Product Description
Framing its content within a “politics matters” theme and offering practice tests bound into the back of the book, Government in America, Brief Study Edition illustrates the impact that government has on the daily lives of each and every American, motivating students to become active participants in all aspects of our political system.

Product Description
Mobility is no longer a technological revolution. It is more about how businesses and governments can provide a better social infrastructure through mobile applications and services. While e-government was an important step taken by many governments, provision of services through mobile technologies is now inevitable. Public demand for mobility, the efficiency and productivity gains of the public sector through mobility, lead to a natural move from e-Government to m-Government. Mobile Government: An Emerging Direction in e-Governmentprovides selected examples of current developments from various countries in terms of technology, applications and services, and various real world m-government examples, their evaluations, challenges and opportunities.Mobile Government: An Emerging Direction in e-Government applies to various groups, including m-Government practitioners and researchers, government officials, policy makers and mobile IT solution providers in the areas of e-government, mobile business, mobile internet and public administration.This innovative publication contains introductory knowledge on m-Government, and then moves on to a relatively deeper examination of various applications, that are significant in terms of current and future developments in m-Government. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Mobile Government Is On The Rise
As governments increasingly adopted computers and networks for their operations the term e-Government (electronic government) came into popular use.The next phase in that development is equipping more and more of the government workforce with mobile devices (cell phones, personal digital assistants, laptops, etc.), and the term used to designate that trend is m-Government (mobile government)."But does that really make the government itself mobile?" some people ask.A fair question, but framing the issue that way misses half of what is going on.Customers, clients and citizens are also beginning to communicate with their governments through mobile devices, to pay taxes, remit fees, and exchange information.So, what the term m-Government actually refers to is the transfer of government services to mobile platforms.

The editor of this book, Ibrahim Kushchu of the Mobile Government Consortium International in London, has assembled a group of knowledgeable practitioners to spell out, each in their own area of expertise or experience, just exactly what m-Government means and how it works.As a result there are chapters on m-Government in cities, regional governments, and national governments.There is a discussion of the appropriate business models for cost-effectiveness, a chapter on the need to consider "soft" factors to assure success, and a number of case studies on m-Government implementation within particular programs, departments, and governments.

Some people still think m-Government is just a gimmick - not so!By putting government employees out into the field with mobile devices, the delivery of services to the public and eligibility information to the government, are both personalized and speeded up - which is something the public usually wants.By the same token, giving the public access to government services and infrastructure via their mobile devices lets them interact "anywhere, anytime, anyhow" - which is something they also want.As more and more people adopt mobile technologies within their lifestyles, they will expect both m-Commerce and m-Government as just "the normal way of doing business".MOBILE GOVERNMENT provides a forecast of what we may expect as these trends proceed - this is where government is going!
... Read more

Product Description
The regulation of potentially hazardous substances has become a controversial issue. This volume evaluates past efforts to develop and use risk assessment guidelines, reviews the experience of regulatory agencies with different administrative arrangements for risk assessment, and evaluates various proposals to modify procedures. The book's conclusions and recommendations can be applied across the entire field of environmental health. ... Read more

Product Description

Known for its extremely student-friendly, jargon-free style, the new edition of American Government: Policy and Politics introduces the essentials of American government in a way that any student can understand.

Public policy is emphasized throughout to show students the impact that government has on their lives. The text also offers an abundance of debate-style boxes and active learning exercises to involve and engage students in the course material and encourage them to become participants in their government. As a Longman Study Edition, this text includes a battery of chapter tests for student study and practice.  This edition features the results of the 2008 elections, and discussion of some of the hottest political issues of the day, such as immigration reform and the challenge posed by nuclear programs in Iran and North Korea.

Customer Reviews (4)

American Government
This book was used, written in and pages was missing. I need a book asap but other than that I will just have to manage.

purchasing this book from seller
I purchased this book from this seller, and received it in a soft covered envelope package, it came wrinkled making it look used.It is in great condition other wise, as it was listed as new.I expected my shipping to be sooner than I received it, but after checking my chosen options the mistake was mine.Shipping came as stated, and the inside condition of the book was new.

