Project Citizen

1. Project Citizen

2. American Political System Five useful concepts in describing and understanding the American Political System are • Liberalism-derived from the word “liberty”, we focus on individual rights and freedoms. • Constitutionalism-We accept the Rule of Law, which means everyone must obey the Constitution, even those at the highest levels of government. • Democracy-We believe in the idea of “popular sovereignty”, or the idea that the ultimate powers of government lie in the people. • Republic-In most cases, decisions about government are made by our representatives rather than by direct vote. • Federalism-In our country, power and responsibility are shared and divided between a national government and state and local governments.

3. Participation To keep our society running and to preserve the healthy functioning of our government, we must play active roles in our system of self-government. To play such a role, we must • Understand our system of government • Have knowledge, skills, and willingness to participate • Be committed to the fundamental values and principles of American democracy

4. Participation • Let’s improve our capacities to participate competently and responsibility in the American political system, including learning to monitor what government is doing and its effects on us. To do this, we will take on a class project.

5. Participation For the project, we will 1. Identify problems that government could address in our community 2. Conduct research on the problem 3. Identify alternative solutions to the problem and weigh their advantages and disadvantages

6. Participation 4. Propose a solution to the problem that requires government action and does not violate provisions of our state and federal constitutions 5. Propose an action plan to influence the appropriate governmental agencies to consider or adopt our solution to the problem 6. Record results of our work on a Presentation Board and a Documentation Binder 7. Present results of our work to appropriate government agencies

7. Private Sphere, Civil Society, and Government • Private Sphere-part of society in which friends and family associate to pursue their private interests • Civil Society-where people associate or interact voluntarily to pursue interests that they share. These associations may provide an effective means for monitoring and influencing government. • Government-Include formal governmental institutions at local, state, and national levels. They include government in all three branches, legislative, judicial, executive.

8. Private Sphere, Civil Society, and Government • Practice: identify whether each event takes place in • The private sphere • Civil society • Government • A combination of the above

9. Private Sphere, Civil Society, and Government • A local school board changes graduation requirements • Susan becomes a member of the Girl Scouts • Carmen and her friends go out to a movie • Marco’s family and friends have a picnic on the 4th of July • Sara and her two sisters join a labor union

10. Private Sphere, Civil Society, and Government • The Sierra Club lobbies state legislators to pass environmental protection laws • The state legislature passes a law limiting the use of cell phones while driving • Citizens join a taxpayer’s association in an effort to get government to lower taxes • The federal government awards a contract to a private company to repair sections of an interstate highway • A city council passes a law establishing smoke free zones in public parks

11. Private Sphere, Civil Society, and Government • Sometimes we don’t agree who should take responsibility due to our political or personal opinions and perspectives. • Federalism • Anti-federalism

12. Activity-Private Sphere, Civil Society, and Government • Identify which area of society should take responsibility for dealing with the following common problems:

13. Private Sphere, Civil Society, and Government • Ensuring children from birth to three years old eat nutritious food and develop healthy hygiene habits • Ensuring that children receive equal educational opportunities • Promoting the moral development of young children • Caring for the elderly • Protecting the borders of the country

14. Private Sphere, Civil Society, and Government • Maintaining streets in cities and towns • Providing medical care for the indigent • Protecting people from criminal activity • Upholding the moral standards of the community • Building highways, bridges, and dams • Protecting thecountry from external attack • Promoting economic prosperity

15. Public Policy • What is it? • A concept or set of ideas that guides a course of action or a procedure used in dealing with public issues or problems • Part of laws, rules, regulations, or procedures used by government to fulfill its responsibilities to protect the rights of the people and to promote the general welfare.

16. Public Policy • Serves to distribute certain benefits and burdens of society, manage the allocation of resources, and manage conflicts. • Governments at local, state, and national levels create public policies, carry them out, and manage disputes about them.

