University of Oklahoma
Conditions for Democracy
An excerpt from a lecture by a well known political thinker on the conditions necessary for the formation of a political democracy.
PBS
Pbs: Rediscovering George Washington
Discussion lesson plan that introduces and examines the concept of government by consent of the governed. Includes a reading for class distribution and references to primary source documents.
Other
Civic Literacy
A fascinating site how everyone can be an effective citizen of the United States. Lesson plans, links, and resources for both students and teachers are available.
World History Encyclopedia
World History Encyclopedia: Athenian Democracy
Explores a timeline of the history of government in Ancient Athens.
Other
Freedom House
Non-profit organization that supports the expansion of freedom and democratic political systems in the world. Find articles, maps and pictures from Freedom House.
Travel Document Systems
Tds: Benin: History
A brief discussion of Benin's early history. A majority of the information is on its recent history since 1972, including the most recent elections in 2007. Information is from the U.S. State Dept. Background Notes.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Classroom: Understanding Democracy: A Hip Pocket Guide
This guide, written by John J. Patrick, explains the core concepts of democracy in a clear A-Z format.
Smithsonian Institution
National Postal Museum: Binding the Nation
A multi-part online exhibit that traces the development of the U.S. Postal System. Artifacts may be clicked on and text explains their significance. Historic, primary materials are used throughout the exhibit.
Read Works
Read Works: American Government the Mayflower Compact
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about the Mayflower Compact, why it was written, and how it paved the way for democracy. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
BBC
Bbc: Afghanistan's Day of Reckoning
A detailed look into the Afghanistan 2009 elections - challenges to be faced, possible fraud, questionable security, foreign influences, and more. The following quote holds great truth ... "This election is just one more step in building...
BBC
Bbc News: Karzai Edges Ahead in Afghan Poll
A look at the initail results of the Afghan 2009 elections in which past leader, Hamid Karzai was the early leader.Violence erupted as the people awaited the final results not due for several more weeks. (August 25, 2009)
Sophia Learning
Sophia: Principles of u.s. Government
Tutorial presents an introduction to the principles of the United States democratic government highlighting the differences and similarities between Roman and U.S. governments.
Oswego City School District
Regents Exam Prep Center: Introduction to u.s. Government
Explore the ideas and principles of American government including its influences, foundation, and basic tenets (such as checks and balances and federalism).
Bill Carson
The Pilgrims and the Puritans
Exactly what is the difference between Pilgrims and Puritans? Find out here in this short article.
World History Encyclopedia
World History Encyclopedia: Ancient Greek Government
Describes the diversity of governments in ancient Greece and the four main types that existed - democracy, monarchy, oligarchy, and tyranny.
World History Encyclopedia
World History Encyclopedia: Solon
Read about the life of Solon, one of the founders of Athenian democracy. Among the challenges he tackled were a serious debt problem among the less affluent, restructuring the social system, and developing a new law code.
Read Works
Read Works: Ancient Greece the Ancient Greeks
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about the ancient Greeks. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: A Day in the Life of an Ancient Athenian
Robert Garland outlines a day in the life of Athenian democracy.
The History Cat
The History Cat: Birth of Democracy
Features a look at democracy in ancient Greece. Discover how it worked and how Athenians prevented corruption.
Other
World Justice Project: What Is the Rule of Law?
Derived from internationally accepted standards, the World Justice Project's definition of the rule of law is a system in which the following four universal principles are upheld by four universal principles. These four universal...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Text Sets: Founding the United States
This is a collection of 15 Grade-Leveled texts (5-12) on the topic The Founding of America. Once the Revolutionary War was over, America's Founding Fathers had to develop a nation. Learn about the founding of American democracy, from the...
CommonLit
Common Lit: Text Sets: Ancient Greece
This is a collection of 13 Grade-Leveled texts (7-11) on the topic Ancient Greece. How much can we credit today's art, philosophy, and democracy, among other fields of study, to Ancient Greece? Explore Ancient Greece and discover how the...
The Newberry Library
Newberry Library: Library Exhibit: Outspoken: Chicago's Free Speech Tradition
A virtual library exhibit about free speech, focusing on the principles that unite Americans and the conflicts that divide them.