Political and Economic Structures
Unit 1 Lessons
Unit 1 Exam Review Materials
- Purposes of Government
- Forms of Government
- Direct and Representative Democracies
- Limited and Unlimited Governments
- Government Decision Making
- Types of Economies
Unit 1 Exam Review Materials
Unit One Overview (Adapted from the MSDE Web Based Course)
Rationale or Purpose for Teaching:
The purpose of this unit is to provide students with knowledge about the importance of government as an institution necessary to a civil society. Students begin by examining the need for government through an examination of the relevance that government has for their lives. As part of that examination, students will evaluate the effectiveness of various systems and types of government and determine whether those governments meet the needs of their citizens in a world that continues to grow into a global network. They will also compare political systems described as democratic (limited) or authoritarian (unlimited) based on these criteria:
In addition, students will analyze how different forms of government—federal, unitary, or confederate—distribute power and authority. They will also be introduced to economic concepts fundamental to understanding the role that economics plays within a specific political system. Additionally, students will analyze a number of economic systems to determine how governments provide solutions to basic economic questions necessary for meeting the wants of their citizens.
Essential Concepts:
Essential Vocabulary:
Rationale or Purpose for Teaching:
The purpose of this unit is to provide students with knowledge about the importance of government as an institution necessary to a civil society. Students begin by examining the need for government through an examination of the relevance that government has for their lives. As part of that examination, students will evaluate the effectiveness of various systems and types of government and determine whether those governments meet the needs of their citizens in a world that continues to grow into a global network. They will also compare political systems described as democratic (limited) or authoritarian (unlimited) based on these criteria:
- the amount of civic participation in the governing process;
- the authority of the government; and
- the protection of individual liberties.
In addition, students will analyze how different forms of government—federal, unitary, or confederate—distribute power and authority. They will also be introduced to economic concepts fundamental to understanding the role that economics plays within a specific political system. Additionally, students will analyze a number of economic systems to determine how governments provide solutions to basic economic questions necessary for meeting the wants of their citizens.
Essential Concepts:
- Governments provide a structure for making and enforcing decisions.
- Governments establish power and authority.
- The purposes of government include: protecting individual rights, maintaining order, providing public services and providing for economic security and the common defense.
- Democratic governments address the balance between civil liberties and authority.
- Power is distributed differently in the forms of government.
- Governments make economic decisions based on the scarcity of resources.
- Economic decisions made by governments directly affect our current and future daily life and standard of living.
- A nation’s socio-economic goals drive economic decisions.
- How does government affect the daily life of individuals?
- What are the purposes of government?
- How do governments address the degree to which their system is a limited government, and has rule of law, consent of the governed/popular sovereignty and majority rule?
- What are the differences between the forms of government (Unitary, Federal, and Confederate)?
- What are the different types of democracy (direct, representative, parliamentary and presidential)?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of limited and unlimited political systems?
- What are the characteristics of limited and unlimited political systems?
- What are the economic principles of opportunity cost and scarcity?
- How do governments prioritize socio-economic goals in response to changing economic, social and political conditions?
- How do economic systems (traditional, market and command) address the three economic questions?
- Why do governments organize their mixed economies using elements of traditional, market and command economic systems?
Essential Vocabulary: