Structure, organization, and operation of government at all levels. Students analyze structure, organization, and operation of local, state, and national governments; evaluate elements of election process (campaigns, nominations, elections); analyze roles of political parties, interest groups, and mass media; evaluate how government branches make, implement, and interpret policy; assess local, state, and national policy-making. **Examples:** Students examine how a local school board decision differs from a state education policy, which differs from federal education law. They analyze how a bill becomes law at each level, studying real examples like Pennsylvania's Act 35 (civics assessment requirement). They study how political parties organize around platforms, how interest groups lobby for specific policies, and how media coverage influences public opinion and policy outcomes.
Pennsylvania's Civics and Government Academic Standards (2003) focus on teaching the principles of American republican representative democracy as envisioned by the framers of the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights. The standards address constitutional principles and government structure, rights and responsibilities of citizenship, the workings of government at federal, state (Pennsylvania), and local levels, and the United States' role in the world community. Students at grades 7-12 must participate in the Act 35 Civic Knowledge Assessment aligned with state standards. Pennsylvania's standards are among the older frameworks nationally, predating the C3 Framework, though many districts use C3-aligned inquiry practices in implementation.
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