ACTIVITY 1 – A Survey: 4 Countries and You

Introduction:

In this activity, students participate in a survey answering questions about their feelings regarding various economic systems as well as methods for funding government. They then get to compare their results with those of a large research study across 4 countries, Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.  They’ll discover trends among those who support socialism and those who don’t, as well as who is willing to support the methods necessary to pay for socialism.

VIDEO INSTRUCTIONS:

Key Terms:

Capitalism An economic system characterized by private property, individual decision making, and open, competitive markets.  

Communism A society in which there is no private property.  Everything is owned in common and available to everyone as needed.

Fascism A society and economic system led by a dictator.

Socialism  A society in which the state controls resources and makes decisions about production and equitable distribution.

Tax/Taxation A mandatory financial charge imposed on citizens by the government.

Objectives

Students will be able to:

• Define Socialism using both traditional and modern definitions.
• Describe the relationship between age and support for socialism.
• Explain how support for socialism falls when linked to tax policies necessary to pay for it.

Voluntary National Content Standards

CONTENT STANDARD 16: Role of Government and Market Failure

There is an economic role for government in a market economy whenever the benefits of a government policy outweigh its costs. Governments often provide for national defense, address environmental concerns, define and protect property rights, and attempt to make markets more competitive. Most government policies also have direct or indirect effects on people’s incomes.

• Benchmark 8: Government laws establish the rules and institutions in which markets operate. These include such things as property rights, collective bargaining rules, laws about discrimination, and laws regulating marriage and family life.
• Benchmark 9: Governments often redistribute income directly when individuals or interest groups are not satisfied with the income distribution resulting from markets; governments also redistribute income indirectly as side-effects of other government actions that affect prices or output levels for various goods and services.
• Benchmark 10: Different tax structures affect consumers and producers differently.
• Benchmark 11: Governments provide an alternative to private markets for supplying goods and services when it appears that the benefits to society of doing so outweigh the costs to society. Not all individuals will bear the same costs or share the same benefits of those policies.

Time Required

45 minutes