Paul Jones

Mrs. Quinn
G.A.L.R.E.
December 8, 2010
Unit 6 Lesson 34 – Reviewing and Using the Lesson
1. Describe opportunities for participation in civic life afforded by
• Voluntary associations - a group of individuals who enter into an agreement as volunteers to
form a body (or organization) to accomplish a purpose.
• Nongovernmental organizations - a legally constituted organization created by natural or
legal persons that operates independently from any government and a term usually used by
governments to refer to entities that have no government status.
• Service and business organizations - legally recognized organization designed to provide
goods, services, or both to consumers or tertiary business in exchange for money.
• Voting - a formal indication of a choice between two or more candidates or courses of action
2. Explain the difference between self-interest, enlightened self-interest, and the common good.
Provide examples of each as related to civil engagement.
Self-interests are those to ones personal advantage, whereas enlightened self-interest is a
philosophy which states that acting to further the interests of others also serves one's own self-
interest. The latter is a “common-good” philosophy.
3. Voting is mandatory in more than sixty countries in the world, many of them democracies.
Should it be made mandatory in the United States? Explain your response.
Such a system guarantees that the government represents a majority of the population, not only
individuals who vote. This helps ensure that governments do not neglect sections of society that
are less active politically, and victorious political leaders of compulsory systems may
potentially claim greater political legitimacy than those of non-compulsory systems with lower
voter turnout.
4. The most common reason people offer for not voting is lack of time. What suggestions do you
have for solving that problem?
Making voting in the United States less difficult.