In a democracy, the government serves with the "consent of the governed."
Citizens consent-or agree-to support the government so long as the government
protects them and represents their interests. But because citizens in a
democracy are free to express their views about almost everything, they often
disagree about what actions the government should take. In democracies where
people come from different cultures and may not speak the same language, there
may be even more disagreement. How a democracy develops and keeps a sense of
national unity and identity is very important. In part to address these needs,
many democratic governments require some form of civilian or military national
service.
This unit examines whether a democracy should require citizens between 18 and
25 years of age to participate in at least one year of national service. It
offers military and civilian examples of national service from around the
world. It explains the reasons why governments encourage or require national
service and the relationship between national service and national identity. It
focuses on the arguments of those who support and oppose some form of mandatory
national service. The unit also presents a discussion model called "structured
academic controversy" for exploring the facts, arguments, and options
surrounding this issue.
Focus Questions
Should our democracy require citizens between 18 and 25 years of age to
participate in at least one year of national service?
Objectives
Define national service in terms of citizen participation.
Understand the importance of citizen participation in the national life of
democratic societies.
Identify important elements and examples of national service in democratic
countries that have it.
Analyze the reasons for supporting and opposing compulsory national service.
Identify areas of agreement and disagreement with other students.
Decide, individually and as a group, whether citizens between 18 and 25 years
of age should be required to participate in at least one year of national
service; support decisions based on evidence and sound reasoning.
Reflect on the value of deliberation when deciding issues in a democracy.
Materials
Lesson Procedures
Handout 1-Deliberation Guide
Handout 2-Deliberation Worksheet
Handout 3-Student Reflection on Deliberation
National Service-Reading
National Service-Selected Resources
National Service-Deliberation Question with Arguments
Last updated: September 15, 2006
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