Helps students question and think critically about the political process and write a successful research paper! This handy booklet is filled with many rules, guidelines, and techniques to show them how. Students will make better use of information they receive in class and through the text.
Clued in to Politics: A Critical Thinking Reader in American Government, Fourth Edition, edited by Christine Barbour and Matthew J. Streb, is a collection of contemporary American government readings (more than half new to this edition) that uses proven pedagogy for modeling critical thinking. The editors write a contextual headnote—“why we chose this piece”—and then follow every reading with questions that employ the CLUES method: Consider the source, Lay out the argument, Uncover the evidence, Evaluate the conclusion, and Sort out the political implications. By consistently walking students through a process for close reading and analysis, students pick up the habit of critical thinking and internalize a process that moves them far beyond regurgitating information. The chapters line up with coverage in introductory American government texts.
This reader provides relevant, accessible selections with a contemporary focus. Students learn to read critically though a new five-step process that binds each article. Developed by the authors, this consistent critical-thinking strategy, referred to as CLUES, asks students to Consider the source; Lay out the argument; Uncover the evidence; Evaluate the conclusion; and Sort out the political implications.Each of the 16 chapters contains three to five articles that correspond to standard topics covered in an introductory government course.One classic reading per chapter helps students understand and observe the changes or constants in key political arguments over time. Each chapter includes a personal account that shows the relevance of the political process to individual lives.
Black & white print. American Government 3e aligns with the topics and objectives of many government courses. 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. With this objective in mind, the content of this textbook has been developed and arranged to provide a logical progression from the fundamental principles of institutional design at the founding, to avenues of political participation, to thorough coverage of the political structures that constitute American government. The book builds upon what students have already learned and emphasizes connections between topics as well as between theory and applications. The goal of each section is to enable students not just to recognize concepts, but to work with them in ways that will be useful in later courses, future careers, and as engaged citizens. In order to help students understand the ways that government, society, and individuals interconnect, the revision includes more examples and details regarding the lived experiences of diverse groups and communities within the United States. The authors and reviewers sought to strike a balance between confronting the negative and harmful elements of American government, history, and current events, while demonstrating progress in overcoming them. In doing so, the approach seeks to provide instructors with ample opportunities to open discussions, extend and update concepts, and drive deeper engagement.
How can political science help you understand the world you live in? Modern approaches to the study of politics analyze why Congress, the president, the courts, and other political actors do what they do. Learning to think critically about power, institutions, and rules helps citizens engage constructively in politics and the wider world around them and helps us systematically identify false claims, biases, and misconceptions. Analyzing American Democracy teaches students to think analytically by presenting current political science theories and research in answering the engaging, big questions facing American politics today. It serves as both an introduction to American politics and to the discipline of political science by reflecting the theoretical developments and empirical inquiry conducted by researchers. Every chapter highlights the most current research and discusses related public policy. It demonstrates for students how to think critically and analytically, bringing theoretical insight to contemporary American politics. More than just a comprehensive overview and description of how American politics works, Jon Bond and Kevin Smith demonstrate how politics can be studied systematically. Throughout the text, they introduce students to the insights gleaned from rational choice, behavioral, and biological approaches to politics. Understanding these three social scientific models and their applications helps students get the most out of their American government course and out of this text--they learn a way of thinking that they can use to make sense of future challenges facing the American polity. A number of features help aid comprehension and critical thinking: Key Questions at the start of every chapter frame the learning objectives and concepts "Thinking Analytically" boxes demonstrate how political scientists answer pressing questions about the American polity and model critical thinking "Applying the Frameworks" boxes show why theory is so important in making systematic sense of the political world "New Directions" boxes will highlight cutting edge research in political science to highlight some of the big contemporary questions the book addresses Tables, Figures, Charts, and Maps throughout present the empirical details of American politics, helping students gain quantitative literacy Top Ten Takeaway Points at the end of every chapter recap the most important points covered but also help students discern the general principles that make sense of the numerous factual details Key Terms are bolded in the text, defined in the margins, recapped at the end of the chapter, and compiled in a glossary, all to help insure that students can effortlessly master the vocabulary of American politics and political science in order to move on to the more important concepts. NEW TO THE SECOND EDITION Updated coverage throughout includes Affordable Care Act in the context of federalism Death penalty debates Affirmative action Racism, homophobia, and hate crimes in the wake of Ferguson Weakening of the Voting Rights Act Gay marriage history and new developments Tea Party and traditional party interface Campaign finance upheaval The changing Congressional landscape and increasing political polarization Updated tables, figures, and photos present the empirical details of American politics, helping students gain quantitative literacy Landmark court cases, now highlighted and linked to key concepts Refreshed feature boxes reinforce the book’s dedication to helping students understand the scientific approach to politics, incorporating intriguing new topics including genetics and public opinion, the biology of political participation, and evolution and the bureaucracy
Updated in a new 2nd edition, this book is emphasizes and explores causal questions in American Politics. It helps readers apply critical thinking tools–tools pulled directly from a social scientist’s playbook–to start answering those questions, see past today’s headlines, and understand why things really happen in our political world. Containing chapters on political culture, media and politics, and interest groups, readers will come away from this book able to think and view their world critically. Readers will come away from the book not only excited by political questions, but with the means to explore possible answers as more thoughtful and empowered citizens
