This book does a good job covering all the important sub-fields and foundational issues relating to an Intro to Political Science course, both domestically and internationally.
Content Accuracy rating: 5
I found that this book was highly accurate in the information it presented. The authors provide plenty of background and contextual information as well, which is helpful (as are the video links).
Relevance/Longevity rating: 5
Overall it is highly relevant to almost every audience, and does a good job of bringing current/recent events into the discussion.
Clarity rating: 5
The book does a good job of balancing the need to use some political science jargon with not overwhelming the reader with confusing terms. It is very readable prose. Though a couple students commented on the length of the chapters, I found them to be approrpriate.
Consistency rating: 5
I found that the terminology and framework of the book as a whole was very conducive both to learning and teaching the material.
Modularity rating: 5
For the more complicated chapters, I just made one weekly module for each of them. For some of the less-intensive chapters (particularly earlier on), you can double up on chapters (one per meeting instead of one per week). Thus, it is very easy to split this text up into modules as appropriate for the course itself.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4
The book is very logically organized - the one exception would be splitting up the chapters on civil liberties and civil rights. Some students found it difficult to parse these two terms, so in the future I will teach them as one unit.
Interface rating: 5
The text has no interface issue that I saw, and it is easy to connect to the video supplements as well.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
I found no grammatical errors in the text at all.
Cultural Relevance rating: 4
It is not culturally insensitive at all. The one thing I would have liked to see a little more of is discussion of indigenous political issues, both domestically and globally.
Overall this is a very well-written book with little that needs changing. I might consider re-organizing the Civil Rights and Civil Liberties sections, but other than that it is well-organized and flows well, in a way that is not difficult for students to absorb. It also strikes a good balance of covering American political issues that will be highly relevant to students, but not making it an "American Politics" textbook.
Reviewed by Michelle Payne, Associate Professor, Political Science, Texas Wesleyan University on 2/29/24
Selected key terms are both relevant and clearly defined read more
Reviewed by Michelle Payne, Associate Professor, Political Science, Texas Wesleyan University on 2/29/24
Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less
Selected key terms are both relevant and clearly defined
Content Accuracy rating: 5
The book is packed with both cumulative, foundational knowledge and associated current event references, and as far as I have read, both reflect superior accuracy
Relevance/Longevity rating: 5
The book is packed with both cumulative, foundational knowledge and associated current event references, which tie together theory, concept, and relevancy is an easy to understand format.
Clarity rating: 5
Form an Instructor viewpoint, very clearly written- particularly the review questions. The text to video connections are also concisely and clearly stated.
Consistency rating: 5
This is one of the reasons I would like to use the text- the terminology, structure and general outlay of the material are logically connected and lend to a smooth integration and adaptation.
Modularity rating: 5
I set out a tentative outline for moving context around, and had no transitional issues- I also tentatively integrated my material into the mix and it reads well, with no loss of integrity to the material.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
Very straightforward- easy to adapt if need to.
Interface rating: 5
Didn't see any issues- I will say that the links to government websites were placed discreetly yet noticeably in the text and I see that ease of accessibility as an added bonus for students
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
I haven't found any
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
The diverse pictures, stories, illustrations and video links cover this aspect well.
I am excited to find a text that is so packed with info, yet approachable for students, even in a dual enrollment course.
Reviewed by Larry Carter, Distinguished Senior Lecturere, University of Texas at Arlington on 4/4/23
Covers all areas needed for American intro course. read more
Reviewed by Larry Carter, Distinguished Senior Lecturere, University of Texas at Arlington on 4/4/23
Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less
Covers all areas needed for American intro course.
Content Accuracy rating: 5
Content is accurate and unbiased.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 5
Should hold up well.
Clarity rating: 5
Consistency rating: 5
Layout and content consistent
Modularity rating: 5
Easily and readily divisible.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
Good flow. Layout good.
Interface rating: 5
Free of interface questions.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
No grammatical errors
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
Not culturally insensitive
Good layout and content.
Reviewed by Katrina Heimark, Lecturer, Century College on 3/7/23
Introduction to Political Science covers all the major topics and has a global focus, using examples from around the world. My only observation on content that was not covered in-depth was regarding regime change and the factors that cause. read more
Reviewed by Katrina Heimark, Lecturer, Century College on 3/7/23
Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less
Introduction to Political Science covers all the major topics and has a global focus, using examples from around the world. My only observation on content that was not covered in-depth was regarding regime change and the factors that cause democracies to fail or authoritarian regimes to rise. This is an important part of the comparative political science literature that could have been focused on in more detail.
