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Adams 101
American Government 101: From the Continental Congress to the Iowa Caucus, Everything You Need to Know About US Politics
All you need to know about elections, politics, and government!
Too often, textbooks turn the noteworthy details of government into tedious discourse that would put even the president to sleep. American Government 101 cuts out the boring explanations, and instead provides a hands-on lesson that keeps you engaged as you learn. From the backstory of the Constitution to the institution of the Electoral College, this primer is packed with hundreds of entertaining tidbits and concepts to help you learn about how the government of the United States actually works.
So whether you want to learn about how policies and laws are created, or just want to become a better-informed voter, American Government 101 has all the answers--even the ones you didn't know you were looking for.
Too often, textbooks turn the noteworthy details of government into tedious discourse that would put even the president to sleep. American Government 101 cuts out the boring explanations, and instead provides a hands-on lesson that keeps you engaged as you learn. From the backstory of the Constitution to the institution of the Electoral College, this primer is packed with hundreds of entertaining tidbits and concepts to help you learn about how the government of the United States actually works.
So whether you want to learn about how policies and laws are created, or just want to become a better-informed voter, American Government 101 has all the answers--even the ones you didn't know you were looking for.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2016
573 people are currently reading
1104 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
February 17, 2025
good comprehensive review of u.s. government. dislike the way the author refers to black people as 'blacks', as well as how the author subtly downplays how central the issue of slavery was in the entire formation of the american government.
November 27, 2017
This isn’t anything to write home about but if you’re wanting a refresher on American government & how it works that’s not super dense then I’d say give this one a go.
March 30, 2018
What it says on the tin. Not long after the 2016 election I saw this book bandied about as a good primer/refresher and I finally got around to reading it after my library added it to the collection. I was surprised to see how small and thin it was but then again it is a 101 textbook as indicated on the cover.
The standard items are covered: a brief history of how the US came to be, the government, their branches and functions, the role of stuff like the media, what is involved in the election process at the presidential level, a look at state and local governments, etc. Each section is a few pages long at most and is a basic overview of what the US government looks like. Don't expect an in-depth look at any one topic or issue.
That's really it. While I'm familiar with a lot I still found it to be a useful refresher and I did learn some things/re-learn things that I have long forgotten, etc. I also liked how it covers from the presidential to city-level government structures. Quite frankly, I'd really love to toss out a book like this to various people who scream on the internet and clearly, CLEARLY do not understand how the US government runs/the structure, etc.
As a negative I wish the book had given additional resources/bibliography in addition to the index. This is not a huge detriment, though.
Glad I read it and ultimately do feel it does fulfill what it sets out to do but also felt it was best as a library borrow. Would make for a basic primer as an introduction (but you'll likely need more) for someone who is completely unfamiliar with the US government (like say someone who is looking to become a citizen) and/or needs a refresher. As an aside this might be handy for someone who intends to run for office and I'd recommend 'Run for Something' as a complimentary read if elected office is something you're interested in pursuing.
The standard items are covered: a brief history of how the US came to be, the government, their branches and functions, the role of stuff like the media, what is involved in the election process at the presidential level, a look at state and local governments, etc. Each section is a few pages long at most and is a basic overview of what the US government looks like. Don't expect an in-depth look at any one topic or issue.
That's really it. While I'm familiar with a lot I still found it to be a useful refresher and I did learn some things/re-learn things that I have long forgotten, etc. I also liked how it covers from the presidential to city-level government structures. Quite frankly, I'd really love to toss out a book like this to various people who scream on the internet and clearly, CLEARLY do not understand how the US government runs/the structure, etc.
As a negative I wish the book had given additional resources/bibliography in addition to the index. This is not a huge detriment, though.
Glad I read it and ultimately do feel it does fulfill what it sets out to do but also felt it was best as a library borrow. Would make for a basic primer as an introduction (but you'll likely need more) for someone who is completely unfamiliar with the US government (like say someone who is looking to become a citizen) and/or needs a refresher. As an aside this might be handy for someone who intends to run for office and I'd recommend 'Run for Something' as a complimentary read if elected office is something you're interested in pursuing.
November 28, 2024
First of all: how can you write a book about the US government, even an introductory book like this one, and skip over Indian law, treaty making, and settler colonialism, and the clauses in the constitution used to justify the creation and implementation of federal Indian law?!? That’s insane.
My mom got this book to learn about the US government and educate herself, which I was so happy about! I offered to read it first and write in my thoughts about it, being as I worked in the House of Reps in DC and have my MLS and a BA in political science and wanted to make sure it was unbiased and informative and that it would actually help her. I sticky noted something on almost every page, expressing the importance of certain facts and suggesting where she would benefit from doing deeper research to go more in depth on certain subjects and writing in important facts and history that I saw was left out or not included yet still pertinent to having a clear understanding of the basis of the US government.
All this to say that as an introductory book, I think it left out way too many parts that are basic and in my opinion should be included in an overview of the US government, which was disappointing. Obviously it was dumbed down and brief and had to be selective with what it included, but even taking that into account I think it barely passed as acceptable. What it did include was accurate and good, hence why I gave it two stars instead of one, but it was so severely lacking that I find it unacceptable.
