The writers do have material distributed into sections of the text that are not always the best choice in my view (this could be said of any textbook). Of course, the question is how many students really do that? It includes many examples that students with a wide variety of backgrounds and characteristics should be able to relate to. As an introduction to American Government, the text covers the areas and ideas of the subject at a very comprehensive level. Overall, this is a very good text. for only $40. If practical, it would be helpful if there were a hyperlink to OYEZ or Cornell LII for each case. Overall the book is balanced, but there are areas where things could be more even handed. - A good set of basic references at the end of each chapter. I did not find enormous blocks of text without subheadings. I find this a potentially helpful framework to shape my courses. Included is a Power Point and outlined note packet that is used to introduce the origins of government for a high school American Government course. This text is not culturally insensitive. With this objective in mind, the content of this textbook has been developed and . The foundational building blocks of the republic that are provided are similar to the last Concerns: Textbook lacks yearly/semester pacing guide, limited ability to edit teacher resources . The text is written in a way that provides context in a comprehensive and organized way. While there are changes I would like to see, that is true for any book. Chapter . Key terms are defined with appropriate detail in a glossary and the summaries serve to reinforce the material covered in each section. For instance, I find the unit groupings to be effective and have always taught special interest groups before Congress. The text would be easily divisible by chapter. This book would be easy to update as changes occur. Key words repeated throughout so students would be exposed them at various points in the text. It follows the standard layout of American Government textbooks and offers an effective and easily searchable index. The pros and cons of government regulation of group activity (spending) are both presented accurately, and the student is asked to make their own determination. read more. Thankfully, though, the chapters are easy to move around. -- to shed light on a wide variety of phenomena and encourage students to think analytically. This is particularly identifiable in chapters one and two. For example, in talking about Courts, jumping from the concept of jurisdiction (complex) to Hamilton and the Federalist, and then to the historical evolution of the Court is a bit jarring. The text was clear and devoid of any unnecessary jargon. If you click on a chapter title, say Media, nothing happens, except it opens the subsections of the chapter. I believe the language used in the text is entirely appropriate for an introductory college course on the subject. 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. The modularity of the chapters should allow the instructor to more effectively chunk material than most other textbook options. I recommend considering the use of this book for an introductory American Government course. Also, I was disappointed that I requested access to the instructor resources a few weeks ago, but as of the start of the semester I have still not received access. 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). We have stopped printing many old products, but we might have some stock in our warehouse. Landmark cases and events bring history alive. 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, and next the originality and purpose of our federal system of government. I also think the book does a good job bringing in gender concerns throughout the text. According to Locke individuals held authority through a divine power that existed in the people that formed the basis for the "fountain of authority"? United States Government - Adventist Education Use it to preview online test questions or print for paper and pencil tests. by Richard C. Remy. have even added very impressive policy chapters (domestic and foreign) that you only see on occasion. Adopting profs should read the chapters carefully so they know what areas get deeper coverage, and what areas get shallower treatment. I didnt have any difficulty navigating the book. The interface is very easy to use, with no navigation problems or distracting features. The book addresses difficult issues in an appropriate way. In general, the content is suitably up to date, although some tables and figures should probably be updated soon. 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. The textbook provides a clear, concise, and easily navigable resource of comprehensive information on the topic of U.S. government. I liked the incorporation of the graphics, which will enable students to work on their graphic/data interpretation skills. On diversity: Notwithstanding the fact that the book has text and images that represent different groups based on sex, race, religion and sexual orientation, among other characteristics; there is general reference to Hispanics being the largest minority group in the first chapter which is supposed to set up the main characteristics of our country. read more. There is a very broad selection of examples relating to variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds--the Civil Rights chapter is a good example. The process of Amending the Constitution is under developed. The textbooks language is not as direct and as appealing to the pedagogical style of this new generation of students. I think it would be very easy to pick and choose which parts of the book you would want to assign. The founding chapter and the Constitution are great chapters and will always be relevant. Back to List. For students looking to identify key terms, this bolding does feel mightily inconsistent. The structural framework of the chapters maintains a similar design throughout. United States Government: Our Democracy, Student Learning Center Online interactive website, accessible with login and password. I did not identify any grammatical issues with the textbook content. For example, Plato and Aristotle are not included in the further readings of the introductory chapter on government. 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. The text is not overladen with jargon, and when specialized terms are used, there is an effort to provide definitions for terms. You can use that resource if you would prefer, but you're responsible for locating the correct excerpts. THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES in 10 minutes The 1619 Project Exposed: A Special Edition of the American Mind . 13-23) A. The text is not culturally offensive, but I would like to see more sections or paragraphs that flesh out diversity and politics. 1. Democracy and government, the U.S. political system, elected The information in several chapters, like the chapters pertaining to the institutions, provide for an in-depth analysis. By comparison, another online textbook on American government (which will remain nameless) had a clear bias from the very first chapter. 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. Excellent charts and interactive materiel. 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. .nav-contain-highered p{ The text's content also features an excellent collection of relevant, recent landmark Supreme Court cases, including Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, and Obergefell v. Hodges. One designed to be looked at online, another one that is essentially a replica of the printed version. 