Government #3: Ideology Review and Intro to Democracy

From Ancient Greece to Canada's modern state, the notion of democracy has evolved significantly since its earliest origins. A fully functioning democracy is the opposite of a dictatorship, and possesses several distinct characteristics:

• A constitution that protects individual rights and freedoms - BNA Act
• A separately organized judiciary and political system, so that judges can make decisions without worrying about the political repercussions.
• Multi-party elections
• Separate levels of government
• Freedom of speech, and a media free from government censorship

Not all states that claim to be democracies uphold all of these tenants, and while it is not the most efficient government system - it is still a system that many people believe is the best structure for societies. However there are many issues that should be discussed, such as:

• Should the voting age be lowered?
• How are elections rigged?

Class Activities:

1. Review of class political compass results

2. Political Ideologies review activity - Matching and practice questions

3. Democracy intro and handout

4. News Article: Should 16 year olds receive the vote? - class discussion

5. National Political Parties HW handed in

No HW for next class