Technical language is defined within the text or in the chapter glossaries. It was quite easy to use. The text contains a variety of ideas and concepts. The relevance of content is a real strength of this text. Your textbook makes no mention of Rousseau. Inquiry Journal:This interactive print worktext is built around essential questions and permits students to develop their inquiry skills using analysis, primary sources, and evidence-based writing. Basics of American Government - University of North Georgia 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. I read the "theme" as being about civic engagement, and the theme appears consistently throughout the text. read more. Teachers Edition:The print Teacher Wraparound Edition is built on the principles of Understanding by Design. I am impressed with the comprehensiveness of the textbook. 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. .nav-contain-highered p{ . Product details Publisher : McGraw Hill; 1st edition (August 11, 2014) Language : English . 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. The textbook does not contain grammatical errors. United States Government: Democracy in Action. 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. This text could very easily replace the book I have used ("We the People") for the past 3 years. The text acknowledges multiple perspectives of race, ethnicity, gender, ability and other backgrounds. The text is not culturally offensive, but I would like to see more sections or paragraphs that flesh out diversity and politics. The layout is consistent for each chapter, with topic subheadings, feature boxes, links to learning, summaries and glossaries. 5. The authors certainly did not skimp on providing information nor did they fail to provide source material in most instances. Reviewed by Randall Newnham, Professor of Political Science, Penn State University, Berks Campus on 2/1/18, Coverage same as most standard Am Gov textbooks, with chapters organized same as most (expensive) standard texts and each chapter about as long as standard texts. I also very much like the end of the chapter contents. The choice of pictures, and subjects is excellent throughout. There are numerous ways to define or describe political power, and they should be conveyed in the textbook. 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). The textbook covers all the essential parts of American government. It covers all of the major topics an introductory text should cover and a few others as well. Obviously, fundamental concepts such as the origins of the republic and the founding era need to be at the beginning of the book. The charts, graphs and figures are well done and supplement the content. All about United States Government Our Democracy Textbook is exactly what you need. The is consistent in its use of terminology, and the frameworks that it provides are generally helpful and clear. American Government by Krutz and Waskiewicz is an exceptionally good textbook. See previous answer immediately above I do not detect any issues here. The book is consistent in terms and focus. 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. no out-of-focus or bad images, good graphs, clear text, etc). 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). The reader benefits from content that is organized in a fashion that is both comprehensible and predictable. I found the language clear. These issues are prevalent in American political and social life, and have been accentuated during the first term of President Trump. The judiciary doesn't change that often and it rarely affects more than two members at a time. The main framework chapters are excellent and thorough. The book does include a chapter on state and local government, which is often not covered in U.S. government textbooks. The prose is accessible, and the authors' have done an outstanding job avoiding the jargon that can unnecessarily complicate a text. Your idea of relevance is not really relevant. The various appendixes include the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, Federalist 10 and 51 and a couple of other items. The coverage of competing philosophies of Judicial Activism and Judicial Restraint in Chapter 13, Section 5 nicely presents these approaches to novice readers. , but for next semester, the text needs to provide 2016 turnout and election data. However, the chapter lengths seem fairly typical for this type of text. If a student is particularly interested in a topic, this would give them an immediate opportunity to find more information. 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. This coverage emphasizes and links back to the section of the text on Civic Engagement. The book's content is accurate. While some sentences are a bit languid and I might have organized thoughts differently, there is no direct error in any sentence that I could see. The text is free from interface issues as it was easy to read and navigate, and the graphics displayed properly. Furthermore, I think there are not enough appropriate charts and illustrations to engage student attention. Pricing for school accounts will display in the cart once you are logged in. These add up quickly and at times break up material where paragraphs or explanations would benefit from remaining connected. The text is culturally sensitive and consistently makes use of examples that are inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, backgrounds, etc. It covers all the areas that may be taught in an American Government intro class. It is a well planned and logical progression of chapters and topics. Updating some of the pictures will be easy ( how many of our freshmen will remember that much about Mitt Romney?) No Rating Yet Discover. United States Government: Our Democracy (2016) Publisher: McGraw-Hill . The text and figures were attractive and easy to navigate. This is a welcome inclusion: Although most Americans interact far I use review questions in each chapter for mandatory homework. I was actually surprised at the 'updatedness" of the book. 