SECTION 127.641. Political Science II (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 or Political Science I. 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 II uses a variety of learning methods and approaches to examine the processes, systems, and political dynamics of the United States and other nations. The dynamic component of this course includes current U.S. and world events.

(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 analyzes public administration and public affairs. The student is expected to:

(A) explore the ancient history of public administration;

(B) consider whether current practices of public administration are improvements upon older practices;

(C) explain the term bureaucracy and draw conclusions as to why public perception of bureaucracy is poor;

(D) analyze the effects of poor public perception on leadership style;

(E) analyze political pluralism, displacement and concentration hypothesis, and technological complexity;

(F) recognize that public management involves evaluation of productivity, budgets, and human resources; and

(G) research, investigate, and explain specific examples of ethics issues in public administration.

(3) The student identifies the cause and effect of expression of different viewpoints in a democratic society. The student is expected to:

(A) compare different points of view of political parties and interest groups on important contemporary issues;

(B) analyze the importance of free speech and press in a democratic society; and

(C) express the student's point of view on an issue of contemporary interest in the United States.

(4) The student analyzes international relations. The student is expected to:

(A) examine the historical development of the international system;

(B) compare and contrast the classical international system, the transitional international system, the post-World War II international system, and the contemporary international system;

(C) research national actors and international interactions;

(D) examine the rational actor model;

(E) analyze what a nation-state does when faced with a problem that requires resolution;

(F) make observations about ethics in foreign policy; and

(G) draw conclusions about the role of morality in decision making such as Cold War spying and humanitarian intervention.

(5) The student explores diplomacy as the management of international relations by negotiation. The student is expected to:

(A) compare and contrast the ancient practice of sending emissaries with current embassy activities;

(B) identify embassy and ambassador roles in international relations;

(C) distinguish between types of diplomacy such as public versus secret, multilateral versus bilateral, and tacit versus formal;

(D) use concepts of bargaining and game theory to solve problems;

(E) recognize national versus state approaches to armed force when diplomacy breaks down;

(F) analyze force without war, causes of war, and the consequences of war; and

(G) analyze the role of international law in treaties, customs, immigration, and human rights.

(6) The student analyzes international governmental organizations and non-governmental organizations. The student is expected to:

(A) identify prominent international governmental organizations and non-governmental organizations;

(B) explore the methods of operation and function of international governmental organizations and non-governmental organizations in global problem solving; and

(C) propose a solution for an international relations problem such as arms control, terrorism, commerce, currency, natural resource management, food, or population control.

(7) The student analyzes the flow of ideas and information among the federal government, public administration, the business community, and the global societies. The student is expected to:

(A) examine concepts of authority, rights, and responsibilities to evaluate their impact on the governance of societies;

(B) explain the major responsibilities of the federal government for domestic and foreign policy;

(C) practice communication techniques used to stimulate the exchange of ideas and develop international, national, state, and local networks to accomplish governmental goals; and

(D) interpret the impact of international, national, state, or local politics on the goals of governmental or public administrative agencies.

Source Note: The provisions of this §127.641 adopted to be effective April 7, 2022, 47 TexReg 1677