SECTION 127.640. Political Science I (One Credit), Adopted 2015

(a) General requirements. This course is recommended for students in Grades 10-12. Recommended prerequisite: Principles of Government and Public Administration. Students shall be awarded one credit for successful completion of this course.

(b) Introduction.

(1) Career and technical education instruction provides content aligned with challenging academic standards and relevant technical knowledge and skills for students to further their education and succeed in current or emerging professions.

(2) The Government and Public Administration Career Cluster focuses on planning and performing governmental functions at the local, state, and federal levels, including governance, national security, foreign service, planning, revenue and taxation, and regulations.

(3) Political Science I introduces students to political theory through the study of governments; public policies; and political processes, systems, and behavior.

(4) Students are encouraged to participate in extended learning experiences such as career and technical student organizations and other leadership or extracurricular organizations.

(5) Statements that contain the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.

(c) Knowledge and skills.

(1) The student demonstrates professional standards/employability skills as required by business and industry. The student is expected to:

(A) communicate effectively with others using oral and written skills;

(B) demonstrate collaboration skills through teamwork;

(C) demonstrate professionalism by conducting oneself in a manner appropriate for the profession and workplace;

(D) demonstrate a positive, productive work ethic by performing assigned tasks as directed;

(E) show integrity by choosing the ethical course of action and complying with all applicable rules, laws, and regulations; and,

(F) demonstrate time-management skills by prioritizing tasks, following schedules, and tending to goal-relevant activities in a way that uses time wisely and optimizes efficiency and results.

(2) The student compares and contrasts current, classic, or contemporary political theories. The student is expected to:

(A) discuss why theories are important to the study of political science;

(B) draw conclusions about the classic political theorists such as Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Machiavelli, Confucius, Hobbes, Locke, Hegel, and Marx;

(C) define the characteristics of contemporary political theories such as behaviorialism, postbehavioralism, systems theory, modernization theory, structural-functionalism, developmentalism, rational-choice theory, and new institutionalism;

(D) compare and contrast the evolution of classic and contemporary theories; and

(E) make predictions and defend opinions about the future of political science theory.

(3) The student explores historical origins of government. The student is expected to:

(A) describe the features of different types of government such as democracy, theocracy, republic, monarchy, dictatorship, communism, and socialism;

(B) use a map to label where each form of government is currently practiced or has been practiced in the past;

(C) explain how each form of government arose throughout history;

(D) develop a logical argument for the origin of different types of government; and

(E) hypothesize why some forms of government became obsolete.

(4) The student analyzes belief systems that claim to improve society. The student is expected to:

(A) define political ideologies such as feminism, Marxism, Nazism, and capitalism;

(B) coordinate the four elements of perception, evaluation, prescription, and movement with political ideologies; and

(C) predict what national or global trends could stimulate the formation of a new ideology.

(5) The student applies the concepts learned in the history and ideology of political science. The student is expected to:

(A) make observations regarding the political culture of emerging nations or nations with recent current events; and

(B) research and present the political culture of a country.

(6) The student identifies the roles played by local, state, and national governments in public and private sectors of the U.S. free enterprise system. The student is expected to:

(A) recognize that government policies influence the economy at the local, state, and national levels;

(B) identify the sources of revenue of the U.S. government and analyze their impact on the U.S. economy;

(C) identify the sources of expenditures of the U.S. government and analyze their impact on the U.S. economy;

(D) compare and contrast the role of government in the U.S. free enterprise system and other economic systems; and

(E) explain the effects of international trade on U.S. economic and political policies.

(7) The student analyzes public opinion. The student is expected to:

(A) investigate sources and influences of public opinion;

(B) analyze the effect of public opinion on leadership;

(C) critique the reliability of public opinion and how it is measured; and

(D) compare and contrast the effects of expressed public opinion on poll items such as elections, elected official behavior, tax policy, services, and environmental protection.

(8) The student identifies interest groups. The student is expected to compare and contrast the positive and negative aspects of interest groups such as public interest research groups, lobbies, and political action committees.

(9) The student analyzes the election process. The student is expected to:

(A) review the process of electing public officials;

(B) recognize the influence of political parties in elections;

(C) explore the phenomenon of political image;

(D) describe the cause-and-effect relationship of communication style in a campaign; and

(E) compare and contrast the effectiveness of telephones, television, print media, focus groups, and online resources in elections.

(10) The student explores the processes for filling public offices in the U.S. system of government. The student is expected to:

(A) compare and contrast different methods of filling public offices such as elected and appointed offices at the local, state, and national levels; and

(B) analyze and evaluate the processes of electing the president of the United States.

(11) The student examines the role of political parties in the U.S. system of government. The student is expected to:

(A) discuss the functions of the two-party system;

(B) compare and contrast the role of third parties in the United States;

(C) recognize the role of political parties in the electoral process at the local, state, and national levels; and

(D) identify opportunities for citizens to participate in the electoral process at the local, state, and national levels.

(12) The student applies the concepts of statistical analysis to political science. The student is expected to:

(A) examine concepts used in research such as theories, hypotheses, independent and dependent variables, sampling, reliability, validity, and generalizability; and

(B) compare and contrast the types of statistical data such as in political science journals, public opinion polls, and surveys.

Source Note: The provisions of this §127.640 adopted to be effective April 7, 2022, 47 TexReg 1677