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 is consistent in terms of language, organization, and overall framework. The chapter summaries, quizzes, the suggestions for extra activities in particular are useful. line-height: 1.5 !important; read more. The text is written in a clear and accessible way. The textbook utilizes a wide array of references to various cultures, both in its written content and its supplementary graphics. I find this a potentially helpful framework to shape my courses. read more. Do away with elections and democracy itself might be saved, argues Alexander Guerrero. The text was easily navigable and the Index, search function, and drop-down menus in the Table of Contents functioned seamlessly. United States Government: Our Democracy, Student Learning Center Online interactive website, accessible with login and password. It isnt a text about how, say, rational choice affects American politics, but more of a carpet-bombing of information. This immediately gives an indication of how the material will flow. The book is available in multiple formats. The process of Amending the Constitution is under developed. Complete List of Documents. Chapter tests include traditional and document-based question tests. The text does not contain any grammatical errors. The AP U.S. Government and Politics framework is organized into five commonly taught units of study that provide one possible sequence for the course. This is evident throughout the text. Then again maybe that is just my bias because of what information was included and what was omitted. Plus, they blend with the gray boxes of the same color that are often used, otherwise effectively, to present case studies or specific examples. The textbook is relevant and up to date, relative to the time it was published. read more. I was quite impressed with this textbook, and have made plans to adopt it next year. The text's ease of access and open source publishing make it a clear and obvious alternative to expensive textbooks. read more. Moreover, I found the film selection stiflingno documentaries, no TV series, no foreign films. While the examples could become outdated, the issues used have been relevant for a long period of time. text-decoration: underline; In addition, there are charts, visual aids, and extension activities to expand and complement the text. Instructor and student resources are need improvement. United States Government Democracy in Action Student. It covers all the bases of an Introduction to American Government and then some. Reviewing the text, I did not experience any significant interface issues. 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. Key terms are defined with appropriate detail in a glossary and the summaries serve to reinforce the material covered in each section. I also think the book does a good job bringing in gender concerns throughout the text. This is particularly identifiable in chapters one and two. The endnotes are difficult to follow. The chapters have a mix of history, current facts and evidence along with key concepts traditional of American government texts. The United States Government Manual. Relax. I believe ample coverage of diverse viewpoints and experiences are made use of in this text. Everything is going to be okay. The presentation of the material lends itself to be easily modified to accommodate changes in the political sphere. 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. Complex ideas were synthesized inlanguage that was easy to understand. Everything in this textbook looks accurate to me. Ways to Participate in Our Democracy 59. By: Donald A. Ritchie and Richard C. Remy and M. Ed. The online navigation is exceptionally good. Student Web Activity Visit the United States Government: Democracy in Action Web site at gov.glencoe.com and click on Chapter 13 Student Web Activitiesfor an activity about constitutional rights. In reviewing the table of contents, I found the book has a logical flow that begins with defining what government is and then proceeds to provide information on the critical subjects of our Offers coverage of topics that most instructors would cover in such a class, including political behavior, civil rights/liberties, American The text is impressively comprehensive, both with respect to its range of coverage and depth of discussion of each topic. Everything appears to be up to date, especially in the Voting and Elections chapter, with 2012 statistics and current pictures. 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 . This textbook is extremely comprehensive. A couple of further notes (in no order) that didn't seem to fit anywhere else: 1. This means that you promise loyalty to the United States. Charles N. Quigley, Executive DirectorCenter for Civic Education5115 Douglas Fir Road, Suite JCalabasas, CA 91302(818) 591-9321(818) 591-9330 (fax)e-mail: web@civiced.org. 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). Very well done. Examples depicting the new terms are plentiful. - A good set of basic references at the end of each chapter. 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. My preference would be to have these topics addressed earlier on in the textbook. Overall there are no major things to complain about here. I found the insertion of bold links in the middle of the text rather distracting. This textbook covers all the main topics need for American government 101. 