ED5990Outline.htm --- Richard

P.S. Here is an article about direct democracy in California

CaliforniaDDStemCellArnold.htm

Contents:

Title Page
Abstract
Introduction
Literature Review
Rationale
Arguments for and against
Structure of the System
Plan of Implementation in Phases
Curriculum
Conclusion
Link to Website
Surveys
Bibliography
Webliography
Websites pertaining to direct democracy

u04d1 Comment on Outlines

Comment to Michael concerning his outline about military recruiting:

I was just in the mall (the Georgia Square Mall in Athens, GA) and I saw an armed forces (for all of the armed forces, I think) enlistment office. It is where a store normally would be and there are brochures and offices within which someone can speak with the enlistment counselors or officers inside.

I have often thought that the military is like a city. Most people think of the military as being comprised of soldiers only but, like a city, there are doctors, engineers, clerks, secretaries, cooks, etc. to allow the organization to function. I think perhaps at first the potential recruits can be offered a choice of sections to work in (it perhaps might already be done that way) so that each person's skills, interests, and abilities can be utilized to best serve the military service that they join.

In describing a future military career it is important to include the positive and negative aspects. A military career is a reality based career with more rules, regulations, structure, and orders that most other careers.

Why serve in the military (advantages):

Adventure
Serve your country
On the job training
Option to advance through promotions
Experiences and opportunities
Secure Career
Learn skills that can later be used in the private sector
Develop self discipline and confidence
See the world and travel
Can meet people from all around the world
Belonging to a reputable organization
Job benefits
Retirement plan

Some disadvantages:

Can be dangerous
Some areas/countries are hostile toward military
Some loss of personal freedom
Highly regulated
Must move at a moment's notice
Can change residences often
Not democratic: hierarchical, top-down: obey orders

In describing the military it is interesting to note the irony that the military is a non-democratic institution protecting a theoretically democratic institution (in our case, the USA). The military is a top-down, obey-the-orders organization where many personal freedoms are forfeited while serving within the military structure since that is about the only way a military can function effectively. The military also has its own judicial system. So these characteristics should be conveyed to the potential recruits also. --- Richard

Comment to Michael about a draft:

When I was in Korea I learned that every South Korean male is required to serve in the military for two years (unless there is a rare exemption for them, usually for health reasons). I think serving one's country in some capacity might be a good idea. It would not necessarily have to be in the military if that means every citizen in the USA: it could be Peace Corps or government offices of some sort.

I don't believe a military draft is a good idea because voluntary service affords a higher level of quality than forcing people to join. If people are forced into an organization that they do not want to be in they can cause more trouble than help to a cause. I just met someone, Joe, who was in the Navy as a career and for a while he was on a submarine. He said that at one point there was a saboteur on board who was writing anonymous and threatening notes and scaring everyone on board. Joe said he thought it was on of the young officers who did not want that assignment. --- Richard

Comment to Michael: Freedom of Speech

I have not seen Farenheit 911 but I just wanted to mention that everyone might not agree with certain opinions but in the USA we have the freedom to express opinions that others might disagree with though that disagreement should be conveyed with civility if possible. No one in China (no Chinese national) would dare make a directly anti-government movie while in China as everyone knows what the consequences of such an event would be (jail or execution). Remember Tiennamen Square in 1989. If such a movie, or statement, were made it would be made outside of China. Richard

Letter to Howard Jacobs,

I noticed that the previous units are locked and hope that presentation sections can remain unlocked throughout the course. I plan on adding more content to my project and I would like for the other learners to be able to refer back to my project and comment on my project under the same location so that the comments are not too spread out throughout the CourseRoom. --- Richard.

U4 comment from Alisa about my project outline:

Hi Richard, Looks like you've considered most everything in your plan. The curriculum section looks good. As a matter of fact I think it would make sense to use something like that in the schools for voting even as it is now.

I'm looking forward to seeing how your project progresses. --- Alisa

My reply:

The curriculum is an outline and I will add tomorrow some of the outline going up through post secondary and adult education.

As this concept develops, each year, or grade, of school would need to have a textbook written for it to solidify the curriculum -- which can of course be later revised and changed as the needs arise. Thank you for your comments, --- Richard

U4 Comment from Howard Jacobs about my project outline:

Richard, as I have stated many times I know how passionate you are about this project and topic. The project is well thought out.

The curriculum seems as though it would fit with those found in most school districts. This is the type of project where I could envision schools taking part in a pilot to demonstrate its effectiveness in not teaching amount democracy but also promoting critical thinking skills.

