united states government: our democracy textbook pdf

The book is actually slightly longer and denser than other texts I have assigned for an introductory course in American government. One important tenet of this system is democracy, in which the ultimate power rests with the people. The Greeks are often credited with pioneering a . PDF The Crisis of - ed The graphics, photos, and primary documents add a visual appeal as well as provide students to other literacies. Usually the image it only an inch or two from the Figure citation, but not always clear. Your idea of relevance is not really relevant. I also liked very much the "exercises" section allowing "assessment of learning." One issue that does not receive a lot of direct attention is American political culture, including the values that underlie our By avoiding the topics and the conversations, the text is not allowing students to civically engage in discussions and learning. Not every one covers Civil Rights and Liberties or Foreign and Domestic Policy, but this text does offer a chapter on each of those. The canonical terms of introductory American Government are present and defined adequately. This book is very comprehensive. .nav-contain-highered p{ American government textbooks, in order to stay relevant, demand frequent updates. It is very comprehensive and covers all the necessary information. The text is written in a way that undergraduate freshmen students would have no problem grasping. I liked the incorporation of the graphics, which will enable students to work on their graphic/data interpretation skills. The glossary, summaries, and review questions including critical thinking are all conducive to learning and it will help students prepare for exams. And I don't. Also in terms of comprehensiveness, there are 17 chapters in total, which at one chapter per week is at least three or four more chapters than most instructors will be able to get through in a semester. This is something that can be adjusted by the instructor, and I rarely teach in the order books present the material anyway. I do not see the natural connection that ties those topics together. 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. Books.Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy . The text did not include culturally offensive material and seemed inclusive in its examples and discussion. Experiences and participation of African-American, Latinx, Asian, indigenous, women, and LGBT citizens fill a chapter. United States Government: Our Democracy 2016, LearnSmart Social Studies Overview Flyer. 1997. LBGTQ issues were integrated in many of the chapters and this is refreshing. I like that the chapters are divided into numbered subsections, which helps give students clearer instructions when I am dividing chapters over multiple days. In Chapter Four, for example, there are six "Note" sections in the first four pages and for the book as a whole, the average is one to two "Notes" per page. Identity politics should be an integral part of academic conversations and should provide opportunities to students to engage with difficult topics by using critical thinking strategies. The foundational building blocks of the republic that are provided are similar to the last Traditional Democratic Theory 1. The writing appears to be objective and factually correct. Making it possible for a student to read 2-3 pages and then stop/think about what they have covered. This website is constantly being updated and improved. Students and the System 2. The figure icon needs to be fixed or dropped. Further, each section within the chapters does contain a glossary of bolded terms. This book is very impressive, as is. 2. If you click on a chapter title, say Media, nothing happens, except it opens the subsections of the chapter. There are a few points the author may want to consider. This is not a pervasive problem, however but an occasional one. Reviews. This text could very easily replace the book I have used ("We the People") for the past 3 years. Wish contents would take me straight to the chapter I click. It does a good job of defining terms used in the text and citing relevant sources. Overall, this was an excellent e-book. There is an additional chapter on State & Local government aside from the chapter on federalism - which offers An innovative inclusion is that, in addition to the standard chapter on federalism, American Government (2e) also includes a separate chapter (14) on State and Local Governments. 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. The Art Program, which "is designed to enhance students understanding of concepts through clear and effective statistical graphs, tables, and photographs", is excellent. Of course, the question is how many students really do that? In the book, the word Figure will appear to let the reader know to look for an image. Page_number_confidence 94.70 Pages 922 Pdf_module_version 0.0.20 Ppi 386 Related-external-id urn:isbn:0078786886 urn:oclc:435012046 urn:isbn:0078784050 urn:isbn:0078747627 urn:oclc . Facilitate mastery of complex principles with dynamic digital tools. Useful explanation with visual of common goods & excludability; unitary, federation and confederation; contents/concepts of Constitutional amendments. Donald A. Ritchie, Richard C. Remy. In addition, some of the information on the map can be confusing for students: the UK is a monarchy and a democracy; and some countries that appear as democracies are transitioning to