4. Below are the modified excerpts that are assigned to you. The framework in the textbook and within chapters is consistent with other traditional publications. Aristotelian "rule of the many" (direct or participatory democracy) a) Fourth-century B.C. Overall the textbook is highly consistent. ISBN: 9780076634538. At that meeting the establishment of the International Union of American Republics was approved. The language is accessible for students in higher education; and likely high school juniors and seniors. I liked the film recommendations as references, although I wondered why they only came after three chapters (Intro, Congress, Courts)? As an instructor, I would readily welcome the adoption of this text and would recommend the assignment of the text as required reading for courses that I regularly teach, including PLS 135: American National Politics, PLS 211: U.S. Government I, and PLS 212: U.S. Government II. The text covers everything that an introduction to American government should. I think the book could benefit from a more extensive glossary at the end of each chapter, rather than each section. While the focus on diversity is certainly not as all-encompassing as some commercial books that make racial/ethnic diversity the "thesis of the book" (most notably McClain and Tauber's American Government in Black and White), the book certainly does not limit discussion of racial/ethnic diversity to the chapter on Civil Rights, as many textbooks have done historically. The textbook provides for a comprehensive overview of American Government. In reviewing the table of contents, I found the book has a logical flow that begins with defining what government is and then proceeds to provide information on the critical subjects of our American Government by Glenn Krutz covers a lot of ground. The chapters are arranged in a way that makes sense to the material. I dont think its as good as hearing from some of the real experts in the field and their approach, and I dont think it would be a good match for some faculty who like to teach from a given perspective. There seem to be problems with the formatting, though that could just be on machine, with some not converted paragraphs. United States government : democracy in action by Remy, Richard C; Congressional Quarterly, inc. This has become such an important issue. The examples used throughout the text are inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, genders, and backgrounds. 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. read more. The book covers all of the basic components of American government. Figures and images were clear and undistorted. However, clearly, the information in this textbook is presented, in a manner that allows for updating as changing occur with major political events, elections, Supreme Court decisions, demographical data, and public opinion. The book is internally consistent. Donald A. Ritchie, Richard C. Remy. Unlike many other textbooks, it has a separate chapter on State and Local government which I think would be useful as I found it is helpful for students to understand the lower level governments in relation to the federal government when discussing American politics. I spent a significant amount of time reviewing and reading this textbook. In terms of content, the textbook has all the chapters one normally expects from an introductory American Government textbook. The text is written in lucid, accessible prose, and provides adequate context for any jargon/technical terminology used. have even added very impressive policy chapters (domestic and foreign) that you only see on occasion. 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. You have been searching for correct information on United States Government Our Democracy Textbook . However, it would be helpful if there were a way to transition back to the main body of the text from the note in question. Facilitate mastery of complex principles with dynamic digital tools. It covers all the areas that may be taught in an American Government intro class. The many color images and illustrations are very critical to minimizing any confusion. There are a couple other places in the text where this is noticeable. : 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. A number of important factors are left out. Please read our Terms of Use and Privacy Notice before you explore our Web site. I did not find any grammatical errors in the text. Reviewed by Eric Radezky, Adjunct Professor, LaGuardia Community College, CUNY on 5/21/18, This textbook is very comprehensive. While there are changes I would like to see, that is true for any book. The text is fairly clear but lacks some of the professional editing that I frequently see in pay-to-play textbooks. Well, longevity is a tough matter for this kind of text. when necessary. Electoral case studies provide for a story within a history. The Greeks are often credited with pioneering a . 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. presentation. If practical, it would be helpful if there were a hyperlink to OYEZ or Cornell LII for each case. 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. The book is very accessible. Experiences and participation of African-American, Latinx, Asian, indigenous, women, and LGBT citizens fill a chapter. 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. B. The textbook is error-free and unbiased. Excellent. My experience is that a significant number of my students will not read/fully comprehend a 30-40 page chapter at one pass. Yes, the text is clearly divided into sections, chapters, and subchapters, all numerically outlined and structured in a clear way. 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. I found no problem with navigating the text. American Government by Glenn Krutz covers a lot of ground. Defining Democracy 1. I found it especially comprehensive in its coverage of civil rights, voter registration and turnout, and the concluding policy chapters. The chapters are subdivided into appropriate sections with relevant information with documentation given with charts, diagrams, references to Supreme Court decisions and stories from media sources. The book clearly defines all the terms and theories and in plain language for non-majors to understand. This is a particular strength of the text book from my view. . It covers all the bases of an Introduction to American Government and then some. Prosper Bernard, Jr., City University of New York, Jennifer Danley-Scott, Texas Womans University, Christopher Lawrence, Middle Georgia State College, Adam Newmark, Appalachian State University, Brooks D. Simpson, Arizona State University, Shawn Williams, Campbellsville University, Rhonda Wrzenski, Indiana University Southeast. Uses contemporary examples, but not in depth cases that may be needed in higher