1. Unit 1: Foundations of American Government
Lecture & Discussion 1: Power, Politics & Government

2. Do Now
Complete a “Personal Power Assessment” by following the prompts.
List any individuals, institutions, and/or circumstances that have power over you.
List any individuals, institutions, and/or circumstances in which you have power.
Draw a simple illustration including a written caption that represents how you feel about power in your life.

3. Political Dictionary Record the following terms. power authority
legitimacy
social-contract theory
government
politics
public policy
nation-state
sovereignty

4. Essential Question
Consider the following focus question and write a response when the lesson is complete.
Why is it important to be informed about power, politics, and government?

5. Introduction
\Read Chapter 1.1.
What viewpoint did many colonial Americans hold about government?
Does this attitude exist today? How so?
Is this attitude justified? Explain.
Many colonial Americans had lost faith in and distrusted the government.
Yes, according to data in the survey. Example is election of Donald Trump as President.

6. Activity

7. Activity Discuss the prompts.
What happened to you during the Chip Game? What was going on in the class?
What is this game about?
Based on this experience, how would you define power? How might power relate to American government and politics?

8. Reading Notes Read Chapter 1.2: The Power to Rule.
Create an illustrated dictionary for the terms power, authority & legitimacy. For each entry:
write the term;
define the term in your own words;
create a symbol or icon to represent the term.
Term
Definition
Symbol
power
authority
legitimacy
the ability to influence the behaviors of others
the legal right to exercise power
the power of those in authority is accepted by the people

9. Reading Notes Read Chapter 1.2: The Power to Rule.
What is the social-contract theory? How does this political philosophy grant legitimacy to our form of government?

10. Reading Notes Read the text Government vs. Politics.
Create a Venn diagram to compare the terms government and politics.
government politics

11. Reading Notes Read the text Government vs. Politics.
government politics
involve people
the process that determines policy, which may include “the people”
chosen officials and governing institutions that determine policy
the system in control of state
impact public policy

12. Reading Notes Read Chapter 1.3: Foundations of Government
Create a web diagram that identifies and explains the characteristics of a nation-state.
territory
population
nation-state
government
sovereignty

13. Processing
Read the quotations on the handout. Assign each quote a “Truth Ranking” from 1 to 5 (1 = never true, 5 = always true). Then, respond to the prompts. Support your answers with evidence from your personal experience and/or knowledge of historic or current events.
Which quote is most true about power?
Which quote is most true about politics?
Which quote is most true about your life?