Exercise 7.6. – Should we take part in politics?

Procedure

1. Four students role-play the conversation between some newly arrived citizens in a nation in the process of creation.
2. The students discuss, guided by the teacher if necessary, questions raised by the role-play such as the following:
   • What are the four main views expressed by the citizens about participation? Do you agree? Why or why not?
   • What will the four citizens lose by not participating? What benefits do you think individuals will gain from participating?
   • What benefits do you think the new country would gain from individuals participating?
   • What are the possible risks or losses involved if one chooses to participate?
   • Weighing benefits and risks, do you think it is worthwhile participating?
3. By discussion or lecture, the students could arrive at the following conclusion:
   Government affects people’s lives in lot of ways. By participating in government people can have a voice in decisions made by the government. In every society someone is going to make the decisions. If people choose not to participate, they will not have a say in those decisions. These decisions can include such things as:
   • how much people will have to pay in taxes;
   • whether the society will get involved in a war;
   • who is going to own and control the country’s natural resources.

   Depending on how the government is structured, decisions can be made at different levels, including national, regional and local. Some decisions, such as those about military power, are often made nationally, while others, such as those concerning transport and roads, are often made regionally Still others, such as those about rubbish collection, are frequently made locally.

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