 |
Civics Mosaic: Comparing Political Systems
Civics Mosaic: Comparing Political Systems is organized into six teaching units. The lessons within each unit use a comparative approach – drawing on countries in different regions of the world-to examine core concepts such as citizenship, democracy, justice, and rights. To supplement the textbook lessons, Civics Mosaic plans to offer a range of classroom resources. Political speeches, quantitative data, political cartoons, artwork and literature, along with constitutional and legal documents offer teachers concise and effective teaching opportunities. The senior author is Margaret Stimmann Branson*, internationally acclaimed leader in civics education and one of the primary authors of national civics standards and testing.1
The launch of our website features the first unit of our textbook. As other units are ready for public review, we will place those on the site as well. Presently, there is one sample resource in Lesson 4 so that readers can see what our resources will look like. During 2005, resources will be added to accompany the lessons on our site.
We encourage readers to review and respond with suggestions for improving our lessons and resources. We provide a feedback form for this purpose.
Table of Contents click on a lesson to learn more about it
Lesson 1 Why compare political systems?
Unit I: What are the historical and philosophical foundations for politics and government?
|
Lesson 2 What is politics?
Lesson 3 What is government and why have it?
Lesson 4 What are the purposes and forms of government?
Lesson 5 Why is justice a universal ideal?
|
Lesson 6 Is democracy a universal ideal?
Lesson 7 What are observable kinds of democracy?
Lesson 8 How and why do authoritarian regimes operate as they do?
|
Unit II: What are the sources of public authority and political power?
|
Lesson 9 What is the difference between power and authority?
Lesson 10 What are sources of political authority?
Lesson 11 How can political power be distributed?
|
Lesson 12 What roles do ideology and religion play in legitimizing government?
Lesson 13 What are constitutions and which purposes and principles do they embody?
Lesson 14 What is constitutionalism?
|
Unit III: How does political culture influence institutions and practices?
|
Lesson 15 What is political culture?
Lesson 16 How are political beliefs, attitudes and values transmitted?
|
Lesson 17 What is the relationship between political culture and economic development?
Lesson 18 What factors and forces promote social change?
|
Unit IV: What are the rights and responsibilities of individuals and groups in different political systems?
|
Lesson 19 How did the idea of rights develop over time?
Lesson 20 What are natural rights?
Lesson 21 How has the idea of human rights evolvedover time?
|
Lesson 22 What are legal rights and how are they enforced?
Lesson 23 How are legal systems alike and different?
|
Unit V: How do representation and participation vary?
|
Lesson 24 Who is a citizen?
Lesson 25 What are the major kinds of electoral systems?
Lesson 26 What roles do political parties play?
|
Lesson 27 What is civil society and why is it important?
Lesson 28 Why does leadership matter?
|
Unit VI: How are nations governed and how is policy made?
|
Lesson 29 What are institutions and why are they necessary?
Lesson 30 How are legislatures organized to carry out the functions expected of them?
Lesson 31 How are executive institutions organized to carry out the functions expected of them?
|
Lesson 32 How are judicial institutions organized to carry out the functions expected of them?
Lesson 33 What is public policy and how is it made?
Lesson 34 What roles do bureaucracies and nongovernmental organizations play in carrying out public policy?
|
Unit VII: How and why is governance changing in a globalizing world?
|
Lesson 35 What is the role of the nation-state in today's world?
Lesson 36 What considerations shape foreign policy within nation-states?
Lesson 37 What is the role of the United Nations and of regional organizations?
|
Lesson 38 How do international non-governmental organizations influence policy-making?
Lesson 39 How is international law formed, applied, enforced, and adjudicated?
Lesson 40 What are the major challenges that globalization poses?
|
|
