Active learning assignments designed to help students ask and answer important questions about American government and democratic theory.
Michael Rogers, Arkansas Tech University
What form of government does the U.S. use?
Primary and secondary education has inundated students with the ideas that the US has separation of powers, checks and balances, elected representatives who make laws, federalism, etc. They have also heard in society repeatedly that the US is a democracy. This lesson asks them to first define (true not representative) democracy and a republic and then investigate if the features of American Government fit the former or latter. The produce lists of the features of American politics that are a republic (e.g., separation of powers, checks and balances, senate, judiciary, Electoral College, etc.) in nature versus those that are a democracy (voting, ballot initiatives and referendum, town hall meetings, etc.) in nature. View the active learning assignment here.
Investigating U.S. Federalism
One of the most challenging elements of American politics is knowing which level of government can address the issue an American has or wants changed. This lesson is designed to challenge students to learn what powers and responsibilities the federal and state governments have, where those overlap and where they are exclusive to one or the other. View the active learning assignment here.
Michael Rogers, Arkansas Tech University
U.S. Foreign Policy and Constitutional Powers
Students roleplay being in the National Security Council (NSC). The have to develop multiple plans—information gathering plan to learn if US is spying and what and who are on the ship, a media plan on if the president should address the public or not and what the message is, a foreign policy negotiation plan (bilateral or multilateral), a military action plan, an economic (embargo?) plan, etc.—for the president on how to handle the crisis. They need to actively use course terms, like bilateralism and/or multilateralism, in their plans. View the resource here.
U.S. Judicial Powers
This exercise is designed to teach students the power of the courts. While they have typically heard throughout their primary and secondary education that the courts do not make laws, this exercise introduces them to an often-neglected concept, common law, when it comes to American Government textbooks and courses. Students examine the right to privacy, Roe V. Wade and Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. View the resource here.
Beth Ginsburg, University of Connecticut
Two in-class activities designed to ask students to investigate how and which Americans have participated in the democratic process across the nation's history.
Who Could Vote in U.S. Elections?
In a time of political uncertainty and shifting democratic norms, helping students understand the evolution and accessibility of voting is more urgent than ever. These interactive, discussion-based activities engage students in critically examining who has historically had access to the ballot and who continues to face barriers today. View the In-Class Activity Here.
How have Americans participated in the democratic process?
In this module, students explore the many forms of political participation beyond voting and analyze which demographic groups are most likely to engage in each. Working in small groups, they connect identity to civic behavior and engage in critical discussion to defend their conclusions. View the In-Class Activity Here.
David Price, Santa Fe College
This activity simulates voting and can be done in 1 or 2 class periods. Students role-play characters with different life circumstances related to whether a person votes, including employment, student, parental (whether they have kids or take care of elderly parents), voter registration, and citizenship status, as well as transportation ability. Participants encounter obstacles related to their character’s life circumstances. I have posted 3 versions of the simulation. They simulate different types of elections:
- A contemporary general election in a state without same-day voter registration
- A contemporary primary election in a state that uses closed primaries
- An election in 1900 in the Jim Crow South
Michael Rogers, Arkansas Tech University
Civil Liberties v. Civil Rights
Students and Americans often struggle to explain the differences between civil liberties and civil rights, or why these differences matter. We tend to think of them as complementary and are more inclined to say the government is violating “my rights” generally or “my civil liberties and civil rights”, not distinguishing between the two The goal of this lesson is for students to learn what each is through a judicial case (WEST VIRGINIA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION V. BARNETTE (1943))that pits the two types of rights against each other. View the active learning assignment here.
Michael Rogers, Arkansas Tech University
How does the U.S. social welfare state work?
Americans prefer their tax dollars go directly into programs that benefit the individual contributing the taxes. When it comes to the redistribution of tax dollars, Americans often prefer their tax dollars to be used to help children. This lesson has students investigate the US government’s spending on social welfare policy, as well as how effective key programs are in fixing the market failure it is designed to address. View the active learning assignment here.
What are the political ideologies of the two major U.S. political parties?
Americans have begun working together in small groups prior to elections to research candidates and share their findings with each other to be more informed voters. This voter behavior inspires this activity where students are put in groups and encouraged to research a congressmember (or other elected official, e.g., the president, state representative, etc.). They use their smart phone, tablet or laptop to research the assigned member using Project Vote Smart. View the active learning assignment here.
Andreea Mosila, Georgia Military College
Using Comparative Cases to Examine Institutional Fragility and Student-Driven Resilience Strategies: the U.S., Turkey, and Hungary
This module uses comparative case studies of democratic backsliding in Hungary and Turkey to help students critically examine threats to democratic institutions in the United States. Through readings, written reflection, and discussion, students analyze how legal tools and populist rhetoric can erode democratic norms; and how citizens and institutions can respond. The activity empowers students to distinguish between partisanship and systemic risk, fostering civic awareness and resilience in uncertain political environments.
- Instructor's Overview
- Student Learning Outcomes
- Activcity Description
- Reflection and Debrief Questions
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