A Crucial Element of Democracy

This is a blog by Robert Gutierrez ...
While often taken for granted, civics education plays a crucial role in a democracy like ours. This Blog is dedicated to enticing its readers into taking an active role in the formulation of the civics curriculum found in their local schools. In order to do this, the Blog is offering a newer way to look at civics education, a newer construct - liberated federalism or federation theory. Daniel Elazar defines federalism as "the mode of political organization that unites separate polities within an overarching political system by distributing power among general and constituent governments in a manner designed to protect the existence and authority of both." It depends on its citizens acting in certain ways which Elazar calls federalism's processes. Federation theory, as applied to civics curriculum, has a set of aims. They are:
*Teach a view of government as a supra federated institution of society in which collective interests of the commonwealth are protected and advanced.
*Teach the philosophical basis of government's role as guardian of the grand partnership of citizens at both levels of individuals and associations of political and social intercourse.
*Convey the need of government to engender levels of support promoting a general sense of obligation and duty toward agreed upon goals and processes aimed at advancing the common betterment.
*Establish and justify a political morality which includes a process to assess whether that morality meets the needs of changing times while holding true to federalist values.
*Emphasize the integrity of the individual both in terms of liberty and equity in which each citizen is a member of a compacted arrangement and whose role is legally, politically, and socially congruent with the spirit of the Bill of Rights.
*Find a balance between a respect for national expertise and an encouragement of local, unsophisticated participation in policy decision-making and implementation.
Your input, as to the content of this Blog, is encouraged through this Blog directly or the Blog's email address: gravitascivics@gmail.com .
NOTE: This blog has led to the publication of a book. The title of that book is TOWARD A FEDERATED NATION: IMPLEMENTING NATIONAL CIVICS STANDARDS and it is available through Amazon in both ebook and paperback versions.

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

AIMS FOR CONSUMER GOVERNMENT COURSE

 

The effort to shift the focus of secondary government courses from where it is now – on national political factors and the major structure and processes of the national government – to a consumer orientation – how individuals identify, seek, and secure governmental services – is more involved than one might suspect.  One area of responsibility and in which individuals have a right to seek satisfaction is in them advancing their interests when interacting with their government.

          Therefore, before those individuals finish their formal education, a course of study should be dedicated to how and why they can be functional and responsible regarding how they interact with what would probably be their local government.  And unlike other dealings, interactions with government have added elements to which citizens should be aware.

          That is, that instruction assumes that one, interaction with government calls for reflective decision-making (not reflexive responses), and two, citizens engage in public decision-making not private ones.  Individuals, once dealing with government and the public domain, are subject to public scrutiny, at least in terms of the reasoning they bring to bear in their dealings.  Surely, most such interactions stay below the radar, but the possibility to solicit public interest is always there.

          There are times when individuals interact with government and the matter is fairly straight forward.  All that individuals need to know is the process by which to successfully conclude the interaction.  At other times though, individuals are faced with moral decisions.  That is, they must decide to engage in cases in which their self-interests or the interests of loved ones are involved, and some moral or ethical element is engaged. 

In the first case, the straightforward ones, a cognitive deficiency might exist (lack of knowledge).  A consumer government course would be geared to remedy this deficiency to a meaningful degree.  Naturally, it would provide the appropriate information or share the appropriate sources where that information can be found.  In the second case, the moral ones, individuals need to apply rational, public decision-making skills.  This course can be organized and committed to teaching a rational decision-making process.[1]

From what this blog has shared concerning the offering of a consumer government course – a sharing that started with the posting, “A Practical Turn” (March 19, 2024) – this course of study could strive to achieve the following relevant educational aims:

 

1.     To prepare students for normal, social adult life.

2.     To prepare students to identify, protect, and advance their legitimate self-interests.

3.     To prepare students to recognize their social and legal responsibilities.

 

And at a more specific level:

 

4.     By the end of their formal education, to develop:

a.     Cognitive skill knowledge that allows them to interact with government agencies in such a way as to generally protect and/or advance their self-interests,

b.     Cognitive skills that allow them to interact in a rational fashion,

c.     Cognitive knowledge of the responsibilities society legitimately expects them to meet, and

d.     Willingness to engage in public discussion that relates to the issues inherent with controversial decision areas where government-citizen interactions are concerned, and moral values are considered.

 

And with those aims this posting comes to an end and suggests that to come in upcoming postings are instructional ideas that can be utilized in achieving these aims.



[1] There are various rational decision-making models that are designed for classroom use.  See for example, “Jack Woerner and Jennifer Lombardo, “Rational Decision-Making Model:  Overview, Steps, and Examples,” Study.com, November 21,2023, accessed March 23, 2024, URL:  https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-rational-decision-making-model-steps-and-purpose-in-organizations.html#:~:text=The%20model%20involves%20comparing%20multiple,or%20other%20significant%20life%20events.

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