In particular, I would like to see some more/more direct The textbook's content is accurate, free from errors, and unbiased. Chapter 4. The text covers everything that an introduction to American government should. However, the day after Election Day, this chapter will need an overhaul. Product details Publisher : Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster; 1st edition (November 30, 2021) Language : English Hardcover : 576 pages ISBN-10 : 1982160276 ISBN-13 : 978-1982160272 Item Weight : 1.99 pounds Dimensions : 6 x 1.9 x 9 inches It's very well organized. 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. line-height: 1.5 !important; 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 like that the chapters are divided into numbered subsections, which helps give students clearer instructions when I am dividing chapters over multiple days. The language seems accessible. But as with any American government textbook, this information will need to be periodically updated. The first unit of the text ('Students and the System') outlines the necessary historical context without getting too bogged down in general introduction. There isnt much to say here. The book is clearly and accessible written. The updates for most chapters should be easily accomplished. The 2020 census will alter the reapportionment section on Congress and the Electoral College. This course must give freshman students the conceptual baseline tools to advance to the next grade. If the candidate fails to achieve 270 votes, then the election is sent to the House of Representatives. I do find, however, the text to be more densely worded than preferable. Concerns: Textbook lacks yearly/semester pacing guide, limited ability to edit teacher resources . I look at these minor issues as an opportunity for teachers to clarify in lecture, rather than deal-breaking issues. But the book helpfully highly new and key phrases, and uses plentiful figures and sidebars to improve clarity. 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. The Iroquois Confederacy, founded by the Great Peacemaker in 1142 1, is the oldest living participatory democracy on earth 2. The reader benefits from content that is organized in a fashion that is both comprehensible and predictable. My preferred text, The Logic of American Politics (Kernell et al. Maybe not from top to bottom, but often enough that it is a concern. I wish the footnotes included links back to main text. That was the first online textbook that I looked at and it gave me pause when considering using one. The accuracy of the content presented in the Kurtz et al book is as accurate and unbias as one would expect. The textbook contents are organized in an insightful way, beginning with core foundational elements of the Constitution, federalism, civil liberties and civil rights. I was quite impressed with this textbook, and have made plans to adopt it next year. Teach Me Economics. I did not find the book cultural insensitive. I am using this text in lieu of my regular purchased text for my intro class and I am excited for the possibilities available given the interesting and useful ways the authors have organized the material in the book - while ensuring all the bread & butter chapters for an intro American Gov text are here. Everything in this textbook looks accurate to me. The organization of topics conforms with what one finds in many other introductory level texts on American Government. Enrollment . Of course, where to draw those lines is subjective and not all will see the value. The organization and structure are good. The text, while voluminous, should be readily understandable to the typical student. As mentioned above, I found the text slightly denser than the average textbook for an Introduction to American Government class. The text was clear and devoid of any unnecessary jargon. 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. and J. D. and Lee Arbetman and Megan L. Hanson and M.S. I also like the presence of key terms at the end of every chapter as in the textbooks one can pay ($) for. 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Even though the publishing date is 2019, however, many of the charts, maps, graphs, pictures, and statistics in general are from 2015 or earlier. 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. From the origins of the US political system, the constitutional framework, participatory inputs, formal institutions, and public policy, the major points are By the standards of Introduction to American Politics textbooks, this is a comprehensive offering. 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; Democracy in the United States is strong, but showing some cracks. I am impressed with the comprehensiveness of the textbook. Overall, the text is free of interface issues and navigation problems; the main drawback is the sheer volume of links - can get a bit cumbersome. It does a good job of defining terms used in the text and citing relevant sources. I didn't notice any serious grammar problems. UPC: 9780076681136 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. I encourage any professor of U.S. Government to take a good look at this text and strongly consider its adoption. The book is comprehensive, covering the major topics one would expect to find in a U.S. government textbook. There are a couple other places in the text where this is noticeable. Only problem I saw: there are 2 versions of this book in OpenStax. The text can easily be divided into modules. Create assignments for whole class or individual students. 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 The graphics, photos, and primary documents add a visual appeal as well as provide students to other literacies. There are even two chapters on public policy, which many basic textbooks omit. Students at all levels will have no difficulty with the language used therein. Students may find it annoying. Im not sure, for instance, that 6.2 and 6.3 need to be different chapters, and have concerns about the modularity of chapter 5 in particular. Rousseau more clearly articulated the concept of Social Contract, borrowed from Locke. Overall, the organization and flow of the textbook is logical and it follows a traditional American Government textbook. 