G 1.3 The Political Crisis

Today’s Big Question

How did the framers of the Constitution seek to preserve liberty and prevent tyranny and how have we strayed from that design?

Main Idea of Chapter 1

In Chapter 1 Dr. Carson lays out what he believes is the political crisis of our times. In this he discusses how people are “grotesquely misinformed” about the nature and character of government. It does not take long when reading documents written by the Founders to realize they were seeking to preserve liberty and prevent a repetition of the tyranny they experienced under King Charles II. Dr. Carson goes on to point to two ideas that are often suggested by leaders in the West as “solutions” to the political crisis. He then explains how these two ideas are often misunderstood and, thus, do not adequately address the real issues. After properly defining these terms, Carson points us to the source of true guidance he feels is the starting point to helping us find a solution.

1. Before going on:
   Now that you have completed your first quiz, and gotten the scores for it, be sure that you and your teacher have decided how you were going to handle grades. It is recommended that the teacher have us set up a separate account for them so that they have better access to your grades. It is also recommended that you download the grade sheet found on the orientation page for the course. Use this to enter each grade as you complete the quiz or test. This spreadsheet will calculate your grade for you and you have some flexibility in how the grade is calculated.
2. Watch the Prager University video above. Dr. Robert George, Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University describes the Founders’ intentions regarding the issue of liberty vs. tyranny. However, throughout history many elected officials from BOTH parties have been willing to continue growing government well beyond its original constitutional bounds. You should always look at policy proposals and ask yourself, “How will this grow the size or power of government?” and “What will be the price of this policy to individual liberty?”
3. Read Ch. 1, pp. 3-11. Stop at the paragraph beginning with “The political crisis…”
4. Answer SG Identification. 1-10, and Review Questions 1-5. The number at the end is the page number where the term is used, or question is discussed. You may need to sometimes look to the following page(s). Sometimes a dictionary will be helpful. You are looking for the significance/meaning of the term in the chapter. This first chapter uses several words that may be new to you and they are listed to be sure you understand what you are reading. Many will be used again throughout the book.
5. Check all Study Guide answers with the Teacher’s Guide and be sure you understand these answers.

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Flash Cards for Identification Terms

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Political Influences on Countries

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Right-Wing Dictators

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Study Guide PDF

A pdf of the study guide for Chapter 1 is available below. You can download it and print it out to fill in your answers.

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