviewed by Nicholas Goedert, Assistant Professor, Virginia Tech on 6/20/17, The text is impressively comprehensive, both with respect to its range of coverage and depth of discussion of each topic. 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. Textbook solutions. It incorporates an impressive amount of historical references to add context and depth. The United States has a complex government system.
The Public, the Political System and American Democracy Understanding Economics.
United States Government: Democracy in Action It would also be helpful if the text came with bookmarks to the main chapters and subsections. This book would be easy to update as changes occur. The text would be easily divisible by chapter. Each chapter offers an introduction, 3 to 5 written sections covering the topic, key terms, summary, review questions, critical thinking questions, and suggestions for further study. The Right to Privacy section of Chapter 4, Section 4 that describes activity from the 9th and 10th Amendments is well done. And the book is missing some introductory material on theory of collective action/game theory that I is included in other texts that I like to teach in my course. There's A LOT of flexibility with the text content. By reorganizing the information contained in the chapters, it will be easier for the reader to follow the data if it is in a table format. The textbooks language is not as direct and as appealing to the pedagogical style of this new generation of students. I did not find any grammatical errors in the text. The red links in areas of the textbook are distracting. Knowing that I would be using the book over many sections and many semesters, I ordered a copy from Amazon and I am glad I did. The graphics were very well done. }. The first unit of the text ('Students and the System') outlines the necessary historical context without getting too bogged down in general introduction. As another example, the description of Adam Smiths views on wealth accumulation is oversimplified and arguably misleading. I liked how things were broken down so I could deposit topics that students find challenging. Chapter tests include traditional and document-based question tests. 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. I did not notice a significant number of grammatical errors. The glossary of terms after each chapter and the illustrations, examples, color pictorials and web links are all critical to the issue of clarity. read more. If anything it simplifies our history as to discrimination and racism in the direction of being overly intolerant of past civil rights violations in the light of past cultural norms based on ignorance and insecurities that darken our history, and with which the present continues to deal with. The subchapters are very short, and while they sometimes deal with distinct topics, it would often be more efficient to discuss big ideas by combining them into a more cohesive and less chopped-up narrative. As a form of government, democracy has been practiced for over 2,500 years, though in different forms, such as direct democracy of the ancient Athenian We have stopped printing many old products, but we might have some stock in our warehouse. 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. In my classes using the book, I have done quite a bit of rearranging. I also don't perceive any bias. As clearly noted, I found far more to like about the text than not. 1. Access and customize online lesson plans and explore the library of resources. 1. The fact that it is free is even more impressive.
The Constitution of the United States | National Archives This textbook is perfect for my American government course that I teach to undergraduates at the community college level. 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. The supplementary material within each chapter/section like Finding Middle Ground and Milestone can be an effective tool for the instructor to use for additional student engagement or an activity as such go deeper into a particular concept than mere text can. read more. Introduction, Consitution, Federalism, Civil Rights and Liberties, Parties and Ideology, Opinion and Media, Congress, President, Courts, state and local, and International Affairs. 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. Chapter objectives, appealing graphics and photos, glossaries of 'key terms,' recommended reading, summaries, and quizzes are some of the text features that make this inviting. 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. Equality in voting 2. This text will only need updates in the area of the presidency, public policy, and possibly elections. But as I noted above, the unhelpfulness of bolded terms can be genuinely confusing and are inconsistent (Katie Holmes gets bolded? And as stated above, the book is very clear and easy to read, which would make this text easy for students to understand. The 'Insider Perspective' sections in each chapter reflect this in their profiles of diverse individuals. The text follows a chapter layout that is common among American politics texts, beginning with the Constitution and ending with policy. This book is very impressive, as is. for only $40. It would be useful to have the endnotes at the end of the chapters. Sometimes the beginning of the paragraphs are repetitive but this may favor comprehension of the content. Because of the texts design, I believe that it will be a manageable task to keep it up to date. ACT & SAT Practice Books. The topics in the text are organized, structured, and flow in a logical sequence. The content is mostly up to date. The materials contain frequent references to variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. In summary, this is a high-quality book that has most everything anybody would want. Swapping out these examples for newer ones in the future should not be too onerous. The textbook content is clearly organized into sensible modules. There is very little jargon, and technical terms are adequately summarized. have even added very impressive policy chapters (domestic and foreign) that you only see on occasion. It is such a long and comprehensive textbook that possibly it might suffer from not having a clear and overriding theme. It covers all the areas that may be taught in an American Government intro class.
Study: US is an oligarchy, not a democracy - BBC News 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. I assume the work has been, and will continue to be, updated with each election. Overall the book is balanced, but there are areas where things could be more even handed. I did not read the text cover to cover, but it seems largely to be free of grammatical errors. As for as substantively, I find the grouping of Chapters 4-7 to be curious. Zip. In terms of content, the textbook has all the chapters one normally expects from an introductory American Government textbook. Language is neutral and seems to avoid leading or biased undertones.
