Customer Reviews

Essential American Goverment

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Ten years ago I changed career paths and began working for a Federal agency. I was confident in my knowledge of my occupation, but had not thought about the workings of the Federal government since taking a high school civics class. This book, had it been available then, would have helped me get up to speed. It contains sufficient information about the structure of the Federal government to help readers ask intelligent questions and learn more.

Nick Ragone's book begins with a chapter summarizing early American history, followed by overviews of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Subsequent chapters describe the three branches of the Federal system and their major components. Readers learn how laws are made, the basics of two-party politics, and the roles of Federal agencies, interest groups and the media. The chapters dealing with "The Rest of the Federal Bureaucracy" and "The Federal Budget" are particularly useful, presenting information that is probably unfamiliar to those who have not worked for the Federal government.

This book is certainly not the one-stop guide to the Federal government, but serves its introductory purpose well. Readers seeking a more advanced treatment might prefer Nicholas Henry's Public Administration and Public Affairs.