What do you do when democracy sucks?

Last week, we started to look at some of the set backs of democracy such as - what do you do when people don't vote? Is that an accurate representation of what your democracy is? Or, if people aren't really informed on the issues, do you want them to make decisions that will affect YOUR life? For example, girls, what if you had Redneck as your grad theme this year, just because there happened to be more boys in your class and they ALL VOTED.......just like we almost had Nascar Under the Sea as a theme last year; the boys thought it was hilarious because it wasn't something that mattered to them. But the girls did not want their input because it was a horrible theme. That's where the elite theory of democracy would come in - the boys don't care about grad, so they shouldn't be voting. But is that democracy??

This week, we are going to continue looking at things that affect the efficiency of the democratic system. One way that our system is affected is by lobby groups or special interest groups. If we have such groups, does that make us more or less democratic? We will also be looking at how we can change our democracy if it isn't reflecting what the people want. Remember, one of the first things that we went through about democracies is that there needs to be SOME WAY that it can change - viewpoints and values change and the democracy needs to change with it. Finally, we will start looking at human rights in democracy, both individual (this week) and collective next week.

What's this week looking like?

Tuesday: 

• We are going to have a contest in class. By Friday, anybody who wants to participate, can forecast what they think the outcome of the election next week will be. That will include who they think will win, how many seats each party will get, and if there is a majority or minority government. The closest guess will win a basket of goodies! Only play if you want to. Guesses need to be in by FRIDAY.
• Finish notes about interest groups

 

• HOMEWORK: Watch the following ed-Ted video. There is a video with 9 questions (8 based on the video and one discussion). You need to create an account on Ed-Ted, answer the questions and I will be getting your answers online. This shouldn't take much more than 20 minutes (more if you don't pay attention to the video and need to keep rewatching it). But you need to complete this at home.

Wednesday: 

• Reform in a democracy
• Pros and cons
• How does it occur in Canada and the US
• Next writing assignment

Thursday:

• Rants by Payton, Darian and Neela 
• Reforming things in Canada: Yay or Nay
• Senate
• Partisan Politics

Friday: 

• Human rights in a democracy
• What's more important: Safety and security or Rights and Freedoms
• What are you entitled to in Canada and the United States
• Assignment: Individual Rights Infringements