“May you live in interesting times”

Off to a Good Start…..The “Doomsday clock” is a symbol that represents a countdown to global catastrophe. Recently it moved the closest to midnight (doomsday hour) it has been in more than 60 years!

Question of the Day Journal Entry #1In your opinion, what are some of the most impactful events that have happened in the world in the recent years? Do you think they will impact your life? Why or why not?

Write down your response (15mins) and be prepared to potentially share your thoughts.

Phew…...And so on.

We are going to be spending a lot of time discussing and trying to understand all the various complex events going on in our world today. However, we have to start somewhere….

Leadership, Government, and Politics.

How you see the world can often be described as your

ideology.

An ideology is a set of ideas that make up one’s goals and expected actions.It is your vision for how things

should be.

BrainstormWhat do you think are some of the factors that determine your political ideology?

Ideological Factors

Some of the main issues that position a person's attitudes on the ideological spectrum include:

● Power of the State/Government (Laws/Authority)● Freedoms of the individual (Rights/Freedoms)● Distribution of wealth (Taxes/Economy)

The Spectrum

¨The purpose of the political spectrum is to show the differences in beliefs and ideologies (communism, liberalism, conservatism, fascism etc.).

The Simplistic View

What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of this spectrum?

…….but what about other factors?

One Proposed by the Political Compass Org.

Enough with the Graphs…..Now that we have talked a little bit about what makes up our ideology, let's put it into practice….

We are going to be discussing leadership and government types. Take notes because I think there may be an election coming….

Question of the Day Journal Entry #2What makes a good leader? What qualities do we look for in leadership?

Types of GovernmentAristotle summarized that there were roughly three forms of government in his time. These were:

● Rule by one● Rule by few● Rule by many

What do you think are the benefits and the problems with each of these?

Pretty SimpleAristotle thought that each of these could become selfish abuses of power and turn into various “deviant” forms.

● Rule by one = monarchy becomes tyranny● Rule by few = aristocracy becomes oligarchy● Rule by many = polity (enlightened democracy) would turn into mob rule.

Do you think these distinctions could still apply today?

Definitions...Define the following terms:

● Communism● Socialism● Republic● Commonwealth● Fascism● Libertarian● Authoritarian● Theocracy

Political Compass Testhttps://www.politicalcompass.org/

Group WorkWe are about to start doing “Group work”. Here are some keys to success in group work:

● Share contact information!● Share an equal amount of work, or delegate to those who have preferences.● Set dates to have work done by BEFORE the due date in class.● Get together at least once outside of class.● Use shared online programs such as “google slides” or “google docs”.

Party Time

Task #1: Get into a group of like minded individuals (4max for now)

Each group will build a political party platform reflecting a distinct political ideology for a federal election. You and your group members must research and formulate policies on four of the following issues:

Pick at Least Four

● National Defence (Peacekeeping?Expand? Cut-back? Maintain?)● International Relations (Development projects/involvement with other

countries)● Criminal Law (laws and punishment: additions and changes, more strict or

more lenient)● The Environment and Climate Change(Improve? At the expense of big

business?)● Immigration and Refugees (Open or expand our borders to the world?)● Health Care and Social Services ( More or less? Keep free and public?)● Taxation (Increase taxes to support programs? Decrease to stimulate

economy?)

Task #1 cont’d

Write up an explanation of where your group fits on the political spectrum. Your explanation should be at least 150 words and must outline how your party’s ideas fit the characteristics of one of the placements (left winged, center, right winged etc) on the spectrum. Draw a political Spectrum and show your party’s placement by labeling it on the spectrum. If you want to try, use the political compass!