Essentials for Current World Issues
- 1. Students will understand the main political and economic systems of the world.
Political Systems:
Direct democracy-People run the country
Representative democracy- where the people elect representatives to make the decisions for them
Absolute Monarchy-The king or queen have all the power and make all the decisions.
Constitutional Monarchy-The king or queen, have power limited by Parliament or constitution.
Dictator ship-one person is in total control of the country
Anarchy-There is no government
Practice of communism-the government rules over everything. It tells you what you can or can’t do.
Theory of Communism-the idea where there is no upper, middle, or lower class. Karl Marks presented the idea.
Economic Systems:
Mixed Economy-the government and the people own the businesses. This is Socialism and capitalism mixed together.
Capitalism- The people own the businesses Gov stays out.
Socialism-The government owns the businesses.
- 2. Students will understand the differences between the major political parties in the United States.
Democrat: Are liberal. They favor change in society. They oppose government intervention into ones private and social life. The democrats are for Abortion, Strict Gun Control Laws,
Republican: Conservative-Religious based, they favor the laissez-fair system which is the belief of letting business do what they need to do not the government making them do things they don’t want to. They believe in the trickle down system (help the rich with the businesses the money will eventually trickle down to the lower class. They also believe in rugged individualism. Republicans are for the Death penalty they think it is effective, they favor prayer in school they say it is a religious right.
3. Students will understand the causes and effects of global warming.
Causes:
Some people think that it is a national phenomenon and that we could never cause something like this
Most scientists think that it is caused by humans and the Co2 output, More Co2 higher temp.
Affects: Oceans rise, icecaps melt, drought, flooding, stronger storms, Destructions of cities, polar bears dying, civil wars.
4. Students will understand the causes and effects of overpopulation.
Causes: In undeveloped countries the women are uneducated so they have more children. The men dominate the women. Children in the undeveloped countries are more likely to die so they have more kids. People want boys so they keep having kids.
Affects: There is less room. Less food, housing, leads to poverty, higher crime rates.
- 5. #7 on thing. Students will be able to explain their understanding of recent current events.
Iraq-War ended last week. We have taken out all our troops. It has been going on for 9 years.
Afghanistan- we invaded after 9-11. We thought they were allowing Osama Binladin to train his terrorist there whey are called al-Qaeda. We have also had to fight the Taliban there. We wanted to be out of the country by now.
Iran-President Ahmadinejad(don’t know how to spell) said that the holocaust never happened. We think they are creating nuclear weapons which the UN told them they could not do. He believes the Jews and Isreal should wiped off the face of the earth.
Darfur-Located in western Sudan. Ag farmers and animal hearders are fighting over the land. Rebels attacked first, they believed that the governments was being unfair and taking away their rights. The government “paid” the Janjaweed to attack the rebels and the villages. Raping and stealing and killing as they went. Close to 400 thousand people have been killed, and over 3 million people have been displaced. Many people are fleeing to Chad. There has been a peace agreement between the groups, but who knows how long that will last.
Rwanda-In 1994 there was a genocide in Rwanda. The fight was between the Hutu and the Tutsi people. Tutsi’s have smaller noses and are taller than the Hutu people. Close to one million people were killed Hutu and Tutsi people alike. The Genocide finally ended when the RPF finally pushed the Hutu military out of the country.
Somalia-There is a famine in Somalia because of the drought. Somalia is already a small country so the drought just makes things worse. Tens of thousands of people have died of malnutrition and even more are getting sick. We have provided millions in aid, but this is not enough.
Revolutions in North Africa/Middle East-In countries with dictators like Egypt, Libya and other Northern Africa and other Middle Eastern countries rebelled against their leaders and government. The young people want change they want a chance for a better life. Libya’s leader Mulmar Gaddafi did not step down peacefully he was eventually killed. For Egypt they had their first real election this winter. An election that wasn’t corrupt.
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