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Standards of Learning--United States and Virginia Government Resources

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The standards for the study of United States and Virginia government will ensure that graduates of Virginia's public schools understand the origins and workings of the American and Virginia political systems. The standards require that students have knowledge of the United States and Virginia Constitutions; the structure and operation of United States and Virginia governments; the process of policy-making, with emphasis on economics, foreign affairs, and civil rights issues; and the impact of the general public, political parties, interest groups, and the media on policy decisions. United States political and economic systems are compared to those of other nations, with emphasis on the relationships between economic and political freedoms. Economic content covers the United States market system, supply and demand, and the role of the government in the economy.

Federal / Government Resources
The Supreme Court
The U. S. Legislative Branch
THOMAS -- U.S. Congress on the Internet
U.S. Federal Government Agencies
Executive, Legislative & Judicial Branches
Government Sites
Constitution - constitutions of the world
Internet Guide to the Government/Index
Bookmarks for Social Studies Teachers -- M. Dastous

12.1 The student will compare the United States constitutional system in 1789 with forms of democracy that developed in ancient Greece and Rome, in England, and in the American colonies and states in the 18th century.
How Our Laws Are Made

12.2The student will identify examples of fundamental American political principles contained in the Virginia Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Federalist Papers, and will compare them to principles of government and law developed by leading European political thinkers such as Locke, Hobbes, Montesquieu, Rousseau, and Blackstone.
U. S. Constitution - Table of Articles and Amendments
U. S. Constitution

Government Sites

12.3 The student will analyze the amendments to the United States Constitution in terms of the conflicts they addressed and the reasons for their adoption.
U. S. Constitution and Fascinating Facts About It

12.4 The student will summarize landmark Supreme Court interpretations of the United States Constitution and its amendments, with emphasis on basic freedoms, due process, equal protection of the law, and government powers, and will analyze the historical trends and contemporary patterns of United

LII:Supreme Court Collection: Historic decisions

12.5 The student will identify and explain fundamental concepts of democracy, with emphasis placed on equality of all citizens under the law, the fundamental worth and dignity of the individual, majority rule and minority rights, the necessity of compromise, individual freedom, and the rule of law.

12.6 The student will analyze in writing, discussion, and debate current issues confronting local, state, and national governments in terms of perennial challenges to democracies, including conflicts between

majority rule and minority rights;
individual rights and the public interest;
levels of taxation and the expectation of public services; and
state and national authority in a federal system.

12.7 The student will analyze and compare national and state governments, with emphasis on

the structures, functions, and authority of each;
the principles of federalism, separation of powers, and checks and balances;
the extent to which power is shared rather than divided or separated; and
procedures for constitutional amendment.

12.8 The student will explain how United States and Virginia legislative, executive, and judicial institutions make public policy, in terms of

legislation, regulations, executive orders, and judicial review;
constitutional requirements and institutional procedures; and
specific policies related to foreign affairs, civil rights, and economics and the budget.

12.9 The student will identify and distinguish among the units of local governments in Virginia, including counties, cities, towns, and regional authorities and will analyze a local public issue.

12.10 The student will explain and give current examples of how political parties, interest groups, the media, and individuals influence the policy agenda and decision making of government institutions.

12.11 The student will describe campaigns for national, state, and local elective office, including

the nominating process;
campaign funding and spending;
the influence of media coverage, campaign advertising, and public opinion polls;
demographic causes and political effects of reapportionment and redistricting;
voter turnout and the constituencies of the major political parties; and
the Electoral College.

Federal Election Commission
Elections and Campaigning, Resnick Library, SYNY College at Delhi
US Politics - Welcome from the Mining Co.
Electoral College - Home Page
The U. S. Electoral College [Calculator] --click on state and winning party to get running total of electoral votes
Electoral College: Does It Pass the Test Today?
The Electoral College -- From the Federal Election Commission

12.12 The student will explain the rights, responsibilities, and benefits of citizenship in the United States and Virginia.

12.13 The student will develop the skills needed for informed participation in public affairs by

analyzing public issues;
evaluating candidates for public office;
evaluating the performance of public officials; and
communicating with public officials.

12.14 The student will compare the United States political and economic systems with those of major democratic and authoritarian nations, in terms of

the structures and powers of political institutions;
the rights and powersof the governed including grass roots citizen movements;
economic goals and institutions and the role of government in the economy;
the relationships between economic freedom and political freedom; and
the allocation of resources and its impact on productivity.

12.15 The student will analyze the United States market economy, in terms of

labor, capital, and natural resources;
the interaction of supply and demand in markets;
the role of private ownership, private enterprise, and profits;
the relationships of households, firms, and government;
labor/management relationships; and
relationships to the global economy.

12.16 The student will analyze the role of government in the United States economy, with emphasis on

monetary and fiscal policies;
interstate commerce and international trade policies;
providing favorable conditions for markets;
providing public goods and services;
protecting the environment; and
promoting economic grow.

12.17 The student will evaluate the effect of monetary and fiscal policies on personal economic well-being including employment opportunities, purchasing power, credit and interest rates, and opportunities for investment and savings.

12.18 The student will define common economic terms, including productivity, recession, depression, the business cycle, and inflation, and explain and interpret indicators of economic performance, including gross domestic product, consumer price index, unemployment rate, balance of trade, and stock market averages.
A Brief Review of Keynesian Theory
History of American Agriculture/Economic Cycles -- from USDA
The Forces Making for an Economic Collapse
A Pedestrian's Guide : INFLATION
HyperInflation -- part of a teaching unit on economics
National Bureau of Economic Research Homepage
Do Minimum Wage Increases Trigger Recessions or Prolong Depressions?
Understanding and Eliminating Inflation
Trade
International Trade -- Lesson
Balance of Trade

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