united states government: our democracy textbook pdf
The only issue I had was that the NOTES that are interspersed through the chapters and appear to be hyperlinks do not work. - A good set of basic references at the end of each chapter. The authors or editors clearly made an effort to be inclusive in this chapter. The prose is accessible, and the authors' have done an outstanding job avoiding the jargon that can unnecessarily complicate a text. The fully integrated print and digital content of United States Government: Our Democracy is grounded in solid pedagogy, strong authorship, and includes a full suite of thoughtfully designed teaching and learning tools.. Focus on big ideas with an accessible student text built around essential questions and inquiry. I am especially impressed by its multi-dimensional approach to topic coverage. These issues are prevalent in American political and social life, and have been accentuated during the first term of President Trump. Access and customize online lesson plans and explore the library of resources. I also like the presence of key terms at the end of every chapter as in the textbooks one can pay ($) for. I found it very appropriate for undergraduates. 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. United States Government: Democracy in Action emphasizes 14 key government concepts. Chapter 8, Section 3 discussing the media and particularly the FCC is a very strong section of the text. The US is dominated by a rich and powerful elite. This is not a pervasive problem, however but an occasional one. 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. PO 4 I sometimes worry that textbooks I use are hard for students to understand. .nav-contain-highered{ The text is not culturally insensitive. - Unit I Test - The Foundations of the United States Government + Wednesday September 16th, 2016 HW: TED Talk: Lawrence Lessig . This textbook covers all the main topics need for American government 101. Question #55 61. 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. read more. Overall the book is extremely well edited. I am also happy it comes in a printed version. When you become a U.S. citizen, you also make these promises: give up loyalty to other countries defend the Constitution and laws of the United States obey the laws of the United States serve in the U.S. military (if needed) do important work for the nation (if needed) At the same time, I should point out that, at least in my view, the book is organized in an unconventional way. Reviewed by Leslie Caughell, Assistant Professor, Virginia Wesleyan College on 2/8/17, This book is very comprehensive. most of the chapters are pretty well self-contained and explain relevant concepts from other chapters so the student doesn't get lost. This has become such an important issue. In fact, in several places the book includes specific discussion of how the subject relates to minority or historically underrepresented or repressed communities that other texts tend to ignore (e.g. 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 The book seems unbiased - and includes the traditional readings of American Government. The text's modularity is such that the instructor that would be able to easily reorganize and realign the readings to fit the curricular requirements of the course taught. Recent elections and the up to date makeup of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches are provided, along with the most recent as possible statistical aspects of our bureaucracy. It offers an excellent collection of concepts and ideas useful to political science students. Of course, whenever there are big changes on the Supreme Court or in the American governmental structure updates would need to be made. Many varied examples and leaders are highlighted. The index is clear and useful and the chapter glossaries are excellent. The language is accessible for students in higher education; and likely high school juniors and seniors. The text contains no grammatical errors that jumped out at me which is quite an accomplishment in such a voluminous text. I looked more at concepts and content. As an Reviewed by Colin Glennon, Associate Professor, East Tennessee State University on 4/11/19, The book certainly has all of the topics expected of an Introduction to American Government text. I did not find enormous blocks of text without subheadings. Reviewed by Eric Goddard, Lecturer, Trine University on 5/28/19, The book is comprehensive, covering the major topics one would expect to find in a U.S. government textbook. Straightforward comparisons with oligarchy and monarchy. The text covers everything that an introduction to American government should. 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. Basics of American Government - University of North Georgia Google Apps. The accuracy of the content presented in the Kurtz et al book is as accurate and unbias as one would expect. Below are the modified excerpts that are assigned to you. Offers many examples and insights to a wide variety of political views and cultures. Effective participation 3. My least favorite chapter concerns Federalism (3), not because of the topic but I just think that chapter is not as informative as others. Facilitate mastery of complex principles with dynamic digital tools. There's A LOT of flexibility with the text content. Great looking book and the price point would be very beneficial to students. by Richard C. Remy. The coverage and scope is presented in a way that is well organized, concise, and engaging. The professor can supply larger themes to the broader course and this textbook can fit nearly any theme with important and clear information on American Government. In my own courses, I am going to make up for this by assigning articles from CQ Researcher. text-decoration: underline; This is disappointing but not fatal as I can update in class using the overhead. The text was clear and devoid of any unnecessary jargon. 