Democracy in Theory and Practice

CONTENTS OF CURRICULUM UNIT 08.03.12

  1. Unit Guide
  1. Background
  2. Objectives
  3. Strategies
  4. Classroom Activities
  5. Resources
  6. Appendix
  7. Endnotes

Who decides who benefits? A comparative view of wealth distribution using examples from New Mexico's Legislature, Santa Fe City and the Pueblo of Pojoaque

Meredith Charlton Tilp

Published September 2008

Tools for this Unit:

Resources

Textbook: Magruder's American History 2005 including the Federalist Papers at the back

The Internet websites (see below)

Grid A: Comparative Government Graphic Organizers; Grid B Political and Economic analysis

Santa Fe Public Schools field trip and school buses

Weekly class participation grade in group project or discussion

*Field trip to Santa Fe's Roundhouse and Pueblo of Pojoaque

Economic Plan for Santa Fe

Student Internet and other Resources

New Mexico Film Industry http://www.nmfilm.com/filming/incentives/

Incentives for filmmakers, places for students to look for careers and local productions and their location.

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson

http://www.governor.state.nm.us/index2.php

New Mexico Legislature http://legis.state.nm.us/lcs/

New Mexican news, commentary by the Santa Fe New Mexican on Legislative Affairs

http://st-sfnm.livejournal.com/

New Mexico: US Census data

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/35000.html

New Mexico: fun facts

http://www.governor.state.nm.us/kidscorner.php

The Pueblo of Pojoaque

http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096415710

http://www.buffalothunderresort.com

The Native American Conquistador, Ibarra, Christine and Valadez, John. Video provides an excellent modern-day view of tax payer spending for the arts. It highlights the tension between Native Americans and the Spanish Conquistadors. http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2008/lastconquistador/update.html

Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce

http://www.santafechamber.com/

Santa Fe: Government of the City

http://santafenm.gov/

Santa Fe Tourism

http://www.santafe.org/Visiting_Santa_Fe/About_Santa_Fe/

Santa Fe City: US Census data

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/35/3570500.html

Annotated Teacher Bibliography/Resources

Bartels, Larry Partisan Politics and the U.S. Income Distribution Princeton: Princeton University February 2004.

Chomsky, Noam The Common Good, New York: The Odonian Press, 1996-1998.

These talks by MIT professor of linguistics and leader of left wing analysis helps to clarify values while at the same time citing important documents and facts.

Graetz, Michael J., and Ian Shapiro. Death by a Thousand Cuts. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2006.

These authors tell the story of the attempt to repeal the inheritance tax and the coalitions which supported them.

Hamilton, Alexander, and James Madison and John Jay. The Federalist Papers. New York: Bantam Books, 1982.

This is a compilation of the Federalist papers published in 1787. Students are expected to know Federalist 5, 49, 51 and 78-83. This highlights important passages including checks and balances and executive power. n.b. The Magruders textbook has the relevant Federalist papers in the back.

Ibarra, Christine and Valadez, John The Native American Conquistador. Video provides an excellent modern-day view of the tension between Native Americans and the Spanish Conquistadors. http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2008/lastconquistador/update.html

Lawrence, George trans., de Tocqueville, Alexis. Democracy in America. New York: Perennial/Harper/Collins, 1969.

Alexis de Tocqueville was sent on a journey to the United States and reported the details of our early infancy. It is a lucid, detailed and incredibly vivid account of town meetings and branches of government.

Lee, Desmond trans. The Republic of Plato. 2 nd ed. London The Penguin Group, 1987.

This book forms the basis for our philosophical understanding of the difference between democracy and a republic and the Philosopher Ruler concept. It is a great insight into early Greek civilization and a great philosopher's story of the important questions for man and his state. The Chapter on the Cave is used in Senior English as an analysis of leaders and is used in conjunction with the movie: the Matrix.

Moyers, Bill. Moyers on Democracy, Random House, May 2008.

Bill Moyers is a former staffer of the Johnson administration, first administrator of the Peace Corps and current media presenter on PBS. Through a compilation of speeches Moyers ties unique American history with democratic principles.

New Mexico Film Industry http://www.nmfilm.com/filming/incentives/

Incentives for filmmakers, places for students to look for careers and local productions and their location.

New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson

http://www.governor.state.nm.us/index2.php

New Mexico Legislature http://legis.state.nm.us/lcs/

New Mexico economic statistics

http://www.bea.gov/newsreleases/regional/lapi/2006/mpi0906.htm

New Mexican news, commentary by the Santa Fe New Mexican on Legislative Affairs

http://st-sfnm.livejournal.com/

New Mexico news, commentary by the Albuquerque Journal

http://www.abqjournal.com/opinion/guest_columns/288241opinion02-25-08.htm

The Pueblo of Pojoaque

http://www.indiancountry.com/content.cfm?id=1096415710

http://www.buffalothunderresort.com

Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce

http://www.santafechamber.com/

Santa Fe: Government of the City

http://santafenm.gov/

Santa Fe Tourism

http://www.santafe.org/Visiting_Santa_Fe/About_Santa_Fe/

Santa Fe City: US Census data

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/35/3570500.html

Shmidly, David J. "Legislature does Democracy proud," The Albuquerque Journal, February 25, 2008

Schumpeter, Joseph A. Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy London, George Allen & Unwin Ltd. 1950.

Schumpeter brings insight into Rousseau's idea of the volonté generale in saying that there is no such thing as the general will of the people. Rather it is a struggle between the economic power for profit versus the political power for votes.

Shapiro, Ian. The State of Democratic Theory. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2003.

Acknowledging and defining democratic theories, especially those that relate to reasons for inequality in a democracy is important to this book. Chapter Five on Democracy and Distribution is particularly helpful in describing both the supply side (the politicians) and demand side (the electorate).

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