NCSS VI: Power, Authority, and Governance

 

     Power, Authority, and Governance is a critical topic for a social studies teacher to address in their classroom. Power, Authority, and Governance has had a major impact on history up to the present. It will continue to have a major impact in the future. The power a person or government possess has a major impact on nearly every facet of a person’s life throughout history and especially today. Governments and individuals with power can help implement solutions that help its citizens; however, they can also abuse power resulting in catastrophe for billions of people across the world. It is critical for students to understand Power, Authority and Governance so they are effective citizens and maintain their liberties.

     Power, Authority, and Governance is an area where I have a lot of content knowledge in through taking twenty-one hours of Political Science undergraduate courses and eighteen hours of graduate level Political Science courses. Power, Authority, and Governance was also discussed in most of the history and geography courses I took as a undergrad. In the past year I have addressed Power, Authority, and Governance frequently. In the Fall my activity on Oligarchy looked at how much power and authority this type of government has (See Evidence 1 and 2). Then latter in the Fall I taught a full lesson on the period of absolute monarchy in France and its impact on French society (See Evidence 3). During the Fall Michael Smith and I also had a lesson on "What is a Republic", as that lesson addressed what power that type of government has (See Evidence 4). During the Spring I continued to address Power, Authority, and Governance particularly on two of my lessons dealing with the prelude to the Civil War. In those lessons I had the class develop a better understanding of the concept of State’s Rights. Students were able to learn that the South used State’s Rights back before the Civil War to protect slavery. They also learned that State’s Rights is still an issue today as states try to counter the power of the Federal Government.

     Power, Authority, and Governance is a critical topic that I will continue to address throughout my teaching career. My strong content knowledge in this area will help me in accomplishing this task. It is important for students to understand the impact government has in their lives, and how they can become involved in government to help improve society. Especially if I teach a modern US History or Government class I will try to emphasize the importance of Executive Branch agencies at the Federal and State in implementing policies. My annotated bibliography on EPA Impacts on Coal Mining in Appalachia shows the power and authority Executive Branch agencies like the EPA have for better or worse depending on who you ask. It is important to convey this information to students because when most people think of the Executive Branch they think just of the President, but a lot of the power in the Executive Branch lies with agencies like the EPA or Department of Defense. Helping students study Power, Authority, and Governance will help students have better lives and maintain their freedoms.

 

Evidence