My reply:

The idea is for this curriculum to be included in Social Studies, Political Science, and Civics courses though I think perhaps a set of text books devoted to the subject could be developed. Thank you for your comments, --- Richard

U4 comment from Michael about my project outline:

You have a fantastic outline and plan. At what level will this plan be presented? Who will present it? --- Mike

My reply:

If you click on the curriculum link in my outline you will see that this plan starts with pre-kindergarten and will go up through post-secondary and adult education. This will be presented primarily by school teachers in public and private schools but it could also be taught by tutors and parents in home schooling environments or possibly in business, company, community, or government organizations. Thank you your comments, --- Richard

U4 comment on my outline from Tanneka:

Richard, You have really thought out your outline for your project. As stated by others, your project would be greatly used in the curriculum today. Textbooks play a part in perpetuating our misperceptions by presenting an unrealistic, almost mythical version of history and the American dream. Textbook investigation leads to a more critical understanding of target audiences and the "purpose" of writing any particular material. The focus of education must be the possibilities of tomorrow. Students must be given the ability to read the world while simultaneously learning to empathize with the individuals in the world. Looking forward to further reading. --- Tanneka

My reply:

Tanneka I think you have a very future-looking attitude toward education, and the future is the only direction we can move toward! I hope this will help to bring people and the world together in a positive way. I think democratic ideals are conducive toward your project involving Cooperative Learning and Strategies for the Inclusive Classroom. Thank you for your comments, --- Richard

Comment on my outline from Penny:

Richard, I compliment you on the high level to which you have thought through your project already. I reviewed your entire outline (with the exception of trying out the related websites) and found it to be comprehensive. As someone shared with me in earlier units, I am pleased to see that you intend to present arguments both for and against direct democracy; this balance will strengthen your position regardless of your ultimate argument.

I am most impressed by your plan of implemenation; I am assuming that it corresponds somewhat with the developmental timeline on the Direct Democracy 2020 website. To even conceive of undertaking such a large task--including the development of curriculum, textbooks, enacting policy, and much more--is beyond my scope, but I'm pleased that it's not beyond yours. One must strive for great dreams in order to achieve great things.

I look forward to learning more about your project. Best of luck to you as you continue on your journey. Warm regards, --- PennyM

My reply:

I have got ideas for the implementation of the governmental and voting procedures and also for the curriculum but implementing would involve many people � not just me. Happy Halloween, --- Richard

Comment on my outline from Karen:

Hi Richard, Your outline and links from it are just outstanding! I just laughed so much at your last quote about IBM thinking there would be a worldwide market for five computers�:-)

In your rationale you wrote, �In the modern world, direct democracy was previously considered impractical or impossible to implement on a large scale but it is now possible with the advent of computer and Internet technologies.� How true, and your point about banking security measures as one example that encryption methods and server firewalls can protect the communications' networks used in a direct democracy. I really enjoyed reading your rationale and Curriculum for the Implementation of Direct Democracy sections!

How many Social Studies and Political Science Teachers would you predict taking part in your Likert Scale Item Survey?

The bibliography and especially your list of direct democracy URLs provided extraordinary depth and breadth. Your 2020 website is well laid out and visually appealing as well.

I'm looking forward to learning more as you continue to build your project. Really, really impressive, Richard! Kindest Regards, --- Karen -- P.S. Did you use Dreamweaver for your web pages? Very clean design

My reply:

Karen,I will try to get lists of as many of the Social Science teachers and politicians as I can send out as many as I can. I think for a completely blind or surprise mailing the response can be 3% but with specialized focus groups such as these maybe 10 to 30% so it depends on how many I send out. We'll just have to wait and see.

I use Dreamweaver for the pages and mostly Flash and Illustrator for the graphics and I will probably use some others such as Photoshop and Fireworks. Happy Halloween, --- Richard

Comment on my outline from Katherine:

In your arguments for and against section, do you plan to address the issue of state's rights? Why did the founders feel the need to protect small states from the popular vote by creating the Senate and the electoral college? Are these reasons still valid? You have a fascinating topic. I can't wait to read more. --- Katherine

My reply:

My idea is to add a public section to the legislatures but to leave everything else intact. The idea in the Congress is for the House of Representatives to reflect the populations of the states and for the Senate to have equal representation so that in the Senate Rhode Island is equal to California though in terms of population, economy, and land area many Rhode Islands could be placed inside of California. The states will continue to have state sovereignty so that the big states can not bully the smaller states. It is interesting that the word state is usually used to describe a national government -- such as the state government of India -- so the United States can be seen to be like a collection of 50 countries which is one reason that the USA has become the superpower that it is, in addition to everyone being able to communicate with the same verbal language (in Europe, every country has its own language and that slows down international communication quite a bit). My idea is only to enhance or enrich the existing structure of government on the local, state, and federal level by adding the direct democracy element that I have been describing. Thank you for you comments, --- Richard

Comment on my outline from Darryl Maye:

Fantastic outline. In reading the quotes of the some of the founding fathers, one has considered whether the language of democracy is symbolic of what democracy is today; that is, the politicking of democracy and its working within a capitalistic and credential society. Or, is the beauty of democracy is its ability to withstand manipulation and skewed interpretation by an elite few for whom its language has come to benefit? Great job. --- Darryl

My reply:

I think the language in the Constitution is fairly clear but there are some phrases that people can debate the meaning of. For example, what does the �right to bear arms� mean or something as general as �the pursuit of happiness� which can have a different meaning to every reader? I think some of the legal documents that are written today are written so that people will not understand them. That is the problem with some referendums that people are asked to vote on. Sometimes with the way they are worded the voter does not know if they are voting for or against something. Thank you for you comments, --- Richard

Comment on my outline from Geri:

Your project outline is an excellent base to build on. The portions of you're your plan that are hyperlinked are well thought out and well written. I look forward to reading the completed project.