Not the worst text book
It really started out much clearer than it ended.The readability is OK and the website that accompanies the book is a fantastic way to reinforce what you have just read.I think that the online site makes all of the difference.If you can buy acess to it if you are buying a used edition, it is worth it for only $20.00.It makes the material much clearer than just reading the book alone.

too many facts, not enough info
The readability of this book is very difficult. It throws a LOT of numbers at you that are insignificant. This does not bode well, especially when it's late at night and youre trying to get through the chapter. The factsand figures overwhelm you when all youre trying to do is pull out the mainideas. But what can you do about it? The teacher makes you buy the book forthe class, so you buy it. Just be prepared to do lots of highlighting toatleast help you cut down on all the unnecessary stuff. ... Read more

Product Description
The most authoritative text for American Government, Government By the People is always one step ahead. Building on a long tradition of clear and accessible writing, sound scholarship, and currency, it has become the most reliable, responsive, and respected text for today’s American government course. Its distinguished author team addresses your needs and the needs of your students in every edition—with the most innovative response to teaching trends, as well as trends in the discipline. With this text’s essential foundation, students will be set to respond—as involved American citizens—to the political issues facing their country, and their world, in the twenty-first century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good Price, Good Condition
This book was perfect for my summer online college course.The price was right and it provided all the information I needed.

Scholarly Analysis
This book was filled with pertinent information and was a great read.Magleby is a good author.He keep it moving right along and it never became bored.He made an otherwise sleeper into a palatable study material.Easy read and the resale on this was great. ... Read more

Product Description

Guided by the belief that students must first understand the origins of American government to fully understand the issues facing the United States today, this market-leading text offers the strongest coverage of both history and current events of any college textbook devoted to American politics.  

From hallmark features like “The Living Constitution” to new features like the illustrated historical timelines, American Government: Continuity and Change provides the historical context students need to understand our government and the most crucial and controversial issues affecting the nation in the 21st century.

This bestselling book has been extensively revised to provide in-depth coverage of the 2008 presidential and congressional elections, President George W. Bush’s second administration and the 110^th Congress, continued controversies related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the war on terrorism, and domestic concerns related to rising gas and food prices and the subprime mortgage crisis.

Customer Reviews (7)

Don't order from Belltower
WE STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED THIS BOOK FROM BELLTOWER!We ordered the book on August 12th from Belltower because their site said they ship within 2 days.NOT SO!I would not recommend ordering from them.Where is the book from Belltower?I've tried the "Help" window on Amazon to track down the book but it keeps telling me that I haven't given the correct information.Yes I have and my son needs the book for his class that started 3 weeks ago!

Five Star Seller
I would highly recommend this seller. Product was exactly as stated and shipping was extremly fast. Thanks for being a great seller. Very pleased with purchase.

Great book
I order this book recently for class and so far it is very informative. Can't wait to get into it more!

Heavy democrat-party bias
This is my curriculum for a college federal government class.

After reading through chapter 7 on the congress and chapter 8 on the presidency, I just can't take it. I'm a right-leaning moderate on social and economic issues, and morally, on a scale of -10 ( far left ) and +10 ( far right ), I land at about a +5, but this is only morally. My [...] score put me at about (1.5,-1.5)

This book has a very high brained way of making stabs at conservative and/or republican politicians and politics. It's in a way that you have to be critically thinking about what you read, but it's very obvious if you so much as take a second glance at it. Most of the stabs are in what information is provided and what words are provided. ( the most obvious one so far was a listing of congressional scandals in which political party and state were given but all members were republican ).


One of the things I learned in history class in homeschool was that every source was biased and humanity is complex. I also learned that there are ways to reduce the effects of bias - or be more blunt and obvious about it instead of treating your audience like idiots. An example of doing so is by stating your bias obviously when you open your mouth, as I did at the beginning of this review.

However, this book makes no attempt to state its bias, and it makes a fairly large attempt to hide it. If you are not reading carefully, you will miss the places that it makes an argument for its bias ( or against opposing biases ).

If you have an option, maybe find a course using a book that was co-authored by a moderate republican and a moderate democrat, so that there is at least balance in the views and information presented. If you don't have an option, try to find a motivated right-leaning instructor that will present information that this book omits to favor the democrat party.

American gov book
didnt need it till next semester, but the book seems to be in good condition. happy all the same. ... Read more

Product Description
A book with a point of view.This brief introduction to American government highlights the ongoing tension between capitalism and democracy. With recent political conflict over issues such as how to rein in Wall Street, expand access to health care, put Americans back to work, and plan for an increasingly globalized future, the time is ripe for a new edition of The Politics of Power. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (10)

lots of food for thought
This book covers a wide spectrum of "open government" topics.This should be a must-read for politicians and leaders, particularly those older than "Generation Y" (yes, I am older than Gen Y).