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. I like to 'build' my curriculum from a variety of sources; this book could provide a foundation. This immediately gives an indication of how the material will flow. I also think the book does a good job bringing in gender concerns throughout the text. It covers all of the major topics an introductory text should cover and a few others as well. read more. The is consistent in its use of terminology, and the frameworks that it provides are generally helpful and clear. In some cases, students are somewhat overwhelmed by the amount of information presented in the text, but I have found that guiding their attention to certain key sections can help to avoid this obstacle. And I don't. The text is arranged in a way that necessary updates can be easily integrated. The links embedded in the book often do not work. Furthermore, I think there are not enough appropriate charts and illustrations to engage student attention. Reviewed by Eric Radezky, Adjunct Professor, LaGuardia Community College, CUNY on 5/21/18, This textbook is very comprehensive. 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. The text uses the 2016 election, in particular, to help the reader better understand the varying voting methods within the Electoral College by stating: "In 2016, Republican Donald Trump won one congressional district in Maine, even though Hillary Clinton won the state overall. There is an additional chapter on State & Local government aside from the chapter on federalism - which offers instructors an option to discuss state & local government as well. presentation. The coverage and scope is presented in a way that is well organized, concise, and engaging. The text offers an accurate synthesis of American political scholarship and is presented in an unbiased manner. However, I cant really think of a way to sidestep these concerns all authors must make choices. More textbook info. Landmark cases and events bring history alive. Each chapter is structured similarly. One important tenet of this system is democracy, in which the ultimate power rests with the people. The word "democracy" comes from the Greek word "demos" which means "people." The word "democracy" is not used anywhere in the U.S. Constitution. I wish there were more pictures though to break up the text and to enhance the reading. Others may view this as a downside, because students will have less guidance in identifying the major themes or "thesis" of the course. The topics are presented in a clear fashion. 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. Multiple perspectives on issues and areas of controversy are acknowledged.Enduring themes and tensions between ideas and realities are presented in a way that If anything, the text may be a bit on the long side. While there are changes I would like to see, that is true for any book. I really liked that it had information from the 2016 election, as that is interesting to many students. It isnt a text about how, say, rational choice affects American politics, but more of a carpet-bombing of information. At that meeting the establishment of the International Union of American Republics was approved. Perhaps the next addition could add a supplement for each chapter or unit containing other voices which could be an effective shortcut for the instructor and of interest to our contemporary student base that is more diverse in many areas than 10-20 years ago. The cited political science literature is excellent. I reviewed the book for about 3 hours, and I could probably spend another 3 hours finding other "issues." However, the concepts are so strong here (thorough, well laid out) that an instructor could easily supplement the text for a variety of courses and levels. I did not see any issues with the accuracy of the book. Reviewed by Leo Keneally, Associate Professor, Thomas Nelson Community College on 3/29/19, The textbook covers all the essential parts of American government. The links for figures seem to be useful in quickly navigating them. Not much to comment on here. For class, it would probably be necessary to inform students of the most important links to review. Plus, they blend with the gray boxes of the same color that are often used, otherwise effectively, to present case studies or specific examples. The supplemental materials (graphs, charts, figures, etc.) They examine these conflicts in our democracy by reading primary sources, summarizing based on textual evidence, and beginning analysis of multiple perspectives for text. -- to shed light on a wide variety of phenomena and encourage students to think analytically. I did not find enormous blocks of text without subheadings. Overall, this is a solid choice in terms of comprehensiveness. Political behavior for presidential and mid-term congressional elections should be analyzed independently. The foundational building blocks of the republic that are provided are similar to the last two textbooks I used (We the People & By the People) and for that matter correspond to the textbook I myself used over thirty years ago in my Intro course which I still refer to in the classroom. read more. One area it could be more inclusive is by including more primary sources and perspectives from underrepresented groups both as parts of chapters and suggested readings/bibliography citations. Here again I suggest that there are too many long blocks of text to read made even more so by the frequent "Note" sections expecting students to further read about key court cases. The structure is on par with leading texts in this area. 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. The textbook covers all the essential parts of American government. 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) read more. Identify politics should be present in more sections of the text. Subchapter titles like organizing to govern are a bit confusing. The chapter-to-chapter progression is logical. Actually, I think it is. Chapter Tests and Lesson Quizzes:Printed blackline master booklet of Lesson Quizzes and Chapter Tests includes all the editable tests available online. Analyze a variety of primary and secondary sources including text excerpts, political cartoons, photographs, graphs, charts, and maps. The uniqueness of the American system is rarely mentioned (e.g., the fact that it has a presidential, federal system, with true separation of powers). read more. Title: There are currently no items in your shopping cart. 