In your current outline, I particularly enjoyed the following:

Rationale for Direct Democracy:

By including the history of Democracy (both in the early years of the USA when the Constitution was written and during earlier ages in Greece) and then comparing these to our age of technology, you managed to make a convincing point. While many believe that we should not change the rules that our forefathers created, this truly is a new world as we are brought closer by new technologies. Therefore, we should seriously consider changing with the times. At the same time, we should be very careful to preserve our Constitution when the rationale for change is not for the benefit of the majority of US citizens.

A Curriculum for the Implementation of Direct Democracy:

As an educator (as opposed to a politician) you have created a plan to educate our citizens from an early age to understand and participate in a true democratic society. This is a well thought out plan that starts at an age that I would not have considered. Yet it is a plan that makes voting and democracy understandable at each age level and that promotes understanding as learning objectives gradually build on the objectives achieved in the previous years.

Quotes and More Quotes:

This is a light-hearted and thought-provoking way to start the reader on his/her path to understanding your plan.

Links, links and more links:

You certainly provide many informational sources for the reader of your plan to consider. Nice work. --- Geri

My reply:

Geri, An interesting speculative exercise would be to imagine what document the same forefathers of 1776 would write if they wrote the Constitution today. I think that changes in technology would definitely affect the resulting document. Also, I do not think so much power would have been given to the president, in fact, I think that was not the original intention but that is the way the government has evolved up to this point. But the document they wrote did allow for change, or changing the rules as you phrased it, and that is why amendments are allowed. Thank you for your comments, --- Richard

Comment on my outline from Brad Richardson:

Richard, I am starting to see what you are talking about with Direct Democracy. I am guessing Direct Democracy will control special-interest influence and money in the government system. How important is it to take politics back to where they began? Have politics and the government ever been pure and just? I look forward to reading more! Take care, --- Brad Richardson

My reply:

I just read in the New York Review of Books that over 500 million dollars a year is spent maintaining lobbyists in Washington. How many school lunches is that (or how many bribes)? Lobbyists could try to influence large numbers of people but they would not be able to bribe millions of people whereas sliding a few enticements under the table to swing-voting legislators would be relatively easier to do.

Clarification:

The New York Review of Books in an article about the Saudi Arabia's relationship to the U.S.A. mentions that Saudi Arabia , to improve its image in the United States, spent "$17.6 million on lobbyists in the U.S. since September 11, 2001, according to the Justice Department." If only Saudi Arabia spent that much then how much would the amount be including all world governments and large corporations? That is difficult to ascertain since much of what goes on in that arena is clandestine and indirect.

The article also mentions that �local American lobbyists booked some $890 million worth of trade in 2003 alone to influence state governments.�

Reference:

Rodenbeck, Max. (October 21, 2004). Unloved in Arabia. New York Review of Books. Volume 51, Number 16.

Comment on my outline from Carla Frazier:

Hello Richard, I find your outline to be clear and concise. It is evident that you have given great thought to your project. This can be seen in your curriculum guide. As educators we sometimes need help in finding ways to teach student how to vote. You curriculum guide takes care of this problem beginning as early as pre-kindergarten. Good job!

My reply:

I think that, just as with learning a foreign language, the earlier in life a student begins learning a concept the better off and more fulfilled they are when they become adults. Thank you for your comments, --- Richard

Comment to Bradley about his outline concerning electronic advising:

I think it would be a good idea to have an interactive branching tree-type chart for academic advising to show a chart depicting each major and that shows the requirements and required courses (and choices or electives) in visual form for each major and then each course could be clicked on for individual descriptions and requirements. Also, the tree chart could be displayed in various stages of collapsed or expanded formats. Just a thought, --- Richard

Comment to discussion about money being the root of all evil:

I heard my father say once that what is usually quoted is actually taken out of context and that the complete biblical quotation is �the love of money is the root of all evil� and I think stated that way the statement has a very different meaning. --- Richard

Comment To Tanneka about her outline concerning collaborative learning:

Tanneka, I think your concept of collaborative learning has a similar goal as mine which involves inclusiveness and finding the unique value and abilities in each student where all of the students are politically or socially equal to the others. --- Richard

Comment to Katherine concerning her outline about financial literacy:

I often get notices in the mail concerning 401(k) and IRA (not Irish Republican Army) portfolios and I am not as familiar with them as I (we all) should be. Perhaps a section covering these concepts as well as planning and saving for the future could be included in your book.Richard