Content Accuracy rating: 5
I have found the content to be accurate, unbiased, and with citation of sources.
Relevance/Longevity rating: 5
Students are so impressed with the real-world examples of this text book, and the fact that it was published in 2022 makes it a great resources for them. The content is relevant today, but should also be relevant for the next 5-10 years. Updates/more relevant examples should be easy to find once this text is a bit older.
Clarity rating: 5
This is a great intro text for any student who has no experience or exposure to political science. It is straightforward and complex terms are explained in such a way that it is easy for all audiences to understand.
Consistency rating: 5
I have found this text to be consistent in terms of its organization, terminology, and framework.
Modularity rating: 5
The online version of this text is fantastic in terms of the layout and accessibility of the different content modules. The modules are broken up in a way that makes sense, is logical, and also can stand alone.
Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5
The book has a great mix of video, text, and images and is clearly organized both within chapters, sub-chapters, and as a textbook as a whole.
Interface rating: 5
The interface is easy to use, particularly the online textbook. Allows for highlighting in different colors and also creation of notes.
Grammatical Errors rating: 5
No grammatical errors.
Cultural Relevance rating: 5
This book has excellent examples from across different country and cultural contexts. While designed for a US audience, the textbook does a fantastic job of using examples from different regions, cultures, and countries to illustrate the different political examples. One region is not overly represented, nor is one region used exclusively for negative examples. I found this book to be incredibly fair, accurate, and presenting an amazing culturally diverse content across subject areas.
This book has been great for an introductory political science course that I have taught to first year college students. I find it to be at the perfect level for these students--clear, relevant, and also challenges them to see the world through multiple perspectives.
Designed to meet the scope and sequence of your course, OpenStax Introduction to Political Science provides a strong foundation in global political systems, exploring how and why political realities unfold. Rich with examples of individual and national social action, this text emphasizes students’ role in the political sphere and equips them to be active and informed participants in civil society. Learn more about what this free, openly-licensed textbook has to offer you and your students.
Dr. Mark Carl Rom is an associate professor of government and public policy at the McCourt School of Public Policy and the Department of Government. His recent research has focused on assessing student participation, improving grading accuracy, reducing grading bias, and improving data visualizations. Previously, Rom has explored critiques and conversations within the realm of political science through symposia on academic conferences, ideology in the classroom, and ideology within the discipline. He continues to fuel his commitment to educational equity by serving on the AP Higher Education Advisory Committee, the executive board of the Political Science Education section (ASPA), and the editorial board of the Journal of Political Science Education. Prior to joining McCourt, Rom served as a legislative assistant to the Honorable John Paul Hammerschmidt of the US House of Representatives, a research fellow at the Brookings Institution, a senior evaluator at the US General Accounting Office, and a Robert Wood Johnson Scholar in Health Policy Research at the University of California, Berkeley. His dissertation, “The Thrift Tragedy: Are Politicians and Bureaucrats to Blame?,” was the cowinner of the 1993 Harold Lasswell Award from the American Political Science Association for best dissertation in the public policy field. Rom received his BA from the University of Arkansas and his MA and PhD in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1992.
Masaki Hidaka has a master of public policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where she wrote her thesis on media coverage of gaming ventures on Native American tribal lands. She completed her PhD at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, where her dissertation examined the relationship between issue publics and the Internet. She is currently a professorial lecturer at the School of Public Affairs at the American University in Washington, DC, but has taught in numerous institutions, including the National University of Singapore, University College London, and Syracuse University in London. She also worked as a press aide for former San Francisco mayor Willie L. Brown Jr. (and she definitely left her heart in San Francisco).
A native of Fort Worth, Rachel Bzostek Walker is the associate dean of academic affairs at Collin College Technical Campus in Allen, Texas. She earned her PhD in political science from Louisiana State University and has a master’s in Israeli politics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Her dissertation focused on the preemptive or preventive use of force, and she continues to research in this area as well as exploring the use of active learning in the classroom. She taught full-time for over 15 years at colleges and universities in Missouri, California, and Texas, teaching a wide variety of classes on subjects including international relations, American foreign policy, and Middle Eastern politics, as well as introductory classes in American and Texas government.
