Government: A short history of global living

WARNING:  I'm not sure but you will want to set aside 1-2 hours for this assignment.
It involves a lot of upper level thinking.

So I came across a website that I am going to have a good time with.  Lots of charts and graphs and analyzing!  So let me introduce the website by giving you an assignment.  The link below will get you to where I want you to go.

https://ourworldindata.org/a-history-of-global-living-conditions-in-5-charts

There are 5 charts at the link above that I want you to analyze.  The charts are interactive in that you can mouse over each chart and it will give you more details.  Also there is a tab on the bottom of the charts that allow you to choose between chart, data, and sources.  At some point you will notice that the information ends after the year 2015 which is OK for the overall goal.

My overall goal is to answer the question below (red).

Why it matters that we do not know how our world is changing?

There was a survey done in 2015.  Over 18,000 adults were surveyed.  You can find a link to this at the beginning of the article.  The results of the survey were that 9 out of 10 people have a negative view of our world and do not believe the world is getting better.  When you read the end of the article the author talks about why this is.  He blames the media somewhat and the education system (I concur with him).

To really study sociology you must study demographics.  Demographics are statistics that may deal with population and includes groups found within it.  To tell a history of everyone and of the world, statistics are a must.  The author suggests that to study history one must not focus on single events or stories.  The media tends to focus on negative, singular events and stories.  The education system does a bad job of focusing on world events and stories.  The combination of the two leads people to not know, not care, and not learn about our world.  You may be one of them:)

So here is your assignment
 I want you to analyze the 5 charts.  However, by clicking on "relative" in the lower left hand corner of the "World Citizens living under different political regimes" chart, you will see another chart that changes to population in billions.  Therefore there are actually 6 charts for 6 categories.

You will write a 2 page report answering the question:  Why it matters that we do not know how our world is changing?

A great report will include a dedicated section for each chart/category that supports the above question in red.  Let's say for example, I am looking at Literacy and the corresponding graph.  I want to analyze the chart/graph and include in my report the importance of being knowledgeable when it comes to the history of literacy over the last 200 years plus. The information should support the question.  I would ask myself:  Why is it important for the world to know how much literacy has improved?  Why should we care?  What does it show?  Why does the world not know this?  What is the importance of literacy today?

A good report will also have a strong introduction and conclusion of course.

You don't need to cite this paper unless you use another source.  Then cite that source.  Follow the usual guidelines such as ds, ci 12, margins 1 inch, times new roman etc.

The deadline for this paper is next Friday, April 3rd at 6:00 am.  Feel free to contact me if you have questions.  I will also pre-read and pre-grade reports ahead of time if you want.  But I will only tell you the grade I will give you as is.  If you want this to happen I must have them by 6:00 am Thursday, April 2nd.

The report is worth 75pts.  It may be longer but I will not grade it if shorter.

Stanford Prison, Milgram and Abu Ghraib

Any man can withstand adversity; if you want to test his character, give him power.

 — Abraham Lincoln

Argue that the situation caused the soldiers at Abu Ghraib to act as they did, or do you think it was the personality traits of the soldiers involved?

Argue that the real lesson in the experiment is the power of institutions to shape behavior, and how people are shaped by those preexisting expectations.

Power corrupts. But power does not corrupt everyone equally.  Explain.

“powerful people roam in a very different psychological space than those without power”

Is it an issue that these participants responded to the ad knowing it was a study involving prison.

Power alters perception.

A position of low power and instability can be empowering.  How can this be possible?

The Stanford Prison Experiment doesn't explain Abu Ghraib.

People will readily conform to the social roles they are expected to play, especially if the roles are strongly stereotyped (guards, prisoners).

It is too simple to study/watch "The Stanford Prison Experiment" and assume that people in power abuse power and that groups are bad. 

Fear and Authoritarianism is necessary and justifiable in a prison.  Examine the BBC prison experiment and the Stanford Prison experiment.

All three of these events raise questions about what leads individuals to obey orders.  




Fear of Incarceration

possible lessons of experiment

talks about a similar experiment with opposite results from prison guards (BBC prison experiment)

Authority/Power/Fear/Obedience

Nixon and Watergate

Watergate

Watergate and recent Presidential scandals

http://tr008.k12.sd.us/New%20Folder/U.S.%20History/Nixon/watergate_fact_finder.htm

Read the essay, “Above the Law” from UVA’s Miller Center.





What do you think of the idea that Nixon’s downfall was due to the fact that he imitated his enemies and put himself above the law?

"His conviction that he was fighting evil became his excuse for doing evil. His attempts to break an imaginary conspiracy ultimately led him to launch the real conspiracy that broke him."

After reading the essay, reflect on the first statement and quote from the essay above.  Respond using details from the essay that demonstrate your support either for or against Nixon creating his own downfall through scandal.


A good essay will start with a comment "I believe..." and will use ideas and examples presented in the essay.  A good essay could probably be written between 400-500 words.