Analysis of political institutions is well-balanced with substantial attention to the role of the individual and collective action. Second, key terms in Chapter 17 are wanting. .nav-contain-highered p{ 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. Each topic by chapter is integrated with all the others in some way. The headings and subheadings are appealing and provide the students with direction about what is coming next. The terms is not introduced again in the public opinion chapter. There is a standard form to intro Am Gov textbooks, and this one is pretty typical. I think it would be easy for me to pick and choose sections of the book to focus on and to present chapters in a customized order. 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. My least favorite chapter concerns Federalism (3), not because of the topic but I just think that chapter is not as informative as others. The writing is clear and error-free. If anything, the text may be a bit on the long side. 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 word "democracy" comes from the Greek word "demos" which means "people." The word "democracy" is not used anywhere in the U.S. Constitution. Reviewed by Vicki Jeffries-Bilton, Instructor, Portland Community College on 12/31/21, The textbook includes virtually all topics that are critical to foundational course(s) in U.S. Government. This means that the program can easily fit into your curriculum, no matter how high-tech or low-tech your classroom is. Not every one covers Civil Rights and Liberties or Foreign and Domestic Policy, but this text does offer a chapter on each of those. Some of the current graphs and charts will need to be updated.The links to learning sections make it possible to quickly find current data and information. Logical and standard fare. 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 Greeks are often credited with pioneering a . Everything in this textbook looks accurate to me. In my own courses, I am going to make up for this by assigning articles from CQ Researcher. Plus, they blend with the gray boxes of the same color that are often used, otherwise effectively, to present case studies or specific examples. 5.0. But I would rather have it smaller so I It would be easier if the chapters would focus on the 2016 and 2018 elections. At the edges, the composition of Congress and descriptive representation will need to be updated. 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. 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. A United Nation Requires a Strong Government. I am strongly considering adopting this for my students, though I wish that it were weightier and lengthier. In the balance, I recognize the critiques above may not sound like the book is a good resource. These examples were not solely places in the civil right unit, but incorporated throughout the text; which is significant. The unit heading probably need more explanation and their rationale for selecting the chapters under each unit topic spelled out. All about United States Government Our Democracy Textbook is exactly what you need. Below are the modifiedexcerpts that are assigned to you. To expect of our students to readily pursue this extent of "Notes" is excessive, and the opposite effect I suggest occurs, namely a sense of being overwhelmed by such extra content.This is in my opinion too much to expect of our students. The textbook does not contain grammatical errors. We have stopped printing many old products, but we might have some stock in our warehouse. I suppose that in this case the decision was made to put individual action next as a way to show students how they can participate in government and how government affects them. That is as comprehensive or more comprehensive than other textbooks I have used. All government textbooks have a tendency to show their age quickly, but this text may be more resilient than most. Have used it this semester in 2 sections of my intro Am Gov class with no student complaints. read more. Landmark cases and events bring history alive. Some texts may cover only one additional chapter other than the basic chapters one would expect. The text is easily navigated and free of any significant interface issues. The Right to Privacy section of Chapter 4, Section 4 that describes activity from the 9th and 10th Amendments is well done. I was able to move freely throughout the textbook with ease, experiencing no navigational difficulties and without finding any display features that were distracting or confusing. Gerrymandering and redistricting is continually evolving. It does not explain some additional reasons why the two-party system in the U.S. persists. With this objective in mind, the content of this textbook has been developed and . ISBN. Chapters are structured in reasonable ways. This book does a much better job of bringing these groups in than some other texts I have seen. Instructors planning on using this book may want to request access to the instructor resources very early to avoid issues. Additionally, if I made any additions to the text, you may not have them. By the standards of Introduction to American Politics textbooks, this is a comprehensive offering. Sixth, from pp. Develop strong critical thinking, analytical, and compromise skills with. Sylvie Waskiewicz, PhD, is an editor, researcher and writer who specialties include textbook publishing and e-learning instructional design, including copyediting and proofreading with meticulous review of text, layout, and media from first pages to printer proofs as well as QC of web content (HTML/XML). Very clearly explains important concepts; I can use my own assignments to require graduate level thinking and expand on the complications/interactions of the text concepts, etc. 