democracy or are really autocracies. Hume's ideas on human nature as the underlying purpose for dividing power is essential to understanding the American political system. The best way to protect these rights was by limiting the power of government and allowing people to govern themselves. The text's prose is written in a clear and concise fashion. In the table of contents, chapter 17 is titled "Chapter 17: Foreign Polict.". The book is very comprehensive. LGBT rights seem to be given less treatment than African American rights. This Electoral College voting method is referred to as the district system." I also think the book does an exceptional job bringing in minorities not traditionally covered in American politics texts (Asian Americans, Native Americans, etc.) 1. In my own courses, I am going to make up for this by assigning articles from CQ Researcher. 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. Overall, an excellent textbook which covers the needed subject matter comprehensively. are excellent for visual learners and certainly enhance the message of each section/chapter. Has good index. Sixth, from pp. The Declaration of Independence and parts of the Constitution are in the Appendices. There is little to nothing lost compared to a mainstream textbook. 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. I wish there were more pictures though to break up the text and to enhance the reading. Political behavior for presidential and mid-term congressional elections should be analyzed independently. 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. And a printed version is also available for those who prefer it (including me!) United States Government: Our Democracy 2018 - McGraw Hill read more. Technical language is defined within the text or in the chapter glossaries. 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. I liked how things were broken down so I could deposit topics that students find challenging. The text acknowledges multiple perspectives of race, ethnicity, gender, ability and other backgrounds. This is certainly the Achilles Heel of American government textbooks, some of which have been written as direct reactions to, say, the 2016 elections or the lens of inequality. From an aesthetic perspective, the textbook has a fair amount of graphic material that is appealing to students. read more. These help to engage students and cultivate reading, writing, and critical-thinking skills in a unique, and ever-growing platform. Lincoln preserved . I only use online textbooks and sources for my classes, but have students who want a hard copy option. US Government Textbook . Chapters are structured in reasonable ways. One small issue: I found that I could not order a free 'desk' printed version from the publisher, as is standard for normal texts. There were graphics to illustrate some of the material, and it is nice that PDF and online versions are available. 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. The language is sophisticated throughout the text. 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) 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. I believe ample coverage of diverse viewpoints and experiences are made use of in this text. I never saw any problems with that concern. United States Government: Our Democracy allows high school students to master an understanding of the structure, function, and powers of government at all levels. As for as substantively, I find the grouping of Chapters 4-7 to be curious. And, as an instructor, I particularly appreciate the supplemental resources provided for teachers and the study aides in each chapter for students. Independence and the Articles of Confederation. For class, it would probably be necessary to inform students of the most important links to review. I don't see how you could read text meant for an 8.5 by 11 inch page on a smart phone. These gaps give the impression that the text has not been properly edited to make sure that text and images are combined the best possible way. However, the chapter lengths seem fairly typical for this type of text. The book is divided into chapters, and then subdivided again into sections. The text is not culturally insensitive, supplying context to why the Founders created the government originally and how it has evolved. In terms of content, the textbook has all the chapters one normally expects from an introductory American Government textbook. This looks like an excellent resource--well researched and in depth. This textbook is very comprehensive. A textbook with a framework as solid as this will not go out-of-date quickly. Our School" Reopening Plan; Daily Bulletin; S3 Grant; Principal's Message; Mission & Vision Statement; Bell Schedule; Contact Us; Policies & Procedures; . However, chapters are sometimes questionably or confusingly organized, and compress wider subjects that usually receive broader treatment into footnotes or brief passages. 9780078747625 United States Government Democracy in. But I would rather have it smaller so I can add what I think is important than have too much material overwhelm the students. Identify Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln as leaders of our democracy: Connect with: Strand 1 Concept 4. My preferred text, The Logic of American Politics (Kernell et al. Most of the other chapters are in the 35 to 40 page range. Furthermore, it also includes chapters on linkage institutions like parties, interest groups, and the media. Uses current issues as examples of concepts. Right from the get go I enjoyed the section on Civic Engagement as many textbooks do not cover civic engagement to the level it was covered in this text. The more niche chapters like Public Opinion could use a freshen up on the theoretical concepts. 