The Everything American Government Book: From the Constitution to Present-Day Elections, All You Need to Understand Our Democratic System

by Nick Ragone

Understand everything you need to know about our democratic system—from the Constitution to present-day elections—with The Everything American Government Book.If the confusion following the last presidential election is any indication, the average citizen knows precious little about the democratic system and the laws that affect their daily lives. The Everything American Government Book unravels the complexities of our democracy and provides you with the knowledge necessary to make the right decisions and take an active role in the management of our country. From the roots of American government and the challenges that have helped shape it over the years to its current structure and systems, this thoroughly researched work is ideal for anyone brushing up on civics, as well as students of all ages.You’ll learn -The personalities and events that gave rise to our current system -The real significance of the Bill of Rights and the Constitution -The functions of each branch of government and how they work together -Private sector’s influence on public policy and decision-making -Ways to get involved and make a differenceSpecially designed to inform and empower the average citizen during this critical election year, The Everything American Government Book provides the keys to understanding the ins and outs of the most powerful democracy in the world.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, History, Political Science

383 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 4, 2004

Reviews

[Staci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brushing up on civics. This book is currently free on Kindle to Prime members.

Exactly what I needed.

[Bridget E. Osborne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not necessarily a bad book, but I absolutely hated it. It probably deserves a three, but I just can’t bring myself to rate it that high.

[James S. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very readable and interesting introduction. Even news junkies could probably learn a few things. There are a few subjects that are less than totally clear (like the primary nominating process), but that's probably because those subjects are so Byzantine that it would take a lifetime to master them.

Favorite thing I learned: when Lincoln told his Cabinet about the Emancipation Proclamation, they all advised against it. Lincoln replied calmly "that's seven nays and one aye. The ayes have it."

[Alex Timberman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Few months ago, in Time magazine, I read a frightening statistic. Most Americans can’t name the three branches of our Government. I hope that’s untrue, but this book would go a long way in helping many to understand how it all works.

There are already too many resources out there to understand American Government, but this book simplified everything in a succinct and entertaining way. I can’t ask for more. I reviewed a lot, clarified a lot of stuff I should already know, and learned a lot of new concepts.

For all the arguing and bickering we have of our politics in the media and in our personal offices (arrgh), it would be great if we could all first get the basics down.

By the way, the author graduated in political science from Rutgers University and has a juris doctorate from Georgetown. I believe he is a career political strategist and he is obviously an expert on the topic. I consider this book a hidden gem on bringing you up to speed on American Government so read it if you can. It’s free on Kindle Unlimited, a service that I don't endorse but just use.

[Gen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is easy to read and covers a lot of aspects of government and history.

It is from over 10 years ago and also, seems to be from mostly a male perspective. When speaking about many roles of government only the pronoun "he" is used. While there is reference to the internet and some email, there is not a reference to social media. I also think a more rounded perspective of the Native Americans could be presented.

I think this could be a really good read if it was modernized and if the author invited some diverse perspectives (gender, ethnicity, etc.) to contribute.

[Cameron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good baseline of information about the US political system. If you know nothing or very little about how the system works this is the book for you, if you want something more in depth I’d look elsewhere. All that being said, everyone should read this or at least have a basic understanding of what’s covered in this book. So that we can have more productive conversations about what is constitutional and what isn’t, as well as what the framers intended when writing the original constitution.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good overview that will help many people.

[Earl Grey Tea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book to help my wife study for her citizenship test coming up next year. So far she has been able to slowly go through the first couple of chapters to learn a bit of the history and founding of the American government in the 18th century. Even though the overall amount of information is relatively light, the book goes deeper into what is required for the citizenship test.

Despite the overall depth and difficulty of the book is probably on the level of late middle school or early high school, I was able to learn a good amount along with refreshing my memory from what I learned in the mandatory civics class I took.

One thing that I liked was historical examples from both contemporary and more historical times to reinforce some of the topics found in these pages. As my wife gets farther in the book, I think these examples are going to be moot for her since her knowledge of American political history is virtually nil.

If you are looking for a nice refresher on how our government works without going deep into the weeds, this book is definitely a good resource. If you are politically apathetic or have a degree in political science, there are better books out there for you.

[Zefyr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Designed for adults who didn't take a US civics class in high school. Good for its breadth; I would have liked more depth, but the book isn't intended to be deep, so hey. There's some dated language (like "Indians" for Native Americans, which was considered dated even when this came out) and some unexpected omissions (for example, the history of the two main political parties seems to suggest that the parties have *not* had a major flip in ideologies and focuses since their origins). I appreciated that throughout the explanations of everything that *wasn't* directly history, Ragone peppers in historical examples and context to illustrate how different policies and practices have shifted over time. It's hard to tell what's left out that I don't know, such as the party-flip thing, but it's a solid place to start for, uh, people like me who didn't take that civics class already, womp womp.

[Luis A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a worthwhile introductory book. One can start without knowing anything and the book arms the reader with enough ammo to start making sense of the news. The book is of digestible length, about 250 pages long. It covers Federal, State, and Local government institutions and processes. It focuses mostly on the Federal level, but gives enough information about state and local government to equip the reader with a decent news translator when picking your local newspaper.

More detailed review here.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting read for a government book

This book was excellent in helping to understand the levels of government and their roles without being to dry. Interesting little facts can be found highlighted throughout the book giving real life examples of our elected leaders. A bit outdated as it only goes through the President George W Bush's presidency.

[Brandon Baggett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book does a good job of covering all of the important things about government. You can jump in not knowing anything and this will do a great introduction on where you need to go from there. There are a few errors that I noted (such as the original number of US Supreme Court Justices), but overall the information is solid.

[Kevin Zuech · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good informative book if you want a general overview of how the government works from the federal to local level. A little outdated at this point but if you are just looking for an overview this is a good place to start before picking a subject that you want more in-depth knowledge. It kept it informative while still being interesting so it was an easy read.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Educational. Relatable.

Quite an interesting read during our current political times. The book offers facts and points regarding the backbone of the US government and its political leaders. Good refresher of the US democracy from past to present.

[Jeffrey M. Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read for an introduction to the political process...

Awesome!!!! This book highlights all of the critical areas of politics. Excellent read and worth downloading. Thank you for offering this.

[Kayne Carpenter · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I was hoping for and expected it to be. Comprehensive and relatively thorough overview of federal, state and local government. Would recommend to anyone who like myself knew less about the structures involved than they should.

[Sarah McSweeney · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a lot of information in here but I don't think I understood most of it. It exposed me to the terms of government without it really being fully explained what the different things were. It was a very basic overview

[Georgia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to read--short and sweet...and should be required reading for all US citizens; especially in these unsettled political times.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF, couldn’t hold my attention. History has not yet my forte.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good civics review.

[Judy Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really, really good read on our system of government, a civics course in itself. Very readable! I'd highly recommend it for anyone who didn't pay attention to this class in high school.

[Bryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very good civics recap but the book was outdated and dull.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing detail would recommend anybody who has even remotely a little bit of interest in politics!

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very educational and not a drag.

[Tisha (IG: Bluestocking629) · Rating 3 out of 5]

IF you are looking for a refresher because your American Government class was decades ago, then this is the book for you.

It's written in an easy to read format.

[Lee Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clearly passionate, yet well executed introduction to American Civics. Should be recommended reading for every young American or prospective American.

[Torrie Shaw]

DNF.........lots of good information that is explained well, I just don't care enough to read the entire book

[DragonFrog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice refresher on stuff that I forgot. No more boring than necessary.