Third Quarter (Units III and I) Quarterly Assessment ...



| |RHHS Social Studies Department |

NOTE TO PARENTS AND STUDENTS:

The Maryland High School Assessments (HSAs) are challenging tests that students in the graduating class of 2009 must pass in order to earn a Maryland High School Diploma. These tests ensure that students have mastered fundamental knowledge in Algebra, Biology, English and American Government. In order to measure student progress throughout the school year, and to ascertain that students have acquired the required skills and understanding necessary to demonstrate the knowledge in these courses, students in each of these assessed classes takes a Howard County benchmark test at the end of each academic quarter. The Howard County American Government Quarterly Assessments are smaller versions of the High School Assessment in both content and format. This year, the First Quarterly Assessment was administered in October. The Second Quarterly Assessment was given in January, 2007. The Third Quarter test will be given in March, and the Fourth Quarter test will be given in June.

To assure that students continue to be familiar with information that was presented earlier in the school year, students will be given review packets. Each packet will contain the key concepts covered in one quarter. This is one of the many tools that students should use to prepare for the HSA exam. Students should use this packet to review vocabulary and to complete the exercises. Teachers will be assigning the exercises and the students will be expected to complete them and turn them into their teacher.

Students have already received the 1st and 2nd Quarter Review Packets. Later this year students will be receiving a review packet for the 4th quarter. Additionally, they will receive a final packet prior to taking the American Government HSA in May.

Student/Teacher Assessment Sheet

|Date |Grade |Activity |Page Numbers |

| | | |Worksheet #1 |2 |

| | | |Foreign Policy | |

| | | |Worksheet #2 |4 |

| | | |Domestic Policy | |

| | | |Worksheet #3 |6 |

| | | |Influencing Public Opinion – Lobbying/Lobbyist | |

| | | |Worksheet #4 |6 |

| | | |Political Labels | |

| | | |Worksheet #5 |7 |

| | | |Freedom/Restrictions of the Press/Equal Opportunities | |

| | | |Worksheet #6 |9 |

| | | |Smart Growth | |

| | | |Selected Response Questions |10 - 12 |

Works Cited

Remy, Richard C. United State Government: Democracy in Action. 2006. Columbus, Ohio: Glencoe/McGraw Hill, 2006

I. Foreign Policy

|Foreign Policy |These are the goals/strategies that guide a nation’s relations with other countries |

|United Nations |The international organization, formed after WWII that was set up to try to peacefully settle disputes among |

| |nations and preserve world peace. |

| |The U.N has not been particularly successful in settling disputes between different countries, or in bringing |

| |peace. |

| |The U.N. has been VERY successful in its humanitarian operations such as eradicating diseases in Developing |

| |countries, UNICEF… |

|NATO |North Atlantic Treaty Organization; formed after WWII, this defensive alliance which was made up of the US, |

| |Canada and nations of western Europe was formed to protect member nations from attack by other countries |

| |During the Cold War, NATO members were concerned about the Soviet Union and its allies; |

| |After the fall of the Soviet Union, some former allies of the Soviet Union became members of NATO – Poland, for |

| |example |

|International Red Cross |An organization that helps victims of natural disasters and armed conflicts; |

| |One of its big jobs is to observe the treatment of prisoners of war. |

|NAFTA/ how does it influence the |Signed by the US, Mexico and Canada in 1993; the purpose was to get rid of some trade restrictions (tariffs), |

|American economy? |which is supposed to help the economy of all three countries |

| |Opposed by American labor unions who felt that businesses might move to other countries for a loss of American |

| |jobs; but |

| |Supported by others who thought that this agreement would lower cost of goods for consumers and expand US |

| |markets. |

| |NAFTA has mainly benefited American companies that have set up factories in Mexico where labor costs… are lower,|

| |so their products cost less. |

| |NAFTA has not been particularly beneficial to the Mexican people |

|World Bank |An agency of the United Nations, was created after WW II, to prevent economic crises and rebuild economies that |

| |were destroyed by the war |

| |Today, the World Bank tries to make it easier to invest in reconstruction and development, mainly in developing |

