Applying the concepts to “real life”
There is no escaping talk of the coronavirus aka covid-19 this year and it is greatly affecting all areas of our government and our nation’s politics. As you read through chapters 1-8 you will see lots of concepts of governance in the U.S. Federal system. We are also seeing a lot of unrest and protest about the long-standing problems of racisl inequality/injustice. If you see that factoring in to Covid response, feel free to include that element.
- Write at least two paragraphs about how one concept from Unit 1 applies to the coronavirus pandemic.
- Use at least 1 reputable source and cite it in the body of your paragraphs as well as in MLA format at the end of your post.
- Lastly, ask a thought-provoking, open-ended question for your classmates to answer. A good question will require a detailed answer with both the student’s opinion and some research required.
Here are some examples of topics based on each chapter’s concept:
- The Citizen and Government – what do we expect from our government in these times? What is our role in governance of our nation?
- The Founding and the Constitution – what is the government’s constitutional role in a crisis of this sort? Are any governments violating the Constitution of their state or the nation?
- Federalism – How do the federal, state, and local governments work together? What is each level’s role/responsibility? Should it be the way it is (mostly up to each state) or should we change the balance of power?
- Civil Liberties and Civil Rights – What is the balance in this time between safety and liberty? You cannot have both at high levels, so which is more valuable? Are any liberties or rights being violated during this time?
- Public Opinion – How much of the government’s response should be driven by what the public wants? Are we overreacting and catering to fears, or are we doing what is sensible and best for all?
- The Media – How does the media affect the government’s response? How are they doing at reporting vs. sensationalizing? How important is free journalism and access for citizens in holding government accountable?
- Political Parties, Participation, and Elections – The political parties battle it out for a relief package – what is going on with that? How are Americans participating in the process right now? Are we being active in our democracy or not? what affect might this all have on the 2020 elections? This is election season. What are states doing when people don’t want to “go out” to vote in person?
- Interest Groups – The medical community is a powerful interest group. There are numerous interest groups for doctors, nurses, health care professionals of any kind as well as interest groups representing older Americans. How are their voices and dollars steering policy making right now? Other examples of interest groups in the news about Covid include teachers, service workers, and many more.
As you can see – every chapter has a lot that can connect to the pandemic and government in the U.S. in this time. Come up with your own take on something that piques your interest.
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