Social Studies 30-1



Social Studies 30-1 Diploma Exam Part A (Written)

Summary of Assignment II Sources (Position Paper Essay)

You will always respond to the same question:

To what extent should we embrace the ideological perspective(s) reflected in the source?

• All essays can be written around a discussion framed between the opposing values, beliefs and principles related to the overarching concepts of: CONTROL vs FREEDOM, or COLLECTIVISM vs. INDIVIDUALISM, or LEFT vs. RIGHT.

• Remember….at its most basic level, modern liberalism as a POLITICAL ideology means DEMOCRACY, and modern conservatism as an ECONOMIC ideology means CAPITALISM. Governments today (democratic capitalist/conservative/right-wing or democratic liberal/socialist/left-wing) face the dilemma of balancing the two essential principles derived from classical liberalism: freedom and equality.

• Any form of democracy can be contrasted favorably with any type of dictatorship.

• Your first task is to identify and analyze the ideological perspective in the source. Look at the examples below and complete the chart.

• Then you state your position, based on the degree of support or opposition you personally have towards that perspective.

|Date |Source |Focus |Ideological Perspective |

|Jan 2010 |Rights and freedoms are essential in a democracy; however, there may be|Political | |

| |times when a temporary suspension of rights and freedoms is necessary | | |

| |to guarantee the preservation of democracy. | | |

|June 2010 |The path to economic growth is not engineered by the government; |Economic | |

| |rather, the path to economic prosperity is built by the people. | | |

|Jan 2011 |No country should seek to extend its policy over any other country or |Nationalism/ | |

| |people; rather, every country should be left free to pursue its own |national sovereignty/ | |

| |goals. Every country should be unrestricted, secure, and confident in |security | |

| |pursuing these goals, regardless of the country's size or strength. | | |

|June 2011 |An economic system based on private property turns citizens against |Economic | |

| |each other. The interests of those who "have" are in conflict with the | | |

| |interests of those who "have not". | | |

|Jan 2012 |Society achieves its finest expression through the self-interest and |Economic and | |

| |freedom of individuals. When we adopt these principles, we will lessen |political | |

| |the need for government to interfere in our lives. | | |

|June 2012 |It is the responsibility of individuals to hold the government |Political | |

| |accountable for its policies and actions. A government that does not | | |

| |reflect the will of the people must be removed from power. | | |

|Jan 2013 |In democracies, the need to protect civil liberties undermines the |Political | |

| |stability of the state. Rule by s strong leader best serves the common | | |

| |good. | | |

|June 2013 |The welfare state arose out of a misguided desire to achieve greater |Economic | |

| |social equality. As a result, a culture of dependency on the state | | |

| |emerged. Only in a state that promotes individualism will such | | |

| |dependency be eliminated. | | |

|Jan 2014 |The government must take decisive action to protect citizens during |Political and economic | |

| |times of crisis. During periods of stability, however, citizens must | | |

| |have freedom from unnecessary government control. | | |

|June 2014 |Control by a privileged few leads to corruption and stagnation. For |Political and economic | |

| |society to achieve its full potential, liberty and equality must | | |

| |prevail. | | |

|Jan 2015 |Individuals are, by nature, unique and unequal. Efforts by the state to|Political and economic | |

| |interfere in the lives of individuals will result in a restrictive and | | |

| |inefficient society. | | |

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