| |countries. |

|IMF |International Monetary Fund; an agency of the United Nations; |

| |The goal of this agency is to make the national currencies and financial markets more stable. |

|Economic Sanctions |A strategy used by countries in an attempt to get another country to change its policies or actions |

| |One way a country may use economic sanctions is to stop selling or buying goods from that country |

| |The U.S. (and many other members of the United Nations) put economic sanctions on Iraq and Saddam Hussein prior |

| |to our current war there. The sanction were supposed to make Hussein allow UN weapons inspectors into the |

| |country. Unfortunately, the sanctions didn’t work |

Unit III Worksheet # 1 – Foreign Policy

Matching: Match the description in Column B with the term in Column A

|Column A |Column B |

|_____ United Nations (U.N.) |A. Formed after World War II; member nations, concerned about an attack by the |

| |Soviet Union, agreed that an on would be considered an attack on all. |

|_____ International Monetary Fund (IMF) |B. Agency of the United Nations, it was formed after World War II to rebuild |

| |economies that were destroyed by the war and to prevent future economic crises. |

|_____ North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) |C. Signed by the Canada, Mexico and the United States, its purpose was to get rid|

| |of trade restrictions and promote trade within the hemisphere. |

|_____ International Red Cross |D. An organization that helps victims of natural disasters and armed conflicts. |

|_____ World Bank |E. The international organization that was established after WW II to peacefully |

| |settle disputes and keep world peace. |

|_____ North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) |F. The goal of this organization is to make national currencies and financial |

| |markets more stable. |

II. Domestic Policy

|Domestic Policy |These are goals and strategies that are intended for the nation and the people of a country |

| |Policies WITHIN the borders of a country. For example, taxes, gun control, abortion… are DOMESTIC|

| |Policy issues. The War in Iraq is an issue for Foreign Policy |

|Entitlements |Required government expenses that continue from one year to the next (for example, Social |

| |Security, Medicaid, Veterans pensions); |

| |Provides help to people |

|Medicaid |An entitlement program, which was started in the 1960’s |

| |It was intended to provide medical insurance to the very poor |

|Social Security |An entitlement program, started in the 1930’s, it was intended to provide some income to persons |

| |who are retired. |

| |Both employers and employees pay into the program. |

| |Many economists believe that Social Security will face a shortfall of money as the baby boomers |

| |retire with not enough workers to support the system. |

|Medicare |An entitlement program, it was started in 1965; |

| |Its purpose was to pay for a major share of the hospital bills for senior citizens |

Unit III Worksheet # 2 – Domestic Policy

Fill in the Blanks with the following words

o Medicare

o Social Security

o Entitlements

o Medicaid

o Food Stamps

Since the 1930’s (the Great Depression and FDR’s New Deal), the federal government has grown quite large. This is due partly to the growth of (1) _______________ - which requires that the federal government annually spend money on programs that benefit the poor and needy.

(2) _______________ was one of the first programs to assist the elderly by providing them with some income after they retired. Later, in the 1960’s, (3) _______________ was established to provide help to senior citizens who had health care needs, especially with the rising costs of hospital expenses. At about the same time as this program was adopted, the Congress adopted programs to assist the poor, (4) _______________ - which provided some health insurance, and (5) _______________ - which was intended to make sure that the poor had access to good nutrition.

III. Influencing Public Policy

|Interest Groups | A group of people who have common goals who organize to influence government; interest groups may focus |

| |on issues or concerns to a particular group of people |

| |AARP (senior citizens) ; NEA (teachers); US Chamber of Commerce (business groups); the Sierra Club (and |

| |other environmental groups); Right to Life (anti-abortion); National Rifle Association (support right to |

| |own guns/rifles…) |

|Public Interest Groups |A group that seeks policy goals (laws…) that it believes will benefit the entire nation; a public interest|

| |group addresses the issues that are of concern to the general public |

| |(Common Cause, founded in 1970, to try to make reforms in the political system) |

|Lobbyist |Int Interest group representative |

|Lobbying |Direct contact made by a lobbyist to persuade government officials to support policies their interest |

| |group favors |

| |For example, the Sierra Club would try to influence government officials NOT to pass legislation that |

