I went to a private high school that did not offer a course explaining the structure and function of the US government. I'm in my twenties and I live in Washington, DC. I was feeling like the BIGGEST idiot in town.
This book did its job; it outlined the federal government, it discussed local government, and it presented the complexity of the three branches of government in detail that helped me to understand current events on a deeper level.
It could have been better. Some aspects of the Bill of Rights were not explained very well. And once or twice I felt that the book was trying to tell me which politics to agree with (e.g. during discussions of supreme court precedent cases and during the definitions of "republican" and "democrat").
Overall, however, it was an easy read and there were lots of interesting facts. For example, the first woman elected to congress, the longest filibuster in history, and how many times certain constitutional amendments were proposed before they passed.
This book will not provide a cure for "politicians don't care about my vote" depression, but it cures ignorance with facts and provides encouragement by explaining how individuals can get involved in running the country, at least on a local level.
I now feel ready (and even eager!) to read more complicated texts. Also, I feel that my vote is just a little more meaningful than before, now that I actually know what I'm voting for and why I am voting.