United States Government Our Democracy Chapter 1 PDF - BOOK KEG However, on the library listing page, there is a typo in the index for chapter 17. has on the daily lives of each and every American, motivating students to become active participants in all aspects of our political system, and helping overcome the One of the strengths of the Krutz text; each chapter format patterns the same learning styles and methods. The index is thorough and easily navigable with direct links to the I did not see too much passive tense. I am seriously considering using this text the next time I teach introduction to American Government. The text and figures were attractive and easy to navigate.
United States Government: Our Democracy 2018 - McGraw Hill Images and charts were appropriate, visually appealing, and supported the text content in a meaningful way. The chapter organization is clear, so it would be easy to teach the chapters in a different order. You can replace that space with something more relevant? It could easily be mistaken for a book that costs students $75, and so that fact that it is free of charge means everybody should use it. For example, the term latent opinion comes up in the introductory chapter. Then again maybe that is just my bias because of what information was included and what was omitted. Democracy in the United States.
Tipping the Scales Toward National Power. read more, 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. That said, those places were few and far between. The foundational material in each chapter/section is relevant and the examples used to explain/apply such material is more up to date than many for profit books I have read. For example, could chapter 8 be divided into six or eight sections?
Chapter 9: Presidential Leadership - Freeman Middle School I appreciate the spacing of the material, and think that it makes it very clear and readable. It is a good alternative to expensive textbooks. The textbook does not include much The definition of public opinion is probably not as accurate as it could be. For example, the chapter on political parties resembles a history text. Likewise, the reasoning in Chapter 9 Political Parties as to why we have only two major parties lacks depth. Its review of Civil Rights and the groups fighting for their rights is one of the strongest parts of the text. Actually, I think it is. I hasten to add that I teach at the community college level where I often have to address certain shortcomings and misunderstandings regarding the students high school knowledge in this topic area, so perhaps this preference only applies because of my specific student audience. Mixed views of structural changes in the political system. There are a number of instances where, as was previously noted, there are significant blocks of text in long paragraphs without subheadings or some other type of break. And the Fall of the Patronage system in Section 1 of Chapter 15 also stood out to me as excellent. I assign a chapter every week, so the modularity has not been vital to me. In addition, there are charts, visual aids, and extension activities to expand and complement the text. It is comparable to other American Government textbooks, and I will consider using it in my future courses. While most of the narrative text is easily and readily divisible into smaller reading sections, there are sections that go on for a page and a half of densely worded blocks of text that many of my first and second year students would find challenging in comprehension given that length. The text is easily divisible into smaller sections that can be reordered within the course. A Constitutional Democracy Interactive Notebook, which works for both print and Google Drive, investigates and helps gain an understanding of how the federal, state, and local governments in the United States work under the Constitution and the responsibilities of citizenship. Traditional Democratic Theory 1. The hard copy version is sold by Amazon and other online retailers for about $20 (not sure it includes color for that price). The book is very accessible. The inclusion of the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, selected Federalist Papers and electoral college results will aid the student in referencing those materials over the instructor including a link (to be lost) or the student conducting a search. So concludes a recent study by Princeton University Prof Martin Gilens and Northwestern University Prof Benjamin I Page. There is also a Link to Learning in each module that guides readers to content related updates that are available online. read more. read more. I reviewed the book for about 3 hours, and I could probably spend another 3 hours finding other "issues." I have used this text successfully in the classroom, and students generally respond positively to it. This is disappointing but not fatal as I can update in class using the overhead. The textbook provides for a comprehensive overview of American Government. The clearer organization is a benefit to undergraduate students who may be taking the course as a required course. I also think the book does a good job bringing in gender concerns throughout the text. The internal structure of individuals chapters is clear and logical. 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. Go Go. American Government 2e offers a comprehensive survey of the core aspects of the US political system. The text did not include culturally offensive material and seemed inclusive in its examples and discussion. The way the book is organized makes a lot of sense. The writing is generally very clear. Usually the image it only an inch or two from the Figure citation, but not always clear. A second point, is figure 3.17 regarding marriage equality. Further, the writing is clear and concise. Students at all levels will have no difficulty with the language used therein. 33. This was an early indication of the accuracy of the textbook. This may just be me, but I take issue with this statement from page 9, "Democracy and capitalism do not have to go hand in hand." I do think you have to have a free market to have democracy, although it might be a regulated market. The chapter-to-chapter progression is logical. The founding chapter and the Constitution are great chapters and will always be relevant. I did not notice anything offensive, but the textbook could be updated in the future on the topic of transgender individuals. Chapter 8 on the Media is the best chapter I've seen on that subject.