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. This is a plus of this text. Faculty involved in the project have endeavored to make government workings, issues, debates, and impacts meaningful and memorable to students while maintaining the conceptual coverage and rigor inherent in the subject. The book covers all of the basic components of American government. There is very little jargon, and technical terms are adequately summarized. The book's content is accurate. In some cases, the additional or special chapter focuses on a specific policy area such as environmental policy or housing policy. The current book I use fully integrates free people of color into each chapter. margin-bottom: 1rem !important; The text is fairly clear but lacks some of the professional editing that I frequently see in pay-to-play textbooks. Each chapters is highly segmented into small units that could easily be assigned at different points within the course or adapted into a dynamic class project/activity with high impact. 11th Amendment: Grants states immunity from outside lawsuits, 1795. . Milestone Documents. They examine these conflicts in our democracy by reading primary sources, summarizing based on textual evidence, and beginning analysis of multiple perspectives for text. A chapter on State and Local government is also included as a useful addition. Chapter 5 . Voting is one way to participate in our democracy. 1. The book is actually slightly longer and denser than other texts I have assigned for an introductory course in American 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. Some of the information in it is five years old and the writing does not explore clearly the theory of federalism and its evolution. democracy: [noun] a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections. There are even two chapters on public policy, which many basic textbooks omit. The cited political science literature is excellent. For example, the civil rights chapter is organized into five components, including: 1) what are civil rights, 2) African-American civil rights, 3) women's civil rights, 4) civil rights for indigenous groups, and 5) equal protection for other groups. Excellent charts and interactive materiel. Grammar and sentence structure are appropriate for the reading comprehension level expected in an introductory level course. The organization of the text is fairly traditional, with the decision to include the topic of bureaucracy under the Outputs of Government as one less conventional approach. The text's interface is similar to any American Government textbook and has clear charts, tables, and numerous features that are clear and unobtrusive. 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. Perhaps its status as an open textbook is one reason why it is so easy to avoid a chapter on Trumps tweets, as this is stuff that publishers vaunt as the need for new editions. The historical approaches Gun-rights groups believe that the Second Amendment gives citizens the right to own and carry guns. 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. The sources cited, within the sections of each of the various chapters, are from reputable, recognizable experts in their fields of study. Each unit has three to four sub units that can easily be assigned in different readings This is the type of written activities I use in the classroom, specifically teacher driven selected chapter readings. 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. 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. This is a good choice as the textbook for beginning level political science courses. And the book is missing some introductory material on theory of collective action/game theory that I is included in other texts that I like to teach in my course. The book is clearly and accessible written. At present, this text meets that need but it may not completely in a couple of years. This is particularly identifiable in chapters one and two. At the same time, I should point out that, at least in my view, the book is organized in an unconventional way. Free Solutions for United States Government: Our Democracy - Quizlet The organization of topics conforms with what one finds in many other introductory level texts on American Government. line-height: 1.5 !important; In the balance, I recognize the critiques above may not sound like the book is a good resource. For example, I appreciate the discussion of women as political candidates in the chapter on elections. The end-of-the-chapter resources are also quite good (better than I've seen in many books from commercial publishers). In fact, I would critique the text somewhat in the other direction, there are a few points where important related ideas are broken into different subsections. Also, the hyperlinked notes provide a way for students who want to learn more about an issue. 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; "in order to" was overused. For example, the definition of the margin of error that is provided is not technically correct, and the example that follows the definition is not correct even in a non-technical sense.

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