DOCUMENT RESUME ED 411 170 SO 026 733 TITLE Ethics and the American Community: Focus on Campaigns & Elections. INSTITUTION Drake Univ., Des Moines, IA. Iowa Center for Law and Civic Education. SPONS AGENCY Department of Education, Washington, DC. Office of Law-Related Education. PUB DATE 1994-00-00 NOTE 257p. CONTRACT S123A10003-93 PUB TYPE Guides Non-Classroom (055) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC11 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Advertising; Citizenship Education; Cultural Pluralism; *Elections; *Ethics; Fund Raising; High Schools; Justice; Law Related Education; Mass Media; Moral Values; *Political Campaigns; *Politics; Privacy; Social Studies IDENTIFIERS Electoral College ABSTRACT This collection of lesson materials for high school teachers and students focuses on the study of ethics and values that underlie the political process in the United States. The collection is meant to encourage teachers and students to examine the value conflicts that frequently appear in the electoral process and stimulate student thinking about ethical considerations in campaigns for public office. The lessons are designed to supplement courses in the social studies. The first part of the guide provides an overview of the program, strategies for studying ethics and politics in the United States, and learning outcomes. The rest of the guide is divided into six sections: (1) "Introducing Ethical Issues Thru the Study of Campaigns and Elections"; (2) "Selecting the President: What do we want in a President?"; (3) "Campaign Images and the Role of the Media"; (4) "Campaign Issues and Controversies"; (5) "Ethical Dilemmas in Electoral History"; and, (6) "Campaign and Electoral Reform." (TSV) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************************************************** Gs) O Ethics .zr the American Community: Focus on Campaigns & Elections PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY Ljtteek TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) ) 6/) Iowa Center for Law & Civic Education Drake University U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement 1994 & EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) AThis document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. BESTCOPY AVAILABLE Points of view or opinions stated in this docu- ment do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. 0 2 k- * * * * * * -ii. 5Ac' ...A... .-n- -A-,,A,,A,.A-. ,-A-, i-A-,,A, i-A, -A Ethics and the American Community: Focus on Campaigns & Elections Iowa Center for Law & Civic Education Drake University 1994 i Introduction & Acknowledgments This collection of lessons and materials for high school teachers and students focuses on the study of ethics and values in our American political process. The purpose of this collection is to encourage teachers and students to examine the value conflicts that frequently appear in our electoral process, and stimulate student thinking about ethical considerations in campaigns for public office. The lessons are designed to supplement high school courses in the social studies. Teachers are free to make student copies of the materials for their classes. Thanks go to Lois Santi, Randi Donaldson, and Jennifer Rice for help with the research and clerical support. We also thank the many teachers who have inspired much of the work included in this collection. The lessons in this collection were developed by John Wheeler, Educational Programs Coordinator, at the Iowa Center for Law & Civic Education, Drake Law School. Thanks go to John for his hard work and creativity during this special three year project.His dedication to teaching young people about law and government is an example of how excellence in education can be achieved through enthusiasm, ingenuity, and a motivation to learn. Timothy Buzzell, Ph.D. Center for Law & Civic Education Drake Law School This publication is made possible by a grant for the U.S. Department of Education, Law-Related Education Program (grant S123A10003-93). For more information contact the Iowa Center for Law & Civic Education, Opperman Hall, Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa 50311 (515-271-3205). Ethics and the American Community: Focus on Campaigns & Elections Table of Contents Introduction & Acknowledgments Overview: Ethics and the American Community Curriculum Strategies for Studying Ethics and Politics in America: Focus on Campaigns and Elections Learning Outcomes Section I - Introducing Ethical Issues Thru the Study of Campaigns & Elections Section II - Selecting the President: What Do We Want in a President? Section III - Campaign Images & the Role of the Media Section IV - Campaign Issues & Controversies Section V - Ethical Dilemmas in Electoral History Section VI - Campaign & Election Reform Iowa Center for Law & Civic Education "Ethics" and the American Community Ethics refers to a set of value constructs used to determine appropriate or inappropriate behavior for members of a specified community. Ethical issues arise out of the interplay within and between the values that community holds. A community may take any number of forms. For example, the medical and legal professions each constitute a community in terms of establishing ethical standards of practice. Similarly, an individual classroom which sets out specific behavioral guidelines for its members may be considered a community. In a larger sense, the United States as a whole is a community whose members are citizens. As such there are certain expectations of conduct based on the community's values. Some of these expectations are expressed through laws and other regulations. But "ethics" goes beyond a simple determination of legal or illegal acts. Certainly "rule of law" is one value of our society. Equality, Liberty, and Privacy are also important societal values that may or may not be represented by legal conflict. Legal or not the potential conflict between Liberty and Privacy is an ethical concern. Similarly, within the concept of Equality there is an inherent conflict between equality of opportunity and equality of condition; thus raising an ethical issue. Ethics, then, in its broadest sense, focuses on those points at which certain values conflict and how these conflicts can be analyzed, debated, and focused into responsible social action. Considering the United States as a political community raises an important issue. In order to fit the definition, a certain shared set of values or beliefs must exist. In a country of such enormous size and such diversity of cultures and political and social beliefs, is there a core set of values guiding the national community? As a practical matter, the answer is clearly "no". But as an abstract matter, common values arise. The Swedish sociologist Gunnar Myrdal called these shared abstract values the "American Creed." He maintained that the Creed was the cement that held the United States together as a nation. Americans, he found, hold dearly to a common set of beliefs; but that these beliefs do not necessarily manifest themselves in similar ways in everyday life. For example, while all Americans might believe in the ideal of responsibility, in real life, different people interpret the exact nature of responsibility in a variety of ways. Some see responsibility as an individual value, while others define it as a social obligation. A third group may look upon responsibility as the relationship between the government and its people. It is evident that conflict will arise over these contrary definitions. Other philosophers, political scientists, and educators have tried to identify those exact values or beliefs that comprise the "American Creed". R. Freeman Butts, for example, has identified commonly held beliefs in what he terms the "12 Tables of Civism". The twelve basic civic values (Justice, Equality, Authority, Participation, Truth, Patriotism, Freedom, Diversity, Privacy, Due Process, Property, and Human Rights) can be divided into two distinct categories: "Unum" values represent the obligations of citizenship, while "Pluribus" values are the rights of citizenship. As described, the Iowa Center for Law & Civic Education 1 values are in constant conflict with one another. The attempt to resolve these conflicts represent "ethical" questions. The philosopher and educator Mortimor Adler looks upon the shared set of beliefs a little differently. Rather than identify a list of core values, he instead points to an "American Testament". The Testament, much like its religious usage, is a collection of cherished, purely American documents which espouse the basics of a national character. Within these sacred papers (Adler identifies the Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the Constitution, and the Gettysburg Address) can be found the truths of American political society. Much like the disagreements which exist between religious denominations, different people may interpret these values in different ways. The appearance of disagreements in interpretations, however, does not challenge the existence of the shared beliefs. Thus, when the Declaration of Independence states that "all men are created equal", "equality" represents a national value. This does not lessen the effect that two people may define equality in radically different ways. Each basic democratic value identified,