Georgia SS7CG1

SS7CG1 is a Georgia social studies standard. These are the elements under it.

• SS7CG1.a

  Explain the role of citizen participation in autocratic and democratic governments.

• SS7CG1.b

  Describe the two predominant forms of democratic governments: parliamentary and presidential.

• SS7CG1.c

  Explain the role of citizens in choosing the leaders of South Africa (parliamentary democracy), Nigeria (presidential democracy), and Kenya (presidential democr...

01

What Students Need to Do

Students explain how much voice citizens have in democratic and autocratic governments. They also compare presidential systems, where voters elect the executive, with parliamentary systems, where the legislature selects the executive.

02

What Mastery Looks Like

Students can classify a government from a short description and cite evidence about voting, political choice, and executive selection. They can explain one similarity and one difference between presidential and parliamentary systems.

03

Common Misconceptions

Students may assume any country holding elections is fully democratic, even when opposition parties or voters face limits. They may also think citizens directly elect the executive in every democracy.

04

How to Assess It

Give students three government profiles. Ask them to classify each one and underline the detail that shows how citizens participate.

1. 01

   Give groups voter, legislator, and executive role cards, then simulate how leaders are chosen in presidential, parliamentary, and autocratic systems.

2. 02

   Use the prompt: How does the method for choosing a leader affect the power citizens have?

3. 03

   Have teams sort government description cards into presidential democracy, parliamentary democracy, or autocracy, then defend one disputed choice.

4. 04

   Compare election process diagrams for Kenya and South Africa, focusing on how citizens help choose each country’s executive leader.

• SS6CG3

  Compare and contrast various forms of government.

• SS6CG1

  Compare and contrast various forms of government.

• SS6CG4

  Explain forms of citizen participation in government.

• SS7CG3

  Compare and contrast various forms of government.