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 text also does a better job than most of discussing the importance of Voter Registration in Chapter 7 (Voting and Elections), including coverage of the Voting Rights Act and Shelby County v. Holder (2013). It is impossible to cover all the material in a quarter college course, this format allows selective teacher emphasized learning outcomes. Would hope a new edition will be forthcoming over the next year or so? 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. I reviewed several chapters for discussion areas that students often time find difficult to understand due to the terminology used, such as federalism, civil liberties, civil rights and bureaucracies. LGBT rights seem to be given less treatment than African American rights. Each chapter starts with basic concepts and moves discussion toward topics which need more critical thinking. As always, you have the flexibility to organize the course content as you like. Similar t the question about modularity, the organization and flow of the book is partially a matter of the author and editor's preference. . I see no sign of bias or editorial spin from the authors. But thats ok! Chapter . The analysis of Presidents attending Ivy League institutions is a bit misleading as evidence of elitism, for example. The chapters contain accurate information. I found no problem with navigating the text. It offers an excellent collection of concepts and ideas useful to political science students. The text and figures were attractive and easy to navigate. read more. Reviewed by M. Victoria Perez-Rios, Adjunct Assistant Professor, La Guardia Community College on 5/21/18, The textbook is very comprehensive with more than 650 pages of content plus appendices with relevant documents. 34 Question #69. Student Edition: Focus on the big ideas with an accessible print student text built around Essential Questions and Inquiry. Maximize comprehension with the Reading Help Desk in each lesson to assist students with building vocabulary, cultivating reading strategies, and strengthening note-taking skills. Analyze a variety of primary and secondary sources including text excerpts, political cartoons, photographs, graphs, maps, and more. Develop strong critical thinking, analytical, and compromise skills with Debate and Deliberation features. Challenge students to "be the judge" in Supreme Court Case Studies; students will classify arguments, assign unmarked opinions and decide cases, apply precedents to recent cases, and conduct in-class moot courts. Customize the learning experience for differentiated instruction using leveled reading, customizable assessments and worksheets, and flexible online learning tools. Facilitate mastery of complex principles with dynamic digital tools. Overall, I found the text to be clear and readable. Of course, whenever there are big changes on the Supreme Court or in the American governmental structure updates would need to be made. 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. In this textbook, I was pleased with both. read more. read more. It would also be helpful if the text came with bookmarks to the main chapters and subsections. Well-regarded global democracy indexessuch as Freedom House, 2 Varieties of Democracy, 3 and the Economist Intelligence Unit 4all show an erosion of American democracy since 2016. I find first and second year college students (the levels I teach) have limited attention spans with regard dense text no matter how articulately written. I repeat that the textbook content is well written. The material is not overly self-referential. Overall there are no major things to complain about here. 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. Washington set precedents. Technical terms are clearly explained allowing the typical college to understand unfamiliar terms/concepts. Differentiation strategies as well as project-based learning materials are included. The writing is clear and accessible to an introductory-level undergraduate reader. The 'Insider Perspective' sections in each chapter reflect this in their profiles of diverse individuals. US Government Textbook PowerPoints - McGrawHill; Power Points Economics; Power Point files from US Government: Mr. Juan Calderon. Issues related to race, ethnicity, gender, and class are addressed in appropriate ways. 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. Was: $150.00 Now: $120.00. The textbook covers all the essential parts of American government. In fact, I would critique the text somewhat in the other direction, there are a few points where important related ideas are broken into different subsections. Some of the information in it is five years old and the writing does not explore clearly the theory of federalism and its evolution. 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. I am especially excited about he design combining theory and practice and critical thinking. read more. The framework in the textbook and within chapters is consistent with other traditional publications. read more. I only use online textbooks and sources for my classes, but have students who want a hard copy option. The index is thorough and easily navigable with direct links to the relevant section of the text in which the key term is discussed. Right from the get go I enjoyed the section on Civic Engagement as Well written with solid organization, the chapters flow nicely together. Multiple perspectives on issues and areas of controversy are acknowledged.Enduring themes and tensions between ideas and realities are presented in a way that Thought/theory/philosophy explained while discussing history of government. I was quite impressed by the clear prose used in this text. This text can definitely be broken down not only by chapter but by sections. The United States Government Manual. As a teacher of history also, I especially look for historical accuracy. Reading and writing support such as guided notes, vocabulary pop-ups, and graphic organizers help improve understanding of the content. If anything, the text may be a bit on the long side. I think it would be harder to pull apart sections of the book independently and rearrange them. This is somewhat backwards to how I teach the course in my mind. The text is suitably consistent even though there are many chapter authors. font-weight: 400 !important; Google Apps. In fact, Kurtz et al. Pretty standard for many similar texts and courses. Citizen control of the agenda 5. 