Post on 19-Dec-2015
Political processes and citizenship
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Student expectations
• WG15A Identify and give examples of different points of view that influence the development of public policies and decision-making processes on the local, state, national and international levels.• WG15B Explain how citizenship practices, public policies, and decision-making may be influenced by cultural beliefs, including nationalism and patriotism.
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Student Expectations
• WG18B Assess causes, effects, and perceptions of conflicts between groups of people, including terrorism.
• WG21B Locate places of contemporary geopolitical significance on a map.
• WG23B Use case studies to identify contemporary challenges and to answer real-world questions.
• WG23C Use problem-solving and decision-making processes to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness of the solution.
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Here’s what we are going to be learning about…
• How are government decisions made?• How do citizens participate in government?• How are government policies shaped by
cultural beliefs?• How are government decisions and
international issues often influenced by different points of view?
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How are government decisions and international issues shaped by different points of view?How are government decisions and international issues shaped by different points of view?
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Geographic Terminology
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Important ideas
• Governments often make decisions. Government officials usually follow a logical decision-making process to make them:– Identify a problem– Gather information– List various options– Consider the advantages and
disadvantages of each option– Choose and implement a solution– Evaluate the effectiveness of the solution
Brainstorm some recent happenings in the government where you can tell that these steps have been followed.
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Important ideas• A government policy consists of a series of
decisions and actions on a particular issue or topic.
• Different points of view frequently influence the development of public policies and decisions. This occurs at the local, state, and national levels of government.
• Cultural beliefs, such as nationalism and patriotism, influence citizenship practices, public policies and decision-making processes.
• Different points of view also affect policies and decision-making at the international level, between nations.
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Let’s try the decision-making process
Our topic will be Terrorism
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Step 1: identify the Problem
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Step 2: Gather Information
What are some ways that the government could go about gathering information?
What are some ways that the government could go about gathering information?
The government could look at terrorist acts
committed in the US and elsewhere.
The government could make a list of known terrorist leaders and organizations. They
could also analyze their acquaintances and any
recent activities.
A government could also use satellite surveillance,
undercover agents, exchanges of information
with foreign governments and other
methods to obtain information about the
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Step 3: Consider Options
Next, government officials will consider various ways to solve the problems. They must consider all of their options.
Draw this spectrum on your paper or find it in the notes packet. Fill in the spectrum with policy options that government officials might consider when dealing with terrorists.
Least
Ex-
treme
Most Ex-treme
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How do your answers compare to these? What was difficult about
developing your spectrum?
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Government officials now consider the advantages and disadvantages of each option. Every option usually has both benefits and costs.
Could infringe on personal liberties of
American citizens
May yield valuable information about the
next threat
ISSUE Eavesdropping on telephone
conversations and email correspondenceAdvantage Disadvantage
Now choose one of the other options on the
spectrum and discuss the advantages and disadvantages.
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Step 5 – Select, implement, and evaluate the best option
Finally, officials select one policy
option or a combination of
options.
Officials then apply this approach to the
problem and evaluate its
effectiveness.
They assess whether this solution works
and whether it creates new
problems of its own.
Which option(s) did the United States use to deal with terrorism? Was it effective? Why or why not?
Which approach do YOU think is best for dealing with global terrorism, and why?
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The importance of different points of view
Why is it important to see all view points and consult with other
people when making a decision?
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•What benefit is there to having such a large cabinet to help make decisions? •Are there any disadvantages?
•Why do leaders need to examine different points of view and seek advice?
What is taking place in this picture? Who are all of the people around the table?
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Back to our terrorism example…who could the president ask for points of view when deciding how to deal with global terrorism?
Close allies or other countries
Task Force K-Bar SEALs searching munitions found in the Zhawar Kili cave complex
Leon Panetta, Secretary of Defense
United Nations
What else?
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What affects someone’s viewpoint?
Upbringing Occupation
Past experiencesReligion
Political beliefs
Culture
Personal
interests
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Sometimes leaders in our government have help getting elected by certain groups that have an interest at stake.
These groups help the politician to get elected with the expectation that when the politician is in office, he or she will remember them and help them get laws passed that benefit them.
The leaders see certain issues from the point of view of the group that helped them get elected.
For example: Farmers or farm equipment makers
How can people help politicians get elected?
What other groups can you think of that would need
representation in the government and would actively help someone
get elected?
So many politicians in America and other democracies take into account the viewpoint of their
constituents when trying to pass laws. How are a monarchy, theocracy and dictatorship
different?
Why is it important for politicians to keep in mind what their
constituents’ viewpoints are?
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What can a citizen do to have an active role in a democratic or republican form of
government?
What can a citizen do to have an active role in a democratic or republican form of
government?
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How is the role of a citizen different in countries with a totalitarian dictatorship?
How is the role of a citizen different in countries with a totalitarian dictatorship?
Citizens can participate but only by joining the
ruling party.
Citizens can not speak
out lawfully against the
dictator.
The government often stages rallies, parades , etc. to show that a lot of people support the
dictator.
Propaganda is on television, in news articles, and in
schools. It constantly tells people how great the govt. is and how bad the opposition
is.
Elections are held but the candidates follow the dictator’s beliefs.
Citizens become
caught up in the
excitement and support for the govt.
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What is happening in this image?
Where do you think this rally is taking place?
How does the government get this
much support?
What type of government do you
think these people live in? How can you tell?
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How can cultural beliefs affect government decision-making?
Example: All government leaders in China are members of the Communist Party. China has welcomed free enterprise in its economy but it still does not allow rival political parties. Because the government leaders believe that the Communist party is the best party for China, it is not likely that they will allow opposition in elections.
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Explain how the example of is an example of cultural belief affecting
government decision-making.
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What conflicts have Vietnam and China had in the past?
Why might Vietnam be fearful of China?
Vietnamese folk literature came into being very early and had a profound effect on the spiritual life of the Viet. The folk literature contributed to the formation of Vietnam's national identity with praising beauty, humanism, and the love of goodness. Legends, fairy tales, humorous stories, folk songs, epic poems have a tremendous vitality and have lived on until today. Also contributing to the national culture and belief system are the folk songs and literature that tell of the fear and dislike of China. These age old beliefs still affect the government, especially in regards to dealing with China.
What affect would size and proximity have on their relationship?
ChinaVietnam
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CHALLENGE QUESTION:
What are some examples of cultural beliefs impacting the
United States’ government and decision-making
processes?