socialsciences.dadeschools.netsocialsciences.dadeschools.net/files/Civics Leaders Insti… · Web viewSS.7.C.1.2: Trace the impact that the Magna Carta, English Bill of Rights,

The following information was compiled from Escambia County, SS Department MDCPS, Discovery Education, and iCivics

First Quarter Benchmark Review

SS.7.C.1.1: Recognize how Enlightenment ideas including Montesquieu's view of separation of power and John Locke's theories related to natural law and how Locke's social contract influenced the Founding Fathers.

Baron de Montesquieu: The Founding Fathers were heavily influenced by French philosopher Charles Secondat, Baron de Montesquieu when drafting the Constitution, most notably in connection with the separation of powers. The Founding Fathers, most especially James Madison, drew upon Montesquieu’s theory of the separation of powers when drafting the Constitution. Montesquieu argued that the best way to secure liberty and prevent a government from becoming corrupted was to divide the powers of government among different actors who would check each other. For example, Montesquieu warned that “Were the executive power not to have a right of restraining the encroachments of the legislative body, the latter would become despotic; for as it might arrogate to itself what authority it pleased, it would soon destroy all the other powers.”

Madison and the Founding Fathers took heed of Montesquieu’s warning by establishing an independent executive (the President), legislative (the Congress), and judiciary (the Supreme Court) in the federal Constitution. Madison masterfully protected the separation of powers by establishing a thorough system of checks and balances as well.

John Locke: Natural Rights to Life, Liberty, and Property. He expressed the radical view that government is morally obliged to serve people, namely by protecting life, liberty, and property. He explained the principle of checks and balances to limit government power. He favored representative government and a rule of law. He denounced tyranny. He insisted that when government violates individual rights, people may legitimately rebel.

SS.7.C.1.2: Trace the impact that the Magna Carta, English Bill of Rights, Mayflower Compact, and Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" had on colonists' views of government. Pgs.: 142 # 1, 108 Q 7-8

Magna Carta: includes 63 clauses protecting the human rights of the English people from the abuses of their king. Its legal mandates extended to the American colonies, and gave American Revolutionary leaders multiple instances to denounce King George for his abuses of the colonists' rights and offered legitimacy for their push for independence from England. The Supreme Court refers to the Magna Carta on occasion, as it forms the foundation for the Bill of Rights of the United States Constitution.

The Magna Carta outlines the foundation for the conception of what modern thinkers call human rights. It also establishes a law of the land that is higher than the laws of the king, what the English refer to as their common law today. The Magna Carta includes a mandate for the right of


a trial for those accused of a crime. The Magna Carta contributes to the basis of modern democracies. The American republic's creators use portions of the Magna Carta as the inspiration for a system where law is the supreme sovereign, rather than the ruler.

The colonists in early America were subject to British rule and the leaders of the American Revolution were highly educated in English law. When King George III violates common law in the American colonies, it gives the revolutionaries just cause to warrant succession from England, which Thomas Jefferson outlines the Declaration of Independence.

The Bill of Rights is a section of the United States Constitution which originally did not exist in the document, and is, in part, inspired by provisions in the Magna Carta. The right to due process, trial by a jury of one's peers, no cruel or unusual punishment, the right to a speedy trial without bias, and protection against excessive fines or bail first appear in the Magna Carta, and later in the Bill of Rights. The Supreme Court of the United States occasionally refers back to the Magna Carta for decisions on cases concerning human rights

English Bill of Rights : The importance of the Bill of Rights as a focal point for individual rights and the idea of free and fair government.

The Mayflower Compact: signed by 41 English colonists on the ship Mayflower on November 11, 1620, was the first written framework of government established in what is now the United States.

Thomas Paine’s Common Sense: Published in 1776, Common Sense challenged the authority of the British government and the royal monarchy. The plain language that Paine used spoke to the common people of America and was the first work to openly ask for independence from Great Britain.

