Understanding the US Government

By: Jennifer Nicoll Victor, The Great Courses

Narrated by: Professor Jennifer Nicoll Victor

Length: 12 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

Whether we participate or not, government plays a deeply fundamental role in how we live. By gaining a clear grasp of political institutions, we’re better equipped to engage with government and politics; to be discerning consumers of news, media, and public opinion; and to grasp the deeper content and meaning of the legislation and policies we live with.

In these 24 refreshingly balanced lectures, Professor Victor presents a comprehensive examination of American politics in which she demystifies its many puzzles and offers a nonpartisan look at the outcomes it produces. You’ll delve into essential topics such as:

• How the federal bureaucracy is organized. Learn how our bureaucracy breaks down into the 15 cabinet departments, the many independent governmental agencies, and the government corporations;
• Intricacies of Congress and the legislature. Across three lectures, study how the House and Senate function and interact, how congressional bills are passed, and how congressional elections operate;
• The politics of the Supreme Court. Investigate outside influences on the Court’s rulings, take account of judicial ideology within the Court, and witness the political and policy effects of the Court’s actions;
• The challenge of campaign finance. Observe how organized interests maneuver around campaign finance laws, ensuring that a small group of people finance most of what happens during our elections;
• Politics and the media. Track the phenomenon of political media as both information and entertainment, and grasp how our media environment is ripe for misinformation and conspiracy theories;
• America’s deep political polarization. Take a rigorous look at how the United States has become more politically polarized than at any time in the past 140 years.

In Understanding the US Government, you’ll gain valuable insights for assessing the policies coming out of Washington, the news, the media, and the ongoing political dialogue that moves our democracy and shapes the actions of the United States on the world stage.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2020 The Great Courses (P)2020 The Teaching Company, LLC

Essential

This is for everyone that lives in the United States or wants to understand the U.S.

A very Biased View

This Course as well as a few others I have listened to by “The Great Courses” seems to be pushing left wing agendas rather than just giving facts and details. Very much full of opinion rather than explaining basics. Would love to see something like this with an unbiased opinion.

Informative and fills gaps

30 minutes a day is the perfect pace for this. A few spots were rough because I wanted an objective view (as I could get anyway) of the government and US history but man were the opinions shoved in there. Even though I agreed with some of them I had to put it down early a few days. There are other places for that. But all in all definitely recommend.

Half as good

The narration of Prof. Jennifer Nicoll Victor is great and pleasant. But when in almost every chapter, she loses objectivity and starts projecting her biases, it becomes very frustrating. Why do the lecturers find it difficult to stay on course on the topic and give the listeners room for their own thoughts and conclusions?

Lives up to title.

Not only was the information great, it was presented and conveyed very well. Thank you.

Tactful Progressive Bias

Yes, this book is from an individual who has a degree in Political Science, which usually has a progressive bias, but there were plenty of elements left out or had a personal platform included into the story. This book addresses the Internment Camps the U.S. had for the aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor. There was the emphasis on how the U.S. judged all Japanese citizens for their ties to Japan. It was just easier to throw them in Internment Camps. However, the book doesn't address how the U.S. also had the Internment Camps for the Germans. It illuded that it was all about a race based biased. Towards the end it discusses how it's the right-wing media that spreads the conspiracy theories and how ring wingers have a narrow gap to get their information. There needs to be some sort of 'it's my opinion' v. here's some speculation. I've listened to a decent amount of The Great Courses, and this is the first where there's a stronger focus on her opinion compared to presenting the full picture. I was hoping for more insight of each department of the government, not a tactful political jab here and there.

This book covers:
The U.S. Government framework
Civil Liberties
Bills turning into Laws
Congressional Elections
Presidency Power
Government Bureaucracy
The Supreme Court
Elections and Voting
Government Affecting Economy
Financial Safety Nets
Foreign Policies
American Democracy

The writer/speaker was quite articulate and had a notable understanding of the topic. Just disappointed in her politics getting involved.

Good Attempt to Appear Unbiased

Overall informative. I do believe that most college studies on political science, including this one, have a demonstrable bias that tends to lean to the left, mainly when they make the assertions that they claim as unbiased facts and on some "study" that was conducted (keep in mind that most of those conducting these studies are most likely Democrat). Examples are claims that the media remains mostly ethical and unbiased, or that the Republican Party contains more extremists in its ranks. I think it is blatantly obvious based on recent history that assertion is absolutely absurd. That being said, omitting those types of assertions, the lecture was nonetheless informative. One just has to discern the differences.

Great for beginners

Everything was great about this book. Easy to understand and follow. Basically just the basic fundamentals of government. Will be interesting to see how she feels about the 2034 Presidential Election.

Another interesting book on the US government

I myself, like many Americans today did not really understand how the US government really works. That is until I read this book. It gave me a different perspective on an angle about the US government but I never really understood it until now.
Therefore, I have been inspired to do some thing for my country. Something has to be done about democracy before it is too late the freedom of America must stand.

Long story short, if you want a different angle on the US government and how it works. I definitely recommend you give this course a listen to. It is without a doubt inspiring.

Good info overall but biased in places

Overall, this was a great program. At times, I sensed a less than objective viewpoint. this was especially apparent at the end. That bias would be the primary disappointment in the program. But the information was very well done and incredibly valuable.