 What did Malala Yousafzai mean when she stated that “pens and books are the weapons that defeat terrorism?

American Government

 Analyze and identify the five basic concepts that democracy relies upon.

 Democracy exists in this country because the American people believe in it.  Democracies existence rests upon five basic concepts:  1. Worth of the individual  2. Equality of all persons  3. Majority rule, minority rights  4. Necessity of compromise  5. Individual freedom

 Human beings must be considered a separate and distinct person, no matter what their station in life.  All people have value and deserve to be treated with dignity.  Example: Americans with Disabilities Act

 This does not mean that all people are guaranteed the same condition or amount of wealth.  Equality before the law and equality of opportunity.

 The will of the people must guide public policy.  However, the majority must be willing to listen and compromise with a minority that is acting within legal means.

 Many a times a problem has more than one solution and both sides must be heard.  A lot of times compromise is needed in order to protect majority rights.

 There must be a proper balance between individual freedom and the rights of society as a whole.  “The right to swing my fist ends when the other man’s nose begins.”

DUTIES  Jury Duty  Serving as a witness when called  Attending school  Paying taxes  Registering for the draft (men only)  Obey the law  Respecting the rights of others RESPONSIBILITY  Voting  Volunteering  Participating in civic life  Understanding the workings of our government

 Your group is going to be assigned two duties or responsibilities. Your assignment is to come up with a skit that mimics the action. There is no talking allowed during the skit. The job of the class will be to guess the action and then declare whether it is a duty or a responsibility.