1. Politics, and Government
The Nature of Power,
Politics, and Government
Why should you care about power, politics, and government?

2. “personal power assessment”
Preview Exercise
“personal power assessment”
To evaluate power in your own life, complete the following:
Use the online student notebook Introduction to record answers.
Follow the directions for each question
Then, create a simple illustration that represents you and how you feel about power in your life. You may use the shapes button to make your illustrations.
Below your illustration, summarize (via words) how you feel about power in your life (1-2 sentences).
Finally, share your responses with a partner.
15 minutes – 20 minutes.

3. “personal power assessment”
Putting it together
“personal power assessment”
The assessments you created reveal some of your personal assumptions about power.
In this lesson, you will learn why you should care about power and how it connects with the study of politics and government.
Throughout this course, you will learn about power in the American system of politics and government as well as the power you have to influence and participate in that system.
Read carefully

4. Understanding vocabulary
Speaking of Politics
Understanding vocabulary
Be sure you understand the Speaking of Politics terms for this section. Use them in your answers as you complete the Reading Notes.
Learn and use the vocabulary to respond to questions.

5. Think about possible answers to the
Essential Question…
Why should you care about power, politics, and government?
After reading Section 1 (Introduction) in the Student Textbook and responding to the following questions in your online student notebook discuss:
Crash Course Video
What viewpoint did many colonial Americans hold about government?
Does this attitude continue to be held by contemporary Americans? Do a search for the most recent information on this.
Why do you think there is a mistrust of government?
Is government a “necessary evil” or even necessary at all?
Do Search get most recent polls results 30 minutes max time.

6. The Chip Game!
You will be playing a game in which you trade colored chips. Follow these rules to play…
For each round, you will have two minutes to trade your chips. All trades— including those in progress—must stop when the time is up.
After trading, the student with the most points will be asked to make a rule for the next round. That rule will apply only to the next round.
You will be randomly given some chips of differing colors to play the chip game. (red, green, blue, black)
Skip game slides
You may trade with any student in the classroom.

7. Once everyone has their chips, you may begin trading and the TIMER BEGINS! Time ends when music stops.
Skip game slides
2-min. timer

8. The Chip Game! Round 1 Trading STOPS!
Here are the point values for your chips:
RED=100 points
GREEN=50 points
BLUE=25 points
BLACK=10 points
Who has the most points?
The student with the most points will make a rule for the next round.
The new rule cannot end all trading and will apply only to the next round of trading.
Skip game slides
This new rule will be written on the board so everyone can see it. Remember, this new rule only applies to the next round.

9. Let’s play another round! Begin trading! Time ends when music stops.
Skip game slides
2-min. timer

10. The Chip Game! Round 2 All trades stop! Calculate your points
Who has the most points?
The student with the most points will make a rule for the next round.
The new rule cannot end all trading and will apply only to the next round of trading.
Skip game slides
This new rule will be written on the board so everyone can see it. Remember, this new rule only applies to the next round.

11. Let’s play a third round! Begin trading! Time ends when music stops.
Skip game slides
2-min. timer

12. The Chip Game! Round 3 All trades stop! Calculate your points
Who has the most points?
The student with the most points will make a rule for the next round.
The new rule cannot end all trading and will apply only to the next round of trading.
Skip game slides
This new rule will be written on the board so everyone can see it. Remember, this new rule only applies to the next round.

13. The Game ends
Game ends when a group of students has succeeded in overthrowing the student making the rules.
This group is allowed to make their own rule, and then announce that the game is over.
Skip game slides

14. Think about your experience…debrief
When called upon, share your response…
What happened to you during the game?
What happened in the class during the game?
What do you think the game was about?
Based on this experience, how would you define power?
Why might power be related to a course on American politics and government?
Briefly answer the questions to yourself
thetomatos.com

15. How does power relate to Authority?
Section 1.2
How does power relate to Authority?
Weber: “the possibility of imposing one’s will upon behavior of other persons.”
Boulding: “our capacity to get other people to do things that contribute to what we want.”
Sources of Power:
Coercion
Rewards
Persuasion
Formal Authority
Expertise
Read p3 in text or section 1.2 online

16. What Gives a Ruler Legitimacy? Section 1.2
Video 1
Leaders whose power and authority are accepted as valid by the people have legitimacy.
For homework, you were to read Section 2 in your Student Text then fill in the online student notebook for section 2
. Take notes on the videos and see if you can add to your responses.
Divine Right of Kings Video
Social Contract Theory video 3
Take notes on videos
Video 4
Video 5

17. Foundations of Government 1.3
Purposes of Government Public Goods
Foundations of Government 1.3
Video 1
Take notes on videos, pause when necessary.
Video 2

18. Who Should Rule?
design a quick game to illustrate the idea.

19. Political Games People Play
Horse Trading: Winning by Giving to Get Video
Walkout: Winning by Refusing to Play video
Power Struggle: Winning by Being Smarter and Stronger than the opposition Video
Demolition Derby: Winning by Wiping out the Oppostion. Video
Civil Disobedience: Winning by Shaming the Opposition Video
Section 1.5 pp 9-13

20. Reading Notes Section 5 Fill in the table.
In the first column enter the names of the five political games discussed in Section 5 (Political Games People Play)
In the second column describe each game MENTION AT LEAST 2 IMPORTANT DETAILS.
In the third column, list and briefly explain one historical or contemporary example of each game.
Do online

21. Power, Politics and You
With a partner, read the "Power, Politics, and You" section (text pgs ) and discuss the following questions.   • According to Alvin Toffler, what are the three kinds of power? Give an example of each.  • Which of these three is the highest-quality power?  • Why should you care about knowledge as a kind of power?
Do this exercise.

22. Processing what you’ve learned
Using the Notebook Handout: Quotations About Power, analyze quotations expressing different views about power and determine which they believe are most true about power, politics, and their own lives.
Read the quotes: Assign each quotation a “truth ranking” from 1 to 5 (1 = never true, 5 = always true).
Write a brief response.
Support your answers with evidence from your own experience and your knowledge of historic and current events.
Which of the quotations do you think is the most true about power?
Which of the quotations do you think is the most true about politics?
Which of the quotations do you think is the most true about your own life?
Give out sheets.