5.0. The textbook contains sections and subsections within the chapters with independent learning objectives. Create assignments for whole class or individual students. In short, more up to date statistics and graphics should be there. I like the additional chapter on State and Local Government (Chap 14). For the most part, this book does as good a jobif not betterat sidestepping this capsules in time and offering something that need not be edited or updated often (though, some updates are always necessary as government is constantly evolving). read more. I did not notice a significant number of grammatical errors. Although the U.S. has been a strong proponent of democracy, it did not invent democracy. I do miss a chapter on political culture, but even without it, the text is good. The writing appears to be objective and factually correct. The authors do a superb job. 7. This textbook is perfect for my American government course that I teach to undergraduates at the community college level. 334-335). Pretty standard for many similar texts and courses. I love the inclusion of recent current events. Following I found the book well-organized and based on a logical structure. But the textbook does well dealing with less amorphous topics, like the simple history of the Constitution or structural questions; for instance, the discussion of the eccentricities of the double-jeopardy concept. 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. I would consider using this textbook in my American Government 101. I didnt have any difficulty navigating the book. I liked the fact that the book had several subsections within each chapter. United States Government: Our Democracy allows students to master an understanding of the structure, function, and powers of government at all levels. United States Government: Our Democracy 2016, LearnSmart Social Studies Overview Flyer. I did not identify any issues with the accuracy of the textbook content. The textbook content and organization is consistent throughout. The book's content is accurate. The printed version (and online replica version) has all review questions at back of each chapter, without answers provided, the way I wanted it. The organization of topics conforms with what one finds in many other introductory level texts on American Government. I liked the Supreme Court and Electoral College Appendices, very nice additions beyond the usual set of founding documents. p. 136, in which only a small fraction of the page is filled with an external link) , though if you are not strictly concerned with minimizing page count or aesthetics, this is feature rather than a bug, as it reduces the need for thing like including figures on a page with unrelated text to maximize efficient spacing. It has begun. The text is written in lucid prose with technical terminology highlighted, defined in the text, and listed again in a glossary. There are numerous ways to define or describe political power, and they should be conveyed in the textbook. The book follows a relatively consistent framework for presentation throughout. In the case of the United States, that power is exercised indirectly, through elected representatives. The supplemental materials (graphs, charts, figures, etc.) The material could easily be reorganized or covered in a different sequence at the discretion of the instructor without much disruption. I did not see any issues in terms uneven discussions or those filled with mistakes. Students may understand the material better and make a deeper connection regarding the relationship of the Bureaucracy to the Executive Branch if it is covered after the chapter on the Presidency, before the Courts. The organization and flow of the book is very good. For example, the section on ideology equates authoritarianism with the right side of the political spectrum, even though authoritarianism as a ruling style can also be commonly found in communist or socialist polities; students might be led to conclude that communists and socialists aren't about control. Its designed with the C3 Framework for social studies in mind. From an aesthetic perspective, the textbook has a fair amount of graphic material that is appealing to students. The cosmetics of the book is well done. I read the "theme" as being about civic engagement, and the theme appears consistently throughout the text. Only 2 left in stock - order soon. read more. These officials represent the citizens' ideas and concerns in government. Key terms are also defined at the end of each chapter. So concludes a recent study by Princeton University Prof Martin Gilens and Northwestern University Prof Benjamin I Page. Have questions? It's very well organized. Please read our Terms of Use and Privacy Notice before you explore our Web site. I suspect students will read the chapters as rather lengthy. Yes, the topics are presented in logical and clear fashion. 