SS.7.C.1.3: Describe how English policies and responses to colonial concerns led to the writing of the Declaration of Independence. Pgs.: 96, 100, 101, 102 (Critical Thinking Questions)

Mercantilism: This was the idea that colonies existed for the benefit of the Mother Country. The American colonists could be compared to tenants who were expected to 'pay rent', i.e., provide materials for export to Britain. Britain's goal was to have a greater number of exports than imports allowing them to store up wealth in the form of bullion. According to mercantilism, the wealth of the world was fixed. To increase wealth a country had two options: explore or make war. By colonizing America, Britain greatly increased its base of wealth.

Events Leading to the Declaration of Independence

1. The French and Indian War was a fight between Britain and France that lasted from 1754-1763. Because the British ended in debt, they began to demand more from the


colonies. Further, parliament passed the Royal Proclamation of 1763 which prohibited settlement beyond the Appalachian Mountains.

2. Beginning in 1764, Great Britain began passing acts to exert greater control over the American colonies which had been left more or less to themselves until the French and Indian War.

A. In 1764, the Sugar Act increased duties on foreign sugar imported from the West Indies. A Currency Act was also passed that year banning the colonies from issuing paper bills or bills of credit because of the belief that the colonial currency had devalued the British money. Further, in order to continue to support the British soldiers left in America after the war, Great B. Quartering Act in 1765: This ordered colonists to house and feed British soldiers if there was not enough room for them in the barracks.

C. Stamp Act passed in 1765 :This required stamps to be purchased or included on many different items and documents such as playing cards, legal papers, newspapers, and more. This was the first direct tax that Britain had imposed on the colonists. The money from it was to be used for defense. In response to this, the Stamp Act Congress met in New York City. 27 delegates from nine colonies met and wrote a statement of rights and grievances against Great Britain. In order to fight back, the Sons of Liberty and Daughters of Liberty secret organizations were created. They imposed non-importation agreements. Sometimes, enforcing these agreements meant tarring and feathering those who still wished to purchase British goods.

D. Townshend Acts in 1767: These taxes were created to help colonial officials become independent of the colonists by providing them with a source of income. Smuggling of the affected goods meant that the British moved more troops to important ports such as Boston. The increase in troops led to many clashes including the famous Boston Massacre. The colonists continued to organize themselves. Samuel Adams organized the Committees of Correspondence; informal groups that helped spread information from colony to colony.

E. 1773 the Tea Act: giving the British East India Company a monopoly to trade tea in America. This led to the Boston Tea Party where a group of colonists dressed as Indians dumped tea from three ships into Boston Harbor. In response, the Intolerable Acts were passed. These placed numerous restrictions on the colonists including the closing of Boston Harbor.

F. Response to the Intolerable Acts: 12 of the 13 colonies met in Philadelphia from September-October, 1774. This was called the First Continental Congress. The Association was created calling for a boycott of British goods. The continuing escalation of hostility resulted in violence when in April 1775, British


troops traveled to Lexington and Concord to take control of stored colonial gunpowder and to capture Samuel Adams and John Hancock. Eight Americans were killed at Lexington. At Concord, the British troops retreated losing 70 men in the process.

May, 1775 brought the meeting of the Second Continental Congress. All 13 colonies were represented. George Washington was named the head of the Continental Army with John Adams backing. The majority of delegates were not calling for complete independence at this point so much as changes in British policy. However, with the colonial victory at Bunker Hill on June 17, 1775, King George III proclaimed that the colonies were in a state of rebellion. He hired thousands of Hessian mercenaries to fight against the colonists.

On June 11, 1776, the Continental Congress appointed a committee of five men to draft the Declaration: John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Livingston, and Roger Sherman. Jefferson was given the task of writing the first draft. Once complete, he presented this to the committee. Together they revised the document and on June 28 submitted it to the Continental Congress. The Congress voted for independence on July 2. They then made some changes to the Declaration of Independence and finally approved it on July 4.

