Unit 1: Media Literacy and Government

Unit 1: Media Literacy and Introduction to Government

• Mass Media: Communication channels, like TV, radio, newspapers, and the internet, that reach large audiences and shape public opinion.

• Media Literacy: The ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media. Important for critical evaluation of information.

• Content Categories:

• Disinformation: Deliberately false information spread to mislead.

• Malinformation: True information presented out of context to mislead.

• Misinformation: Incorrect or false information spread unintentionally.

• Fake News vs. Bias: Fake news is entirely false, while bias news presents factual information with author or media outlet's subjective viewpoint.

• Lateral Reading: Verifying information by consulting multiple sources. Crucial for credible information before sharing.

• Reverse Image Search: Uploading an image into a search engine to find its origin, verifying authenticity.

• Reading Beyond Headlines: Going beyond headlines to understand full article context, which often presents a different perspective. Headlines are designed to grab attention but can be misleading.

• Anonymous Authors: Suspicious articles without authors are less credible as it's harder to verify the author's qualifications and motivation.

• Recycled News: Content reused without new reporting; be wary of old articles. Check publication dates for originality.

• Satire: Humor used to criticize or mock, making it appear like news. Must be identified before sharing as fact.

• Bias: A tendency to favor one viewpoint over another. Social media often reinforces bias.

Unit 2: The Constitution

• Constitutional Inspirations:

• Greece/Rome: Direct democracy and republicanism.

• Enlightenment: Concepts of natural rights, separation of powers, social contract.

• Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy: Model of a unified union of sovereign states.

• State Constitutions: Influenced individual rights and separation of powers.

• Articles of Confederation: A weak central government that demonstrated need for stronger federal system.

• Articles of Confederation Weaknesses:

• Power centralized in states, weak central government structure.

• Lack of taxing authority and inability to regulate interstate/national commerce.

• Successes of the Articles:

• Won the Revolutionary War, system for creating new states.

• Shays' Rebellion: Exposed weaknesses of the Articles, highlighting the need for a stronger central government. Articles couldn't respond to economic crisis.

• Constitutional Convention:

• "Father of the Constitution": James Madison.

• Reasons for Article Rejection: Ineffective, unable to handle the country's issues, mainly economic, interstate conflicts. Reasons for non-signatures: Lack of Bill of Rights.

• Compromises: 3/5ths, Great Compromise, Electoral College.

• Completed Constitution: Framework for federal government, establishing power balance between states and national government.

• Absent Voices: Women, enslaved persons, Native Americans, and most working-class men were excluded from the convention.

• Living Document: The Constitution is amendable allowing interpretation for social changes.

• Basic Principles: Popular Sovereignty (people's power), Limited Government (constitutional limits), Separation of Powers (dividing powers), Checks and Balances (branches check each other), Federalism (state/federal division), Judicial Review (court's power to declare laws unconstitutional).

Unit 3: The Branches of Government

• Legislative Branch: Congress, bicameral (House of Representatives, Senate), detailed legislative process outlined.

• House of Representatives: 435 members, based on population per state, two-year terms.

• Senate: 100 senators (2 per state), six-year terms, ⅓ up for election every two years.

• Powers: Expressed/Enumerated (listed, like taxation/commerce), Implied (necessary & proper), and the Elastic Clause.

• Bill to Law Process: Bill passing through both houses of Congress and signing by the President.

Unit 4: Parties & Voting

• Federal System: Established by the Constitution, division of power between national and state governments.

• Washington's Warning: Against political parties, foreign alliances.

• Early Parties: Federalist and Democratic-Republican parties.

• Party Differences: Federalists favored strong central government, Democratic-Republicans advocated for states' rights.

• Coalitions & Reallignment:

• New Deal Coalition: A group of diverse voters, who initially supported Democrats.

• Third Parties: Minor parties often face challenges with funding and media attention. Different types include; single-issue, ideological, and splinter.