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. Many textbooks cover these two topics together in one chapter and I believe that it may be easier to teach if there is dedicated material to each topic in separate chapters. Whenever the next update does occur, I would strongly suggest change the order of the paragraphs so Part 4 comes after Part 1. It also includes a chapter on state/local politics, which is a unique addition to the textbook. . Identify Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln as leaders of our democracy: Connect with: Strand 1 Concept 4. read more. In fact, Kurtz et al. 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 interface is very easy to use, with no navigation problems or distracting features. The book also does not always allow the reader to skip pages or go straight to a section to read. It is certainly a viable option for my course. The textbooks language is not as direct and as appealing to the pedagogical style of this new generation of students. Seems quite well written. I like how there are separate chapters for Civil Liberties and Civil Rights. The text covers the full range of standard American Government textbooks, from government and civic engagement, to civil liberties and rights to branches of government and foreign policy. 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. 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. The overall structure moves formal institutions to the back of the book which is different than how I structure my course but the chapters are modular and allow the professor to assign chapters independently and mix and match to lecture chapters. The online Student Learning Center read more. There are occasional editorial comments and examples of protests which suggest liberal criticisms of the status quo. This textbook provides a comprehensive framework for introductory American government. For example, could chapter 8 be divided into six or eight sections? It is well-written and proof-read. I am especially impressed by its multi-dimensional approach to topic coverage. Everything was clear and easy to find, including graphics, charts, and figures. 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. Overall it is a bit smaller in word count than a traditional hard copy textbook and some of the chapters are smaller than I would like. As for as substantively, I find the grouping of Chapters 4-7 to be curious. The images and charts used in the book help clarify the concepts very well. The textbook is sensitive to a range of minority communities including African Americans, immigrants, the LBGQT community, gender and womens issues, and persons who practice the Muslim faith. The content of the text features contemporary examples and events situated within historical and theoretical contexts. Also, each chapter sticks to an identical structure. 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. This is one of the strengths of this textbook. 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. read more. I clicked on many, but was not taken to that particular resource. It is such a long and comprehensive textbook that possibly it might suffer from not having a clear and overriding theme. The writing is clear and error-free. I did not identify any grammatical issues with the textbook content. One issue, however, that might be addressed is with the word "media." The highlighting of key terms and the examples that are provided are helpful. The writing is clear and concise. The Foundations of Geopolitics: The Geopolitical Future of Russia is a geopolitical book by Aleksandr Dugin. There seem to be problems with the formatting, though that could just be on machine, with some not converted paragraphs. The reason I say this is because the choice of content is a subjective process in itself and surely there are other content areas that could be added on a particular theme. Although overall the text is quite comprehensive, one downside is that there are only two chapters on policy (separated into Domestic and Foreign Policy). Finally, the "further reading" section is missing major works. American Government is a very comprehensive textbook. 1. The text is divided into 5 categories. 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 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. The chapter summaries, quizzes, the suggestions for extra activities in particular are useful. The headings and subheadings are appealing and provide the students with direction about what is coming next. Similar to other Introduction to American Government textbooks this book covers the typical material and then some. The text is not culturally insensitive, supplying context to why the Founders created the government originally and how it has evolved. Grammar is as good as one would expect from a textbook from a commercial press. The figure icon needs to be fixed or dropped. It was quite easy to use. 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. This provides the Media with an opportunity to fill this vacuum. For many such students, the clarity in organization will further help clear any obstacles in understanding the political system. Technical language is defined within the text or in the chapter glossaries. Have used it this semester in 2 sections of my intro Am Gov class with no student complaints. The textbook provides for a comprehensive overview of American Government. Reviewed by Gina Flakes, Adjunct Professor, Aiken Technical College on 5/24/21, American Government 2e offers a comprehensive survey of the core aspects of the US political system. This New Deal-era publication was published initially as a loose-leaf notebook, its pages held in place by three metal rings. Students will develop an appreciation for the value of citizenship and civic . Updating some of the pictures will be easy ( how many of our freshmen will remember that much about Mitt Romney?) In addition, the reading selections are inconsistentsome are very long lists and others only include five or six books. I particularly liked the "Get Connected," "Links to Learning," and "Insider Perspectives." Defining Democracy 1. But given what is currently happening with the COVID-19 Pandemic, I would argue that the textbook remains just as relevant, even though some of your reviewers will claim otherwise. It's nice to have them in one place, and not all other textbooks do that. 1. The book is competently written and produced. I found it especially comprehensive in its coverage of civil rights, voter registration and turnout, and the concluding policy chapters. Great looking book and the price point would be very beneficial to students. Have questions? These will not significantly modify the content of the text, so you should be alright either way. 