SS.7.C.1.4: Analyze the ideas (natural rights, role of the government) and complaints set forth in the Declaration of Independence.

1. Natural rights as expressed in the Declaration of Independence. 2. The natural rights specifically that are expressed in the Declaration of Independence (life,

liberty, and the pursuit of happiness). 3. The relationship between natural rights and the role of government: 1. People are

endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; 2. Governments are instituted among men to secure these rights; 3. Governments derive their just powers from the consent of governed; and 4. Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government.

4. There is a connection between specific grievances in the Declaration of Independence and natural rights’ violations.

5. The colonial complaints as identified in the Declaration of Independence (imposing taxes without the consent of the people, suspending trial by jury, limiting judicial powers, quartering soldiers, and dissolving legislatures).


SS.7.C.1.5: Identify how the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation led to the writing of the Constitution. Pgs.: 119, 120, 132, 144 Q 7-8

The weaknesses of the government under the Articles of Confederation (i.e., Congress had no power to tax, to regulate trade, or to enforce its laws; the national government lacked a national court system [judicial branch] and central leadership [executive branch]; and changes to the Articles required unanimous consent of the 13 states).

SS.7.C.1.9: Define the rule of law and recognize its influence on the development of the American legal, political, and governmental systems.

1. Rule of law : the principle that all people and institutions are subject to and accountable to law that is fairly applied and enforced; the principle of government by law.

2. The rule of law protects citizens from arbitrary and abusive uses of government power.3. The impact of the rule of law on governmental officials and institutions: (accountability

to the law, fair procedures, decisions based on the law, consistent application, enforcement of the law, and transparency of institutions).

SS.7.C.2.1: Define the term "citizen," and identify legal means of becoming a United States citizen.

Citizen: a native or naturalized member of a state or nation who owes allegiance to its government and is entitled to its protection.

You can become an U.S. citizen by birth, through a process called "naturalization," through "derivative citizenship," or through "acquired citizenship."

Naturalization: A process where you show Immigration – the government agency that regulates questions of citizenship -- that you meet certain legal requirements for becoming a U.S. citizen is called "naturalization."

You must have "good moral character" to become a naturalized U.S. citizen. This does not necessarily mean the same as a "good person," as opposed to a "bad person." This is only a legal phrase. You might know a person whom you think of as a "good person" but Immigration might consider this person to lack "good moral character" and deny him or her citizenship. “Good moral character” is not the only requirement for naturalization.

If a person meets all the naturalization requirements, they can apply for naturalization. Immigration will send out an interview notice several months after the naturalization application is filed. During the interview, Immigration will go over the application to make sure the citizenship answers are correct. English skills and an understanding of U.S. history and government are tested. If either the English or U.S. history or government tests are failed, a second interview will be scheduled 3 months later to allow more time to study. If the second interview is failed, citizenship will be denied. Filing again is acceptable, but fees will need to be paid once again.

If the tests are passed during the first or second interview, Immigration will set an appointment to be "sworn in" as a U.S. citizen. This appointment might take several months, but once a person is sworn in, they are a citizen of the United States.


If you are in, or have been in, active duty service in the U.S. Armed Forces, you will want to find out more about the naturalization requirements and if any of the exceptions to the requirements might apply to you.

Derivative Citizenship through their parents' naturalization, some children become U.S. citizens automatically, or "derivatively." Laws about "derivative citizenship" vary depending upon the date the parent(s) were naturalized. Children become U.S. citizens derivatively through their parents' naturalization as long as all of the following requirements are met before the child's 18th birthday.

At least one parent is a U.S. citizen, the child is under 18 years of age, and the child is admitted to the United States as an immigrant.

Acquired Citizenship A child might have "acquired" U.S. citizenship at birth without knowing, or without the parents knowing, if they were born outside the United States and either parent was a U.S. citizen when the child was born. This might also be true even if neither parent was born in the United States, but one or more of the grandparents were. This is an extremely complicated area of immigration law.

