Foundations of Democracy Review Packet

Introduction: This assignment is independent of the notebook, and will be turned in for credit on the day of the unit test. While one of the main purposes of your packet is to assist in preparation for the test, it goes beyond this as well. This review packet is designed to encourage you to take what you have learned and apply it to today’s world.

The review packet consists of three parts:

1. Applying the unit to current events written response (not a full-fledged essay, but designed in such a way for you to express critical thinking in lengthy written form)

2. An editorial OR political cartoon analyzing an important event we have studied

3. “Top 10 Things You Need to Know About This Unit”

Review packets may be typed and printed or hand written (if you do a political cartoon, it does need to be hand drawn). Detailed instructions for each assignment are below:

Applying the unit to current events:

I will provide a series of prompts, and you are asked to choose ONE to respond to. Your responses must be a minimum of three paragraphs. Think of this part of the assignment as an enhanced version of daily journal questions.All historical information can be found in the textbook. All current events must be researched. Include a list of sites used at the end of your written response. All text is your own, or in quotation marks. The following are the prompts for this unit:

1. The American colonists began to resent British rule after the British imposed harsh, restrictive laws on their colonies. This unit we frequently discussed the idea that the colonists believed these laws to be unfair, and in violation of their natural rights. Find at least two examples of controversial laws that have been in the news within the past year that people believe violate natural rights. Do you believe those laws are violations of natural rights? How so? Are they greater violations of natural rights than the laws the British imposed on their colonies? Why or why not?

2. During this unit we frequently discussed regions, and how different regions develop in different ways. How did the South develop differently from the North during the early years of United States history? How did the differences between the North and the South influence the political beliefs of those regions (regarding slavery especially)? What is one example in 2017 of two regions in the United States having vastly different political beliefs? Why do those regions believe such differing ideas (is it due to their population demographics, geography, the types of jobs in that particular region, etc.)?

3. We mentioned Andrew Jackson during this unit, and the increased power he wielded as president. What were two notable examples of Andrew Jackson using presidential power in an extreme way? What were the downsides of those actions? What are two examples post-2000 of presidents using their powers in an extreme manner? Do you agree with those modern uses of power? Was the president justified in doing what he chose to do? Why or why not?

4. Google the phrase “the death of the Republican Party” or “the death of the Democratic Party.” Find an editorial article discussing the topic from a reputable publication (The Atlantic, MSNBC, The National Review, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, run it by me if you’re not sure). Summarize the article. What is the author’s main point? How does he/she support that point? How can you relate the point the author makes in the article to George Washington’s warnings about the dangers of political parties and factionalism? [A copy of Washington’s Farewell Address is available from my website]

Editorial OR Political Cartoon:

Editorials are opinion based articles, expressing the author’s views regarding a particular event. The event that you will be addressing this unit is the Whiskey Rebellion (pg. 53 in the textbook). The Whiskey Rebellion was a violent protest in response to a tax on whiskey, which George Washington quickly crushed. Your task is to either write a 1-2 paragraph editorial supporting Washington’s decision, or create a political cartoon (full piece of paper, color, same parameters as the Articles of Confederation cartoon) which expresses support for Washington’s decision. Your article or cartoon should depict or discuss the event as your book describes it, and make the point that armed rebellion against the national government should not be tolerated. Discuss or depict reasons of your own choosing as to why the national government is correct for their decision to not tolerate rebellion inside the United States (because it could lead to worse rebellion, to give the government legitimacy, etc.).

Top 10 Things You Need to Know About This Unit:

Think of this one like a Buzzfeed list. You are to create a list of the things you believe are most important from this unit. This is not simply rehashing key terms from your homework, but rather explaining an entire concept, and why you think that concept is significant in a single bullet point. You can choose concepts you read about for homework, concepts I discussed as notes, or concepts we did activities about in class. An example would be as follows:

  • The Federalist and Anti-Federalist debate raged over whether or not the Constitution could be ratified as it was written as the Philadelphia Convention, or whether it needed to be modified. This debate was important because it would lead to the addition of a Bill of Rights to the Constitution