Participation in Government

 

Congratulation on making it to senior year and taking Participation in Government.

 

Participation in Government is a highly relevant course that emphasizes political and governmental concepts so that you can become an active citizen.

 

The course follows the New York State Scope and Sequence as you answer the following essential questions:

How has American democracy evolved?

 

Has the evolution of American principles and practices
promoted greater democracy? 

 

How do citizens influence government policy? 

 

Let's face it, if you're here, it may be because you are looking for some resources to help you get through the semester, so here you go:

 

This playlist provides an excellent summary of major course concepts. The visuals are great, and the host speaks at a reasonable pace. Scan through the playlist to find the content that is most relevant to you.

 

At some point your teacher may have asked you to work on a project in which you take sides on an issue, or explore both sides for that matter. If that's the case, ProCon.org is perfect. It has the arguments for and against various issues - from whether to rain the minimum wage, to whether pit bulls should be legal.

 

If you need a break from the tedium of studying but still want to reinforce your knowledge of government and politics, this site provides some engaging games for you to play with. The topics range from arguing cases before the Supreme Court, to testing your knowledge of constitutional rights, to running for president.

 

This is an excellent site for when your teacher asks you to research current events. It is one of the most ideologically balanced sites and includes stories from around the United States and the world. As a useful bonus, the previous day's episode of NewsHour is available. 

 

Inevitably all concepts in this course come back to the United States Constitution. This cite does an excellent job of presenting you with the full text of the Constitution, as well as providing you with connections to today. Play with it. Read the articles. Watch the videos. Ponder how our current political situation connects to this over two hundred-year-old document.

 

Here are some videos that explain constitutional concepts in plain English.

 

If you've ever found yourself on the receiving end of a story that seems dubious, this webpage has a list of fact-checking sites that can help you determine whether an article is true or false.