SS.7.C.2.2: Evaluate the obligations citizens have to obey laws, pay taxes, defend the nation, and serve on juries Pgs.: 65

SS.7.C.2.3: Experience the responsibilities of citizens at the local, state, or federal levels. Correlating to benchmark SS.7.C.2.2. Pgs.:80 Q 7-8

SS.7.C.2.14: Conduct a service project to further the public good.

The United States government recognizes a citizen as a legal member of the nation who is either born or naturalized in the United States. Being a U.S. citizen means that there are both obligations and responsibilities that must be met, in order to maintain representative democracy and the proper role of government. An obligation is an action that a citizen is required to fulfill by law. A responsibility is an action that a citizen should take for the sake of the common good. Below are examples of obligations and responsibilities:Obligations of CitizensAn action that is required by lawObeying lawsPaying taxesDefending the nationRegistering for selective serviceServing on juries

Responsibilities of CitizensAn action that benefits the community/peopleVotingAttending civic meetingsPetitioning the governmentRunning for officePerforming community service

Each citizen in the United States has certain obligations and responsibilities. Both the government and citizens are responsible for protecting the rights of individuals and for promoting the common good (benefits to the community/people).


When citizens fulfill their obligations to the government they are making the United States a safer and better place to live. By following the law and not committing crimes, communities are less dangerous places. By paying taxes, citizens are ensuring that the government can afford to provide services that benefit the general public. By choosing to defend the nation, citizens are making sure that those who live in the United States are protected against enemies. And finally, by serving on juries, citizens are making sure that the right to a trial by jury is protected. All of these examples demonstrate how citizens, by fulfilling their obligations, can protect and promote the common good. See the chart below for more examples:Citizen Obligation

Obeying the laws

Paying taxes

Jury duty

Defending the nation

Responsibilities of aCitizen

Voting

Attending civic meetings

Petitioning the government

Community service

How the Obligation Relates to the Common Good

Obeying laws keeps order so that people are safe

Taxes pay for large programs that benefit everyone (roads,schools and libraries, among others)

By participating in jury duty, one is protecting theConstitutional right to be tried by one’s peers.

Defending the nation benefits the entire country andprotects the nation.How the Responsibility Relates to the Common Good

Voting relates to the common good because voting is oneway for citizen views to be heard by representatives of thepeople.

By attending civic meetings one is able to have one’s voiceheard by public officials.

Petitioning the government allows one to voice one’sopinion to the government.

Community service helps the common good. It benefitseveryone when a citizen sees a need in their communityand takes an extra step to find the solution.

Each citizen has certain basic obligations and responsibilities that relate to active participation in society and government. Active participation happens when a citizen is actively participating to help maintain promote the common good.


Active participation comes in many different forms for both obligations and responsibilities. Obeying the laws, registering for selective service, defending our nation, serving on juries and paying taxes are all obligations and examples of active participation in the society and government. Registering to vote, attending civic meetings, joining interest groups, joining a political party, running for office, and petitioning the government are all responsibilities of good citizens and are examples of active participation in the society and government.

A citizen is a legally recognized and protected member of a country. In the United States, citizens have both obligations and responsibilities. In a democracy, the people actively participate in government and make decisions to promote the common good. Examples of contributions that citizens can make, as related to obligations and responsibilities, include:Obeying laws (obligation) – there are federal, state, and local laws that everyone has to follow.Paying taxes (obligation) – there are federal, state, and local taxes that everyone must pay. Taxes pay for different services.Jury duty (obligation) – the right to a trial by jury is a guarantee for the people; it is anobligation for citizens to serve on juries.Defending the nation (obligation) – all males between the ages of 18-25 have to register for selective service (this does not mean they are automatically active in the military; instead, this means that they may be called up in an emergency draft situation).Voting (responsibility) – voting is important to the function of a democracy. Voting gives citizens the opportunity to be heard by government and to express their points of view about candidates.Attending civic meetings (responsibility) – when one attends civic meetings, one can become a more informed citizen, which is important in a democracy.Petitioning the government (responsibility) – petitioning the government is a freedom listed in the First Amendment to the Constitution. This freedom allows individuals to tell the government what they believe the government should do, such as asking U.S. Senators to vote to ratify a treaty.Running for office (responsibility) – running for office provides citizens an opportunity to become involved in the government and represent their community.Community service (responsibility) – performing community service provides an opportunity for people to see problems in their community and help to fix them.

