Empowering Global Citizens

Activity 6.1.1

Simulation

The students are divided into three separate governments. Each group will
be given a task, but they need to complete the task under the general govern—
ing structure to which they are assigned.

Structure A is a true democracy with majority rule,

Structure B is a representative democracy in which there are five elected
representatives who ultimately make the decisions.

Structure C is a monarchy in which one person makes the decision.

In all three structures, there is a constitution that states (among other things)
that all people have the right to keep their property and that no property
shall be seized by any other citizen or by the governing structure itself.

Now students imagine that there is an extreme shortage of textbooks. While
electronic resources are one solution to the textbook shortage, many schools
in the area lack computers. There are seven schools and enough books for
every student in three schools to have textbooks. The teachers own the text—
books and bought them using his or her salary. How will the government
structure ensure that all students can access the textbooks?

The goal is for the students to solve the problem using any one of a variety of
solutions. But they must reach a consensus according to their structure, and
they must not violate the constitution (unless, perhaps, they are in a monar—
chy, in which case they must be very careful about the population’s reaction).

Students should be guided to learn that
1. A constitution provides some guidance about what one can and
cannot do

2. The differing structures have clear strengths and weaknesses

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