2nd Marking Period Project - Comparative Government Research Paper

Your final two blog assignments for the second marking period are also preparation for the culminating final trailer project. You will need to summarize the political system of a nation of your choice an identify a specific modern-day political problem or conflict within the nation (this may ultimately be you trailer topic.) This component of the project must be completely individually.

Part A: One page government summary Due Thursday April 22

Summarize the political history of that nation (has it ever been colonized? Involved in international or civil wars, etc?)

Describe the structrue of power and decision making in that nation (checks and balances, crime and punishment, party systems, etc.)

Who is presently in charge in that nation? What have been his/ her achievements thus far?

How does this government compare to the others we have studied?

Include MLA citations of no fewer than 2 specific sources. I find www.cia.gov and www.bbc.co.uk particularly helpful.

The proper format for citing a website or online article is

Author last, First name (or publishing group), "Title of Article." Title of website. Date posted.

Example: Francis, Bridgette "Is Britain a True Democracy?" Comparative Government Through Film Spring 2010 Blogsite. 8 April 2010.



Part B: Contemporary problems/ conflict component Due Tues April 27

For the final blog assignment of the second marking period you will summarize three articles on a political and/or human rights issue in a nation of your choice in a historical or modern context. The issue or event you select will ultimately shape the film/documentary trailer you will be working on next marking period, so be sure you are genuinely interested in the topic.


The articles selected for this assignment must reflect international perspectives (they must be from the media of at least TWO different nations.)

Questions you MUST answer in your summary include:

WHat are the roots of this problem/conflict?
Who is being most directly affected?
Who is responsible or being held responsible?
How are leaders and organizations working to alleviate this problem?
How does the structure of power in this nation contribute to or alleviate this problem?


Note: if you haven't completed the first part of this project, please select a nation and move forward with this assignment anyway. I'll be happy to help you chose one - just ask!


Some topics you might like to research include:

Effects and events of specific wars in your nation of study

Race based conflict and discrimination

Women’s suffrage/ voting rights

Universal suffrage/ voting rights

Impact of specific leaders and/ or dictators

Gender parity (difference) and/or discrimination

Labor issues, strikes, and unions

Genocide

Imperial rule and colonialism

Indigenous/ native rights

Terrorism

Health crises

Human trafficking (may be labor or sex work related)

Pollution, water and waste management

Poverty

Industrialization

Child rights issues (soldiers, labor, slavery, orphan crises, health crises, education and infanticide (killing of unwanted babies) are some issues you might chose to focus on)


For the purposes of this assignment you must Cite your THREE internet or printed articles in MLA format( http://www.easybib.com/ ) will format citations for you in MLA if you have the necessary information.

No fewer than 200 words - articles must be recent (last 5 years)

trailer study (complete four on sheet)

In order to help you think through the format of your Political Issue Documentary or Feature trailer project, you and your Production Team are asked to view and analyze at least SIX trailers from the links below. You must view at least two documentary and two feature trailers. These should be a mix of ametur and professionally produced films.

Features (trailers available for view in large format at www.yahoo.movies.com click on “trailers”):

City of God - street children in Brazil
Paradise Now- suicide bombing and the Israeli Palestinian Conflict
Maria Full of Grace- drug trafficking
Osama- women's rights in Afghanistan
Bread and Roses- immigrant worker rights/ labor organizing USA
The Last King of Scotland - dictatorship of Idi Amin in Uganda
Human Trafficking - self explanatory

Documentaries:
God Grew Tired of Us: children of war in Sudan: http://www.spout.com/films/God_Grew_Tired_of_Us/261762/921795/trailers.aspx

Born Into Brothels – young women born into sex trafficking in India
http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/299929/Born-Into-Brothels/trailers

Sicko: Health care in US and Canada
http://www.spout.com/films/Sicko/284216/35687/trailers.aspx

Afghan Star: investigates how increased access to free speech and the growing popularity of POP IDOL is informing cultural values in Post-Taliban Afghanistan
http://www.afghanstardocumentary.com/watch_sm.html

Inheritance - an American woman comes to terms with the Nazi roots of her family's wealth: http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2008/inheritance/index.html

Various POV doucmentaries are available for view at: http://www.pbs.org/pov/filmarchive.php

Several SHORT documentaries concerning global human rights issues are available for view at:www.mediathatmattersfest.org

Rights on the Line - Immigrant Rights:
http://www.mediathatmattersfest.org/7/rights_on_the_line_vigilantes_at_the_border/index.php?fs=about

Bread: Poverty in Guatemala:
http://www.mediathatmattersfest.org/6/bread/

POSTED BY MISS. FRANCIS AT 6:28 AM 0 COMMENTS

Is Britain a true democracy?

In class this week several of you raised the issue that Parliament has several features inconsistent with the system of democracy; namely the influence of the Church of England as expressed through the presence of 26 Bishops in the House of Lords and the Hereditary Peer seats, which account for 92 of Parliament’s members.

This weekend you will explore several perspectives on the structure and functions of the modern British Parliament and answer our framing question above to prepare for a seminar that will be introduced on Monday, Is Britain a true democracy?


Directions: Summarize the role of all of the following auspices of British Parlaiment - The House of Commons, House of Lords and The Government.

Answer TWO of the questions below on your blog. Be prepared to discuss them in the seminar.

A) To what extent do appointment and election procedures relfect democratic government?

B) Many feel that the appointment of Lords by the Government (who are the Prime Minister's Cabinet) ensures that politics are influenced by individuals skilled in their fields rather than politicans who are likeable and popular figures.
With this in mind, do you think the British or American legislature is more likely to make informed legislation?

C) Are the 26 seats held by the Bishops a corruption of democracy or an expression of British culture and political tradition?

Resources:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4828094.stm

http://www.parliament.uk/documents/upload/HofLBpmembership.pdf

http://www.parliament.uk/education/online-resources/whiteboard-resources.htm

your blog must be 250 words.