| |would allow drilling for oil in Alaska’s National Parks. |

|PACS |Political Action Committees; An organization formed to collect money and provide financial support for |

| |candidate or issues. |

| |For example, The National Right to Life PAC, the National Abortion Rights Action League PAC |

| |PACs are usually associated with interest groups |

|Mass Media |Means of communication, such as television, movies, newspapers, books, the Internet that influence large |

| |audiences |

|Public Opinion |Ideas and attitudes a significant number of Americans hold about issues |

| |For example, right now public opinion (the majority of Americans) is against the War in Iraq – this |

| |impacted the last election – people tended to vote for candidates (generally Democrats) who did not |

| |support the war. |

| |Two years ago, public opinion (the majority of Americans) supported the War in Iraq, and therefore, most |

| |people voted for Republicans |

|Polls |Questions that try to find out the public’s opinions and attitudes on issues |

|Conservative |Generally, someone who believes in limited government (the government should not interfere in the lives of|

| |citizens unless absolutely necessary) ; supports traditional values; less likely to support entitlement |

| |programs |

|Liberal |Generally, someone who believes that government should be active in promoting, health, education, justice |

| |and equal opportunity – tend to support spending money on entitlement programs (health care for everyone, |

| |welfare, helping the homeless, Affirmative Action…) |

|Moderate |One whose political views falls somewhere between liberal and conservative views |

Unit III Worksheet # 3 Chart: Influencing Public Opinion – Lobbying/Lobbyist

Complete the chart with specific examples of each

|Interest Groups |Public Interest Groups |PACS |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

| | | |

Explain the relationship between Interest groups and PACs. _______________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

Unit III Worksheet # 4 – Political Labels

Matching: Match the definition in column B with the term in column A

|Column A |Column B |

|_____ Liberal |A. Someone whose political views are in the middle |

|_____ Conservative |B. Someone who believes that government should play a role in promoting health, education, welfare, |

| |justice and equal opportunity |

|_____ Moderate |C. Someone who believes in limited government, except in preserving traditional values and promoting |

| |freedom of opportunity |

IV. Freedom/Restrictions on the Press

|Shield Laws |A law that gives reporters some means of protection against being forced to give information or |

| |confidential sources in state courts. |

|Prior Restraint |Government censorship (not allowing) of information before it is published or broadcast |

| |The government goes to court to try to prevent an article from being published or a program from being |

| |aired on television |

|Libel |False statements (written or published) that are intended to damage a person’s reputation. This is a |

| |crime |

| |This is an example of limits on freedom of speech and the press. |

V. Providing Equal Opportunities

|Title IX |Enacted by Congress in 1972 |

| |States that schools receiving money from the federal government must provide equal opportunities in |

| |instruction and extracurricular activities, regardless of gender. |

| |After this girls athletics got a big boost |

Unit III Worksheet # 5 – Freedom/Restrictions of the Press/Equal Opportunities

Matching: Match the definition in column B with the term in Column A

|Column A |Column B |

|_____ Title IX |A. A law which gives reporters some means of protection from being forced to reveal their confidential |

| |sources in state courts. |

|_____ Libel |B. These are false written or published statements that are meant to damage a person’s reputation |

|_____ Shield Law |C. Here the government goes to court to prevent an article from being published or a television show from|

| |being aired. |

|_____ Prior Restraint |D. This law stated that schools that receive federal funding must provide equal opportunities in |

| |instruction and extra curricular activities, regardless of gender |

VI. Land Use/Smart Growth

Land Use - What and how the land is being used for; Is it being used for commercial (business), residential (apartments or homes), recreational (parks) or rural (farming)

|Goals of Smart Growth |To save our most valuable remaining natural resources before they are forever lost |

| |To support existing communities and neighborhoods by targeting state resources to support |

| |development in areas where the infrastructure (roads, sewage systems, water supply, power lines)|

| |is already in place |

| |To save taxpayers millions of dollars in unnecessary costs for building the infrastructure |

| |required to support sprawl |

| | |

|Principles of Smart Growth | |

|Mixed land use |There is a mixture of uses of the land in a given area. |

| |There may be residential (housing), commercial (business), and/or recreational (parks) |