17. Procedural Justice Rules for the formation and implementation of policies to insure wise and fair policymaking. Procedures include • Openness to public scrutiny • Relevant and accurate information provided to the public • Fair notice • Expert assistance when needed • Supportive witnesses and the opportunity to examine opposing witnesses • An impartial hearing • The right to appeal

18. Activity-Applying the definition of Public Policy Which of the four descriptions below best categorizes the situations listed? • A public policy solution to a problem by a government institution • A public policy solution to a problem by a government institution cooperating with civil society • A solution to a problem dealt with by public policy and by civil society each acting independently • A solution to a problem by civil society acting alone WRITE THESE DOWN

19. Applying the definition of Public Policy • Government funding of medical research, interstate highways, and higher education • Providing assistance to the poor through government issued food stamps and the voluntary contributions of church members • Providing education by religious institutions to promote their specific moral standards • Creating the Department of Homeland Security by the federal government to protect the country from the threat of terrorism

20. Applying the definition of Public Policy • Community groups taking disadvantaged urban youth on rural outings • Providing training to neighborhood watch groups by law enforcement agencies • Providing food and shelter for the homeless by both state government and private groups • Community groups arranging for young people to visit elderly members of the community who live alone and lack social contact

21. Applying the definition of Public Policy • Federal government providing tax incentives to businesses for them to locate in areas of high unemployment • Authorizing public funding of charter schools by a board of education

22. Activity-Creating Solutions to Community Problems

23. Community Problems Identifying problems in your community-the following is a list of expectations often requiring public policy solutions to change in our communities: • Providing safe, clean schools, and a good education for all students • Supervising and caring for young people in the community • Providing essential services to community members • Promoting safety and security • Promoting public health • Promoting and maintaining jobs and businesses in the community • Protecting the environment • Maintaining community standards of decency • Protecting basic rights of citizens

24. Our Project: Identify problems to be dealt with by Public Policy • Discuss problems in our community • As a group, choose a problem to explore • Conduct a survey in community to determine public opinion • Research problem • Begin creating a Documentation Binder • Decide as a class which project to do

25. Researching the Problem • What is problem? • Who needs to address it? (we are looking for problems that only government needs to address) • What has been tried before to solve it? • What does government have to do to deal with it? • Are there policies to deal with it?

26. Selecting a Project We are looking for a project that • Should be addressed or resolved by government acting alone • Is important to you and your community • You can gather enough information about it to develop a good project • You might actually be able to address or resolve the problem by proposing a public policy to government officials at the local, state, or federal level

27. Current Policies ? • Examine current policies. • Advantages?Disadvantages? • Does it need to be improved or replaced? • What disagreements about policy exist? • Are there proposed policies? If so, what are they, what advantages or disadvantages are there, and what disagreements exist? • What other sources of information do we need to explore?

28. Sources of Information • Libraries • Internet • Newspapers • Professors and Scholars • Lawyers and Judges • Interest groups or other organizations • Individuals affected by problem • Legislative offices • Administrative offices

29. Guidelines for research • Phone calls-no more than one student may make the phone call, so it is important that records be kept of the call • Interviews-one student should call to set up an appointment. A small group may conduct the interview (no more than 3) • Letters-One letter at a time. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope

30. Analyzing Information • We will work together to analyze the information. • We will develop a portfolio and presentation on the subject in four working groups

31. Analyzing Information 1. Explaining the problem 2. Identify alternative policy solutions to problem and their advantages and disadvantages 3. Develop a public policy solution for the class to propose 4. Develop an action plan that lists the steps your class should take to gain government acceptance of the policy you are proposing

32. Presenting the information Required: • Presentation Board-Four panels, one for each group • Documentation Binder-Four sections Optional: • Powerpoint-Four slides or sections • Website-Four sections • Video-Four sections

