Success Series

Civics and Economics

Andy Hunt

 

Andy Hunt teaches at Leesville Road High School and has been teaching in Wake County for eleven years.  He received his National Board Certification for Social Studies in 2005.  Andy holds a Bachelor's degree from Appalachian State University and a Master's degree from North Carolina State University.
     
Cameron O'Quinn  

Cameron O'Quinn is a third-year Social Studies teacher at Enloe High School in Raleigh, NC. She received her undergraduate degree from North Carolina State University and her MAEd from Wake Forest University. She is currently pursuing National Board Certification.
     
Chris King  

Chris King teaches Social Studies at Wake Early College of Health and Sciences.  He holds a Bachelors Degree in History and a Masters Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Florida State University.
     
Marion O'Quinn  

Marion N. O'Quinn earned her Bachelor's degree from Meredith College, Master's degree from NC State University and is a Nationally Board Certified teacher.  She recently retired from Cary High School where she taught Civics and Economics and AP Economics for fourteen years.
     

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Goal 1
The foundation of the American political system

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How geographic diversity influenced economic, social, and political life in colonial North America

  
The development of ideas about self-government in British North America  
The causes of the American Revolution  

The emergence of an American identity

  
The major domestic problems of the nation under the Articles of Confederation  
Viewpoints about government in the Federalist and the Anti-Federalist Papers  
The extent to which the Bill of Rights extended the Constitution  
The American system of government to other forms of government  
       

Goal 2
How the government embodies the purposes, values, and principles of American democracy

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Principles in the US Constitution

  
How the Constitution defines the framework of the 3 branches of government at the national level  
How the Constitution grants and limits the authority of public officials and agencies  
How the Constitution may be changed  
Court cases that illustrate that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land  
How the Constitution and the Bill of Rights protect the rights of individuals  
Modern controversies related to powers of the federal government that are similar to the debates between Federalists and Anti-Federalists over ratification of the US Constitution  
Taxation and other revenue sources at the national level  
Services provided by selected government agencies and how funding is provided  
     

Goal 3
How state and local government is established by the NC Constitution

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The principles in the NC Constitution and local charters  
How the NC Constitution and local charters define the framework, organization, and structure of government at the state and local level.  
How the state constitution grants and limits the authority of public officials and government agencies  
How the state constitution and local charters may be changed  
Court cases that illustrate that the NC Constitution is the law of the state  
How the Fourteenth Amendment extends the Bill of Rights' protection to citizens of a state  
Modern controversies related to powers of the state government  
Taxation and other revenue sources at the state and local level  
The services provided by state and local government agencies and how funding is provided  
       

Goal 4
Active roles as a citizen at the local, state, and national levels of government

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The structure and organization of political parties  
The election process and the qualifications and procedures for voting  
Analyze information on political issues and candidates seeking political office.  
Active methods of promoting and inhibiting change through political action  
Consequences of compliance or noncompliance with laws governing society  
The benefits of civic participation  
Costs and benefits of jury service, voting, seeking office, and civic action at the local, state, and national level  
Civic life, politics, and/or government  
Various methods of resolving conflicts  
       

Goal 5
How the political and legal systems provide a means to balance competing interests and resolve conflicts

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The role of debate, consensus, compromise, and negotiation in resolving conflicts  
The jurisdiction of state and federal courts  
The adversarial nature of the judicial process  
The role of debate and compromise in the legislative process  
How local government agencies balance interest and resolve conflicts  
Roles of individual citizens, political parties, the media, and other interest groups in public policy decisions, dispute resolution, and government action  
       

Goal 6
Why laws are needed and how they are enacted, implemented, and enforced

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The development of law in American society  
Examples of common, criminal, constitutional, administrative, and statutory law.  
Various procedures in the enactment, implementation, and enforcement of law  
Ways citizens can be informed about the laws  
The role and responsibility of government to inform the citizenry  
The role of lobby groups and special interest groups in the enactment of legislation  
Responsibilities, jurisdictions and methods of law enforcement agencies  
Methods used by society to address criminal and anti-social behaviors  
       

Goal 7
How and why individuals and groups make economic choices

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The basic factors of production and their impact on economic activities  
How scarcity influences producers and consumers to make choices  
Examples of tradeoffs and opportunity costs of economic choices  
The impact on economic activities of specialization, division of labor, consumption and production increases  
The impact of investment on human, capital, productive, and natural resources  
How different economic systems address key economic factors  
       

Goal 8
Features of the economic system of the United States

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Characteristics of command, market, traditional, and mixed economies  
How the free enterprise system encourages private ownership of property and promote individual initiative  
The circular flow of economic activities and how interactions determine the prices of goods and services  
How supply and demand affects prices  
How prices change when there is either a shortage or surplus  
How changes in the level of competition can affect price and output levels  
The roles and functions of various economic institutions and business organizations  
The investment decisions made by individuals, businesses, and the government  
The role of money in trading, borrowing, and investing  
       

Goal 9
Factors influencing the US economy

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Phases of the business cycle and the economic indicators used to measure economic activities and trends  
The impact of government regulation on specific economic activities  
The movement of human and capital resources on the US economy  
How current events impact decisions made by consumers, producers, and government policy makers  
The impact on the US economy of international trade and global products  
The ways that domestic and international economies are interdependent  
The short- and long-term effects of fiscal and monetary policy on the US economy  
The short- and long-term effects of fiscal and monetary policy on the US economy Part B  
The influence of environmental factors, economic conditions, and policy decisions on individual economic activities  
       

Goal 10
Positions on issues regarding the personal responsibilities of citizens in the American constitutional democracy

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The distinction between personal and civic responsibilities and the tensions that may arise between them  
Positions on issues regarding diversity in American life  
The importance of supporting, nurturing, and education oneself in the US society  
Characteristics of effective citizenship  
Examples of recurring public problems and issues  
the consequences and/or benefits of the freedom of economic, legal, and political choices