Lawmaking and Advocacy

Laws and Courts Agencies – government groups that create rules and regulations to make laws more specific (TSA, DOT, OSHA) Courts help enforce laws but they also help make them Trial – conducted by a court to determine a person’s innocence or guilt A person who loses a trial can sometimes ask a higher court to review and change the result of a trial – this is an appeals or appellate court If the appeals court changes a lower court’s decision, it sets a precedent for similar future cases

International Lawmaking Laws that apply to the conduct of countries Usually is made when national governments make treaties with one another Treaty – agreement or contract between countries Major international lawmaking bodies – UN, European Union

Advocacy Advocacy – the active support of a cause This is based on collecting information, developing great communication skills, and creating effective plans and timelines What to advocate for? Important issues! Things that affect your daily life and should be changed

Lobbying Lobbyist – someone who tries to convince a lawmaker to vote for or against a particular issue Lobbying is a right guaranteed by our Constitution Anyone can be a lobbyist, but some people are professional lobbyists Lobbying has been criticized because it allows some people and businesses to “buy legislation”

Voting This is one of our basic constitutional rights While lawmakers vote on most laws, people can sometimes vote on laws directly Initiative – allows people to propose a law by petition, usually have to gain a minimum number of signatures to put it on the ballot Referendum – occurs when voters must give final approval for a legislative act (gun control, environmental protection, school funding) Recall – voters sometimes have the ability to vote an official out of office

Settling Disputes Informal Talk, Negotiation, Mediation, and Arbitration

The Stages of Conflict Resolution Conflict is a part of everyday life and should be managed responsibly 1. informal talk –Always start with this whenever possible – people work with each other quickly work to resolve a conflict, nobody else gets involved 2. negotiation –Involves three phases Clearly identify the problem that has caused the conflict Separate individual demands and desires to create a list of possible solutions (must be realistic) Both sides make a few final decisions to resolve the dispute

Conflict Resolution (cont.) 3. Mediation Is used when negotiations break down or a solution cannot be reached A third person helps the disputing parties talk about their problem and settle their differences A mediator cannot impose his decision on anyone – the parties involved must act on his decision voluntarily

Conflict Resolution (cont.) 4. Arbitration When mediation does not work, people can move to this step to solve disputes Arbitrator – like a judge, has the authority to make a final decision that both parties must follow The process is similar to mediation, but it is more formal – it is not as formal as a trial, however