If citizens did not fulfill their responsibilities, the United States would be a very different place.


Responsibilities of aCitizen

Voting

Attending civic meetings

Petitioning thegovernment

Community service

What are the Consequences if People do not Fulfill thisResponsibility?

If people do not vote, the government will only representthose people who do vote.

If people do not attend civic meetings, it is more difficult toget involved and know what is happening in the communityand government.

If people choose not to exercise this freedom, thegovernment will assume that the people are happy with thegovernment’s decisions.

If people choose not to offer community or volunteerservices, problems can get overlooked and people who needhelp will not get their needs met.

SS.7.C.2.8: Identify America's current political parties, and illustrate their ideas about government.

Pgs.: 287, 302 Q 7-8

A political party is a group of citizens or voters with similar views on public issues who work to put their ideas into government action and who work together to elect a candidate. One of the jobs of political parties is to nominate candidates to run for office. That is, to select them to represent their particular political party in an election. Parties choose a candidate who agrees with their beliefs and try to persuade voters to support their candidate running for office. Competing political parties give voters a choice among candidates and ideas. To know where a party stands on the major issues, the voters can look at the party’s platform. A platform is a series of statements expressing the party’s principles, beliefs, and positions on issues. Each individual part of a platform is called a plank. The platform communicates to voters what the political party plans to do if it wins. (Examples: Platform Issue = Healthcare; Plank = Agreeing/Disagreeing with universal healthcare)

The United States has had a long tradition of a two party system. This means that two major political parties have controlled elections and have the most participation by voters. The two major political parties today are the Democrats and the Republicans.

Political Party Year Founded(Created)

Core Beliefs


Democratic 1828 The federal government should take a more active role in people’s lives, especially those in need. Democrats are not opposed to raising taxes to pay for social programs.

Republican 1854 The federal government should take a limited role in people’s lives. Republicans favor lowering taxes and less government spending

Because these two major parties have the most support from the public, it has made it nearly impossible for third parties to win elections. Third parties are political parties that often form on the basis of one or a few issues. These issues might be related to a foreign or domestic concern and, because the concern is so particular, it is difficult to gain popular support. Third party candidates have never won a presidential election and rarely win election to other offices.

Below are some examples of current third parties that exist in the United States.

Political Party Year Founded(Created)

Core Beliefs

CommunistParty

1919 The federal government should control all production andsupply of goods and the workers should control their own livesand destinies.

LibertarianParty

1971 The only purpose of the federal government is to protectfreedom; this party believes in individual freedom.

SocialistParty

1901 People should own and control all businesses throughdemocratically controlled public agencies (these are agenciesthat are created based on the people’s choice/election) orother groups.

Political parties play a major role and make an important impact in American society. Political parties are important to the democratic process because they allow individuals to communicate their beliefs to the government. Because political parties are made up of large groups of people, it allows their group’s voices and shared ideas to be more easily heard by the government. Political parties also educate citizens about issues and acts as a guide during elections. Generally, people tend to vote for candidates from their own political party or for issues that their political party supports.

