9/28/16 BR: Think about your circle of friends 9/28/16 BR: Think about your circle of friends. When you and your friends make decisions, how do you do it?Also, write your state and capital on your BR and CIRCLE IT! What is democracy? Why does power matter in a democracy? All societies construct ways to order and govern themselves. Representative democracy is a form of self-government in which people delegate some of their powers to the government.

What to do? Get “Where to Eat” Take a few minutes to (Silently)read it over and the options Fill out the ballot (secretly) and return it to me. Discuss our Options (remember you only eat if you reach a decision) I need some observers A decision must be reached in 10 MINUTES!

Left Side Reflection What was the result of the initial class vote? Was there a majority or strong plurality at the outset? Did initial student choices reflect their individual identities or values? Explain your answer. At the beginning of the negotiations, did students take a straw vote to find out who favored what? Did this help the process? How did students make the decision about where to eat? A series of votes? One vote? A majority vote? When students had a different opinion from yours, did you try to figure out why they felt that way? Why or why not?

Left Side Reflection #2 Why did the minority agree to go along with the majority? Did anyone completely disagree with the final choice? How comfortable were you speaking up? What might account for some students feeling very comfortable and others much less comfortable? How did students feel about the process and decision? Was the process fair? Was the decision fair?

Deliberation Deliberation is careful consideration of multiple views on an issue with the aim of reaching a decision. Deliberation can be individual—you can think and reach a decision on your own. But in a democracy, deliberation also must occur between and among people because people with opposing views must work together to make decisions. Thus, when we speak about deliberation in this classroom, we will most often mean the focused exchange of ideas and analysis of multiple views with the aim of making a decision and finding some common ground. Do you

Note Taking Term Important Words Summary/Examples

Negotiation Negotiation is a process in which two sides with different positions try to resolve their differences and reach an agreement. Negotiation involves identifying points of view, using persuasion

Compromise A compromise is a decision in which both sides gave up something but with which everyone can live. Do you think your class conversation was a negotiation? Why or why not? Were any compromises made? Was it possible to compromise?

Power Power is the ability to control or influence others. Some powers are official and well-defined. Citizens in a democracy have the power to vote leaders in or out. Government has defined power to exercise control over the people it governs. But people and groups also have power through their ability to influence the public choices of others. In what ways was power used in your conversation? Were efforts made to persuade others to agree on certain restaurants (i.e., influence others)?

Writing (left hand side) Write about a recent decision that affected you. Who made the decision? How was the decision made? If you did not make the decision yourself, did you have any influence on the decision or the process? Was the decision made quickly or did it involve extensive deliberation? What were the effects of the decision? Be prepared to share your writing!

Decision-Making Models #1 Autocratic Decision-Making In the autocratic model, which is sometimes called authoritarian style, the leader makes the decisions without consulting the people. For example, if a principal makes a decision for the school without talking to teachers or getting teacher, student, or parent input, the decision was made autocratically. Autocratic decision-making can be quick and efficient but result in decisions that are bad for and/or unpopular with the people.

Decision-Making Models #2 Democratic Decision-Making Democratic decisions are made as a group. Democratic decisions can be made directly—that is, members of the group can make the decision through a group process (voting, negotiation, consensus). For example, a school’s faculty and students could deliberate and vote on the decision. Democratic decisions can also be made by representatives chosen by the people. A decision made by a school’s student council would be an example of this kind of decision making. Making decisions democratically can be time-consuming and inefficient but should result in decisions that acknowledge multiple perspectives and have popular buy-in.

Decision-Making Models #3 Laissez-faire Decision-Making Laissez-faire is a French term that means “let them act.” With laissez-faire leadership, leaders do very little. They may delegate authority to others or simply let the people fend for themselves, making decisions and solving problems as needed. A new principal who comes into a school that is running smoothly might take a laissez-faire approach, letting teachers and students keep making decisions since the process has been working well. Or a principal may delegate certain decisions to the athletic director, an assistant principal, or the faculty. If the people to whom decision-making authority is delegated are not well-qualified to make the decisions, laissez-faire decision-making can produce bad decisions. If authority is not delegated, the laissez-faire approach can allow problems to go unsolved.