7.1 The student will compare the Charters of the Virginia
Company of London, the Virginia Declaration of Rights, the
Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom, the Declaration of
Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the
Constitutions of the United States and Virginia, as amended,
with emphasis on their treatment of
* fundamental political principles including
constitutionalism and limited government, rule of law,
democracy and republicanism, sovereignty, consent of
the governed, separation of powers, checks and
balances, and federalism; and
* fundamental liberties, rights, and values including
religion, speech, press, assembly and petition, due
process, equality under the law, individual worth and
dignity, majority rule and minority rights, etc.
Virginia Declaration Of Rights
Virginia Declaration of Rights(1776)
Constitution of the United States
7.2 The student will compare the national, state, and local
governments, with emphasis on
* their structures, functions, and powers;
* the election and appointment of officials;
* the division and sharing of powers among levels of
government;
* the separation and sharing of powers within levels of
government; and
* the process of amending the United States and Virginia
Constitutions.
Gopher Directory of the Executive Branch
Gopher Directory of the Judicial Branch
Legislative Information through Congress.org
State and Local Government- Virginia
7.3 The student will compare the election process at the local,
state, and national levels of government, with emphasis on
* nomination and promotion of candidates for elective
office;
* similarities and differences between the major
political parties;
* voter turnout;
* evaluating accuracy of campaign advertising; and
* distinguishing between reporting, analysis, and
editorializing in the media, and recognition of bias.
Please see previous SOL for links
7.4 The student will compare the policy-making process at the
local, state, and national levels of government, with
emphasis on
* the basic law-making process within the respective
legislative bodies;
* the interaction between the chief executives and the
legislative bodies;
* the functions of departments, agencies, and regulatory
bodies;
* the roles of political parties at the state and
national levels;
* the ways that individuals and cultural, ethnic, and
other interest groups can influence government
policymakers; and
* the impact of the media on public opinion and
policymakers.
Please see SOL 7.3 for links
7.5 The student will distinguish between the judicial systems
established by the Virginia and United States Constitutions,
with emphasis on
* the organization and jurisdiction of Virginia and
United States courts;
* the exercise of the power of judicial review;
* the process of bringing and resolving criminal and
civil cases in Virginia's judicial system; and
* the function and process of the juvenile justice
system in Virginia.
Virginia Courts Home Page
7.6 The student will explain the structure and operation of the
United States economy as compared with other economies, with
emphasis on
* the basic concepts of free market, as described by
Adam Smith, and of communism, as described by Karl
Marx;
* the concepts of supply and demand, scarcity, choices,
trade-offs, private ownership, incentives, consumer
sovereignty, markets, and competition;
* private and public financial institutions;
* the economic impact of consumption, saving and
investment, and borrowing by individuals, firms, and
governments; and
* the differences between free market, centrally
planned, and mixed economies.
Karl Marx
Washington Institute Foundation (for Free Market
7.7 The student will describe the role of governments in the
United States economy, with emphasis on
* provision of public goods and services;
* protection of consumer rights, contracts, and property
rights;
* the impact of government taxation, borrowing, and
spending on individuals and on the production and
distribution of goods and services; and
* the role of the Federal Reserve System and the impact
of monetary policy on the money supply and interest
rates.
7.8 The student will compare the American political and economic
system to systems of other nations, including Japan, China,
and leading Western European nations, in terms of
* governmental structures and powers;
* the degree of governmental control over the economy;
and
* entrepreneurship, productivity, and standards of
living.
7.9 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the rights
and responsibilities of citizens in America by
* describing ways individuals participate in the
political process, such as registering and voting,
communicating with government officials, participating
in political campaigns, serving on juries and in
voluntary appointed positions;
* describing and evaluating common forms of credit,
savings, investments, purchases, contractual
agreements, warranties, and guarantees; and
* analyzing career opportunities, in terms of individual
abilities, skills, and education, and the changing
supply and demand for those skills in the economy.
7.10 The student will interpret maps, tables, diagrams, charts,
political cartoons, and basic indicators of economic
performance (gross domestic product, consumer price index,
productivity, index of leading economic indicators, etc.)
for understanding of economic and political issues.