Political parties also impact the government at the federal, state and local levels. Political parties act as loose confederations (groups that come together for similar reasons/causes) at the state and local levels. Because there are many more elected offices at the state and local levels, political parties tend to be more active at these levels. Also, political parties raise and spend money in order to get candidates elected and they use funds to help spread the message about their beliefs and ideas to the people. Candidates representing the major political party that wins more seats in one house of the national or state legislature becomes the majority party in that house of the legislature while the major party that wins fewer seats in one house of the national or state legislature becomes the minority party in that house of the legislature. The majority party in a legislative house enjoys more control over the lawmaking process compared with the minority party in that same legislative house.

SS.7.C.2.9: Evaluate candidates for political office by analyzing their qualifications, experience, issue-based platforms, debates, and political ads.


According to the U.S. Constitution, there are certain qualifications that individuals must possess in order to run for federal political office. Examples of federal political offices are President, Vice President, Congressman/woman, and Senator. The qualifications are unique to each office and are listed in the chart below.

Federal Elected Office Description of QualificationsPresidentVice President (The qualifications tobe vice president are not included inthe U.S. Constitution. However, thevice president becomes president ifthe president leaves office due toresignation or death. This means thatthe vice president must be qualified tobe president in order to run for vicepresident).

1. At least 35 years old2. Has lived in the U.S. for 14 years3. Is a natural born citizen (born on U.S. soil (law of soil) or to U.S. citizen parents (law of blood))4. May not serve for more than two 4-year termstotal. If the vice president becomes presidentdue to the resignation, death or removal of thepresident, the vice president, upon becomingpresident, may be president for no more than 10years (the vice president completes thepresident’s term and would have the option ofrunning for president during the next presidentialelection cycle).

A member of the U.S. House ofRepresentatives (representative)

1. 25 years old2. 7 years as a U.S. citizen3. Members of the U.S. House of Representativesdo not need to live in the district that theyrepresent although they must live in the state inwhich the district that they represent is located.4. No term limits; can serve for an unlimited amount of 2 year terms

A member of the U.S. Senate(senator)

1. 30 years old2. 9 years as a U.S. citizen3. Members of the U.S. Senate must live in thestate that they represent.4. No term limits; can serve for an unlimited amount of 6 year terms

Each state has its own constitution that creates the state’s plan for government. In the Florida Constitution, the qualifications are listed that people must possess in order to run for state political offices. Candidate qualifications for those running for city and county office are found in city and county charters (charters serve as a constitution for a city or county). However, no person may hold elected office in Florida unless that person is a U.S. citizen, a Florida resident, registered to vote and at least 18 years old. City and county charters may include additional requirements. For example, cities and counties may require that candidates be holder than 18 in order to hold public office in those cities and counties.

Examples of state and local political offices are governor, lieutenant governor, state representative, and state senator. The qualifications are unique to each office and are listed in the chart below.

State Elected Office Description of Qualifications


Governor 1. U.S. citizen2. At least 30 years old3. Resident of the state for at least 5 years4. May not serve more than two 4-year terms.

Lieutenant Governor 1. U.S. citizen2. At least 30 years old3. Resident of the state for at least 5 years4. May not serve more than two 4-year terms. If the lieutenant governor becomes governor due to the resignation, death or removal of the governor, the lieutenant governor, upon becoming governor, may be governor for no more than 10 years (the lieutenant governor completes the governor’s term and would havethe option of running for governor during the next gubernatorial election cycle).

A member of the FloridaHouse ofRepresentatives (StateRepresentative)

1. U.S. citizen2. Lives in the district represented3. State resident for at least 2 years4. At least 21 years old

A member of the FloridaSenate (State Senator)

1. U.S. citizen2. Lives in the district represented3. State resident for at least 2 years4. At least 21 years old

SS.7.C.2.7: Conduct a mock election to demonstrate the voting process and its impact on a school, community, or local level. Correlating to benchmark SS.7.C.2.9.

SS.7.C.2.9 Benchmark Clarification 3: Students will be able to analyze and/or evaluate the qualifications of candidates for public office based on their experience, platforms, debates and political advertisements.

During an election, candidates who are running for public office will often create political advertisements and commercials to appeal to voters. As a voter, it is important for people to consider several things when determining who to vote for.

