Unit 3 Ideology and The Decision-Making Process April 28, 2014 *Notes are in RED.

Unit Overview Decision making involves deciding what is important and worthwhile and what is not. This can only be done when there is some basis for making these judgments. Over time people develop patterns of basic beliefs about a variety of issues. These patterns of beliefs are ideologies, and they become the basis for deciding what is important and worthwhile in decision making. Students will examine the ideologies of conservatism, liberalism, and socialism using material and issues from Saskatchewan and Canadian society. They use the concepts of ideology, politics, and power to understand how democracies make and carry out decisions as they evolve and change. The emphasis in unit one was on the organization and mechanics (the what) of decision making in a parliamentary democracy. This unit emphasizes the process or the how of political decision making. Students will be challenged to understand and then play a role as participants (citizens) in the democratic decision making process.

Concept Map See hand-out. You see that much of what is discussed in this unit relates back to unit 1.

Many of these terms were discussed in unit 1 and 2. We will be expanding on that some more in this unit.

The Political Spectrum Please note that at 12:30 in the video, she misspeaks– Privatization pushes people even more to the right-hand side of the spectrum.

The Process of Decision Making Because people are interdependent they must live in groups. Regardless of size, each group, if it is to be effective and to survive, must establish certain fundamentals and see that they are acted upon: a social contract; a decision making process; and an adjudication and enforcement mechanism. Each one of these group fundamentals involves the use of decision making and power. When humans make decisions about important issues, they tend to base their decisions on what they believe to be ''realistic'', or ''makes sense", or is ''reasonable''. These words are descriptors defining what that person considers to be legitimate.

Legitimate Sovereignty What is considered legitimate is directly related to the values, beliefs and ideas of the world view of the individuals within the group. Assumptions about the basic nature of humanity is one of the most important considerations in determining legitimate social relationships: should humans be considered selfish and untrustworthy who realize they need the discipline of social organizations? should humans be considered basically reasonable creatures who are prepared to respect the rights of others? What do you think? (Discuss)

Sovereignty is the power to make and enforce decisions about any matter that is recognized to be within a defined jurisdiction. Jurisdiction: the official power to make legal decisions and judgments.

Brainstorm Brainstorm a list of things that you find restrict your freedom in some way. Briefly discuss whether ypu think these restrictions are legitimate or not.

Social Contracts the social contract of an organization is based on what people expect or assume will be the attitudes and behaviour of the members of the organization.

Examples what do police officers come to expect to be the case about human nature?

Examples how would prison guards come to view human nature?

Examples what would a general of an army think of human nature?

Examples what should a principal think of the nature of students ?