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. I plan to regularly assign these items to use in discussion and written work. 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. I believe that modularity is one of the strengths of this text. The book covers all of the basic components of American government. From the founding and Constitution to the major institutions of Congress, Courts, and the Presidency, these major areas are all covered. I look at these minor issues as an opportunity for teachers to clarify in lecture, rather than deal-breaking issues. font-family: ProximaNova,Helvetica Neue,Arial,Noto Sans,Liberation Sans,sans-serif,Apple Color Emoji,Segoe UI Emoji,Segoe UI Symbol,Noto Color Emoji !important; The text then moves through its substantive topics in a coherent manner with useful transitions between topics. The analysis of Presidents attending Ivy League institutions is a bit misleading as evidence of elitism, for example. 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 book was very internally consistent in terms of terminology. Teachers Edition:The print Teacher Wraparound Edition is built on the principles of Understanding by Design. The book is very comprehensive. I am glad to have discovered this book. It offers an excellent collection of concepts and ideas useful to political science students. American Government 2e offers a comprehensive survey of the core aspects of the US political system. 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. You can use that resource if you would . The textbook does not contain a glossary. One particular aspect related to the question of comprehensiveness was the authors decision to include a chapter on state and local government. Donald A. Ritchie, Richard C. Remy. The cited political science literature is excellent. This book is useful as both as an assigned textbook but also as a reference for the study of United States government. 3. read more. However, the preponderance of examples from the Obama and Trump eras will become outdated and need updates supplied by the instructor. Where is the concept of deterrence? 34 Question #69. This is probably a sensitive issue. But it is an impressive work overall. The terminology is consistent and the textbook has a glossary at the end of each chapter; which is useful for students to identify terms and concepts. 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. 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. There are long stretches of well written but long winded paragraphs. Some of the pages could use a little more color to add some pop. It is a well planned and logical progression of chapters and topics. democracy: key principles, institutions and problems professor david beetham 21 the judiciary in democratic governance: some insights from the indian experience ms. justice m. fathima beevi 31 some important problems and aspects of democracy in the context of the black african states professor abd-el kader boye 37 It is certainly a viable option for my course. 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. This text could very easily replace the book I have used Each subsection has a quick review at the end to help readers see if they understand the section. I really liked that it had information from the 2016 election, as that is interesting to many students. The book is internally consistent. Our School" Reopening Plan; Daily Bulletin; S3 Grant; Principal's Message; Mission & Vision Statement; Bell Schedule; Contact Us; Policies & Procedures; . Revolution and the New Nation (1754-1820s) Expansion and Reform (1801-1861) Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877) The Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900) The Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930) The Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945) The text is generally clear and easy to read, although it may err towards oversimplification is some places. The best way to protect these rights was by limiting the power of government and allowing people to govern themselves. In short, more up to date statistics and graphics should be there. 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. Images and charts that are presented are not distractions at all, most of the time they are enhancements of the chapters. While there are a few points where the text could be more concise, overall the text is well written and accessible. 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. I saw no problems with the navigation or images. Fifth, Page 338 discusses the Electoral College as the reason for a two-party system, but the explanation given does not explain why the Electoral College is one of the main reasons why there is an entrenched two-party system. font-weight: 400 !important; I would reduce the number of "in order to" and replace with "to" in many sentences. Reviewed by Gale Czerski, Adult Basic Education Instructor, Portland Community College on 6/20/17, This textbook provides a comprehensive framework for introductory American government. I certainly will moving forward. No instances of cultural insensititvity. have even added very impressive policy chapters (domestic and foreign) that you only see on occasion. I like the "exercises" section for assessment of learning and the "glossaries." They are usually a couple of paragraphs long and illustrate key concepts with practical examples followed by links to websites that have additional relevant information. Focus on big ideas with an accessible student text built around essential questions and inquiry. Many varied examples and leaders are highlighted. The authors for this book have used a standard structure that will stay relevant as long as any other. Cumulative Hands-On Chapter Projects and additional Technology Extension activity provide authentic performance assessment. I found my iPad did not always work well with it. If the candidate fails to achieve 270 votes, then the election is sent to the House of Representatives. The book does a nice job of bringing in gender concerns throughout the text, as well. 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. If faculty want to remove a section, it is not difficult for students to follow the main concepts. It presents materials clearly. Before joining OU, he served on the faculty of Arizona State University and helped run two large-scale National Science Foundation projects as a doctoral student at Texas A&M University. Electoral case studies provide for a story within a history. suggestions as to taking featured topics a step further. The coverage of competing philosophies of Judicial Activism and Judicial Restraint in Chapter 13, Section 5 nicely presents these approaches to novice readers. The Colonial Experience. Some texts may cover only one additional chapter other than the basic chapters one would expect. The textbook content is thorough yet very clearly written. All government textbooks have a tendency to show their age quickly, but this text may be more resilient than most. I would like the links available, but not mixed in with the text. A good example of such are the Continuing Challenges sections. The work provides a comprehensive overview of both the formal and informal political institutions that one would expect to find in an introductory-level American Government text. The text offers a consistent presentation of terms situated within a logical and approachable framework for college students. read more. 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 topics are presented in a logical and clear fashion. Independence and the Articles of Confederation. It dedicates entire chapters to state and local government, domestic policy, and foreign policy. It is impossible to cover all the material in a quarter college course, this format allows selective teacher emphasized learning outcomes. 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. An example is found in Chapter 13, Section 4 in a visually appealing graphic on the timeline of the Supreme Court justices arriving at the Court. , 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. One of many things I like about this textbook is that it is well organized throughout. Because the textbook has less of an editorial voice, it is easier to move chapters around. American Government and Civic Engagement, entire unmodified textbook can be accessed here on OpenStax, SLED (Statewide Library Electronic Doorway), "Slave Streets, Free Streets" - Virtual Tour of Baltimore, c. 1815, World War I: Why Young Men Wanted to Go To War. This text had no major interface issues. Grammar was excellent. Create assignments for whole class or individual students. 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 content is up-to-date including most of the Trump presidency, which is helpful for students' understanding and familiarity. According to I am skeptical that instructors can get through 17 chapters in a normal semester, but the material is nice to have if desired. It offers an excellent collection of concepts and ideas useful to political science students. The writing is generally very clear. Your idea of relevance is not really relevant. Building Democracy for All is an interactive, multimodal, multicultural, open access e-book for teaching and learning key topics in United States Government and Civic Life. While the examples could become outdated, the issues used have been relevant for a long period of time. read more. It is both well researched and written. The text offers an accurate synthesis of American political scholarship and is presented in an unbiased manner. The framework in the textbook and within chapters is consistent with other traditional publications. Everything in this textbook looks accurate to me. read more. I did not identify any issues with the accuracy of the textbook content. Reviewed by Nicole Kalaf-Hughes, Assistant Professor, Bowling Green State University on 2/1/18, The text covers all areas that one would expect from an introduction to American Government textbook. I liked the film recommendations as references, although I wondered why they only came after three chapters (Intro, Congress, Courts)? Figures and images were clear and undistorted. I am going to consider using it and ask students for their feedback on the textbook because after all, they are the ones deciphering the material. I didn't notice any serious grammar problems. The choice of pictures, and subjects is excellent throughout. Likewise, the reasoning in Chapter 9 Political Parties as to why we have only two major parties lacks depth. Overall, this was an excellent e-book. This text could very easily replace the book I have used Comprehensive in terms of concepts and how they related to current ideas. The book's organization/structure/flow is very good. That is as comprehensive or more comprehensive than other textbooks I have used. The text is easily divisible into smaller sections that can be reordered within the course. The consistency and cohesion of the organization of the textbook is on par with all the other material on the market. The 5 sections of the book could also be broken apart, for instance I would assign Chapter 15, but not 16 or 17, given the constraints of time. The use of terminology appears to be consistent between chapters and is a strength of the textbook as repetition is valuable for student retention of a particular term or concept. Otherwise, I find the content accurate, sufficiently in depth, and excellent. read more. 