There are a number of contributors who add their perspectives to the book.This collaborative approach makes for an interesting read, not unlike flipping through "Wired", but with a focus on governement transparency.

If you work in governement, PLEASE read!

Leveraging the Web for Better Governance
I'm not an expert in politics or government. My field is corporate governance. However, I found this book, focused on civil governments, to include many lessons for corporate governments as well.

For example, the chapter by Douglas Schuler discussed online deliberation, including the work of e-Liberate, which developed an online version of Roberts Rules of Order to facilitate online deliberations. The system in its current form can support meetings that take place in real-time over an hour or so and, also, meetings that are more asynchronous (and leisurely), meetings that could, in theory, span a year or so, making it necessary for meeting attendees to log in to e-Liberate once or twice a week to check for recent developments and perhaps vote or make a motion. Might not such a system be useful for facilitating online shareowner forums, shareowner collaboration in deciding on proxy access candidates, or even annual shareowner meetings?

David Eaves builds off the work of Clay Shiky who looked at Ronald Coase's, The Nature of the Firm. Coarse theorized the people didn't self-organize in a manager-free environment because managing transaction costs - the costs of constantly negotiating, coordinating and enforcing agreements - would be prohibitive.In Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations, Shiky asks, "But what if transaction costs don't fall moderately? What if they collapse?" The Internet seems to make that possible. Eaves cites the DIRECT Launcher project, where NASA and non-NASA employees created a virtual "skunk works" to design a rocket that outcompetes NASA. Eaves argues that with the acknowledged end of objectivity, sites like Wikipedia have increased credibility because their transparency documents partisanship. You can trace bias. Eaves goes on to discuss many self-organizing tools that I think might be readily adaptable to [...], CII and others. Other variations are discussed by Charles Armstrong. For example, One Click Organizations utilize the Themis Constitution developed by CIRCUS Foundation, designed to take advantage of electronic decision-making to simplify governance and administration.

Sarah Schacht takes us back to the fundamentals of democracy, points made in the Constitution,like the fact that a Journal of the Proceedings of Congress shall be published with Yeas and Nays of Members voting for and against bills. Of course, we can't have Board minutes released right after meetings but wouldn't it be reasonable to release minutes or at least votes after some reasonable amount of time... perhaps a year later, unless otherwise deemed strategically critical to remain secret? How can we hold our board members accountable if we never know how they vote?

If corporate directors really begin to represent shareowners, rather than CEOs and self-replacing boards, they might learn a thing or two from [...]. Then there's Sheila Krumholz's discussion about why the Center for Responsive Politics decided to publish their data on [...], which reminds me of decisions by funds to disclose their proxy votes at [...]. It turns out giving away what may cost tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars to compile can actually increase your clout and help better fulfill your mission than hording information like gold.

Another site all in governance can benefit from is [...], which facilitates the ability to upload data, visualize it, and talk about it with other people. Explore your data through word tree maps, bubble charts, phrase net, tag clouds, etc. Visualization provides powerful insights.

That's just a few observations on a few chapters. Open Government contains 34, so there is a great deal to explore. [...], which improves the accountability of elected leaders by allowing you to vote on funding for websites/blogs that cover how you are being represented, is one of many sites that are missing. However, Lathrop and Ruma have done an excellent job of compiling a list of useful sites and essays that will go far in creating more open governments... whatever their form.

a must-have resource for those interested in transparency & "Gov 2.0" issues
A terrific resource like no other in its field. It offers an amazing diversity of viewpoints covering virtual every aspect of the debate over transparency and open government. It deserves a place on your bookshelf if you care about transparency and Government 2.0 issues.

The technology to make transparency in government work
I've been noticing recent references to "open government" and "transparency" in political discussion circles and it appears to be a trend that has the potential to make dramatic changes to the national political landscape.This book is a collection of interesting essays that show how the vision of political transparency would be supported through technology. So, yes, it is possible and yes, there is a movement in this direction and yes, there is the possibility of having access to the truth rather than the political propaganda that organizations like Fox News likes to pump out.
If you're really interested in supporting the movement towards governmental transparency, here is a book that explains how it would work. Now, go ye forth and "make it so."

