However, the editorial voice of the textbook is less clear than some alternatives from commercial publishers. Some may view this as a benefit, as there is more room for each instructor to add their own "big story" to their courses. I encourage any professor of U.S. Government to take a good look at this text and strongly consider its adoption. I did not see anything that I would say is not accurate, as much as a couple items that need to be updated, but that is discussed below. The etymological origins of the term democracy hint . Chapter 8, Section 3 discussing the media and particularly the FCC is a very strong section of the text. The book leans more towards describing American government than explaining it, which may be fine for many instructors, especially for an introductory course. Concepts well explained and presented. All government textbooks have a tendency to show their age quickly, but this text may be more resilient than most. The text contains a variety of ideas and concepts. I do think the other subsections on elections get a little shortchanged. The foundational material in each chapter/section is relevant and the examples used to explain/apply such material is more up to date than many for profit books I have read. Also, I believe that the material on Parties should be placed closer to the material on campaigns and elections. The text's prose is written in a clear and concise fashion. I did not see any issues in terms uneven discussions or those filled with mistakes. Publication date 2003 . 60. Technical terms are clearly explained allowing the typical college to understand unfamiliar terms/concepts. Introduction, Consitution, Federalism, Civil Rights and Liberties, Parties and Ideology, Opinion and Media, Congress, President, Courts, state and local, and International Affairs. The textbook does not include much Other similar books dive too deeply for my purposes into the minutiae of government without providing concepts or making those concepts too academic sounding. al consideration. read more. I liked the Supreme Court and Electoral College Appendices, very nice additions beyond the usual set of founding documents. In fact, I wish there was an entire chapter devoted to Campaigns and Elections. But it is an impressive work overall. font-weight: 400; For instance, I find the unit groupings to be effective and have always taught special interest groups before Congress. The figure icon needs to be fixed or dropped. New Blasts are being added regularly; Spanish language Blasts are also included. 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. Overall, the organization and flow of the textbook is logical and it follows a traditional American Government textbook. The content is presented clearly and appropriately. In addition, there are charts, visual aids, and extension activities to expand and complement the text. . United States Government: Our Democracy, Student Edition Hardcover full-color textbook divided into chapters and lessons, with table of contents, atlas, glossary, and index, 952 pages]. Of course since a key feature of this book is to present a considerable amount of material that combines theory and application and stimulate critical thinking, covering the volume of materials given the way it is divided may present a challenge over one semester. The language seems accessible. - A timely set of examples, nicely updated through the beginning of the Trump presidency. Overall, an excellent textbook which covers the needed subject matter comprehensively. The only section that I would point to specifically that I think could be improved significantly comes in Chapter 2, Section 5 and the discussion of Constitutional Change. Each module is self-contained with its own summaries, key terms, assessments, and suggestions for further study. I see no reason why that would be different with this text. At times, the chapters are heavy with history and not as much with theory. 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. The attention to both content and process in the chapters on policy is useful. For example, could chapter 8 be divided into six or eight sections? The book is internally consistent. Even the most "controversial" chapters - civil rights and liberties, for example - are well-handled and I can't imagine a reasonable basis for students' balking at them. One of many things I like about this textbook is that it is well organized throughout. Also, the yellow for Saudi Arabia doesn't show up very well. Present the electoral information in tables and use the 2016 election as a case study. Was: $150.00 Now: $120.00. Unit II Assignments. Calderon, Juan / US Government Textbook PowerPoints - McGrawHill My issue is that the map doesn't show differences among those democracies (e.g., parliamentary, presidential, etc.). All the chapters have commendable "Finding Middle Ground," "Insider Perspectives," and "Links to Learning" website listed. read more. They provide both classic and current concepts throughout the textbook. Moreover, I found the film selection stiflingno documentaries, no TV series, no foreign films. I didn't read every line, but the broad sections I read contained no technical writing errors that I observed. The text, while voluminous, should be readily understandable to the typical student. Modularity is clearly possible in this text, although I do not think this criteria should be rated high in importance as to determining whether this is a solid textbook. 