A voter may wish to consider a candidate’s previous experiences. People who are elected to public office may have served in some other elected or appointed position before, or have a background in a field that would help them do their job. For example, many elected Congressmen/Congresswomen and Senators actively participate in their communities, have been a lawyer or a judge, are college graduates, and may have served in local government before running for state or federal office.

A voter may wish to consider a candidate’s platform – the set of ideas which are often based on their political party beliefs that a candidate has on certain issues. These ideas could cover such topics as education, religion, health care, government spending, taxation and foreign policy, just to name a few.


A voter may wish to view a political debate that may take place before the election. For major national elections, these debates are usually televised. Usually, candidates who are running for President will want to take on their opponent in a debate to reveal their thoughts on issues and persuade the voters to vote for them based on the topics debated.

A voter may wish to consider the various political advertisements that run in magazines, newspapers, television, radio and on-line when trying to determine which candidate to vote for. Candidates will often use these advertisements as a way to appeal to voters and to identify themselves as the “best choice” for voters. Sometimes, candidates may even decide to put down the candidates that they are running against in order to make themselves look better to the voters.

SS.7.C.2.10: Examine the impact of media, individuals, and interest groups on monitoring and influencing government. Pgs.: 317, 332, 338, 350 Q 7-8

Interest groups use their First Amendment rights to peaceable assembly, free speech and petition to monitor and influence the government. Interest groups are groups that form because of a common interest or goal and attempt to influence people by working together in support of that goal or cause. Political Action Committees, which are often connected to interest groups, can raise money and contribute to the campaigns of candidates that they support. Interest groups can work with members of Congress or with other elected legislators to get laws passed (this is usually referred to as lobbying), and can educate members of their interest group on key issues and causes that they wish those members to support. For example, interest groups will ask their members to vote and give campaign donations to candidates that the interest group supports.

The media uses their right to freedom of the press, granted to them by the First Amendment, to monitor and influence the government. The media, which consists of print (newspaper, magazine), broadcast (television, radio) and Internet (social media) sources can produce stories about public officials, distribute information online about the government, or broadcast information and news reports through the radio or television programs. The media is a major player in both monitoring and influencing the government.

The media has a major impact on influencing and monitoring the government. In most instances, the media serves in a watchdog role, keeping their eye on the government and reporting government happenings to the public.

Interest groups have a major impact on influencing the government as well. These groups form to support a specific cause or special interest and work in large numbers to get their cause recognized by the government. Political Action Committees (PACs) is one type of interest group that works to raise money for a particular candidate that supports an issue that they favor. Additionally, interest groups may hire lobbyists whose job it is to meet with lawmakers in hopes of gaining their support of a bill that would benefit the cause/issue they support.

Finally, individual citizens impact the government. Simply by performing one of their most important civic responsibilities, individuals play a major role and impact in changing the government. Voting is one of the most important ways that American citizens can impact the government. Whether it


is voting a candidate in or out of office, or voting in favor of or against an amendment to the Florida Constitution, citizens change the government during every election. Voting is one of the most important parts of a democracy.

There are several different methods that individuals, the media and interest groups use to influence and/or monitor the government. Individuals can use their right to vote to change the government, the media can act as a watchdog to investigate and report on happenings related to the government and interest groups can hold meetings and write petitions in an attempt to make changes or influence the government. All of these groups: individual citizens, the media and interest groups are important members of a democratic society and they work together to keep the American government accountable.

The effectiveness of each method is difficult to determine. This is because individuals, the media and interest groups affect each other in their efforts to monitor and influence the government. The media may focus their attention on a specific issue or campaign, which will attract public attention and may impact how individuals vote. Interest groups may spend money on an expensive public information campaign which also may influence how individuals vote and whether they will contribute money to the interest group. Still, government tends to pay more attention to groups with a higher rate of voting compared with groups that do not vote in large numbers. Interest groups that spend more money through their political action committees also tend to have a stronger influence on who gets elected as well.