Comes from leading practitioners inside and outside the realm of government
OPEN GOVERNMENT: COLLABORATION, TRANSPARENCY, AND PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE is a top pick for any college-level library strong in politics and government. It comes from leading practitioners inside and outside the realm of government, and shares their ideas on how to use the Web to make data accessible to citizens and government internal operations alike. From understanding online collaboration and transparency to encouraging participation and cooperation, this packs in key details for organizing more effective government operations using the Web's powers as a pivot point.
... Read more

Product Description
This manualÂ's general review of U.S. government and politics is focused to reflect the most-often-asked questions on recent Advanced Placement exams. Topics covered include Constitutional development, the branches and institutions of the federal government, political parties and processes, special interest groups, the media, bureaucracy, and public policy issues as they relate to the economy, the federal budget, social welfare, foreign policy and the national defense. Two full-length model exams follow the manualÂ's subject review, and are provided with answer keys. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

contradictory; style unlike the AP test
Some of multiple choice contradicts my textbook, and some of my textbook contradicts AP multiple choice.AP Government has always been somewhat of a murky subject, and this book will only further cloud your good Gov't and Politics judgment.The questions are not average AP style (for example, there are no I, II, III type questions on the test, and the wording for some questions I feel are huge grammar disasters).The sample free-response as well, were so odd that I did not even bother to answer them.Do the AP Central AP Gov't FRQs instead of any review books; since it's straight from the source itself, it gives you a better idea of what to expect.

The general overview before each section is fine for those needing to refresh their memories. The Supreme Court cases they summarize is also extremely useful, though they tend to list some really unimportant ones.

I DO NOT RECOMMEND this book because it is not a good test preparation booklet, in that it does not mimic AP style well, and its general overview is not so outstanding that you couldn't find it in another review book.

Solid AP review book
As an A.P. American Government teacher, I highly recommend this book.In fact, there are only three review books I allow my students to access, and this is one of them.

Used copy of Barron's AP Govt.
This book will help my son prepare for tests throughout the year, in additon to the AP test.Book arrived on time and in the condition
stated.Thank you.

Way too long
This book has too much useless information and even some wrong facts. It is not a good review, because it is not organized to be read fast. The author gets into too much theory, etc., which goes beyond the AP test.

a pretty thorough review for the AP exam
although this book was meant to be read along with a textbook throughout the school year, i had not bought it until a few weeks before the actual exam. It helped a lot and covered all the subjects very well. The only thing is that the chapters are extremely long and provide more examples than necessary. The questions are definitely a lot harder than whats on the exam so if you pass the practice tests, you're sure to score well on the AP exam. ... Read more

Product Description
Lucas Morel examines what the public life of Abraham Lincoln teaches about the role of religion in a self-governing society. Lincoln's understanding of the requirements of republican government led him to accommodate and direct religious sentiment toward responsible self-government. As a successful republic requires a moral or self-controlled people, Lincoln believed, the moral and religious sensibilities of a society should be nurtured. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Will buy from this company again
Very easy and efficient transaction.Arrived quickly, in perfect condition.Highly recommend this company. ... Read more

Product Description
American Government, Dolphin Edition, represents the same clear writing and exceptional scholarship of American Government: Institutions and Policies, 10/e, at a more affordable price. All the same features and revisions appear in a 2-color format and handy trim size, with select photos and maps. In addition, the enhanced media package available with the Tenth Edition is available with the Dolphin. ... Read more

Product Description

This volume critically explores the contentions in the emerging debate surrounding new media technologies and the extent to which they are challenging traditional political and government models.

Examining a range of citizen/government interactions which together form e-government in different contexts, this book assesses the potential of new media technologies to facilitate new institutional patterns for governance and participation, as experienced primarily, but not only, across Europe. Analysing a range of challenges spanning from those of a technological and conceptual nature to those of a more political and legal nature, the authors scrutinise the central policies at governmental and organisational levels and consider the following questions:

• Is society driving or responding to e-government and is it ready to cope with it?
• What implications does e-government have for the power/democracy relationship?
• Is the technology right for e-government? What is needed to ensure government services are delivered optimally?
• How is e-government perceived and is it trusted?
• How are the sensitive issues of identity, privacy and social inclusion dealt with?
• How are management and safety dealt with when one considers issues such as activism, cyberterrorism, biometrics, and new implications for international relations?

This comprehensive text will be of interest to students and scholars of public policy, politics, media and communication studies, sociology, law and European studies. It will also offer insights of relevance to practitioners and policy-makers in regional, national, and transnational governance, reform and innovation.

