Civics and Comparative Economics

As the culminating Social Studies course at Seven Hills, Civics and Comparative Economics strives to utilize and expand on many of the basic themes and skills developed in US History I and II. The focus of those courses is to learn through historical empathy – first through roleplay, and then through analysis of primary source documents of various types and media.

In Civics, the main course goal is to develop skills in processing information and news in order to operate as a responsible citizen in a democracy. One of the main components of this skillset is an ability to reason about social and political factors that one does not agree with. While the course encourages students to develop their political ideology outside of a two-party vacuum, it does address the political spectrum as a continuum with liberal ideology on the left and conservative on the right. Throughout the course, students will develop their understanding of this spectrum and its influences on political parties and economic doctrines. In short, students must develop a sense of “political empathy” – the ability to understand why politicians and constituents of each party believe the things that they do.

This is achieved through various means, including analyzing news sources of various mediums and political affiliations, looking at specific party platforms, and allowing students to place what they see in class on a political spectrum instead of subscribing to predetermined party lines. The second part of this involves asking students to determine why. Students are presented with opportunities to make connections – how do location, upbringing, religious affiliation, economic well-being and affluence, et cetera help to determine one’s world view and, in turn, political beliefs?