School Improvement in Maryland

Using the VSC Government

PEOPLES OF THE NATION AND WORLD
  

Standard 2

Students will understand the diversity and commonality, human interdependence, and global cooperation of the people of Maryland, the United States and the World through both a multicultural and historic perspective.

Expectation

2. The student will compare and evaluate the effectiveness of the United States system of government and various other political systems.

Topic

A. Elements of Culture: Governments

Indicator

Objectives
  1. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of a direct and representative democracy
  2. Compare confederate, unitary and federal forms of government and determine how each assists or impedes the functioning of government
  3. Compare parliamentary and presidential democracies
  4. Describe the characteristics of limited (democratic) and unlimited (authoritarian) governments
  5. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of limited and unlimited political systems
  6. Explain how governments with written constitutions are not necessarily constitutional governments which follow the rule of law such as Peoples Republic of China and North Korea (Unit 1)

Expectation

1. The student will evaluate the interdependent relationship of United States politics and government to world affairs.

Topic

B. Cultural Diffusion: Foreign Policy

Indicator

  • 1. The student will analyze economic, political, social issues and their effect on foreign policies of the United States (2.1.1)
    Assessment limits:
    • Policies of United States government that promote or fail to promote relationships with other countries include: national defense (military), arms control, and security of other nations, trade, human rights, economic sanctions, and foreign aid.
    • Contemporary concerns which affect international relationships including: national security, economic well-being, the spread of democracy, developing nations, weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, and global economic conditions.
Objectives
  1. Explain how the executive develops and implements foreign policy, such as executive agreements, the appointment of foreign ambassadors and the creation of treaties
  2. Evaluate how policies of the executive affect relationships with other countries including alliances for national defense, arms control, economic trade, and social programs (Unit 4)
  3. Analyze isolationism v. interventionism in United States foreign policy
  4. Evaluate how international issues and interests affect national government policy, such as anti-terrorism policy, protection of human rights and international economic stability
  5. Examine how foreign aid affects the United States relationships with other countries
  6. Evaluate the goals of United States foreign policy, such as national security, economic stability, promoting the spread of democracy
  7. Analyze the effect of trade and trade policy including: free trade agreements, embargoes, tariffs and economic sanctions on relationships with other countries
  8. Analyze contemporary concerns that affect international relationships and government policies, such as world health, human rights, nation-building, national security and weapons of mass destruction, outsourcing and technology transfer (Unit 6)

Topic

C. Conflict and Compromise

Indicator

  • 1. The student will evaluate the effectiveness of international alliances and organizations from the perspective of the United States (2.1.2).
    Assessment limits:
    • United Nations and other organizations categorized as: Security-North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO); Economic-North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank Humanitarian- International Red Cross
    • Issues of national sovereignty, self-determination, and human rights on U.S. interdependent relationships.
    • Other examples of alliances and organizations in which the United States participates may be used, but information will be provided in the item.
Objectives
  1. Explain the various roles of the United Nations (UN) such as maintaining international peace, enforcing international law, addressing human rights violations and solving international problems
  2. Explain the role of the International Federation of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent and other agencies, such as United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in addressing humanitarian issues
  3. Describe the roles of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank
  4. Examine the function and purpose of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
  5. Describe the responsibility of the United States as a member of various international organizations including the United Nations (UN), North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and the World Bank (Unit 6)

Note: The V.S.C. High School American Government course contains objectives that are compiled and tagged by corresponding unit. The titles of the units are:
Unit 1. PURPOSES, FORMS, AND TYPES OF POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC STRUCTURES
Unit 2. FOUNDATIONS AND PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNMENT AND THE CONSTITUTION
Unit 3. LEGISLATIVE BRANCHES (NATIONAL, STATE AND LOCAL)
Unit 4. EXECUTIVE BRANCHES (NATIONAL, STATE AND LOCAL)
Unit 5. JUDICIAL BRANCHES (NATIONAL AND STATE)
Unit 6. DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN POLICY
Unit 7. PARTICIPATION IN GOVERNMENT
 
In the language of the objectives, the use of including refers to content that is recommended for instruction. The use of such as in the language of the objective refers to content that may be used as examples, but is not required.