33. alternative policies class policy problem action plan documentation section

34. Know your Allegiance-Activity • Neighborhood • City of Suffolk • Virginia • United States • World

35. City-wide Exploratory/Stakeholder Meeting

36. Suffolk’s History Suffolk was founded by English colonists in 1742 as a port town on the Nansemond River in the Virginia Colony. Early in its history, Suffolk became a land transportation gateway to the areas east of it in South Hampton Roads. Long surrounded by Nansemond County, Suffolk progressively became an incorporated town in 1808 and an independent city in 1906. In 1974, it combined by mutual agreement with the former county, which had become an independent city (City of Nansemond) 18 months earlier. It included the former outlying unincorporated towns of Holland and Whaleyville. The newly consolidated cities assumed the name of Suffolk, creating the largest city in geographic area in Virginia. Peanuts grown in the surrounding areas became a major industry for Suffolk. Notably, Planters' Peanuts was established in Suffolk beginning in 1912. Suffolk was the 'birthplace' of Mr. Peanut, the mascot of Planters' Peanuts. In modern times, Suffolk remains a major peanut processing center and railroad and highway transportation hub. It hosts a diverse combination of industrial, manufacturing, distribution, retail, and hospitality businesses, as well as active farming. Suffolk experienced a boom in its high tech economy given the presence of the U.S. Joint Forces Command (JFCOM) facility located in northern Suffolk.

38. Just the Facts… Size 430 sq. mi. Population (2010)***** 84, 585 (+32.8% since 2000) Employment* 34,354 Median Age**** 36.0 Households**** 23,283 Families**** 17,718 Population Density**** 159.2 per/sq. mi. Residential Median Sales Price (2009) $255,000 2010 Median Household Income***** $57,546 Civilian Labor Force (2009) Suffolk*** 42,323 Hampton Roads Region/MSA ** 789,507 Unemployment Rate Suffolk** 6.7% Unemployment Rate Virginia** 6.4% *2008 ACCRA Demographics ** U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics Dec, ‘10 ***Virginia Employment Commission Dec, ‘10 ****American FactFinder, United States Census Bureau 2010, referenced at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suffolk,_Virginia ***** Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, Demographics and Workforce Group, www.coopercenter.org/demographics

39. Who We Are… Households* 23,283 • 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them • 55.1% were married couples living together • 16.8% had a female householder with no husband present • 23.9% were non-families • 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals • 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older • Avg household size was 2.69 • Avg family size was 3.09 Age Distribution* • 27.8% under the age of 18 • 7.1% from 18 to 24 • 31.1% from 25 to 44 • 22.5% from 45 to 64 • 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older • 47.8% of population are males • 52.2% of population are females *American FactFinder, United States Census Bureau 2010, referenced at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suffolk, Virginia

40. Suffolk’s Diversity Our geographic diversity is a mixed-rural geographical classification which encompasses portions of rural, semi-rural, urban and suburban areas in our 430 square miles. Our racial diversity* includes: • White 52.3% • Black or African American 42.7% • Hispanic/Latino of any race 2.9% • Two or more races 2.3% • Asian 1.6% • Native American 0.3% • Pacific Islander 0.1% • Other 0.8% *Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, Demographics and Workforce Group, www.coopercenter.org/demographics.

41. Education in Suffolk Suffolk Public Schools: • 14 Elementary Schools • 4 Middle Schools • 3 High Schools • 1 Alternative School Independent and Faith Based Schools: • Nansemond Suffolk Academy • First Baptist Christian School • Community Colleges: • Old Dominion University Tri-Cities Higher • Education Center • Paul D. Camp Community College (PDCCC) • Tidewater Community College (TCC) • Regional Public School (career & technical ed): • The Pruden Center for Industry and Technology

42. Mayor: Linda Johnson • Chuckatuck: Mike Duman • Cypress: Charles Brown • Holy Neck: Jeffrey Gardy • Nansemond: Leroy Bennett • Sleepy Hole: Robert Barclay • Suffolk: Charles Parr • Whaleyville: Curtis Milteer