How can citizens change government

For example, local residents engage in voluntary work, organise litter-clearing campaigns, set up collectives to purchase solar panels or form local care cooperatives.

They may also be involved in the decision-making about the municipal budget. As local residents become more involved in public life, the role of government needs to adapt and take greater account of initiatives in the community. This is called 'government participation'. It means local authorities playing a more supportive role, for instance by providing facilities or making them available.

Each group should read the list of ways citizens can participate. Then each group should answer the following questions and share its responses with the class. Many citizens do not participate in our government.

They don't vote or participate in most of the other ways you have just discussed. However, some people believe that citizens have a responsibility to participate. Deciding whether to participate and how much time to spend participating is important.

To make good decisions, you must think about several things. Some of these are:. An example may help. Imagine that you have hired a company to repair your bicycle.

Before you hired them, you would want to be sure they could repair bicycles. Then you would want to make sure that they did what you had hired them to do. Suppose the company did a good job. Then you would not worry about checking on them if your sister's bicycle needed repairs a few weeks later. Suppose the company did a bad job on your bicycle. Then you might want to replace them or watch them even more closely when your sister's bicycle needed work. The same is true with the government.

We should be sure the people we "hire" elect can do the job we are hiring them for. Once they get the job, we should keep an eye on them to make sure they are doing that job. If they do a good job, we may not watch them as closely. If they do a bad job, we may watch them very closely and may even decide to replace them. Participation in government is in our own self-interest.

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Objectives: Students will examine the objectives, struggles, and successes of various forms of civic engagement by women, including efforts toward economic, social, and political equality. Students will evaluate the effectiveness of various methods of civic engagement through comparing the extensive array of reform movements in which women took the lead as part of the broader reform effort of the Progressive Era.

Is civic engagement worth the effort? Students will explain their reasoning, providing examples. A line, or spectrum, should be marked across the room.