Standard 5, Key Idea 1

Key Idea 1: The study of civics, citizenship, and government involves learning about political systems; the purposes of government and civic life; and the differing assumptions held by people across time and place regarding power, authority, governance, and law. (Adapted from The National Standards for Civics and Government, 1994)

Performance Indicators--Students will:

Elementary

• know the meaning of key terms and concepts related to government, including democracy, power, citizenship, nation-state, and justice
• explain the probable consequences of the absence of government and rules
• describe the basic purposes of government and the importance of civic life
• understand that social and political systems are based upon people’s beliefs
• discuss how and why the world is divided into nations and what kinds of governments other nations have

Intermediate

• analyze how the values of a nation affect the guarantee of human rights and make provisions for human needs
• consider the nature and evolution of constitutional democracies
• explore the rights of citizens in other parts of the hemisphere and determine how they are similar to and different from the rights of American citizens
• analyze the sources of a nation’s values as embodied in its constitution, statutes, and important court cases

Commencement

• analyze how the values of a nation and international organizations affect the guarantee of human rights and make provisions for human needs
• consider the nature and evolution of constitutional democracies throughout the world
• compare various political systems with that of the United States in terms of ideology, structure, function, institutions, decision-making processes, citizenship roles, and political culture
• identify and analyze advantages and disadvantages of various governmental systems

• Social Studies Standard 5 Civics, Citizenship, and Government

  Students will: use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the necessity for establishing governments; the governmental system of the U.S. and other nations; the U.S. Constitution; the basic civic values of American constitutional democracy; and the roles, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship, including avenues of participation.