Democracy in Practice, Part II for Mon 10/1
by admin - September 26th, 2012
For Monday 10/1, read Good Citizen, Ch 4 and be prepared to discuss what “democracy” looked like by the end of the 19th century.
Due in class: a reflection paper on the Citizenship Exam.
Reflection Paper Instructions
At this point, you have taken some version of the US citizenship test twice, and studied for it using the entire set of 100 Civics, History and Geography questions. Compare your scores on the two tries. Write a short reflection paper (3 pages, double-spaced or about 750 words) on what this experience has meant to you, and/or what you found instructive or surprising about taking the exam.
Some questions you could consider:
How (and when) did you learn the answers to these questions?
Do you think these are the right questions to ask? If not, What else do you think naturalized citizens should know, or do, to demonstrate their fitness for American citizenship?
Would you advocate for a test like this to be a qualification for voting even for naturally-born citizens? If so, how often should it be taken – once, or renewed at certain intervals, like a drivers license? What might be the consequences if such a program were instituted?