|Take advantage of existing community assets |In a community, there may be some valuable property. |

| |For example, there may be an old historic building or barn; there may be a very good |

| |transportation network. |

| |Developers should try to incorporate these “community assets” in their projects |

|Create a range of housing opportunities and |Housing should include both apartments and homes that are available to people of varied incomes |

|choices | |

|Foster “walkable”; close neighborhoods |To reduce traffic congestion, neighborhoods should be set up so that residents will not have to |

| |use their cars, but can walk to recreational and commercial facilities |

|Promote distinctive, attractive communities |Developers should try to take into account both the historic and contemporary nature of the |

|with a strong sense of place, including the |communities |

|rehabilitation and use of historic buildings | |

|Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty |In an effort to guard the environment, there should be an effort to maintain as much of the open|

|and critical environmental areas |space (including farm land, streams, rivers, trees) as possible |

|Strengthen and encourage growth in existing |Wherever possible, there should be an effort to encourage and make stronger communities that |

|communities |already are in place |

|Provide a variety of transportation choices |Again, to avoid traffic congestion by cars, there should be a variety of public transportation |

| |options |

| |These may include shuttle busses to nearby residential and commercial areas, light rail to |

| |nearby urban areas where residents commute to work, and other commuter options |

|Stake holder and citizen participation in |Before there are any decisions, there should be community meetings so that residents have some |

|development |input into the development of decisions. |

Unit III Worksheet # 6 – Smart Growth

1. Using the chart above, create a list - select the five most important Principles of Smart Growth (in your opinion). Explain why each of these is important to Smart Growth.

2. Write a BCR

The ABC Development Company has just purchased 100 acres of farmland on Rt. 108 and has proposed to build a residential, commercial, and shopping center development on the land. There is a community meeting to discuss the proposed development. You are an advisor to the project manager of the development; you have been asked to suggest 3 Smart Growth principles to include in the project to convince the community that this project would be beneficial to the community. Which ones would you recommend? Why would you recommend them?

o As the government has already determined that the project will be built, suggest the three most important Smart Growth principles to include in the project

o Convince the community that this project will b beneficial to the community

o Use specific details and explanations to support your point

Write the answer to this question on your own paper.

3rd Quarter Review - Selected Response Questions

1) The International Red Cross would MOST LIKELY become involved in

a) providing weapons to a military ally

b) helping refugees get food and shelter

c) creating trade agreements among nations

d) giving money to nations for economic development

2) Which of these is the MAIN goal of both the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund?

a) to improve the economies of member nations

b) to promote democratic reforms of member nations

c) to increase reliance on agriculture in member nations

d) to support the educational institutions of member nations

3) In the 1980’s, the United States, some European nations and the United Nations banned the trade of certain goods and services to South Africa. The policy was in response to South African laws which enforced racial segregation. Which of these BEST describes this action toward South Africa?

a) the use of diplomacy to gain military strength

b) the use of free trade to build military alliances

c) the use of humanitarian aid to win political support

d) the use of economic sanctions to bring about social change

4) The Maryland State Highway administration is considering a plan to widen three miles of a major route from two miles to six miles. Which of these most likely caused the planned action?

a) a decrease in trucking

b) an increase in population

c) an increase in unemployment rates

d) a decrease in construction work

5) The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides help to landowners who want to restore wetlands to their property. What is MOST LIKELY the purpose of this program?

a) to protect the environment

b) to purchase private property

c) to encourage development

d) to increase tax revenues

6) Why did the United States government MOST LIKELY sign the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)?

a) to expand the economy

b) to establish a military alliance

c) to provide direct funding to foreign countries

d) to improve the transportation system between member countries

7) The states of Maryland, Virginia and Delaware joined together during the 1980’s and 1990’s in an effort to reduce pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. This is an example of a government policy being shaped by

a) regional interests

b) national interests

c) community interests

d) international interests

8) The Clean Air Alternative program was developed by the Maryland state government to encourage businesses, such as taxicab companies, to switch to cars that use new technologies that are less harmful to the environment. Which of these government actions would support the goal of this program?