SS.7.C.2.11: Analyze media and political communications (bias, symbolism, propaganda). Pgs.: 106, 213, 220, 312, 322 Q 4, 345, 348 Q 7-8, 423, 523, 580 Q 7-8, 662, 668 Q 4

The poster below was created in 1917.


This poster was created in 1917, during World War I. This is an example of the government using symbolism and propaganda to influence citizens. Pictured above one can see “Uncle Sam” selling “liberty bonds” – which is a war bond (money that the government borrows from the citizens to fund a war effort) that was used to fund and support the military during World War I. Because the cartoonist used Uncle Sam (the first two letters in Uncle Sam are “U” and “S”; U.S. is also used to represent “United States”), the readers saw it as their “patriotic duty” to buy these bonds to support the war effort. The symbolism (Uncle Sam) and propaganda (“Invest Your Money”) used in this cartoon is an effective way to persuade citizens into thinking or behaving in a certain way.

Figure 1 This political cartoon was created in 1774


Each of the eight segments of the snake represents a region or colony. For example, “N.E.” stands for “New England” which represents four colonies while “P.” represents Pennsylvania, which included Delaware at the time (Georgia was not included). Together, the snake represents all 13 colonies. The phrase “Join, or Die” was intended to reflect the author’s point of view that colonial unity was important to the colonists’ survival. The colonies needed to come together (“join”) with Great Britain against the French and Indians during the French and Indian War or else they would not survive (“die”). The “Join, or Die” symbol was later used to encourage the colonists to seek their freedom during the American Revolutionary War.

Bias, symbolism and propaganda can influence public opinion – which is the way that citizens view or feel about candidates or issues. The media plays a major role in influencing public opinion.

Oftentimes, the information that the media provides to the public is not balanced, or biased. Bias occurs when one side is favored over another in the presentation of information. Media bias can occur when news stations or news outlets decide what to report on and how much information to reveal to the public. This is a problem for the public because they are only getting the side of the story that the news media want them to hear.

Symbolism is the use of symbols to convey a message. The media may use symbolism as a sort of “shortcut” or as a way to target a certain group of people. This can be a problem because many symbols are associated with certain groups, or may even have a negative reputation attached to them.

Both bias and symbolism can be viewed as forms of propaganda, which is any attempt to sway the public, including voters, to think or believe something. Propaganda could be the use of symbols, a poster, or a commercial – there is not one specific kind of propaganda that exists. Oftentimes, the behavior or thoughts of voters are changed and influenced when the media introduces propaganda.

Here are some famous examples of propaganda:

Example #1: Uncle Sam


This propaganda poster is one of the most famous pieces of propaganda in American history. This poster was originally intended to appear on a magazine cover during World War I to encourage American citizens to be prepared for the beginning of war. Because this poster was so popular, President Roosevelt decided to use the image of Uncle Sam again in this propaganda poster to encourage young men to join the U.S. Army in World War II. The patriotic colors and the slogan “We Want You!” is a great example of how the government used symbolism and propaganda to get the American public to feel a certain way. It is no surprise that Uncle Sam encouraged hundreds of thousands of men to join the Army and do their

“American duty” during World War II.

Example #2: Rosie the Riveter

During World War II, women in the United States entered into the workforce and took on jobs they had not previously needed to do. This was in large part because hundreds of thousands of


American men had joined the military to fight enemy forces. “Rosie the Riveter” pictured above was the face of the propaganda campaign that was aimed at getting the help of female workers in the munitions industry (guns, ammunition and weapons). “Rosie” became a symbol of women’s role in supporting the country during World War II and a historic women’s figure.

Documents

socialsciences.dadeschools.netsocialsciences.dadeschools.net/files/Civics Leaders Insti… · Web viewSS.7.C.1.2: Trace the impact that the Magna Carta, English Bill of Rights,