Known for its provocative and engaging issues approach and topical organization, AMERICA AT ODDS explores the current conflicts that truly define America as a nation while involving students in discussion and debate. The engaging content and pedagogical features throughout AMERICA AT ODDS support two main goals of the text: to make students genuinely passionate about learning the ins and outs of American politics and government, and to encourage them to think about the ways their lives are affected by decisions made in the political arena. In every chapter of the text, the foundations and systems of political history, behavior, institutions, and policy are presented within the framework of issues oriented debate, making AMERICA AT ODDS truly unique as an approach to teaching the Introduction to American Government course.
FREE Two-Day Shipping for students on millions of items. Learn more |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
There is a newer edition of this item:
|
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
"One of the most attractive things about the book is that it focuses on the conflictual nature of politics in a democracy. This focus makes the book more dynamic (American government isn’t just a sterile description of formal institutions), and it sends an important message to students. Many students get turned off to politics because they see politicians engaged in what seems like pointless arguing, instead of looking out for the ’common good.’ I want them to understand that conflict is natural in a democracy, that it is a healthy thing. The theme of the book fits perfectly with what I want to emphasize to my students."
"I would describe America at Odds as a comprehensive, yet concise look at the fundamentals of American Government. The exceptional features of the book are its opening vignettes in pro-con format and its focus on the centrality of conflict in American politics."
"The various vignettes in each chapter (Where Do You Stand?, Why Does It Matter?, Perception vs. Reality, and American and Comparative Political Perspectives) are outstanding ways of connecting the principles discussed in the chapters with ’real work,’ current issues."
"The three strengths of the book are its web-friendliness (not only are there several web sites for students to conduct research with, but the ’Where Do You Stand?’ questions that appear at the beginning of each chapter are excellent to use for on-line discussions), the use of examples, and the available ancillaries. The test bank is excellent."
"I would describe America at Odds as a comprehensive, yet concise look at the fundamentals of American Government. The exceptional features of the book are its opening vignettes in pro-con format and its focus on the centrality of conflict in American politics."
"The various vignettes in each chapter (Where Do You Stand?, Why Does It Matter?, Perception vs. Reality, and American and Comparative Political Perspectives) are outstanding ways of connecting the principles discussed in the chapters with ’real work,’ current issues."
"The three strengths of the book are its web-friendliness (not only are there several web sites for students to conduct research with, but the ’Where Do You Stand?’ questions that appear at the beginning of each chapter are excellent to use for on-line discussions), the use of examples, and the available ancillaries. The test bank is excellent."
About the Author
Edward I. Sidlow is Professor of Political Science at Eastern Michigan University. He received his PhD from Ohio State University and has served on the faculty at Arizona State University; Miami University; Northwestern University; and Loyola University, Chicago, where he was Director of Academic Affairs. At Northwestern University, he received the Award for Outstanding Teaching and was voted Favorite Professor by the freshman class. At Miami, he won the Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award and was voted Favorite Professor three times by the Mortar Board Senior Honorary. His articles have appeared in POLICY STUDIES REVIEW, JOURNAL OF LAW & POLITICS, THE JOURNAL OF GENERAL EDUCATION, THE WESTERN POLITICAL QUARTERLY, NEWS FOR TEACHERS OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, and COLLEGE TEACHING. His latest publications, two books published by the CQ Press, focus on congressional elections (2004) and member behavior (2006).
Beth Henschen currently teaches in the Honors Program at Eastern Michigan University and is a public policy consultant. After receiving her PhD from Ohio State University, she served as a faculty member at Purdue University and Loyola University, Chicago, where she was selected as a professor "who made a difference" by the Learning Assistance Center and was named Professor of the Year by the Honors Student Association. Her primary focus has been judicial politics, especially interaction between the court and Congress. Her articles have appeared in AMERICAN POLITICAL SCIENCE REVIEW, POLITICAL RESEARCH QUARTERLY, AMERICAN POLITICS QUARTERLY, JOURNAL OF LAW & POLITICS, POLICY STUDIES REVIEW, LEGISLATIVE STUDIES QUARTERLY, COLLEGE TEACHING, and THE JOURNAL OF GENERAL EDUCATION. She also has contributed chapters and articles to a number of edited volumes and has presented papers and delivered presentations at numerous professional conferences.
Beth Henschen currently teaches in the Honors Program at Eastern Michigan University and is a public policy consultant. After receiving her PhD from Ohio State University, she served as a faculty member at Purdue University and Loyola University, Chicago, where she was selected as a professor "who made a difference" by the Learning Assistance Center and was named Professor of the Year by the Honors Student Association. Her primary focus has been judicial politics, especially interaction between the court and Congress. Her articles have appeared in AMERICAN POLITICAL SCIENCE REVIEW, POLITICAL RESEARCH QUARTERLY, AMERICAN POLITICS QUARTERLY, JOURNAL OF LAW & POLITICS, POLICY STUDIES REVIEW, LEGISLATIVE STUDIES QUARTERLY, COLLEGE TEACHING, and THE JOURNAL OF GENERAL EDUCATION. She also has contributed chapters and articles to a number of edited volumes and has presented papers and delivered presentations at numerous professional conferences.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A textbook that sees both sides.,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: America at Odds (Paperback)
The focus of this textbook is not just to be a dry listing of dates and names to memorize, rather to constantly keep your mind occupied with considering the current implications of the political system. In that goal, I think the authors have done well. The downside is that it will need to be updated very often and it will be important for a class to be using the most current version. In this Fall 2009 current class, we are using the 6th edition which was published in January of 2008 and much of the information is already out of date. Where it discusses statistics in the civil rights section, the data being used is several years old. Still, it gets the point across quite clearly.
The first few chapters felt like they were slanted on one political side, but after getting a clearer understanding of the purpose of the text, that perception changed. The purpose is to throw both sides at the reader and make them aware of how those differences of opinion work together. The title is apt. I would also give kudos to the publisher for keeping the price of this book in a reasonable range. The magazine-type layout, glossy pages, and use of colors and graphics are a little difficult to adjust to in the beginning, but after a chapter or two, it integrates well. The authors bring in information about relevant websites and current issues that a student might investigate on their own. The glossy pages are nice for reading and keep colors bright, but are not conducive to highlighting for students who use that method to study. On the other hand, this will mean more clean, used books will be resold and will improve that second-hand market. Ultimately, this is a great book as a college text, but also for a person to buy to self-educate about history, politics and current issues facing the United States. My copy will likely be kept to hand off to non-students wanting a better understanding of politics.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
??,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: America at Odds (Paperback)
i had to return the book. i got an emailed saying to return it and as soon as they got the book they would refund my money.its been about 2 weeks already and they havent refund my money yet. they arent a good business and dont committ to their costumers.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Buy!,
This review is from: America at Odds (Paperback)
This book came in a very timely manner and was exactly what I needed for my class!!
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Inside This Book
(learn more)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
