Social Science - Participation in Government and Economics

Unit 1

• Foundations of the U.S. government
• Major traditions informing the founding of the U.S.
• Characteristics of and political ideas behind a constitutional government
• Contributions of key individuals to the founding political philosophies
• Federalism
• U.S Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and other significant documents
• Amendments to the Constitution; the amendment process
• Structure of the U.S. government
• Powers of the federal and state governments, and shared powers
• Historical conflicts over the roles of state and federal governments
• Executive branch: structure, powers, functions, agencies, and cabinet
• Legislative branch: structure, powers, functions, committees
• Judicial branch: structure, powers, functions
• Limits on the powers of government and on each branch
• Checks and balances; separation of powers
• How laws are made
• The U.S. Supreme Court; key court decisions
• State and local governments
• Other governmental agencies and organizations
• Voting, campaigns, and elections; voting rights

Unit 2

• Electoral college and electoral processes
• Political parties and the political process
• Government finances and taxes
• Policy making process
• Fiscal policy
• Social and domestic policy
• Foreign and defense policy
• Economic policy
• Environmental policy
• Influence of political parties, interest groups, public, and media on public policy
• Civil rights and civil liberties
• Equality and due process
• Personal liberties and social responsibility
• Personal liberty and safety
• Responsibilities of citizens
• Freedom of the press
• National security
• Military service
• Social welfare
• Impact of science and technology on government and society

Unit 3

• Key issues facing the government
• Compare political systems with other countries
• International relationships and interconnectedness
• Patriotism and citizenship
• Market economy; free enterprise system
• Characteristics of the United States economy
• Kinds of resources; scarcity of resources
• Economic decision making
• Costs and benefits
• Allocation of goods and services
• Incentives
• International trade and exchange rates
• Specialization
• Markets and prices; role of prices
• Supply and demand
• Profits and losses
• Competition and market structure
• Economic institutions
• Other institutions that influence economics
• Jobs, employer and employee issues, rights of workers

Unit 4

• Human productivity
• Business cycles
• Moral, ethical, and legal business issues
• Money and inflation
• Interest, credit, and debt
• Income
• Investment
• Entrepreneurship
• Economic growth; measuring economic performance
• Economic role of government in a market economy
• Government failure
• Economic fluctuations and economic indicators
• Unemployment and inflation
• Fiscal and monetary policy
• Global economic dependence
• Effects of technology on economies and economic practices
• World financial issues
• Comparison of economic systems
• Personal financial literacy