level courses. To be clear, it is not culturally insensitive. Sentence structure and grammar are excellent. Swapping out these examples for newer ones in the future should not be too onerous. }. Elazar is a bit dated to present as useful fact (14.2) Many Supreme Court Justices do not regard the Court systems as the guardians of individual rights, but reserve this right to Congressthe Court, in their eyes, is there only to enforce laws that are made, whether right or wrong, so long as they are strictly in concordance with the Constitution. It is very comprehensive and covers all the necessary information. United States Government: A Textbook. The text provides an accurate, informative, cost-effective option for college students. It provides an effective index as well as a glossary of key terms at the end of each chapter. Krutz joined the Department of Political Science in 2002. Uses current issues as examples of concepts. Feb. 23, 2017. I find it useful assigning my students questions based on discussions in various sections of chapters. V. Democracy (pp. Overall I find the writing to be at an appropriate level for first-year college students. Additionally, there are sections within each chapter that can be assigned in other courses. He was our longest-serving president and also our best. -- to shed light on a wide variety of phenomena and encourage students to think analytically. My only critique here is substantial amounts of white space following some images which may distract the reader. Oak Meadow Website . The unit heading probably need more explanation and their rationale for selecting the chapters under each unit topic spelled out. Federalism. In each chapter, there are charts, diagrams, pictures from the news media that are appropriate, and informative that connect with the material in the chapter. - A timely set of examples, nicely updated through the beginning of the Trump presidency. On the other hand, on the divisive topic of LGBT rights, the discussion is pretty even-handed, adopting what is certainly the modal vocabulary of political science regarding these complex issues. 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. In reviewing the table of contents, I found the book has a logical flow that begins with defining what government is and then proceeds to provide information on the critical subjects of our democracy including but not limited to: The Constitution, federalism, civil liberties, civil rights, voting, Congress, the presidency, our court system, and the federal bureaucracy. Its designed with the C3 Framework for social studies in mind. The textbook includes virtually all topics that are critical to foundational course(s) in U.S. Government. I like the text's thematic emphasis on student participation. I love the inclusion of recent current events. font-weight: 400; Nevertheless, this section is missing the Articles of Confederation. Overall, the textbook provides accurate information, but there are some places where it comes up short in this regard, and a few statements made in the book are not as clear as they could be. 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. If anything, the text may be a bit on the long side. Our sense of legitimacy is tied to the desire for democratic government D. What is democracy? 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. In this textbook, I was pleased with both. For example, if an instructor wanted to cover formal institutions prior to individual agency and action or mediating institutions, it would not be difficult to do so using this text. Separation of powers refers to the process of dividing government into different branches and giving . It is impossible to cover all the material in a quarter college course, this format allows selective teacher emphasized learning outcomes. I have not found inconsistencies in the use of concepts. American Government 2e offers a comprehensive survey of the core aspects of the US political system. I think students would have an easier time digesting the information in this book than some of the other textbooks I have used. The framework/layout of each chapter is consistent which is an aid to both the instructor and the reader. However, I cant really think of a way to sidestep these concerns all authors must make choices. They provide both classic and current concepts throughout the textbook. Because the textbook has less of an editorial voice, it is easier to move chapters around. The framework of the text is internally consistent. read more. Glen Krutz, Professor of Political Science and Associate Director, Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center at the University of Oklahoma. 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 coverage and scope is presented in a way that is well organized, concise, and engaging. read more. read more. Greek city-state or polis b) New England town meeting c) Abandoned as size of towns increased and issues became more complex 2. The chapter-to-chapter progression is logical. I reviewed the book for about 3 hours, and I could probably spend another 3 hours finding other "issues." Students first learn what constitutes a government. The headings and subheadings are appealing and provide the students with direction about what is coming next. This product will be available on 09/22/2015. Overall, the textbook is written in a traditional format. Its framework is solid. 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. I am seriously considering using this text the next time I teach introduction to American Government. The text is extremely consistent. Students may struggle with somewhat dated, routine examples. Not much to comment on here. The text follows a chapter layout that is common among American politics texts, beginning with the Constitution and ending with policy. The terms is not introduced again in the public opinion chapter. Most textbooks for undergraduates in this topic area dont include this topic, and its a welcome addition. 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 Would grade this as 4.5 if possible. margin-bottom: 1rem !important;