Customer Reviews (6)

Not to worry---it's fine
Apparently, the Fox Noise machine has cranked out a lot of negative reviews on Burns here.But ignore all that.The book is fine and well-balanced.Burns has long been a first-rate historian and political scientist and there's no reason to doubt that now.The negative reviews are from the Karl Rove crowd.

Governmet? HA!
I absolutely hated this book, it gave little factual information on the srtucture and founding of our government. The book also had an enormous left wing bias which is definately inappropriate for a college class. Instructors please find another textbook that is more interesting and deals with function and structure of government {if you want your students to read it ;) }

HORRIBLE BOOK!

gooses review
The best features of this book include the charts which appear to have been all polled in new york state or california due to the leftist bias which makes me question the accuracy of any of the statistics.The thing that I liked least was the books negative attitude toward third parties which it attempted to emphasize as spoilers in political races.Besides that the side stories were interesting but of completely no use in showing how government works.The chapters were long and very repetative stating information several times as if it was new even though it had been explained several times before.The same examples were also used in many cases to explain different things.If you have a class with this book there is no point in reading the whole book.If you know nothing about political science you should read up to the last 4 chapters which are on rights and civil liberties this part is just common sense and can be largely opinionated.

I noticed a definite left tilt as well.
After having spent a semester taking a class requiring this book, I definitely noticed a rather liberal-leaning bias throughout most of the text.One of the obligations of national government, as stated by the text, is its "matter of fact" attitude that more wealthy individuals owe it to "impoverised" people through literally "taking money from more wealthy states" and giving it to poor states.Give me a break, there is so much socialism and liberal drivel in this book it made reading it a headache.

Profs and teachers, PLEASE find something a little more objective than this textbook.Sheesh!!!

Leftist propaganda not science
This book presents the issues in a twisted manner, and never teaches fundamental values. It does not discuss at all the Declaration of Independence, does not give nearly enough historical background and generally mystifies the foundations of American politics. The meaning and value of the Electoral College is not explained nor compared to the structure of the Senate and House. Well if that was mentioned it would tell too much. Instead you get the usual leftist posturing, "uh - it's so complicated - let us fix it for you". The misery of this book is most evident in the discussion of the First Amendment - it is declared contradictory. Of course their interpretation is contradictory but this is what they like, so this is what you get. Once a conflict is introduced, the familiar soap opera style takes over. If you are not into MTV this book is not for you. BTW, editions galore and the price is definitely not "for the poor". ... Read more

Product Description

Guided by the belief that readers must first understand the origins of American government to fully understand the issues facing the United States today, this market-leading text offers the strongest coverage of both history and current events of any college textbook devoted to American politics.  

From hallmark features like “The Living Constitution” to new features like the illustrated historical timelines, Essentials of American Government: Continuity and Change provides the historical context readers need to understand our government and the most crucial and controversial issues affecting the nation in the 21st century.  This Essentials edition includes the coverage found in the comprehensive version of the text but in a condensed format. 

This bestselling book has been extensively revised to provide in-depth coverage of the 2008 presidential and congressional elections, President George W. Bush’s second administration and the 110^th Congress, continued controversies related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the war on terrorism, and domestic concerns related to rising gas and food prices and the subprime mortgage crisis.

Customer Reviews (8)

poor condition
We recieved the book in very poor condition. It looked as if the book had been left out in the rain. There was some water damage. It's still useable, but we were disappointed that we were not told upfront about the condition of the book.

Poor quality text book
When I ordered this book the description said it was in "good" condition.My thought was that when I was done with it I would sell it.The book is in poor condition with the pages coming out of the binding!There is no way I can resell it and I will not be purchasing books from this website again.The name of the seller was PERLES DES ANTILLES.The book cost me about 75.00 and the pages are falling out!

