Comparing Forms of Government

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Chapter 2
Comparing Forms of Government
How should political and economic power be
distributed in a society?
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8/19 Journal Activity
Answer the following questions in your
notebook. In your opinion, which one of the
following people or groups should have the power
to make the rules at your school, and why?

• principal
• teachers
• student council
• student body
• other (specify)

PART 2 Are there any people or groups above
that should not make the rules at your school? If
so, why not?
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Preview
Discuss the following questions with your class

• Which group do you think should be allowed to
  make the rules? Why?
• Are there groups you think should not be allowed
  to make the rules? Why?
• Which group usually makes the rules at your
  school? Why do you think that is? What are
  advantages of this system? Disadvantages?
• In general, what advantages does the group that
  is in power have? How are the groups that are not
  in power at a disadvantage?

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Preview
In the Preview, you discussed who should make the
rules at your school. In the chapter, you will
learn about various forms of government, systems
for distributing power in a government, and
economic systems. Similar to the running a
school, there are advantages and disadvantages of
various forms of government, ways of organizing
government, and economic systems.
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Reading
Be sure you understand the Speaking of Politics
terms for this chapter. Use them in your answers
as you complete the Reading Notes.

• democracy
• monarchy
• dictatorship
• market economy
• traditional economy
• republic
• parliament
• command economy

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Reading
Read Section 2.1. Consider possible answers to
the Essential Question How should political and
economic power be distributed in a society?
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Reading
Read Sections 2.2 and follow the directions in
Notebook Guide 2 to complete the Reading Notes.
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8/21 Journal
Go and get a Civics Today Government Alive
book from the bookshelf. Open your notebook to
the notes section and finish copying the timeline
events from last class. Get out the Notebook
Guide 2 and begin reading notes 2.3 by creating
the table pictured on the guide.
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Reading
Read Sections 2.3 to 2.5, and follow the
directions in Notebook Guide 2 to complete the
Reading Notes.
Monarchy means
One pro of a Monarchy is that decisions can be
made quickly and efficiently by the monarch.
One con of a Monarchy is
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Response Group
Congratulations! You have been selected to serve
as a representative at a constitutional
convention that is charged with creating a stable
government and an economic system for a
fictitious country that has just achieved
independence. Your teacher will divide the class
into eight groups of equal size. Each group will
represent a different interest group within that
society. Some groups will have similar interests,
while others will have conflicting interests.
Groups must work together to establish a new
form of government, create a system of
organization for that government, and choose an
economic system for their newly independent
country.
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8/25 Journal
Get a copy of Student Handout 2A from your
teacher and reread the background information
on Nucountry with the partners in your group.
Then discuss What issues is Nucountry facing as
it gains its independence?
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Response Group

• Your teacher will give your group one copy of
  Student Handout 2B. You will represent the
  interest group covered on the handout.
• The interest groups include
• Military Leaders
• Working Professionals
• Wealthy Business Owners
• Religious Leaders
• Working Poor
• Former Monarchs Family
• Apeeple Ethnic Group
• Upeeple Ethnic Group

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Response Group
In your group, do the following

• Read about your interest group on Student Handout
  2B.
• Record your groups characteristics and primary
  concerns about the future of Nucountry.
• Use colored markers to create a sign with the
  name of your interest group and a simple slogan
  that illustrates what is important to you.
• Post your sign on the wall near your group.

Military Leaders Security first!
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Response Group
When called on by your teacher, give a brief
summary of your interest groups characteristics,
as well as your main concerns about the future of
Nucountry. Then, discuss with the class What
potential challenges might Nucountry face in
making decisions about the type of government and
economic system it will use?
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Response Group
Get a copy of Student Handout 2C from the
teacher. With your group, examine each map or
graph on the handout and discuss the
corresponding questions.
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Economic Activity in Nucountry
Where are the countrys natural resources
located? Most profitable economic activities?
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Ethnic Distribution in Nucountry
Economic Activity in Nucountry
Which resources and economic activities does each
ethnic group control?
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Population Density in Nucountry
Where do most people in Nucountry live? What
comparisons can you draw between this map and the
other two?
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Income Distribution in Nucountry
Which groups have the highest and lowest income?
Which represent the largest and smallest
percent of the population?
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Response Group
Use the demographic information on Student
Handout 2C to prepare for the Constitutional
Convention by doing the following

• Complete the matrix on Student Handout 2B by
  listing your preferred options and compromise
  choices for the form of government, system of
  government, and economic system.

