Objective: Explain how U.S. political culture influences the formation, goals, and implementation of public policy over time.
Starter: Does Virginia spend more on higher education or on prisons?
1.How accurate was your prediction?
2.How surprised are you by this map?
3.What story does this map tell?
4.What is the story of spending in your state?
5.Why do you think different states make such different choices on incarceration and education spending?
6.What questions does this map raise for you?
7.Do you think of the higher incarceration spending states (darker) as the winners or losers?
8.What do you predict will be the fate of the darker states in 40 to 50 years?
9."Every time the government incarcerates a person, they are paying them to neither work nor pay taxes." Do you agree or disagree with this statement, and what sort of people do you believe are dangerous enough to pay good money to keep off the streets?
10.Whenever a state spends money on one area, that's money it can't spend in another area (opportunity costs). The average cost of incarcerating a federal prisoner is about $37,000, according to the latest figures from the Federal Bureau of Prisons. What is something the government could buy for $37,000?
Recap: Explain how the ideologies of the two major parties shape policy decisions.
Public Policy: Intro Questions
- Define public policy
- List two examples of public policy.
- How does the government actually make policy?
- Make an acrostic of POLICY.
- What are some controversial policies in the US today (federal, state, or local)?
- Who influences the policy? 2AB 4B
- Below is how policy is made. Select a federal policy and give an example of your policy moving through each step.
Closer: Explain how U.S. political culture influences the formation, goals, and implementation of public policy over time.
On Deck
Next Topic: Ideology and Economic Policy
Textbook: Section 6.6 (pp. 183-188), refer to Ch. 16
Textbook: Section 6.6 (pp. 183-188), refer to Ch. 16