3.7 – Think and Apply Activity 2
Before beginning this activity, review this brief summary of the reading text for Module 3: Forms of Government:
Governments create laws and can be organized in different ways, giving power to one person, a group, or the people. Types of governments include monarchies, dictatorships, oligarchies, theocracies, and representative democracies. In a representative democracy like the United States, citizens vote to choose leaders who represent them in government. All people living in a democracy, whether citizens or not, have rights and can share their opinions with leaders. The government is meant to serve the people, and leaders are expected to listen to those they represent.
U.S. Government Design Activity
1) No matter what form of government a country has, certain questions will need to be answered to set up its system.
Look at the U.S. Government Design Activity handout. With a partner or in a small group, study the chart below. Think about what you know about the United States government, and answer the five questions. When finished, go over your answers as a class.
The United States Government
| Questions: | Your answers: |
|---|---|
| 1. Who is the leader?/Who are the leaders? | |
| 2. How long will the leader(s) lead? | |
| 3. How does/do the leader(s) come into power? | |
| 4. Who makes the laws? | |
| 5. How can people participate in government? |
2) Next, on your own, think about how the U.S. government is designed – it’s about 250 years old, and some parts work very well, while other things don’t work perfectly.
Do a “quick write” in your notebook (5-10 minutes) about ONE or BOTH of these questions:
- If you could, how would you set up the U.S. government differently? Think about what we just discussed about who the leader is, how long can they lead, who makes the laws, and how can people participate.
- What responsibilities SHOULD the U.S. government have in people’s everyday lives? What parts of our lives SHOULDN’T the government be involved in?
Remember, a “quick write” is a chance to quickly get the ideas from their head onto paper. Don’t worry about perfect grammar and structure!
3) After you and your classmates have written your responses, share some of your ideas as a class!