My mom got this book to learn about the US government and educate herself, which I was so happy about! I offered to read it first and write in my thoughts about it, being as I worked in the House of Reps in DC and have my MLS and a BA in political science and wanted to make sure it was unbiased and informative and that it would actually help her. I sticky noted something on almost every page, expressing the importance of certain facts and suggesting where she would benefit from doing deeper research to go more in depth on certain subjects and writing in important facts and history that I saw was left out or not included yet still pertinent to having a clear understanding of the basis of the US government.
All this to say that as an introductory book, I think it left out way too many parts that are basic and in my opinion should be included in an overview of the US government, which was disappointing. Obviously it was dumbed down and brief and had to be selective with what it included, but even taking that into account I think it barely passed as acceptable. What it did include was accurate and good, hence why I gave it two stars instead of one, but it was so severely lacking that I find it unacceptable.
May 7, 2024
This book was a fantastic refresher on how our government came about and its specific functions.
The author kept a concise, practical overview of the history and evolution of our governmental systems without sounding mechanical and made for a breezy, enlightening read.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in a brief explanation of the powers that be.
The author kept a concise, practical overview of the history and evolution of our governmental systems without sounding mechanical and made for a breezy, enlightening read.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in a brief explanation of the powers that be.
July 20, 2024
It did what it needed to do.
October 18, 2025
You can pretty well guess the author’s political affiliation. They mentioned parts of the Bible, and used the word ‘blacks’ for African Americans to try to use historical context but later fails to bring any historical context to other issues like the party switch which leads people on a bit. It’s actually missing so much context on many different issues that I found it frustrating. I also believe when they were talking about lobbyists, they didn’t bring it up except through the title of the chapter but has some stereotype flags for antisemitism. This was an okay refresher for an American high school government class but not as substantive or helpful as I had hoped. It’s more of a how things are than a why it’s important or a how it came to be.
November 30, 2018
Covering many aspects of government in America, American Government 101 focuses mostly on the federal government, but does cover state and local governments. It’s an excellent overview for anyone who wants to understand how government works (or doesn’t as the case may be) and why certain things happen. I recommend this book to anyone interested in political science.
August 8, 2019
A great deal of information condensed into one book in easy to pick up and go format. This is a good refresher for anyone looking to brush up on the history of American Government and also a great tool for school-age kids just starting to learn history. Much more interesting to read than those boring old history books from long-ago school days.
January 29, 2021
I gave American Government 101 by: Kathleen Sears, a 5 star rating because the author did a really good job at explaining the entire American Governmental system in just 251 pages. I really liked how Kathleen Sears explained how the government operates without getting complicated. I liked how the book explained how the government functions and the role of president since instead of just criticizing one party of presidents the author just talked about facts. I also liked how the book was formatted. The book would take a specific subject, such as the presidency, and then break it down in a way where the reader can truly understand what they are reading. The books format also provided the reader a mini example that applied each subject into real life. Not only was the structure easy to follow but the style stayed consistent throughout the entire book which is something I like. The style of the writing made it seem like I was in an actual classroom rather than just being lectured about a subject. There wasn’t biased commentary in the book which was good, since I picked up this book to learn how the government worked. One of my favorite lines in the book was discussing The CIA and some of their unethical practices: “The agency came under renewed scrutiny during the administration of George W. Bush, when it admitted that it maintained various “black sites” around the world where prisoners detained during the “War on Terror” were held and sometimes tortured. These practices stopped-or, at least, were said to have stopped-under the Obama administration”. The reason I liked that part of the book was because it shows how the author was critical on both major political parties leading the reader to make a decision for themselves...in other words the book wasn’t too preachy on what's wrong and what's right and left it up to the reader to decide. I honestly have no complaints/dislikes for this book and I 100% recommend it to anyone who wants to either renew their knowledge on American government or learn about it for the very first time.
May 9, 2024
The last time I studied government, I was teenager, and frankly, it didn’t interest me that much. As an adult having witnessed the effects of politics over the decades, I found American Government 101 meaningful and enlightening. I remembered quite a bit from my high school civics classes, but American Government 101 gave me a new perspective and understanding.
Why is the lawmaking process so cumbersome? Why are representatives elected for two years and senators for six? Why is there so much gridlock and dissention? What is the benefit of the Electoral College? The answers to those questions and more are in this book.
The book covers the Constitution, the three branches of federal government, state and local government, special interest groups and lobbyists, the role of the news media, the evolution of the political parties, elections and voting, and more. One big plus: the book is surprisingly nonpartisan.
A couple of things really resonated with me:
How gridlock was designed into our system of government by the framers of the Constitution and the founding fathers.
How much our system of government was a direct reaction (opposition) to rule by the British (If King George III did that, then we don’t want that!).
Every American could benefit from this book.
Why is the lawmaking process so cumbersome? Why are representatives elected for two years and senators for six? Why is there so much gridlock and dissention? What is the benefit of the Electoral College? The answers to those questions and more are in this book.