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. Overall, the content is relevant and won't quickly become obsolete. I think students would have an easier time digesting the information in this book than some of the other textbooks I have used. One issue that does not receive a lot of direct attention is American political culture, including the values that underlie our Clear organization led to clarity of content. In the pages that follow you will find information to help you better understand how the machinery of . There is an additional chapter on State & Local government aside from the chapter on federalism - which offers An innovative inclusion is that, in addition to the standard chapter on federalism, American Government (2e) also includes a separate chapter (14) on State and Local Governments. I think the flow of the book is clear, with different headings and images to explain the material. 5.0. Thorough coverage of the main thematic areas generally addressed by introductory American Government textbooks. 4. This article lists forms of government and political systems, according to a series of different ways of categorizing them.The systems listed are not mutually exclusive, and often have overlapping definitions. Government Democracy In Action Answers below. The president can also send troops into battle, and nominate individuals to serve in the cabinet or on the Supreme Court. Aristotelian "rule of the many" (direct or participatory democracy) a) Fourth-century B.C. This is somewhat backwards to how I teach the course in my mind. For example I like to group Congress and Interest Groups together, the Presidency and Political Parties, and Civil Rights and Civil Liberties with the Judiciary. In my own courses, I am going to make up for this by assigning articles from CQ Researcher. This coverage emphasizes and links back to the section of the text on Civic Engagement. I found the insertion of bold links in the middle of the text rather distracting. 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 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. p. 176 on Civil Rights for Indigenous Groups). Chapter 8 on the Media is the best chapter I've seen on that subject. 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. It would be easy to rearrange the chapter order of this textbook to suit the needs and style of most anyone teaching an American government 101 course. The textbook is consistent and the framework is adhered to in each chapter. Also, I believe that the material on Parties should be placed closer to the material on campaigns and elections. The text is written in a clear and accessible way. One Day University presents a series of audio lectures recorded in real-time from some of the top minds in the United States. I did not find the book cultural insensitive. In fact, the text compares positively with other leading texts in this regard. This means that the program can easily fit into your curriculum, no matter how high-tech or low-tech your classroom is. margin-bottom: 1rem !important; There's A LOT of flexibility with the text content. Below are the modifiedexcerpts that are assigned to you. Overall the textbook is highly consistent. Though as I said before, more recent in time statistics, graphs, charts, and pictures would help, the use of the visuals organizationally as far as charts, maps, and graphs is very good. 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. read more. The endnotes are difficult to follow. pdf: Download File. The writing appears to be objective and factually correct. From the founding and Constitution to the major institutions of Congress, Courts, and the Presidency, these major areas are Exam Weighting (Multiple-Choice Section) Unit 1: Foundations of American Democracy. The textbook covers all the essential parts of 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. But thats ok! Have used it this semester in 2 sections of my intro Am Gov class with no student complaints. However, the concepts are so strong here (thorough, well laid out) that an I found my iPad did not always work well with it. But after that there is some latitude as to which major theme comes next. } Those that do work, can take the reader away from the book and you can not hit the go back button. Republic vs. Democracy: What Is the Difference? - ThoughtCo 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. I found the text to be eminently user friendly with no issues what so ever navigating within the chapters. To learn about the specific purchase options for this program, please contact our Customer Service team at 800-338-3987. Images and charts that are presented are not distractions at all, most of the time they are enhancements of the chapters. Rousseau more clearly articulated the concept of Social Contract, borrowed from Locke. . Personally, I prefer to teach institutions before individual or collective action, and that looks like it would be easy enough to do with this textbook by simply assigning some of the later chapters first and then coming back to the ones in the middle of the book later. This could certainly be prepared for the 2020 election. Concepts well explained and presented. Analysis of political institutions is well-balanced with substantial attention to the role of the individual and collective action. I did not notice a significant number of grammatical errors. read more. Very logical and clear organization. The index and glossary are well formulated. In the course of using this textbook, I have discovered no significant errors. of the topic in a clear, straightforward way. Reviewed by John Herbert, Instructor, Anoka-Ramsey Community College, Coon Rapids, MN on 6/15/19, 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 covers all of the major topics an introductory text should cover and a few others as well. My biggest concerns lie with the unconventional ordering of the material, as well as the density of the text throughout. This has become such an important issue. line-height: 1.5 !important; The order in which I present material in the course varies from the order in which chapters are presented in the text, but I have experienced few difficulties in subdividing chapters and assigning them in the order needed to support teaching. Mrs Doering s Classroom Government Wikispaces. The book leans more towards describing American government than explaining it, which may be fine for many instructors, especially for an introductory course. The case law is also an effective addition. The textbook utilizes a wide array of references to various cultures, both in its written content and its supplementary graphics. It covers all the areas that may be taught in an American Government intro class. The cited political science literature is excellent. 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. The textbook is structured in a logical manner with chapters that have clearly defined subareas that more than adequately provide students with an understanding of American government. It is certainly a viable option for my course. References are balanced--not exclusively conservative or liberal--and include non-partisan resources.This text appears to be carefully edited and reviewed. Then again maybe that is just my bias because of what information was included and what was omitted. Information is presented in a logical order.
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