Monarchy Evidence 1 Evidence 2
Parliamentary Democracy Evidence 1 Evidence 2

• You will find a list of choices for each topic in
  your Reading Notes for Sections 2.3 to 2.5.

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Response Group
Next, your group can send one ambassador to meet
with other groups to negotiate, form alliances,
and gain support for your listed preferences. You
have 10 minutes to form your alliances.
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Response Group
Prepare for the Constitutional Convention Prepare
a 30-second explanation of what form of
government your group believes Nucountry should
have and why. Choose a presenter who will speak
on behalf of your group.
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Response Group
Constitutional Convention Overview There will be
three rounds during the convention. During each
round, each group will have 30 seconds to explain
their position on the form of government, system
of government, or economic system. After each
groups presenter has shared the groups ideas,
the floor will be open for five minutes for
additional debate before a majority vote is
taken. Guidelines for discussion

• Each person must stand when speaking.
• Each person will begin with (Name of
  presenter), my group agrees/disagrees with your
  group because . . . or a similarly polite
  opening.
• Every argument must be backed by relevant
  historical and political facts pertaining to
  Nucountry.
• Each presenter will choose the next presenter.

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• Notes to teacher Do not project this slide.
• Consider the following tips for running the
  Constitutional Convention
• Acting as president of the convention, call the
  convention to order.
• You may want to use a gavel and a black robe or
  other props.
• Keep Transparency 2 projected so students can use
  the maps or graph to illustrate their points.
• You may want to use a scored discussion to award
  groups points for arguments that are supported by
  evidence from the chapter, information about
  Nucountry and the interest groups, maps, or the
  graph.

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Constitutional Convention Round 1
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Each group has 30 seconds to explain what form
of government Nucountry should have and why.
Step 1
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Step 2 The floor is open for five minutes of
additional debate.
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Step 3 A majority vote is taken and each group
gets one vote. Results are announced.
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Step 4 Each group awards themselves the
appropriate number of points in the Points
column of the matrix on Student Handout 2B.

3 points if your preferred option was chosen.
1 point if your logical compromise
option was chosen.
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Constitutional Convention Round 2
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Each group has 30 seconds to explain what system
of government Nucountry should have and why.
Step 1
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Step 2 The floor is open for five minutes of
additional debate.
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Step 3 A majority vote is taken and each group
gets one vote. Results are announced.
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Step 4 Each group awards themselves the
appropriate number of points in the Points
column of the matrix on Student Handout 2B.

3 points if your preferred option was chosen.
1 point if your logical compromise
option was chosen.
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Constitutional Convention Round 3
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Each group has 30 seconds to explain what
economic system Nucountry should have and why.
Step 1
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Step 2 The floor is open for five minutes of
additional debate.
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Step 3 A majority vote is taken and each group
gets one vote. Results are announced.
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Step 4 Each group awards themselves the
appropriate number of points in the Points
column of the matrix on Student Handout 2B.

3 points if your preferred option was chosen.
1 point if your logical compromise
option was chosen.
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Response Group
Consider the three decisions your class made.
Then discuss,
Who will have power in Nucountry? Who will not
have power? Why will this government and
economic system work? What problems might
arise? What factors influenced the creation of
the government and economic systems? What are
some of the advantages and disadvantages of each
type of government? Of each system of organizing
government? Of each economic system? How might
this constitutional convention be similar to what
a country would go through in forming a
government and economic system today? How might
it be different?
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Power, Politics, and You
Read the Power, Politics, and You section of
the chapter. Then, be prepared to respond to the
following questions

• The authors of this article point out the trend
  of democracy stagnation. What factors account for
  this, and why is each a problem?
• How do the current methods of suppressing
  political dissenters around the world differ from
  past methods of repression?
• Do you think that this is an issue that we, as
  Americans, should be concerned about? Why or why
  not?

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Processing
Imagine that you are advising a country that is
creating a new constitution. Below are the
priorities that the country might have when it
come to a government and an economic system.
For each possible priority, identify the
combination (form of government system of
government economic system) you would
recommend. Then write one or two sentences
explaining why you think this combination works
best for the particular priority.
Monarchy
Unitary
Traditional
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For each of the priorities that appear below,
several students will share their combination of
form of government, system of government and
economic system and explain why they think their
combination works best for the particular
priority.
Form of government
System of government
Economic system
Efficiency __________________
__________________ __________________
Freedom __________________
__________________ __________________
Prosperity __________________
__________________ __________________
Equality __________________
__________________ __________________
Security __________________
__________________ __________________
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