The book covers the Constitution, the three branches of federal government, state and local government, special interest groups and lobbyists, the role of the news media, the evolution of the political parties, elections and voting, and more. One big plus: the book is surprisingly nonpartisan.
A couple of things really resonated with me:
How gridlock was designed into our system of government by the framers of the Constitution and the founding fathers.
How much our system of government was a direct reaction (opposition) to rule by the British (If King George III did that, then we don’t want that!).
Every American could benefit from this book.
November 6, 2024
OK, I guess. It could use an update (particularly around Donald Trump's two impeachments). Not sure if I learned anything new, but the book is an adequate refresher. I breezed through it on Election Day between phone banking sessions, preparing for Kamala Harris's demoralizing defeat. The book's summaries of historical events sometimes seem breezy, uninformed, or inaccurate, which is perhaps the book's biggest flaw. For instance, it provides a couple sentences to describe Washington's victory over the British at Yorktown during the Revolutionary War without mentioning anything about the French role in that battle. Native American affairs are mentioned in only one sentence about the Interior Department, and Guam, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands are mentioned only in the section on federal district courts. In its coverage of Marbury v Madison, it doesn't mention that the Constitution doesn't grant SCOTUS the power of judicial review; Chief Justice John Marshall pulled that power out of his butt.
Surprised the book doesn't include the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence, but maybe there are other books in the series that cover those key documents in more detail.
Surprised the book doesn't include the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence, but maybe there are other books in the series that cover those key documents in more detail.
October 31, 2025
This was a pretty average book. I read it in the hopes that I could learn an overview about the US government, and while it did give me that, it didn't do it in a very novel fashion. I don't know if I had my expectations too high or what, but this just reads like a regular textbook. It was kind of interesting learning about how old laws and traditions related to recent events, but it didn't get elaborated on much. I do have to say that the book did a good job of concisely giving all of that information about a lot of different aspects of the government. Overall, I'd say if you just want a brief overview of how the government works, this book would be great.
November 30, 2025
This was a good and concise way to explain American Government to the average person. I feel like this is something every American should try to understand at the most basic level at a minimum.
As things are contentious in this country (to say the least), we need to understand what is allowed by our constitution and what those we elect are using their offices to do.
Not a bad start and written in a way we can all understand.
As things are contentious in this country (to say the least), we need to understand what is allowed by our constitution and what those we elect are using their offices to do.
Not a bad start and written in a way we can all understand.
October 17, 2018
As a "101" book, it was good enough. Starts with a little bit of history of the U.S and then briefly discusses constitution and branches of (mostly) Federal and (slightly) state governments. It only gives you a broad overview of the whole american government, but doesn't get into details of each part.
February 28, 2021
A really good book for understanding the overall structure of American government, from federal to local level. Also gives brief explanations of how each piece of the system was developed. Definitely clarified some things for me. Interested to check out some other “101” books by this author on other subjects.
July 3, 2019
Good Read
Learned a lot more about our local, state and federal government than I knew existed. Definitely a good book to start with in you are interested in learning about any form of government
Learned a lot more about our local, state and federal government than I knew existed. Definitely a good book to start with in you are interested in learning about any form of government
December 17, 2019
Really good refresher book. Clear and concise and hits the biggest topics. Used my pocket constitution as a reference while reading. It's good to get back into the nuts and bolts of government especially now when everything seems so disjointed. This book is easy to follow and helps jog the memory.
January 21, 2021
I read this book in preparation for the Presidential election and find that it gives the reader an easy-to-grasp overview of the American Government - its legislative, judiciary, executive, constitution etc. A good building block to reading more about this subject.
December 24, 2022
I am a Brit so do not turn this into a political argument part of GR. I don't care about Democrat and Republicans but I am interested in the mechanics of the system. I makes novels like 'The Pelican Brief' and other Grisham works some sense.
March 3, 2023
Great easily digestible introduction and explantation to how our government operates - perfect for people wanting a comprehensive understanding of the components of US Government. This is a book you buy and revisit as current events require you to brush up on how the gif operates.
December 3, 2023
Government explained
Although so much information to retain, this is an excellent book to go back on and review what Government is and how it works. It’s in plain English an that means easy to understand. Thank You for enriching how thing work.
Although so much information to retain, this is an excellent book to go back on and review what Government is and how it works. It’s in plain English an that means easy to understand. Thank You for enriching how thing work.
January 29, 2019
A quick easy read if you want to dust off some civic knowledge.
February 24, 2019
Spent years trying to understand the US political system. This book succeeded where others have failed.
December 13, 2019
I liked it! This is a great refresher for any adult who, years after having taken high school social studies, wants to dust off the cobwebs and remind themselves how US government functions.
January 30, 2021
Incredibly informative and easy to digest! Could easily look up areas you specifically wanted to know more about instead of reading the whole thing but it has a nice order as well.
February 5, 2021
Excellent book to refresh a civics class from 9th grade...(and that's been decades ago)
February 23, 2021
Easy to read, and very informative - the title says it all.
May 21, 2021
This book is a good overview and refresher.
January 9, 2023
A MUST read for anyone who lives in the U.S.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews