TITLE: CREATING A GOVERNMENT
AUTHOR: Pricilla (Cissy) Dillon, Wyoming Girls School,
Sheridan, WY
GRADE LEVEL: Appropriate for grades 7-12
OVERVIEW: Understanding the process of creating a
government and how a certain form of government might be
chosen for a country can be difficult. This activity
illustrates one possible method of choosing a government and
encourages students not only to learn the differences
between various forms of government, but also to understand
how different groups of people might vary in their choices.
OBJECTIVES: Students will be able to:
1. Define several forms of government.
2. Point out the pros and cons of each form of government
and how different groups might perceive themselves to
be best served by different forms of government.
3. Illustrate a meeting called by various groups during
which the options for a plan of government are
discussed and voted on.
ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
1. Various forms of government are introduced and
defined.
A. Dictatorship or Absolute Monarchy
B. Oligarchy
C. Direct Democracy
D. Representative Democracy
Idea - Students can be asked to identify the
different forms of government in their school, home,
church, etc.
Point out that it is unusual to find a pure type of
government in operation.
2. Outline an imaginary country, Borka, which consists of
four different areas and is seeking to form a new
government.
a. Duda - over half the population with 800,000
people. Most are prosperous farmers and self-
sufficient, independent people who value practical
education as it applies to their way of life.
b. Lakali - the merchants of Borka, 300,000 in
number. Successful trading has made them rich and
most are well-educated. They are quite smug.
c. Kan-Kan - 400,000 goat and sheep herders who
are shy and peaceful. They border a very warlike
country and distrust most everything and everyone
foreign. Not much interested in education, they
are interested in unity only to get food from Duda
and financial help from Lakali.
d. Woodzi - the small tribe, only 100,000, live in
small bands as nomadic hunters. They are scorned
by others because of their backward ways.
3. Explain to students that fate has made them inhabitants
of this region and each student is a delegate of one of
the tribes. Each will draw a name to see which tribe
he/she belongs to.
(One-half the class = Duda; 1/5 = Lakali; 1/4 = Kan-
Kan; the remaining are Woodzi) Their job is to meet to
choose the best form of government to unite Borka.
4. Students read the descriptions of the four tribes,
paying special attention to their tribe.
5. Keeping in mind the facts pertaining to their tribe,
they meet to answer the following questions. A
secretary should keep track of each choice and reason
for that choice.
a. Since Borka needs leadership to unite it, would
a dictatorship, oligarchy or representative
democracy be best? Why?
b. Borka needs schools, hospitals and highways and
money for these projects must be raised through
taxes. Which form of government could most
quickly pass tax laws and collect the money? Why?
c. The people might rebel if they think the taxes
are unfair. Which form of government would be most
likely to pass tax laws which the people would
support? Why?
d. The Kan-Kan and Woodzi fear attack from their
hostile neighbor. They want a government that
could protect them on short notice. Which form of
government could organize the quickest defense,
yet still be accepted by these two tribes? Why?
e. Borka needs a good plan for development and
modernization. The planners should be educated and
experienced. With what form of government will
Borka get the best planners? Why?
f. Which form of government can best end
discrimination against the Woodzis? Why?
g. If a representative democracy is chosen, would
you support equal representation from each tribe
or representation based on population? Why?
6. Each tribe's delegates select a representative to the
Borkan Assembly. These representatives then meet and
debate each question, remembering to concentrate on the
reasons for their tribe's choices. The representatives
then vote. A tally should be kept on the board. The
form of government with the most votes will be adopted
as Borka's new government.
TYING IT TOGETHER:
1. Dropping their tribal roles, students should
objectively consider whether the form of government
chosen will be supported by all of the Borkan people as
well as which form they feel would be best and why?
They can also consider if it was fair to have just one
representative from each tribe at the Assembly.
2. Students should check the U. S. Constitution to see how
it resolved these issues.
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