a) reducing the cost of gasoline

b) improving the condition of state highways

c) building more parking areas in crowded communities

d) providing tax credits for the purchase of low-pollution cars

9) Maryland lost approximately 10,000 acres of forest land each year between 1985 and 1990. Which of these government actions would have done the most to reduce the loss?

a) eliminating zoning laws

b) limiting the development of real estate

c) reducing funds for environmental studies

d) decreasing the number of wildlife preserves

10) Which of these statements about the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is true?

a) Member nations are required to open their borders to immigrants from other nations

b) Members are prevented from conducting trade with non-member nations

c) An armed attack against one member is considered an armed attack against all members

d) An executive panel controls legislation passed in member nations

11) Recently, the State of Maryland chose to make more decisions regarding land use state-wide. Which of these actions is LEAST LIKELY to be part of this new role?

a) encouraging the preservation of open space

b) limiting the growth of development

c) taking money away from conservation projects

d) helping counties preserve farmland

12) Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 requires that federal funds give male and female students equal opportunities in instruction and extracurricular activities. Which situation is a violation of this legislation?

a) Prohibiting girls from playing varsity football

b) Eliminating boys and girls soccer programs due to a lack of funding

c) Requiring the same academic standards for athletes and non-athletes

d) Discontinuing extracurricular activities in order to purchase textbooks.

13) Environmentalists have MOST OFTEN opposed government policies that

a) lease public lands to mining companies

b) set aside lands for preservation in nationals forests

c) protect natural resources through recycling programs

d) regulate economic development to stop deforestation

14) In 1972, the United States and 143 other nations signed a treaty that banned the development, production and storage of biological weapons. What is MOST LIKELY the goal of t his treaty?

a) to give nations the right to defend themselves

b) to stop nations from acquiring military secrets

c) to conduct research on the effects of biological weapons

d) to prevent the use of biological weapons by nations at war

15) Many states require people who receive public assistance to work in exchange for payments. Which of these statements is MOST LIKELY a goal of that requirement?

a) The amount of tax revenue and spending will increase

b) The number of people receiving state benefits will increase

c) Individuals will have an opportunity to apply for other state benefits

d) Individuals will have an opportunity to learn new skills and get jobs

16) An interest group is MOST LIKELY to

a) nominate party candidates

b) veto proposed legislation

c) set government policy

d) lobby elected officials

17) Arizona, California and Colorado all claim the right to use water from the Colorado River for water needs. The most effective way to resolve the water rights dispute would be for

a) The three states to sign a treaty with Mexico

b) The three states to create a regional agreement

c) Each state to build dams on its portion of the river

d) Each state to take as much water from the river as possible

18) In 1990, Congress passed a law that gave Native Americans control over Native American artifacts found on federal land. What was the purpose of the law?

a) to protect the culture of Native Americans

b) to fund scholarships for Native American students

c) to give states control over Native American affairs

d) to encourage business ownership by Native Americans.

19) Which of these is an example of an economic sanction?

a) providing poor countries with humanitarian aid

b) creating trade alliances with bordering countries

c) refusing to meet with diplomatic representative of a dictatorship

d) ending trade with a country that has a poor human rights record

20) Which of these sources would be MOST reliable for determining interstate migration patterns?

a) public school records

b) voter registration cards

c) property tax assessments

d) government census counts

21) The United States MOST LIKELY joined the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to

a) provide medical care to developing nations

b) increase economic stability in other nations

c) create a military alliance with member nations

d) establish a single currency among member nations

22) Which of these statements about the United Nations (UN) is true?

a) Its membership rules exclude poor nations

b) Its policies discourage international cooperation

c) Its councils elect leaders for many nations

d) Its goals include international stability

23) Which of these is a purpose of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)?

a) to create a common currency among member nations

b) to forgive the international debt of member nations

c) to eliminate most tariffs among member nations

d) to provide relief for refugees of war in member nations

24) Maryland’s Smart Growth Areas Act of 1999 encourages the building of new homes in vacant city lots. Which of these is a reason Maryland’s government passed this law?

a) to eliminate the use of unsanitary water

b) to prevent the over-development of rural areas

c) to encourage farmers to produce larger crops

d) to encourage more people to own small businesses

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U.S. Government

3rd Quarter Review Packet

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