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. A downside of the online version is that the section, source and other links do not open in a new page, at least for me, which causes the reader to then backtrack with the effect that after a few instances some readers may not bother. read more. Use it to preview online test questions or print for paper and pencil tests. One of the strengths of the Krutz text; each chapter format patterns the same learning styles and methods. For example, Plato and Aristotle are not included in the further readings of the introductory chapter on government. 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. I find it useful assigning my students questions based on discussions in various sections of chapters. 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. I note there is a link to the homepage of those repositories in the text. Charles N. Quigley, Executive DirectorCenter for Civic Education5115 Douglas Fir Road, Suite JCalabasas, CA 91302(818) 591-9321(818) 591-9330 (fax)e-mail: web@civiced.org. The Constitution of the United States | National Archives I haven't seen anything quite like that before, and it's useful. There could be more treatment of the concept of power in the beginning of the book. The order in which I present material in the course varies from the order in which chapters are presented in the text, but I have experienced few difficulties in subdividing chapters and assigning them in the order needed to support teaching. The text was easily navigable and the Index, search function, and drop-down menus in the Table of Contents functioned seamlessly. For example, section 1.3 shows up as not converted. The text is wide-ranging and inclusive to a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds in its examples, particularly in the chapters on individual agency and action. There are a number of instances where, as was previously noted, there are significant blocks of text in long paragraphs without subheadings or some other type of break. Students and the System 2. Yes, the book is internally consistent in terms of its discussion and its presentation of information. I think that the textbook goes too far in this direction. The hard copy version is sold by Amazon and other online retailers for about $20 (not sure it includes color for that price). I also would like to see a separate chapter on social movements. The links for figures seem to be useful in quickly navigating them. Faculty are used to getting free copies of texts. Teachers Edition:The print Teacher Wraparound Edition is built on the principles of Understanding by Design. (1) $6.50. ISBN. Naturally, in a subject like government and politics there are a host of judgment calls relating to the meaning of certain terms and events and in this regard, I respect the judgment of the authors and believe they presented the material in an unbiased manner. The "finding a middle ground" boxes are a neat idea, particularly in the context of an increasingly polarized country. Also helpful are the key historical moments "milestones" allowing a broader context viewpoint. Instead the chapters information jumps around and the data needs organizing. I also liked very much the "exercises" section allowing "assessment of learning." The terms is not introduced again in the public opinion chapter. It would be easier if the chapters would focus on the 2016 and 2018 elections. Knowing that I would be using the book over many sections and many semesters, I ordered a copy from Amazon and I am glad I did. The text would be easily divisible by chapter. The coverage of competing philosophies of Judicial Activism and Judicial Restraint in Chapter 13, Section 5 nicely presents these approaches to novice readers. For example, I appreciate the discussion of women as political candidates in the chapter on elections. The opening parts of the book though do focus a bit more on economics than I would prefer. Constitutional Democracy - civiced.org The structural framework of the chapters maintains a similar design throughout. Voting is one way to participate in our democracy. Each chapter starts with basic concepts and moves discussion toward topics which need more critical thinking. Although in the last decade I have opted for brief editions of American government, in an electronic format a longer text is useful for students who want to know more about topics that are difficult to cover in a fifteen week semester, including state and local government, public policy and foreign policy. The book is well laid out and uses terminology consistent throughout the chapters. The sources cited, within the sections of each of the various chapters, are from reputable, recognizable experts in their fields of study. I found the language clear. I use review questions in each chapter for mandatory homework. No obvious grammatical errors that I noticed. I do wish there was a bit more of a unified explanatory framework that was used throughout the chapters, though. But the Krutz book has won back my confidence. Reviewed by Elsa Dias, Affiliate, Metropolitan State University of Denver on 11/1/19, The textbook provides for a comprehensive overview of American Government. The book does a nice job of acknowledging racial injustice at the time of the American founding, including the Three-Fifths Compromise, as well as the importance of the Civil War Amendments in beginning to correct those wrongs (p. 63).