Question:
Models of Governance.
In this phase, we will look at models of governance and how the role of the citizen contributes to the different models.
During this phase, you will:
Distinguish diverse values and ethical stances to make more nuanced and informed decisions in their political and professional lives.
Synthesize and test diverse values and ethical decisions to judge those that best align with democratic principles.
Analyze the role of the citizen in assuming responsibility for and contributing to the improvement of society.
Video & Commentary: Models of Governance
https://youtu.be/CnvUUauFJ98
Obama Victory Speech 2008, Marc Schulz, 2012
In November of 2008, then Illinois Senator Barack Obama became President Obama. Democrat candidate Obama defeated Arizona Senator John McCain for the nomination. Music fans will notice that early in his speech Senator Obama references the Civil Rights song, 'A Change is Gonna Come' which Sam Cooke made famous.
https://youtu.be/wEBlaMOmKV4
Sam Cooke - A Change Is Gonna Come (Official Lyric Video), SamCookeVEVO, 2016
In this video, Senator Obama speaks to the historic moment marking when, for the first time, a non-White American became the leader of the free world. He references America's 16th President when he paraphrases Lincoln's famed Gettysburg Address, "the government of the people, by the people and for the people, has not perished from the earth."
At the 10:22 mark he references another American Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King's "I've Been to the Mountain Top" speech.
https://youtu.be/ixfwGLxRJU8
I Have Been to the Mountaintop Full Speech, SeurJamzEnt, 2013
At the 13 minute mark, Obama quotes Lincoln's Inaugural Speech-"We are not enemies but friends."
Consider the legacy of the two historical figures that he references: Lincoln and King. Based on what these two men both gave their lives for, it is no mistake that Obama chose these two figures.
Senator Obama weaves in the story of Ann Nixon Cooper, then 106 years old. He uses this woman's life to demonstrate the rapid evolution of American society over one lifetime. According to Obama, Cooper was born, "a generation past slavery." It would be 18 years after Cooper's birth that the 20th Amendment passed giving women the right to vote. Sixty-three years after her birth, President Johnson signed the Voters Rights Act of 1965 and assure that 'people of color' had access to voting booths. In 1969 Cooper's life spanned from an era of the horse and buggy to space exploration and men landing on the moon.
You will notice that the video hops from one physical location to another. Perhaps the most inspiring aspect of this video is not the President's articulate presentation but the looks on the faces of those in the audience. Like any administration, Obama's term in office included supporters and detractors. And despite these partisan wranglings, this historic moment occurred during your lifetime.
Other notes:
At the 6:00 mark viewers will notice the camera''s focus on the modern civil rights leader, Reverend Jesse Jackson.
At 6:20 a glancing view of media mogul Oprah Winfrey can also be seen.
Readings & Research: Models of Governance.
Review the following Required Reading Articles:
https://fee.org/media/4897/20121114_ipencilupdatedcover2012.pdf
Leonard W. Reed, 1958, Begin reading on page four of the PDF document. If you would rather listen to the essay download the audio...
https://fee.org/resources/i-pencil-audio-pdf-and-html/
https://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/POLSC221-4.1.5-TypesDem-FINAL.pdf
https://www.constitutionnet.org/files/monarchies_0.pdf
https://www.hks.harvard.edu/fs/pnorris/Acrobat/stm103%20articles/Cheibub_Pres_Parlt.pdf
https://www.lexrex.com/enlightened/AmericanIdeal/aspects/demrep.html
https://www.staff.ncl.ac.uk/nick.megoran/pdf/theocracy.pdf
https://www.ditext.com/russell/cs.html
Selections from the...
https://staff.washington.edu/cbehler/teaching/coursenotes/Texts/selMarEngManif.html
https://downloads.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/wjec/history/pdf/democracy_or_dictatorship.pdf
Review the following Required Research Articles:
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/08/25/in-search-of-libertarians/
https://www.pewglobal.org/2014/10/09/emerging-and-developing-economies-much-more-optimistic-than-rich-countries-about-the-future/
Review the following Required Research Articles:
https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/globalfindex
The World Bank, 2016.
****Click on the blue "Access Data" link and use the search boxes on the right to find data for at least two countries, regions, income groups OR topics.****
https://www.slideshare.net/amitkishoresinha/capitalism-socialism-mixed-economy?qid=df7d04b9-91a7-4f96-9a29-20667f22ccb5&v=default&b=&from_search=1
https://www.pewglobal.org/2014/10/16/greatest-dangers-in-the-world/
Videos: Models of Governance.
Review the following videos:
Read it or Watch it! Fundamental economics help us better understand how the "invisible hand" of self-interest in the market creates jobs and wealth throughout the economy. While the example is simplistic, this video helps us see how, when each of us acts in our own best self-interest, it creates growth and opportunity throughout the economy.
https://youtu.be/IYO3tOqDISE
I, Pencil: The Movie, I, Pencil, 2012
What kind of government do we have in the United States? What is the difference between a democracy and a republic form of government? There are numerous forms of governments: each with potential hybrids. Who has the power? How is it distributed and used? This video will help you understand the basic forms of government and how can you better understand them.
https://youtu.be/YGL8CiUtXF0
A Republic, If You Can Keep It - The American Form of Government, aliunde, 2009
What is Capitalism and how do we understand people's different views on the importance of capitalism? What are the roots of the negative impression that some have of capitalism?
https://youtu.be/dIuaW9YWqEU
HISTORY OF IDEAS - Capitalism, The School of Life, 2015
This video will help you better understand the differences between capitalism and socialism. What are the historical roots of these forms of government? Why have these forms of government continued to evolve and change?
https://youtu.be/B3u4EFTwprM
Capitalism and Socialism: Crash Course World History #33, CrashCourse, 2012
Karl Marx was born in Germany but lived and wrote in London, England. Marx's writings on communism are often misunderstood and misquoted. Marx was an active critic of capitalism and yet, for the most part, his economic system of government has failed. None-the-less his criticisms can help us understand the pros and cons to modern economies.
https://youtu.be/fSQgCy_iIcc
POLITICAL THEORY - Karl Marx, The School of Life, 2014
Currently, there are more than 190 countries in the world. Each has a form of government and a corresponding economic system. For example, in the U.S., our form of government is a Representative Republic. Our economic system is free market capitalism. These two powerful forces work together in American society to define the nature and culture of our nation.
In our readings, we examined several forms of government. By examining forms of government, we can gain an insightful perspective on our own government and better understand its strengths and weaknesses.
In the C3P3 Models of Governance Tables document, provide an example (please do not use Nazi Germany) and discuss the form of government in each of the provided seven forms of government. To find appropriate examples of countries, use The World Factbook- https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2128.html#as. Be certain to supply citations for each of the seven forms of government from the assigned reading materials.
After you have completed the tables, reflect upon your examinations. In 300 words discuss how you think the role of the citizen differs in each form of government. Does the model allow for citizen control of governance? What role should citizens have in the form of government and economics of their nation? Be certain to use and cite at least three of the assigned reading articles from this phase and one assigned reading article from a previous phase of this course.
Think about your own role as a citizen. How does contrasting other forms of government against that of the U.S. model of government help us better understand the role of the citizen in governance and economics? Does this understanding help you make more informed decisions in your professional and your nation's political life?
Finally, examine the posted assignments of three other students. Discuss how their conclusions agree, or not, with your own.
The rubric for this assessment will be used to provide feedback on your work. Review the rubric and use it to guide your work.