1. What are the world’s best country to live in? Five categories: physical health, education, economic competitiveness, quality of life, and political environment. Answer: Finland, followed by Switzerland and Sweden. Canada was ranked number seven and the United States number eleven. What makes a country good? Catholic social teaching offers a real answer…A good country is one in which the individual citizens and the country’s social institutions are committed to the common good. Catholic social teaching offers a real answer…A good country is one in which the individual citizens and the country’s social institutions are committed to the common good. The common good is not just the responsibility of individual persons, nor is it just the responsibility of social institutions. If social institutions are not structured to support and protect the common good, those institutions could create structures of sin that could harm the people they should be serving. The common good is not just the responsibility of individual persons, nor is it just the responsibility of social institutions. If social institutions are not structured to support and protect the common good, those institutions could create structures of sin that could harm the people they should be serving. And if individual citizens do not support the work of social institutions, those institutions will fail to accomplish their purpose, and the common good will erode. And if individual citizens do not support the work of social institutions, those institutions will fail to accomplish their purpose, and the common good will erode.

2. The Role of the State Working together for the common good involves individuals’ as well as governments’ pledging to serve the needs of others. The state plays a part in God’s plan of salvation. The state plays a part in God’s plan of salvation. The state is the civil authority intended to achieve the common good. The state is the civil authority intended to achieve the common good. The state recognizes, respects, defends, and promotes citizens’ rights and individuals’ freedom to pursue rights. The state recognizes, respects, defends, and promotes citizens’ rights and individuals’ freedom to pursue rights.

3. Administrative: essential services provided and regulated such as housing, transportation, medical care, places of worship, and recreational facilities Administrative: essential services provided and regulated such as housing, transportation, medical care, places of worship, and recreational facilities Legislative: laws and human rights protected and enables society to function harmoniously. Legislative: laws and human rights protected and enables society to function harmoniously. Judicial: laws fairly enforced and citizens have a legal way to correct injustices and protect their rights Judicial: laws fairly enforced and citizens have a legal way to correct injustices and protect their rights

4. Needed in a complex, global society Needed in a complex, global society Support international justice and peace (such as the United Nations) Support international justice and peace (such as the United Nations) The Functions of Public Authority

5. Moral responsibility to fulfill civil obligations (such as paying taxes) Moral responsibility to fulfill civil obligations (such as paying taxes) Participation in the political life of society (such as voting) Participation in the political life of society (such as voting) Each person has the responsibility to contribute to the good of society in a meaningful way Each person has the responsibility to contribute to the good of society in a meaningful way

6. If human reason and God’s Law lead us to believe a civil law or civil authority is morally wrong, we are morally obligated to resist it. If human reason and God’s Law lead us to believe a civil law or civil authority is morally wrong, we are morally obligated to resist it. Forms of Conscientious Objection: Voice objection to the law. Voice objection to the law. Work to change the law Work to change the law Organize others to protest against the law. Organize others to protest against the law. Directly disobey the law. Directly disobey the law.

7. Rights the Church insists on having in order to maintain her independence from the state. 1. freedom to preach the Gospel and to evangelize (respecting the rights of other faiths and religions to do the same) 2. freedom to provide public worship and administer the Sacraments 3. freedom to determine the Church’s structure and organization; 4. freedom to select, educate, and appoint its ministers 5. freedom to construct religious buildings and to acquire and manage the material goods necessary for the Church’ ministry; freedom to develop associations for its

8. a) to make sure their goods and services contribute to the good of society and not to its harm b) to not produce or distribute goods or services that are in themselves sinful, to not ask their employees to do anything sinful or immoral c) to charge fair prices for their products or services, and to pay just wages to their employees.

9. Media literacy is a term used to describe our ability to discern the truth in what is being presented to us on the news, in the newspaper, and from all sources of social media. On some networks the news is slanted to convey a particular political opinion. On some networks the news is slanted to convey a particular political opinion. Some blogs and news stories change the meaning of a politician’s speech by broadcasting or printing only selected parts of what he or she said. Some blogs and news stories change the meaning of a politician’s speech by broadcasting or printing only selected parts of what he or she said. And popular magazines often alter celebrities’ photographs, making the celebrities seem more beautiful or perfect than they really are. And popular magazines often alter celebrities’ photographs, making the celebrities seem more beautiful or perfect than they really are.

10. Factor #1: when the media cannot act freely because the state or a political group takes control of the media sources Factor #2: when a business or corporation has a monopoly on the media sources and puts pressure on the source to give biased information that benefits the corporation Factor 3: when media sources, in an attempt to make money, cover topics that will generate greater viewer interest, thus bringing in more advertising revenue.

11. Read information from a variety of sources to become informed. Read information from a variety of sources to become informed. Seek out sources that try to be accurate and unbiased in reporting the news. Seek out sources that try to be accurate and unbiased in reporting the news. Learn about an issue, studying it from different perspectives. Learn about an issue, studying it from different perspectives. Check out multiple media sources Check out multiple media sources Listen to people who have different opinions, and apply reason and God’s truth to their arguments. Listen to people who have different opinions, and apply reason and God’s truth to their arguments. Pray—ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to the truth Pray—ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to the truth