Political Compass Activity

 

Image c/o politicalcompass.org

Attention all Social Studies and politically minded students! Check out where your politics fall along the political compass which plots you along a multi-axis spectrum based on a social and economic scale.

Watch the video and take the test here before print off your certificate to be posted in class later. Note: students have had problems printing off their posters in the past so it may be better to take a screen shot of your placement on the compass and recording your name on a post-it note to be placed on the class’ political compass later. 

If time permits, check out what politicalcompass.org has to say about the last federal Canadian election in 2015.

Proportional Representation: Yay or Nay?

image c/o Elections BC twitter

As we have been studying, changing BC’s voting system from first-past-the-post to proportional representation has been a hot topic for years and is being put to a referendum by postal ballot from October 22nd – November 30th, 2018.  Although we have studied this system, we haven’t really looked at the impact it may have on BC. Here is your chance to explore and make your voice heard. 

Your task is to access the link to Election BC on the referendum and read through the voter’s guide and any other materials you choose to use (this can include websites, newspapers, local news or radio) to inform your ideas. Then you will comment in a post below on: COMMENTS HAVE NOW BEEN CLOSED FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT. YOU WILL NEED TO COMPLETE IT IN CLASS ON GOAL DAY OF YOU DIDN’T COMMENT ALREADY. 

a) Which system of voting should British Columbia use in its provincial elections and why? 

AND

b) If you choose proportional representation, which (sub)system of voting should we choose and why? 

OR

b) If not proportional representation, continue your argument on why we should keep first-past-the-post.

OR

b) If not proportional representation or first-past-the-post, which voting system should BC adopt for our provincial elections and why? 

 

Your post (approximately 250 words) should be written in the persuasive style and should be proofread for errors and style. Your post must be labelled with your class period, first name and last initial (ex. Per3 Dragana M.). My recommendation is to write it as a WordDoc or GoogleDoc before posting below in case something happens. 

For an added bonus, if you send you post as a letter-to-the-editor of a local newspaper and get published, you will get some serious bonus marks.  

Check out the video below for an explanation on electoral reform.