Civic Minded: What Everyone Should Know about the US Government

by Jeff Fleischer

How do student loans work? What do sanctions do? Where does federal spending go, and who decides on the budget?


Author and established journalist Jeff Fleischer digs into these and other relevant civics topics to explain the history behind different processes and programs, what they look like today, and why it’s important to understand them.


Through engaging, well-researched text and related sidebars, this book will help you understand and join many ongoing political conversations in the US, from spending to citizenship to international relations and more.

Genres: Nonfiction, Government

312 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2024

About the author

Jeff Fleischer is a non-fiction author, journalist, and short-fiction writer. Originally from Chicago, he has also worked in San Francisco, Australia and New Zealand, and his work has appeared in publications including the Sydney Morning Herald, Mother Jones, Chicago Magazine, Mental_Floss, and dozens of other print and online publications. He has a degree in journalism and history from Indiana University and a master's in journalism from Medill at Northwestern University.

Reviews

[Jacob Ferlo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty good book. I love the surface-level quick look at so many important topics in our country. These are definitely all things more Americans, including myself, need to understand better. I do feel that there was a very distinct political bias that tainted the informational tone of the book. I feel that in a book trying to inform the reader about important topics, I shouldn’t be able to determine so clearly what party the author supports.

[Shilo Quetchenbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic basic guide to the many programs provided by the US Government. I read this to my kiddo (10) as a bedtime book (I know, but he prefers nonfiction to 'scary' fiction.) He was engrossed the whole time and insisted we read through the entire book. I learned a ton as well that was never covered in my US history and government classes.

Jeff Fleischer does a great job breaking down difficult concepts into simple ideas so that anyone can understand them. He covers things like social security, medicare, taxes, citizenship, insurance student loans, and the poverty line. Things that are vital to understand to be an informed citizen yet aren't taught in school. He covers the basic facts and also the history of how they came to be.

The few nights my husband read instead, kiddo spent our walks the next day filling me in on what I'd missed. We spent an entire walk to school one day with him lecturing me about trade defecits.

This should absolutely be required reading for everyone in the US. I have already ordered the author's other books for young readers and we will be tackling those next.

*Thanks to Zest Books for providing an early copy for review.

[Sawyer Westman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Civic minded is one of those books where it may not seem to be fun to read at first, but it becomes much more interesting as you begin to learn all of the info it has to offer about our government. With this day in age, bias news channels from both sides of the political spectrum share skewed views about how the federal government acts, and how much power they really have. Luckily, with Civic Minded you don't have to worry about the book being for republicans or democrats, because it provides the information in a factual upfront way that takes little of current day events.

A few of my favorite topics in this book that I gained a lot from was how social security works, how tariffs work, and how limited the federal government actually is compared to what we citizens really think. The major themes of this book was more on the economic sides of things, compared to social issues. It also briefly covered the three branches of government and how each works, and also how much power they really have. The only problem I found with the book is that it didn't quite go in depth to some of the topics I was most interested in, but it is understandable as this books focus is to provide a overview of important topics.

I would recommend this book to everyone from 12 year old kids to 80 year old grandmas. This book truly provides a unbiased source of information that is not often found elsewhere. Especially if you are of voting age, or looking to get into politics when you are older, this book is perfect for you. Fully knowing the facts about how you are voting for can be tricky in this day and age, and you should really know how each one of there policies will really work, and see how plausible their proposes really are.

[Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to Zest Books and NetGalley or the digital copy of this book; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I am always shocked when people say they didn't learn about XXX in school, especially stuff like how the federal government works. I distinctly remember 9th grade civics class, as well as a consumer education class in 12th grade that have had lasting impact. And in case you're wondering, my four kids have been taught this same information in two different high schools in recent years. However, I don't think the information is taught in the most engaging way, and that's where Civic Minded comes in.

Written in a way that encourages and provokes thoughtful questions and comments, this is the sort of book that should replace those stodgy old textbooks. Everything is laid out by chapters, including Social Security, Medicare (which are NOT ENTITLEMENTS {author's words, not mine}; they are EARNED BENEFITS), student loans, the debt ceiling, etc. One can skip around and learn about what they want or read straight through. There are sidebars to break things down a little bit more.

I'm not going to say my kids are itching to talk about tariffs after going through this book, but at least the information is there for them. It is always encouraging to see young people educating themselves about issues that DO matter to them, whether they realize it yet or not.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too often, U.S. citizens argue their opinions about civic-related topics but don't fully understanding the backstory. Jeff Fleischer tries to amend this challenge in this book. He explains 45 functions of the federal government and includes historical details about where the laws originated. This book could appeal to anyone who's curious about subjects like taxes, the national debt, student loans, insurance, minimum wage, immigration, and international relations. Readers can easily skip to the subjects they're interested in and explore ideas. The author includes helpful resources at the end for further research.
I enjoyed the history lesson. Also, the book is well researched and easy to read and understand. I also appreciated the sidebars, graphs and photos that broke up the content.

[Boundbywords · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very well-written book, perfect for anyone with a keen interest in understanding how the government really works. It dives into the complexities of governance in a way that’s both informative and engaging. I genuinely believe everyone should read this book, as it provides a foundation of knowledge that’s critical for any informed citizen. Honestly, it should be required reading for students—it could provide young readers with a valuable perspective on the structures and decisions shaping our world.
Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and Zest Books for the advance readers copy. I appreciate it.

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like I have an overall grasp on the government and how it works but, after reading Civic Minded, I realize I barely know the basics. This is written for a young adult audience but I would advise every free thinking citizen of the United States to pick up this book. Part of resistance is education and this is one of those books that will help educate.