Thank you! Great transaction!
Easy transaction. Great product at a great price. I will definitely do business with this vendor again. I purchased this book for an American Government class for a fraction of the retail cost! The information is up to date. It includes the current administration and presents current hot button topics. I especially like how it discusses controversial issues such as gay marriage and illegal immigration and presents balanced arguments for both sides. This book would be a worthwhile read even if it was not for a required college course.

terrible
I am very desapointed about the book that I purchase the condition was very poor the price too expensive for a used bad condition.

very informative
This text book is considered as a possible adoption for my American National Government course. ... Read more

Product Description
The guide includes chapter focus, study outlines,"Did You Think That...?" and practice questions with answers. ... Read more

Product Description
The era of textbook top-down, stovepiped public management in America is over, and the traditional dichotomy between public ownership and privatization is an outdated notion. Public executives have shifted their focus from managing workers and directly providing services to orchestrating networks of public, private, and nonprofit organizations to deliver those services. In this new book, Stephen Goldsmith and Donald Kettl head a stellar cast of policy practitioners and scholars exploring the potential, strategies, and best practices of high-performance networks while identifying next-generation issues in public sector network management. "Unlocking the Power of Networks" employs sector-specific analyses to reveal how networked governance achieves previously unthinkable policy goals.The environmental arena in particular has proved to be fertile ground for the networked governance movement. William Eggers, Goldsmith's coauthor of the landmark Governing by Network, examines the Department of the Interior's initiative organizing networks of state and local officials, landowners, businesses, and citizens to protect natural resources.Barry Rabe, a pioneer in the study of subnational climate policy, looks at the role of networks in California's aggressive policy on greenhouse emissions. Former GAO official Paul Posner illustrates how a network mustered the resources, authority, expertise, and political support necessary to clean up Chesapeake Bay.American officials are not the only ones employing networked governance. In a disquieting chapter, Brinton Milward and Joerg Raab reveal how Islamic terror organizations have adapted and transformed themselves since 9/11. In a more hopeful vein, Edward DeSeve considers how network management could be used in the fight against terrorism, utilizing new organizational structures, increased staffing, upgraded technology, and new cross-agency mechanisms. Contributors include William Berberich (Virginia Tech University), G. Edward DeSeve (University of Pennsylvania), William Eggers (Manhattan Institute), Anne Khademian (Virginia Tech), Brinton Milward (University of Arizona), Mark Moore (Harvard University), Paul Posner (George Mason University), Joerg Raab (Tilburg University), and Barry Rabe (University of Michigan). ... Read more

Product Description

Building on decades of authoritative scholarship, this completely updated text continues to offer accessible, carefully crafted, and straightforward coverage of the foundations of American politics, as well consistent focus on the achievements of a government by the people

In an increasingly cynical world, GBTP emphasizes that politics matters and encourages, motivates, and even inspires students–with accounts of individual and collective acts of courageousness, intellect, and integrity in the political arena–to be effective and informed citizens.  

With each chapter now framed by nationally-selected learning objectives and chapter mastery self-tests, several compelling new features, and an all new contemporary design, this thoroughly updated Twenty-Third Edition continues in the book’s long tradition for excellence.  The National, State, and Local Edition includes the exact same coverage as the National verion, but with additional chapters devoted to State & Local Politics. As we enter this very complex political era, there is no more reliable or more relevant text to help you advance your students from being simple onlookers to knowledgeable participants in the American political experience.

Customer Reviews (2)

My POlitical Science Book
Everything was great. shipping was fast. the only thing was that the book on the corners were a little bent but not rly that bad, but it was suppost to be a brand new book. Im not sure whether it was like that or whether the shipping company did that, but I didnt really appriate a 150$ book being bent in any way. But besides that everything else was ok.

Very good textbook on Government
I bought this book for a class.It's very up to date & easy to read.Great textbook. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Not outdated by far
This work, far from whatmany of the reviewers have claimed, is far from outdated.

The people (as well as the footnotes by Jerry Pournelle), who insist it isn't applicable in today's political world have overlooked a key point.

This ISN'T a book on how to win a mainstream election as the selected candidate of one of the two major parties.As Heinlein describes "Machines", it is patently obvious to the person who steps back and looks anew, that the mainstream of BOTH major political parties qualify as "machines".

This book describes what would be classified by political operatives as a "grassroots" campaign, even though it tries to distinguish it from what "grassroots" meant in 1946.

The techniques are valid, if in need for technological updates.Yes, internet, cell phones, scanners, word processors, etc -- ALL have affects that were not fully considered in 1946.Consider, however, the simple word processor:Even the cheapest and most basic is capable of replacing two very expensive tools Heinlein feels are critical -- by allowing "Mail merge" to create "personalized" correspondance without requiring a specialized machine that in 1946 wasn't even available in most small towns and allowing one who is not an expert typist to create them.Likewise desktop creation of much of the hand out literature than in 1946 would have been essentially hired out to professionals. Can you get copies of teh voter's rolls, perhaps even who has voted in which primaries, electronically?Run it through a quick sort in any spreadsheet program, and dump the results to a list of teh very people Heinlein advocated concentrating your efforts on.Instead of spending weeks and moths to do so, one amateur could have it done within MINUTES of receiving the data file.The technological advances have made it EASIER to apply these techniques.