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 division of provisions of the Bill of Rights into three categories is arguable at best. Each chapter includes embedded boxes with relevant information such as insider perspectives, specific short contemporary case studies, and external links to deeper readers. 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. Might be using this text in the spring of 2020, Reviewed by Amedee George, Professor, SUNO on 4/23/19, 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. Our students love videos---was it a conscious decision not to include video links? In updates to this text, it may be useful to search for more contemporary illustrations of key concepts, and this would be a relatively easy fix to implement. Although overall the text is quite comprehensive, one downside is that there are only two chapters on policy (separated into Domestic and Foreign Policy). United States government : democracy in action by Remy, Richard C; Congressional Quarterly, inc. and J. D. and Lee Arbetman and Megan L. Hanson and M.S. There were no issues with this at all. - Chapter organization around the set of themes that any proper intro gov class would teach: institutions plus civil rights liberties, parties, elections, public opinion, and so on. The text's clarity is excellent. Analyze a variety of primary and secondary sources including text excerpts, political cartoons, photographs, graphs, charts, and maps. The text is not overladen with jargon, and when specialized terms are used, there is an effort to provide definitions for terms. The book covers all of the basic components of American government. The text was easily navigable and the Index, search function, and drop-down menus in the Table of Contents functioned seamlessly. 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. United States Government: Our Democracy allows high school students to master an understanding of the structure, function, and powers of government at all levels. 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. read more. read more. 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). At the time this edition was written, the information in figure 3.17, presented data on the legality of same sex marriage by state in our country in an easily understood and precise manner. 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. [et al.] That said, there are areas where the text is quite brief and doesn't provide terribly deep discussion. The book follows a relatively consistent framework for presentation throughout. 13-23) A. Modularity is excellent. 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 did not notice a significant number of grammatical errors. They examine these conflicts in our democracy by reading primary sources, summarizing based on textual evidence, and beginning analysis of multiple perspectives for text. The text covers all areas that one would expect from an introduction to American Government textbook. Style is straightforward. So if you wanted to teach the presidency before Congress, there is enough information about Congress in the presidency chapter that students would be able to understand it without having first read the chapter on Congress. That was the first online textbook that I looked at and it gave me pause when considering using one. I clicked on many, but was not taken to that particular resource. The textbook is highly relevant with topics that will continue to be important to include in a foundational study of U.S .government. The best way to protect these rights was by limiting the power of government and allowing people to govern themselves. The foundational building blocks of the republic that are provided are similar to the last This provides the Media with an opportunity to fill this vacuum. These gaps give the impression that the text has not been properly edited to make sure that text and images are combined the best possible way. Adopting profs should read the chapters carefully so they know what areas get deeper coverage, and what areas get shallower treatment. If anything, as I noted above, breaking chapters into even more sections or sub-dividing those sections would enhance the ability of the instructor to chunk material. 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. The text would be very easy to divide into smaller sections. } Reviewed by Leo Keneally, Associate Professor, Thomas Nelson Community College on 3/29/19, The textbook covers all the essential parts of American government. Again, these are things the author may want to consider. I would have preferred more of this, but the book was adequate in this regard. This isn't physics, it's politics. That noted, I will assign a section or two to aid in a specific class activity and these chapters can be used to supplement material in another course or two, particularly State & Local Government. I have not found culturally insensitive comments. The interface is excellent. Has good index. 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