Actions of Government

While this lesson includes several nice worksheets to identify and discuss the various limits on government (i.e. a constitution, the rule of law, separation of powers, consent of the governed, etc.), its main value lies in a case study...

Do the government's affirmative action policies promote equity in the United States? The Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution and affirmative action policies come under scrutiny in an activity that asks class members to...

When a problem arises, who is the best for addressing it: an individual, a group, or the government? Given a hypothetical scenario of a science teacher needing more money for her class than the school has to offer, your class members...

Give your class members a thorough overview of government public policy in the United States, including how government addresses problems through regulations and actions with a well-designed packet of informational texts and follow-up...

Review the Great Depression in the United States from an economist's perspective, examining roots of the crash, government policy actions, and policies instituted by the Fed.

What's better than talking about water quality issues in your hometown? Doing something about it! Scholars come up with a community action plan to take care of a local environmental issue having to do with the water supply. They...

Review the difference between discretionary and non-discretionary fiscal policy, and the various types of government actions that belong in each category.

Engage 12th graders in a series of activities focused on public trust and ethics in US Government. They view a series of videos, hold a class debate, and compose a short essay. Note: Suggested videos are listed but are not available...

Eleventh graders examine the Adarand case.  In this American Government lesson, 11th graders create a list of reasons for each affirmative action program.  Students develop a defense on certain issues and present it to the class. 

Twelfth graders explain what is meant by public trust, explore and debate what is meant by ethics/ethical issues, and analyze and evaluate hypothetical choices and action situations via video or printed literature.