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. The various appendixes include the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, Federalist 10 and 51 and a couple of other items. It is as accurate as any standard, mainstream textbook on American government. Also, discussions are not biased toward any political ideology. The textbook covers all the essential parts of American government. I do think the other subsections on elections get a little shortchanged. The book is actually slightly longer and denser than other texts I have assigned for an introductory course in American government. The 'Insider Perspective' sections in each chapter reflect this in their profiles of diverse individuals. Reviewed by Shawn Osborne, Instructor, Portland Community College on 8/21/16, As an introduction to American Government, the text covers the areas and ideas of the subject at a very comprehensive level. The respective discussions involving each of the aforementioned groups is objective, open minded, and balanced. TEXT: United States Government: Democracy in Action US GOVERNMENT COURSE CALENDAR 2014 - 2015: Unit 1: Foundations of American Government August 19 - September 10 In this Unit: Exploring the Big Ideas Resources & Activities Chapter 1: People and Government. the text covers many inclusive and powerful cases of civil rights from African Americans and the Civil Rights Movement to women's suffrage to Occupy Wall Street. Overall, this is a good text that seems to be accessible for student learning. 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. The main framework chapters are excellent and thorough. Students at all levels will have no difficulty with the language used therein. The text's consistency is quite strong in that it provides a comprehensible, conceptual framework and predictably organized units, chapters, and sections for the study of American government and politics. 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 Mediating Institutions and Collective Action 4. The materials contain frequent references to variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. 1. Zip. For students looking to identify key terms, this bolding does feel mightily inconsistent. I was quite impressed by the clear prose used in this text. The textbook includes virtually all topics that are critical to foundational course(s) in U.S. Government. The writing is generally very clear. United States Government: Democracy in Action. Much of your textbook is solid, such as Chapter 8 on the Media. 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. All of the topics you would expect to be covered in an American government 101 course are here: origins of our republic, institutions, individual action and collective action. I choose this title because it underlines student political participation. The presentation of the material lends itself to be easily modified to accommodate changes in the political sphere. The text then moves through its substantive topics in a coherent manner with useful transitions between topics. Grammar and sentence structure are appropriate for the reading comprehension level expected in an introductory level course. The text is written in a clear and accessible way. read more. margin-bottom: 1rem !important; The textbook follows the usual model of an American Government textbook. The text is highly relevant for students studying American government and politics today and will serve students well in subsequent years without seeming obsolete. Furthermore, I think there are not enough appropriate charts and illustrations to engage student attention. For example, the term latent opinion comes up in the introductory chapter. The book is divided into chapters, and then subdivided again into sections. : 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. LBGTQ issues were integrated in many of the chapters and this is refreshing. And I don't. There are minor mistakes in some of the tables and figures, too. I have not found culturally insensitive comments. However, the concepts are so strong here (thorough, well laid out) that an I didnt find any interface issues in this textbook. I have not found inconsistencies in the use of concepts. The cited political science literature is excellent. Technical terminology is explained in a precise and clear manner. The text covers everything that an introduction to American government should. Has good index. This is not, however, a reason not to use the book as currently written and hope that it is appropriately updated in the years ahead. To learn about the specific purchase options for this program, please contact our Customer Service team at 800-338-3987. Reviewed by Andrew Thangasamy, Associate Professor, Metropolitan State University of Denver on 8/28/20, In terms of content, the textbook has all the chapters one normally expects from an introductory American Government textbook. In addition to the readings at the end of the book like The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, and Federalist #10 and Federalist #51, the textbook includes links to other readings and primary source documents to supplement the material. Overall, I like the text very much. However, it does do a nice job of considering the broader themes that characterize United States politics today. There were graphics to illustrate some of the material, and it is nice that PDF and online versions are available. There are no grammar or spelling errors, but sometimes the choice or placement of topics doesnt align with the larger argument being made in a chapter, which can be confusing. I am glad to have discovered this book. While no text does a perfect job at inclusiveness, I was impressed at the myriad examples of diverse cultural experiences incorporated throughout the text. The text is evenly written with no discernible bias. Particularly well written is the "Approach to Foreign Policy, p. 650, especially, the "Classic Approach" and the more recent history of U.S. foreign policy. Plus, they blend with the gray boxes of the same color that are often used, otherwise effectively, to present case studies or specific examples. These add up quickly and at times break up material where paragraphs or explanations would benefit from remaining connected. The text is easily and readily divisible.