Section outline


  • Government impacts every aspect of peoples’ lives, and knowledge of government helps us to better understand the ways in which we can influence governmental effectiveness in addressing our needs.  Government can be defined as an organized entity of American society responsible for social order, public services, and security and defense in accordance with power granted by law. Knowing the principles and institutional design of the American government is crucial to the role students can play in ensuring and securing their well-being and happiness in American society.

    In this Module, we examine what is government, the types of governments, and politics within the American governmental system and other governmental systems.  Next, we present perspectives on the representativeness of the U.S. system of government and the role of tradeoffs. Finally, we examine citizen engagement's effectiveness in influencing government and the factors shaping people's willingness to become engaged.

    Image Attribution: Modification of work by the National Archives and Records Administration)




    Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:
    1. Define the key concepts, characteristics, and types of government. (CLO 2)
    2. Explain the differences between U.S. governmental system and alternative government systems of other nations. (CLO 2)
    3. Assess the pros and cons of the pluralist-elite debate and the merits of the tradeoff perspectives of American government. (CLO 2,3)
    4. Explain current role of citizen engagement in influencing governmental outcomes. (CLO 5)

    To achieve these objectives:
    1. Read Chapter 1 in Introduction to American Government. Including:

    Note the check boxes to the right that help you track your progress: some are automatic, and some are manual. 

    Module Pressbooks Resources and Activities

    You will find the following resources and activities in this module at the Pressbooks website. Click on the links below to access or complete each item.

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