Consistently uses contemporary examples. Photos and other content (such as graphs) are clearly positioned and captioned, providing useful supplementation to the written content. And, as an instructor, I particularly appreciate the supplemental resources provided for teachers and the study aides in each chapter for students. Terminology is placed bolded for easy identification. read more. The authors also included new terms such as the use of Astroturf movement on page 379 and PIRGS on page 382. As another example, the description of Adam Smiths views on wealth accumulation is oversimplified and arguably misleading. The topics in the text are organized, structured, and flow in a logical sequence. The text is not culturally insensitive. Examples depicting the new terms are plentiful. Reviewed by Robert Asaadi, Instructor, Portland State University on 3/11/20, updated 4/16/20, Thorough coverage of the main thematic areas generally addressed by introductory American Government textbooks. 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. The concise introductions at the beginning of each chapter effectively frame the chapter topic. I really liked that it had information from the 2016 election, as that is interesting to many students. I am especially impressed by its multi-dimensional approach to topic coverage. The text contains a variety of ideas and concepts. Thought/theory/philosophy explained while discussing history of government. In the book, the word Figure will appear to let the reader know to look for an image. Sometimes it is used in plural sense, but most often used in the singular sense. 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is excellent, with essentially an unbiased and error-free content (and i do judge rather stringently the accuracy of historical content given I teach history as well). Yet a majority also says that the "fundamental design and structure" of U.S. government is in need of "significant changes" to make it work today. The writing is clear and error-free. To be clear, it is not culturally insensitive. We have stopped printing many old products, but we might have some stock in our warehouse. For me, this was one of the strengths of the textbook. Donald A. Ritchie, Richard C. Remy. In addition, the chapter on the Bureaucracy is placed in the "Outputs of Government" section alongside the chapters on domestic and foreign policy, rather than its more traditional place just after The Presidency. Introduction, Consitution, Federalism, Civil Rights and Liberties, Parties and Ideology, Opinion and Media, Congress, President, Courts, state and local, and International Affairs.
United States Government : Democracy in Action - Google Books The book is competently written and produced. I wish there were more pictures though to break up the text and to enhance the reading. I think it would be interesting to point out that when the USA had the chance to write other countries' constitutions, those new systems (Japan and West Germany) were created with parliamentary governments. Each chapter includes an introduction, theory and history of particular governmental entity, Links to Learning credible websites, graphs, photos, documents, Insider Perspectives introducing a biography of an icon of the chapter, ways to engage in real life government , glossary, and Bibliography for Further Study including books and films. This book is easy to divide into chapters or sections that make sense for the progression of the semester. Finally, I thought that the chapters (4 & 5) in Civil Liberties & Civil Rights were in particular very informative and well done. Here, the author does provide a chapter on our crappy treatment of some groups, but it is not as inclusive as it could be, and sidesteps coverage of some important groups. 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. I looked more at concepts and content. 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. The content delivers plenty of perspective for students to learn about American government. I did not see any grammatical errors. LGBT rights seem to be given less treatment than African American rights. I like the "exercises" section for assessment of learning and the "glossaries." Good, though for my purposes (I teach a graduate level policy processes course), some could be broken down differently for my use. The textbook is written in a way that is easy to understand. Gun-rights groups believe that the Second Amendment gives citizens the right to own and carry guns. Zip. The beginning of each module clearly identifies the learning objectives and is organized in such a way that it can be assigned at any point within the course as the instructor sees fit. The layout is consistent for each chapter, with topic subheadings, feature boxes, links to learning, summaries and glossaries. 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. The textbook provides a clear, concise, and easily navigable resource of comprehensive information on the topic of U.S. government. It looks easier to move sections around. The text is extremely consistent. According to 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. One designed to be looked at online, another one that is essentially a replica of the printed version. I did not notice anything plainly inaccurate. The text is not culturally offensive, but I would like to see more sections or paragraphs that flesh out diversity and politics. There are also some advantages to this textbook, including clarity of the writing and various appendixes that include the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Federalist 10 and 51 right in the book. Multiple perspectives on issues and areas of controversy are acknowledged.Enduring themes and tensions between ideas and realities are presented in a way that The chapter on State and Local Government was a nice addition, but I am not sure how many instructors would be able to cover this material in addition to the other material required in an Introduction to American Government course. The discussion of the Civil Liberties issues in Chapter 4 were particularly well chosen, to the point, and engaging. I did not see any grammatical errors while doing so. Additionally, there are sections within each chapter that can be assigned in other courses. However, each chapter is organized with clear and explicit learning goals and achieves everything you need from an American Government textbook. Reviewed by Angie Hull, Assistant Teaching Professor, MOBIUS on 1/15/19, Comprehensive in terms of concepts and how they related to current ideas. However, the day after Election Day, this chapter will need an overhaul. American Government is a very comprehensive textbook. While things may change quickly in American government, a lot stays the same. Although the order of the chapters differ from the way I may group chapters together, the book does maintain a consistent pattern based on the logic of the book it presents. read more. However, the editorial voice of the textbook is less clear than some alternatives from commercial publishers. 