Political processes and citizenship Property of Garland ISD. All rights reserved.

Political processes and citizenship

Property of Garland ISD. All rights reserved.

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.


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.


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?


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?


Geographic Terminology


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.


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.


Let’s try the decision-making process

Our topic will be Terrorism


Step 1: identify the Problem


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

terrorists.Property of Garland ISD. All rights reserved.

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


How do your answers compare to these? What was difficult about

developing your spectrum?


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.


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?


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?


•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?


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?


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhawar_Kili

What affects someone’s viewpoint?

Upbringing Occupation

Past experiencesReligion

Political beliefs

Culture

Personal

interests


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?


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?


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.


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?


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.


Explain how the example of is an example of cultural belief affecting

government decision-making.


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


CHALLENGE QUESTION:

What are some examples of cultural beliefs impacting the

United States’ government and decision-making

processes?

Political processes and citizenship Property of Garland ISD. All rights reserved.

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