But the basic philosophies of integrity (even when you've made a mistake in promising something), determination to adhere to the principles of basic democratic procedures, and most improtantly -- GETTING THE VOTE OUT are just as valid today as ever.

One of his most important points -- personal contact with as many likely voters (i.e., "ringing doorbells") matters.One of the biggest blocks (especially in local elections and primaries) of untapped votes is quite simply people who aren't going to the polls to vote on YOUR issue, but rather are going to vote for another issue or office.If these voters step into the booth still undecided about the race you are interested in, there's a very good chance they'll simply vote for the guy they can put a pleasant face to from personal contact -- even if that face belongs to an 18 year old volunteer doorbell ringer.If you've had your people out there ringing doorbells, while the other guy is relying on flashy signs and email spam, guess who that pleasant face is associated with?That's right. . . YOUR candidate or issue.

As for his observations on females and the political process.Unpalatable as it is, his observations were accurate for the time -- and to a certain extent, remain so today.His observation that women will often vote as their husbands plan to is still somewhat accurate among non-political junkies.And when married women vote differently than their husbands, they tend to vote based on feelings of security (this is what Heinlein means when saying the tend to vote more conservatively -- remember this was in 1946, before Limbaugh, before Mondale, before Reagan, before even Goldwater).

Is this a book on how to run a presidential campaign?Nope -- and it doesn't pretend to be.Can these techniques be used to affect the outcome of a presidential election?YES -- by bringing your influence to bear on the process, by influencing the party of your choice at the regional or state level.

A sound guide of "How to" influence government
"Take Back Your Government" is a sound guide of 'How To ..." influence government. If you are fed up and refuse to take any more garbage from any politician or from your government or if you want to run for offrice, this book will help you get started.

The truely odd thing is that I have yet to come across another book on the subject!Amazing!There must be something else out there...

Fair warning: the book is dated.There is no mention of using computers or the internet or any of the many technological possibilities that have been developed over the last fifty years.Still, this is a very good investment for anyone interested in influencing politics.

Excellent, not as outdated as they'd have you believe
This is an excellent book. Don't believe the people who say it's outdated.

First, most elections are local. County commissioners, mayors, state legislators, some sheriffs, and many more. The techniques outlined in this book *will* get you elected. If you're running for state-wide or national office, of course, these techniques are less applicable, but Heinlein points this out himself. This book works out-of-the-box, no adaptations required.

Second, the way most political races are funded, campaign consultants have a definite financial interest in funneling their candidate's budget into less productive, scatter-shot techniques, relying heavily on mass media. Heinlein's reliance on person-to-person selling and volunteer work is the antithesis of this approach. So the consultants always recommend the media-heavy approach and Heinlein's techniques are labeled "naive" or outmoded.

Shortly after first reading this book, I decided to follow its instructions about how to get involved. Thing happened pretty much *exactly* as described. Since then, another political professional far more successful than I was told me that he, too, had gotten his start from reading this book.

A few points in the book *are* very dated. For example, his comments on women were probably accurate when he wrote them, but that was when women had tightly restricted roles in our culture. Political clubs and salons no longer exist as they did in his day. Those anachronisms are easy to spot and don't detract from his core message.

I'm a big fan of Jerry Pournelle, but his liner notes subtract value. As other reviews point out, they're rushed, sloppy, and show little appreciation of the craft of politics, despite a PhD in political science. Most of his footnotes promote the Ross Perot candidacy, argue that Heinlein's approach is no longer applicable, and stop midway through the book. A gifted man like Pournelle can only be forgiven for botching this because he got the book reprinted in the first place.

If you're trying to be elected to a local office, even if you could care less about science fiction, this is the book for you.