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. .nav-contain-highered{ 3. It is a well planned and logical progression of chapters and topics. The text's interface is similar to any American Government textbook and has clear charts, tables, and numerous features that are clear and unobtrusive. With this objective in mind, the content of this textbook has been developed and . Each chapter offers an introduction, 3 to 5 written sections covering the topic, key terms, summary, review questions, critical thinking questions, and suggestions for further study. In some cases, the additional or special chapter focuses on a specific policy area such as environmental policy or housing policy. Pretty standard for many similar texts and courses. read more. 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. Also, when you click, for example, chapter 2, you cannot go directly to chapter 2, but you have to click the Intro first. This could certainly be prepared for the 2020 election. It could easily be mistaken for a book that costs students $75, and so that fact that it is free of charge means everybody should use it. In addition to what I discussed earlier, here are some other things about the book I enjoyed that did not easily fit into the previous topics provided: I very much apricate the discussion of The Articles of Confederation in Chapter 2, Section 2. I saw no issues there. That said, there are areas where the text is quite brief and doesn't provide terribly deep discussion. The text is written in lucid prose with technical terminology highlighted, defined in the text, and listed again in a glossary. The framework of the text is consistent and simple to understand. It looks easier to move sections around. The text is internally consistent with respect terminology and framework. The book is well laid out and uses terminology consistent throughout the chapters. There is an additional chapter on State & Local government aside from the chapter on federalism - which offers Excellent. As an I found my iPad did not always work well with it. I also think the book does an exceptional job bringing in minorities not traditionally covered in American politics texts (Asian Americans, Native Americans, etc.) Its review of Civil Rights and the groups fighting for their rights is one of the strongest parts of the text. Sentence structure and grammar are excellent. It seems to be equal to any 'standard' Am Gov text. My only critique of the book is that the sections on Congress, the presidency, and the court system appear later on in the textbook. The materials contain frequent references to variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. Overall, I found the text to be clear and readable. The content is presented clearly and appropriately. It also includes a chapter on State and Local Government. Independence and the Articles of Confederation. read more. I like the "exercises" section for assessment of learning and the "glossaries." Particularly appropriate for an undergraduate audience. The pure number of citations is impressive, however they are shown to the reader throughout a chapter in a separated gray box. For instance, the many examples of LGBTQ issues like marriage was well documented and current through recent case law like Masterpiece Cakeshop. The concepts Direct Democracy and Representative Democracy are key to an American Government course. As to presenting information in an unbiased minor, I would argue that Kurtz et. You can replace that space with something more relevant? Third, Political Parties should precede elections in the book. I was not able to determine any instances of errors, although there are a few places where the coverage was a bit subjective or questionable. The material could easily be reorganized or covered in a different sequence at the discretion of the instructor without much disruption. It focuses on the importance of community engagement and social responsibility among middle and high school studentscore themes in the Massachusetts 8th Grade History & Social Science Curriculum Framework. The interface is well done. You can use that resource if you would . For their effort and expertise, I commend them and those who have supported this project. The book is comprehensive, covering the major topics one would expect to find in a U.S. government textbook. The second edition of the text provides more than 100 substantial updates from the last two years. Chapter three necessitates a revision in order to re-create its relevance. From the origins of the US political system, the constitutional framework, participatory inputs, formal institutions, and public policy, the major points are Images and charts were appropriate, visually appealing, and supported the text content in a meaningful way. in District List . While the focus on diversity is certainly not as all-encompassing as some commercial books that make racial/ethnic diversity the "thesis of the book" (most notably McClain and Tauber's American Government in Black and White), the book certainly does not limit discussion of racial/ethnic diversity to the chapter on Civil Rights, as many textbooks have done historically. And the text generally attempts to present its material in a balanced and unbiased way, presenting several perspectives on controversial issues.
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