OBJECTIVE
Students will develop a deeper understanding of the enduring tension between
people's desire to have power over their own destiny and their desire to be
ruled. As a result students will be able to better understand the workings of
our own Constitution.
PROCEDURE
After formally completing a unit on the U.S. Constitution, have students meet
in small groups to discuss the two options below. Each student should then
develop a position paper to be circulated within his/her group advocating for
one of the options. Then hold a mock Constitutional Convention to discuss and
vote on the options. Invite attorneys and other adults to observe and comment
on the convention.
A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION: A SIMULATION
There has been a major breakthrough in computer technology. Computers have
become faster and more powerful than ever before. In fact, computers have
become so important in everyday life that our current form of government cannot
keep up with the changes. Our current form of government-representative
democracy - simply cannot make decisions fast enough to keep up with the
country's needs.
As a result, the leaders of the country have decided to hold a Constitutional
Convention to determine what new form of government the country should adopt.
You must vote for one of the two options described below.
Option 1: Pure Democracy
Everyone in the country will be given a computer that is hooked up to the
Internet. Whenever an issue must be decided, everyone will vote by sending
messages to Washington, DC by computer. There will be no need for politicians
because every person can vote on every issue themselves. People do not have to
vote, but if they want to they can do so simply by using their home computers.
All of the information on the issues will be available to everyone on the
Internet Advanced technology will make sure that no "computer hacker"
can disrupt the voting process.
On any issue, whatever the majority of the voters wants will become the law.
The Bill of Rights will be abolished.
Option 2: Supercomputer with a Bill of Rights
One supercomputer will be programmed to decide all issues. As problems arise,
the computer will process all the information and make the best decision for
the country as a whole. The computer will create and abolish laws whenever
necessary to serve the best interests of the public. The super-computer will
never malfunction, but the people will not be able to change its programming
once it is turned on. The supercomputer will also be programmed with the Bill
of Rights from our current Constitution.
Thus, the supercomputer will never create a law that violates any of the
Amendments in the Bill of Rights.
Developed by Robert Markowski, partner at Jenner & Block and team leader for
Law in My Life at Hawthorne Elementary School (Chicago). Lesson may be
reproduced for classroom use.
Last updated: January 2, 2002
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