Freedom and Form of Government Webercise

Learning Objective: Students will be able to identify and analyze at least one form of government and its
effects on civil, political, and economic freedoms while working in small groups.
CA HSS Content Standard 12.9: Students analyze the origins, characteristics, and development of
different political systems across time, with emphasis on the quest for political democracy, its advances,
and its obstacles.
Setting: For this Webercise, the class will be split into 4 groups. Each group will be assigned different
levels of freedom in the world, based on Freedom Houses 2015 report.
Step 1: Select Your Country and Find Information

Each group will go to the following link and view the Freedom in the World 2015 Interactive
Map.
o Freedom House. You Should See this Image:

Group A
Free

Group B
Partly Free

Group C
Not Free

++++++Group D++++++
Worst of the Worst

Select a country for your group based on the color you were assigned.
o Group A Green Free
o Group B Yellow Partly Free
o Group C Purple Not Free
o Group D Purple Grid Worst of the Worst

Once you have selected your country, you should see a tab on the right hand side of the page
that looks like this:

Here you can find the rating for your country and see your countries progress over the years.

For more detailed information, select the Learn more about [country] link under the country
name.

You will be taken to a page with background on the country and 3 different freedom scores.

Complete the Following Questions based on information you find on this page:

Step 1: Questions
Question
Answer
What is the freedom rating of
your country?
Describe in general terms why
your country is defined as free,
partly free, not free, or worst
of the worst.
How well are civil liberties
upheld in your country (what
is the civil liberties rating)?
How are civil liberties defined?

Give at least one example of a

civil liberty in your country
and how it is being upheld or
violated.

How well are political rights

upheld in your country (what
is the political rights rating)?
How are political rights
defined?

Give at least one example of a

political right in your country
and how it is being upheld or
violated.

Based on the information

provided, analyze the freedom
in your country and predict
the form of government in
your country? Explain in detail
and give at least two
examples.

Step 2: Compare Information on Human Rights

Go to the following website to view Amnesty Internationals Annual Human Rights Reports.
o Amnesty International. You should see this image:

Select the First Letter of your country from Step 1. Then select your country.
Once you select your country, you will be taken to that countrys webpage.

Underneath the overview of the report for that country, select the Read Full Entry Link. You
should see this page:

This is Amnesty Internationals report of human rights conditions in your country for the most
recent year. Use this information to answer the following questions about your country.

Step 2: Questions
Question
Based on information you have
gathered, provide a definition
for human rights.
Which human rights have your
county violated or upheld this
past year?

Compare and contrast the

human rights listed in the report
to the political rights and civil
liberties of your country from
Step 1. Which rights are listed in
both reports? Which rights are
only listed in the human rights
report?
If both reports in Step 1 and
Step 2 list the same rights,
analyze and describe the
similarities and differences.
Which report gives you more
information on these rights in
your country?

How would you rank human

rights in your country? Is your
ranking similar to the rankings
listed in Step 1? Explain why you
gave the ranking you did.

Does this new information

change what you believe is the
form of government in your
country? Why or why not?

Answer

Step 3: Evaluate Economic Freedom

Go to the Heritage Economic Freedom Heat Map and select your country.
o Heritage Heat Map

The scores are based on a 100 point scale, with 100 being the best ranking.
After you select your country, you will see the ranking for each of the indicators listed at the
bottom of the page.
Select the Learn more about this country link.

After selecting the link you should be taken to the country page

Use the information from this page to answer the following questions.

Step 3: Questions
Question
How is economic freedom
defined? Describe all
categories listed on website.

How does your country rate on

economic freedoms?

Compare and contrast the

rights listed in Step 1 and Step
2, with the freedoms on this
website. Describe and
distinguish the similarities and
differences in the rights listed
in all three steps.

Based on the information you

have gathered, has your
prediction of your countrys
form of government changed?
Explain why or why not?

Answer

Step 4: Synthesize Your Research

Analyze the information you have gathered and provide your own ratings for each category
listed: overall freedom, civil liberties, political rights, human rights, and economic freedoms.

Country:

Nonexistent:
0 Points

Poor:
1 Point

Average:
2 Points

Very Well:
3 Points

Freedom
Civil Liberties
Political
Rights
Human Rights
Economic
Freedoms
Totals

Form of Government Prediction:

Step 5: Compare Your Prediction with Reality

Go to the CIA World Factbook Website and select or search for your country.
o CIA World Factbook

Excellent:
4 Points

Once you get to your countrys page, select the government tab.
You are looking for the Government Type section. Compare the government type listed on the
page with the prediction you made following your research.

Step 5: Defend your Position

Your Prediction of Government Type

Your Countrys Real-Life Government Type

Defend your prediction of your countrys government type. Was your prediction accurate? If your
prediction was not accurate, provide evidence that supports why you predicted the government
type that you did. Was there information that you did not find during this activity? Where could
you look to make your prediction more accurate?