A parody of politics, even for those times...
Heinlein actually ran for state office back in the forties.He was also involved with Upton Sinclair's run for governer. Later he was heavily involved with the Barry Goldwater campaign. All these campaigns failed, so it is no surprise that the advice offered in this book is trite and trivial, even for those times.Today it serves only as an historical relic, primarily for die-hard Heinlein fans. An example?Assemble a campaign committee which includes a person with an obviously Catholic name, a Protestent name, a Jewish name, etc.The Jew should be the treasurer.The Protestent should be the chairman.For those that catch on slowly, he even supplies sample names and titles.He writes this thing as a how-to book for a campaign manager.He paints the campaign manager as the real driver of the campaign even having him decide who to select as candidate.This really had me scratching my head.One would expect that even in those days the candidate selected the campaign manager.He also has the candidate taking orders from the manager as if the candidate is merely a stuffed shirt.
Another thing I thought was rather silly;early in the book, he says that he will not disclose his political leanings, as if to say he is writing the book without bias.What purpose does this serve?I mean we all know that he has a political preference.Why the mystery?I have read all of Heinlein's published material and consider him the greatest writer of science fiction for adolescent boys.Everything else he has written has suffered by comparison. If you see this in a bargain bin, go for it.Give the out of print 50 dollars a copy version a definite miss.

'How-To' for the Average Joe
Many have noted Heinlein's strong political statements that suffuse many of his books, from The Moon is a Harsh Mistress to Starship Troopers. Few, however, seem to note the knowledge of the political process that he displays in many of these works, or worse, think his portrayal of such processes is incorrect or not founded in reality. Here in this book of practical advice we can see from what point Heinlein got this knowledge, without much in the way of Heinlein's own political philosophy, though with some very strong opinions about various `types' of people who help shape the political process.

Heinlein was, at one point, associated with Sinclair Lewis and his EPIC (End Poverty in California) program, and ran for the California legislature in 1938 on the Democratic (!) ticket. He didn't win, but his experience from that time is the base material from which this book is derived. Written in 1946, just after the close of WWII, this book was part of several items he wrote at that time both as a method for breaking out of the `pulp' markets and because he felt that he could offer advice and warnings to America that were (in his mind) desperately needed. Most of the material from this period did not find a publishing market, and this work wasn't published until 1992, not because they were poorly written, but because there was little interest in such material then.

Heinlein looks at (American) politics from the most basic level, that of the individual voter. Grabbing this voter's attention and vote is the prime focus of this work. Chapters are spent on how to do door-to-door canvassing, setting up local meetings, organizing the associated office work, recruiting workers, funding, and most especially the reasons why you, as an individual, should not only get involved in this process, but what impact a single person can make. Some may object that this model of how to run an election campaign has been outmoded by today's technological communication methods, PACs, and national organizations directing even the smallest local elections, but a close look at the actions Heinlein is advocating will show that almost all of them are still applicable today, or would need only small modification to take advantage of today's technology.Viewed this way, the advice this book offers can be invaluable.

For the reader who has no intention of becoming politically active in the fashion of this book, though, this book still has something that makes it a worthwhile read: Heinlein's comments about various types of people (from senior citizens to the `reform' politician), the value of participation in the process in terms of maintaining a healthy government, the relative merits of different types of governments, `reactionary' groups (such as the American Communist Party), and the role women should play. This last item is definitely colored by the cultural attitude of the time this was written, that women are mainly only good as homemakers (though he does present at least one case of a woman working successfully at a high level in a political campaign).

The forward and various notes to this book by Jerry Pournelle need to taken with a grain of salt, as Jerry was definitely promoting his own agenda with these, but they do provide a more modern perspective from which to view this.

The language of this book is typical Heinlein, somewhat folksy, American colloquial, certainly a long way from all too many other books that deal with this area that have a somewhat strained academic approach and language. Overall, this is an easy read that will probably bring forth a few grins, perhaps a few violent disagreements with some of the expressed opinions, and a greater knowledge of just how the political process works.

--- Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat) ... Read more

Product Description
The governed must know their government.

Understanding how our government functions and the political forces that influence it is vital for all Americans. As a comprehensive overview and history of the subject, this book is designed to help anyone interested in learning about our government and the origins of its complex inner workings, our political system, and key elements that have affected our growth as a nation- all while serving as the best supplementary reading a student can get.

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Very lucid, thorough and enlightening lesson in US Civics
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complete idiots guide to u.s. government & politics
this book should be used as a template for educators teaching civics.


all H.S seniors should be exposed to the contents of this book and hopefully we will have a more
intelligent generation than the one to which i unfortunately belong.


politics is one of my fortes and i can honestly say i learned thingsi did not know.



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One stop
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Great book.
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Great for CLEP
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