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). It looks easier to move sections around. Unit. Develop strong critical thinking, analytical, and compromise skills with. read more. The subchapters themselves are internal divided with separate headers, though this third level organization is not numbered. For example, what were free people color doing while such issues as Shay Rebellion and debates about military involvement in the Revolutionary War were going on . The book follows a relatively consistent framework for presentation throughout. I would say, though, that while the book is not insensitive, there are plenty of opportunities to weave considerations of the struggles of various groups into its pages rather than shoeboxing them into a few chapters. This book is very comprehensive. The organization and flow of the book is very good. For example, when discussing the Boston Tea Party, the authors claim, "Today, many who do not agree with the positions of the Democratic of Republican Party have organized themselves into an oppositional group dubbed the Tea Party (41)." The chapters are well organized and reader friendly. I didnt have any difficulty navigating the book. I like the text's thematic emphasis on student participation. Changes on the composition of the members of the elected branches are easily updated and/or can be explained in the classroom. The 2020 census will alter the reapportionment section on Congress and the Electoral College. Reviewed by Donald Travis, Adjunct Assistant Professor, Gettysburg College on 4/17/20, I like the additional chapter on State and Local Government (Chap 14). If anything, the text may be a bit on the long side. Has good index. 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 layout is consistent for each chapter, with topic subheadings, feature boxes, links to learning, summaries and glossaries. 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. The textbook is well-written and clear. This website is constantly being updated and improved. The language is sophisticated throughout the text. Obviously, fundamental concepts such as the origins of the republic and the founding era need to be at the beginning of the book. Foundations of Our Democracy (Aug 22-26) Monday: Roots of Democratic Government - All About Me (Assignment) . The next time I teach American politics, I will definitely use this text. The text does not run the risk of becoming obsolete in a short period of time; however, many of the examples are quite common to other introductory American Government texts. The text is impressively comprehensive, both with respect to its range of coverage and depth of discussion of each topic. In fact, the text compares positively with other leading texts in this regard. I think students would have an easier time digesting the information in this book than some of the other textbooks I have used. I did not notice anything plainly inaccurate. The text makes frequent use of examples that seek to inform through inclusion so as to make the material more relevant to individuals from a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. It is very comprehensive and covers all the necessary information. The fact that it is free is even more impressive. They provide both classic and current concepts throughout the textbook. But as I noted above, the unhelpfulness of bolded terms can be genuinely confusing and are inconsistent (Katie Holmes gets bolded? I am also happy it comes in a printed version. There are some chapters I would probably not use (the policy chapters) and I would prefer the chapters in a different order (institutions before behavior), but that is something that can come through teaching. 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 will likely use this book to replace and supplement my graduate level course materials. The etymological origins of the term democracy hint . As another example, the description of Adam Smiths views on wealth accumulation is oversimplified and arguably misleading. The Iroquois Confederacy, founded by the Great Peacemaker in 1142 1, is the oldest living participatory democracy on earth 2. One nice feature of the text is the ability directly to citations through the texts footnotes. 5.0. 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. Also, when you click, for example, chapter 2, you cannot go directly to chapter 2, but you have to click the Intro first. Instead the chapters information jumps around and the data needs organizing. At that meeting the establishment of the International Union of American Republics was approved. An easy example is seen in not grouping the federal bureaucracy in part 4 with the other institutions, instead placing it in section 5, the outputs of government. textbooks Openlibrary_work OL2298885W . The text is written in a way that provides context in a comprehensive and organized way. Well, longevity is a tough matter for this kind of text. However, the editorial voice of the textbook is less clear than some alternatives from commercial publishers. I see no reason why that would be different with this text. An Introduction to each unit with the rationale and goals would be helpful. This book uses clear language and of-the-moment context that brings the idea of government to life. This consistency and clear explanation of the concepts behind the examples makes the book particularly strong. In particular, the text's chapters on interest groups and bureaucracy could be kept separated or recombined to provide instruction, as necessary, on the topic of public policy. I choose this title because it underlines student political participation. 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. However, all textbooks--standard or OER--face this issue. Democracy and government, the U.S. political system, elected officials and governmental institutions Americans are generally positive about the way democracy is working in the United States. I am skeptical that 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. The textbook utilizes a wide array of references to various cultures, both in its written content and its supplementary graphics. This means that our government is elected by citizens. This is a well put together textbook and with periodic revisions should be useful for students of American government for many years and decades to come. Everything seems consistently written and well-integrated. The textbook contains sections and subsections within the chapters with independent learning objectives. Was: $150.00 Now: $120.00. 