Instruction and Activity:
"Whenever the people are well informed, they can be trusted with their
government, for whenever things go so far wrong to attract their notice,
they can be relied on to set things right." Thomas Jefferson "
A popular government without proper information or the means of acquiring
it is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy - or perhaps both. Knowledge
will forever govern ignorance; and a people who mean to be their own
governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives."
James Madison
Questions for students: What do these quotes mean to you? Are they
accurate? Do you agree?
- Are you informed about what is happening in your community? Do you
feel that other community members are informed?
- Do the people rule in your community - your school district, your
neighborhood, your town, and your country? Are the governors accountable
to the governed? Do you need to build more democracy?
- A well-informed citizenry needs to be able to ask and answer some
preliminary questions. A democratic community needs to have answers
that satisfy the residents.
Activity One
Below please find a quiz to see how informed and involved students
are in their communities. Ask students the following questions. After
you have reviewed the questions and student answers, divide the unanswered
questions between students. Each student should be responsible for finding
the answers to his/her questions by looking on public body websites
on the internet, calling local government and press offices, and attending
public meetings. Review students' answers and how they acquired the
information in class.
DIAGNOSTIC DEMOCRACY QUIZ
Who runs your community?
- How many taxing bodies exist in your community or take money from
it?
- Who are all of your representatives at the federal, state, and
local level?
- How often are those folks elected?
- What services does each level of government provide?
- Are elected positions contested?
- Are candidates subject to any financial disclosure or campaign
finance limitations?
- Does each entity have a binding and enforceable ethics code?
- If so, who is covered by the code: appointed as well as elected
officials?
- Under what circumstances does the public body take a roll call
vote?
- How many constitute a quorum?
Public Access
- How often do your representatives meet?
- Are those meetings open to the public?
- Do public officials allow public comment at their meetings?
- Are the public meetings shown on cable access television channels
or on the internet?
- Does the press regularly cover all of the public bodies' meetings?
Public Records
- How do you get record information from a public body?
- How long does the public body have to respond to a Freedom of Information
act request?
- How much does the public body charge for each page of information
requested?
- Does the public body make materials such as meeting minutes and
exhibits available for free on the internet?
- Are you entitled to a fee waiver for your request?
The Press
- How many newspapers serve your town?
- Who owns the local papers?
- What is the letter to the editor policy of the local paper?
- Are your letters printed?
- Does the press provide accurate coverage of local government issues
and events?
- How often are reporters who cover your town rotated or "turned
over?"
- Does your paper engage in investigative reporting?
- Will your paper print hostile letters to the editor that are critical
of its coverage/reporting?
The Public
- How many people show up for meetings of each public body?
- How many young people regularly attend public meetings?
- Is there an impartial observer always there from the press or League
of Women Voters, for example?
- Do all people feel welcome to make a public comment?
Activity Two
Now that your students have identified what they know about the community
around them, develop a Fitness Plan for Democracy for each student.
Use the following handout as a guide. Have each student take prolonged,
sustained steps toward becoming an active member of their community
throughout the semester/school year.
1. Have students chronicle their Fitness Plan experience in a weekly
journal.
2. Evaluate students' progress and reactions to their Fitness Plans
periodically throughout the semester/year.
3. Do they feel as though they are better educated about community
events? Do they feel as though they are contributing to society? How
does that make them feel? Do they feel empowered to do more? What is
their next step?
©Copyright 2003 Citizen Advocacy Center. All rights reserved. No part
of this lesson plan may be reproduced in any form or by any means without
the prior, written permission of the Citizen Advocacy Center.
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