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. Bill of Rights Poster: File Size: 199 kb: File Type: pdf: . It covers all the bases of an Introduction to American Government and then some. by Richard C. Remy. The interface is very easy to use, with no navigation problems or distracting features. Formal Institutions include Congress, The Courts, and The Presidency). The textbooks language is not as direct and as appealing to the pedagogical style of this new generation of students. The red links in areas of the textbook are distracting. This book would be easy to update as changes occur. This is a welcome inclusion: Although most Americans interact far more with their state and local governments than the national government on a daily basis, historically American government courses have de-emphasized sub-national politics. Customize the learning experience for differentiated instruction using leveled reading, customizable assessments and worksheets, and flexible online learning tools. Key terms are included at the end of each chapter. 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. It covers all of the major topics an introductory text should cover and a few others as well. Text is well written and provides adequate context for necessary political science terminology. Most textbooks for undergraduates in this topic area The text is written in a way that undergraduate freshmen students would have no problem grasping. While I am echoing this notion from a previous review, I did find it to be true that Kurtz et al. Overall I find the writing to be at an appropriate level for first-year college students. 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. (2)The ratification process and the Federalist papers refer to the ratification of the Constitution without the Bill of Rights via Art. Sold by Apex_media and ships from Amazon Fulfillment. Offers coverage of topics that most instructors would cover in such a class, including political behavior, civil rights/liberties, American }
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The various appendixes include the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, Federalist 10 and 51 and a couple of other items. I am not sure about the process of updates though and I suspect that within one or two years the book will need a refresh. Uses contemporary examples, but not in depth cases that may be needed in higher level courses. The writing is clear and concise. Voting is one way to participate in our democracy. I mentioned this earlier, but I think it is important to have the chapters presented in a different order. 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. This provides the Media with an opportunity to fill this vacuum. The book is updated through to the present day. The content of the text features contemporary examples and events situated within historical and theoretical contexts. Information is presented in a logical order. Offers many examples and insights to a wide variety of political views and cultures. The text is academic, yet accessible. : 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. Some of the information in it is five years old and the writing does not explore clearly the theory of federalism and its evolution. Below are the modifiedexcerpts that are assigned to you. (Read Madeleine Albright's Britannica essay on democracy.)
The Constitution of the United States | National Archives 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. No instances of cultural insensititvity. Words seem arbitrarily capitalized (why capitalize Scalia and McConnell)? Overall, this book is a strong introductory text. I also think the book does a good job bringing in gender concerns throughout the text. While there are a few points where the text could be more concise, overall the text is well written and accessible. I plan to regularly assign these items to use in discussion and written work. Again, the sections of the book include origins of the republic (in this case called "Students and the System"), individual action, collective action, formal institutions and government output. Even though the publishing date is 2019, however, many of the charts, maps, graphs, pictures, and statistics in general are from 2015 or earlier. The text interface is good. The term is derived from the Greek dmokratia, which was coined from dmos ("people") and kratos ("rule") in the middle of the 5th century bce to denote the political systems then existing in some Greek city-states, notably Athens. Reviewed by Heidi Getchell-Bastien, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and Government, Massachusetts Bay Community College on 6/28/21, This textbook is perfect for my American government course that I teach to undergraduates at the community college level. While I am generally unfamiliar with how open-resource textbooks are supposed to be ideally positioned, the book provides excellent navigational tools on the left side of the bar that made it easy for me to find what I wanted. I like the additional chapter on State and Local Government (Chap 14). 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. However, I always start American Government with a discussion on political culture and that seems to be missing. Multiple perspectives on issues and areas of controversy are acknowledged.Enduring themes and tensions between ideas and realities are presented in a way that is not reductive. Reviewed by Hyokyung Kwak, Assistance Professor, College of Charleston on 9/19/21, This textbook covers all the main topics need for American government 101. read more. 1997. I will likely use this book to replace and supplement my graduate level course materials. $47.96. Not much to comment on here.
PDF Us Government Democracy In Action Teacher Edition Yes, the text is clearly divided into sections, chapters, and subchapters, all numerically outlined and structured in a clear way. As other agents of socialization dont seem to educate students in how essential their participation is to a healthy democratic system, any text that emphasizes and provides easy ways to engage in politics is welcome. This textbook is very comprehensive. Technical terminology is explained in a precise and clear manner. As a policy professor with professional experience in the field, I would be likely to use cases to follow up about how policy content accounts for those decisions in a process that includes policy actors (private and public)). 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. Chapter 2. Chapter 2: The Origins of American Government
PDF Your Government and You Lesson Answer Key - USCIS Comprehensive in terms of concepts and how they related to current ideas. font-weight: 400;
Of course, whenever there are big changes on the Supreme Court or in the American governmental structure updates would need to be made. Democracy in the United States. The textbook follows the usual model of an American Government textbook. Learning goals are explicit and each chapter has a clear structure and consistent features that carry throughout the chapters. There's A LOT of flexibility with the text content. I didnt have any difficulty navigating the book. An Introduction to each unit with the rationale and goals would be helpful. The Links to Learning and Insider Perspective features in the text help to enrich the material without breaking the overall flow of discussion.