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. read more. The supplemental materials (graphs, charts, figures, etc.) This looks like an excellent resource--well researched and in depth. The text is consistent in its use of terminology. The content is concise to the point it is accessible for early undergraduates, but also in depth enough that real coverage of the topics exists. More textbook info. The text repeatedly incorporates up-to-date examples to illustrate its reasoning and explain how foundational themes relate to contemporary political developments. While the textbook references race, ethnicity, gender, and other identities in expected chapters like Civil Liberties, Civil Rights, and even the Media, overall the textbook offers a limited approach to identity politics in the context of American politics and government. Very well done. } I wish the footnotes included links back to main text. This is a pragmatic generation of learners. But that seems like a limitation of this medium, not of this particular textbook. Although in the last decade I have opted for brief editions of American government, in an electronic format a longer text is useful for See previous answer immediately above I do not detect any issues here. Two points will be commented on here. I note there is a link to the homepage of those repositories in the text. In my own courses, I am going to make up for this by assigning articles from CQ Researcher. Good, though for my purposes (I teach a graduate level policy processes course), some could be broken down differently for my use. I found it especially comprehensive in its coverage of civil rights, voter registration and turnout, and the concluding policy chapters. We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.--Preamble to the United States Constitution It also includes a chapter on Offers coverage of topics that most instructors would cover in such a class, including political behavior, civil rights/liberties, American political culture, and structure. 978-5-8592-8019-3. I am especially excited about he design combining theory and practice and critical thinking. There are currently no items in your shopping cart. Finally, the "further reading" section is missing major works. Modularity is excellent. 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. Origins of American Government Articles of Confederation Power Point Note Packet. Understanding Economics. The "Middle Ground" feature might need to be updated as controversies change but overall this definitely a relevant textbook. 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. 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. Terminology is placed bolded for easy identification. Examples used are inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, and gender. It is easy to navigate, the images/charts are relevant and clear, and all other display features serve to enhance the key point, theory, etc. I particularly liked the "Get Connected," "Links to Learning," and "Insider Perspectives." Enrollment . You have a solid editing staff doing well to ensure a good syntax throughout the book. I am sure many people would leave these out, but they are there if you want them. The content delivers plenty of perspective for students to learn about American government. The hyperlinks are effective for those who want to review the source and to learn more. As for bias, the author(s) definitely stayed neutral in their descriptions of the events regarding the Trump presidency and their effect on American society. The content delivers plenty of perspective for students to learn about 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. This book contains everything I need for intro American government classes. The language is accessible for students in higher education; and likely high school juniors and seniors. But thats ok! Straightforward comparisons with oligarchy and monarchy. 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 book is consistent, though I think its framework of effective engagement could have been implemented more consistently. Following this is a separate section on media, parties, and interest groups. Identify Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln as leaders of our democracy: Connect with: Strand 1 Concept 4. One issue that does not receive a lot of direct attention is American political culture, including the values that underlie our democratic system, but this can be supplied complementary readings. Overall the organization is quite good. Most importantly, the emergence of Donald Trump simply alters how the institution of the presidency communicates and respects (or doesn't respect) past institutional norms. (Read Madeleine Albright's Britannica essay on democracy.) The textbook covers all the essential parts of American government. I saw no problems here. Similar to other Introduction to American Government textbooks this book covers the typical material and then some. I also think the book does an exceptional job bringing in minorities not traditionally covered in American politics texts (Asian Americans, Native Americans, etc.) Logical and standard fare. I found no problem with navigating the text. These long reading stretches are furthermore too frequently interrupted by "Note" features that while allowing for the opening up of key court cases concerning the topic at hand also lengthens the necessary attention span expected of the students beyond a reasonable extent. Uses current issues as examples of concepts. While no text does a perfect job at inclusiveness, I was impressed at the myriad examples of diverse cultural experiences incorporated throughout the text. It also includes a chapter on I have detected nothing in the text that could be considered culturally insensitive or offensive. I do think that some modules could be combined, but for the most part the author accomplishes this well. However, after assigning the questions, I found that the 'full online' version has the review questions INTEGRATED into the text (scattered in the chapter) AND provides ANSWERS to them. First, Page 39 of textbook about Locke and the social contract gives no citation. Similar to other Introduction to American Government textbooks this book covers the typical material and then some. p. 176 on Civil Rights for Indigenous Groups). To be clear, it is not culturally insensitive. This text covers nearly all of the major topics covered in American Government texts. It even has a chapter on Local government and two policy chapters, Domestic and Foreign. 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.