Tax systems, democracy, and human rights
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Introduction
Students explore the relationship between democracy, freedoms and human rights. They extend this understanding further by considering the role of a country’s tax system in supporting freedoms and human rights and in sustaining democracy and promoting equality.
Achievement standard
By the end of Year 10, students compare the key features and values of Australia’s system of government to those of another system of government. They describe the Australian Government’s role and responsibilities at a regional and global level. They explain the role of the High Court of Australia. They explain how Australia’s international legal obligations influence the law and government policy. They identify and explain challenges to a resilient democracy and a cohesive society in Australia.
Students develop and refine a range of questions and locate, select and compare relevant and reliable information from a range of sources to investigate political and legal systems, and contemporary civic issues. They analyse information to evaluate perspectives and challenges related to political, legal or civic issues. They evaluate and compare the methods or strategies related to civic participation or action. Students use civics and citizenship knowledge, concepts and terms to develop descriptions, explanations and arguments that synthesise evidence from sources.
Content descriptions
Civics and Citizenship Knowledge and Understanding
The challenges to and ways of sustaining a resilient democracy and a cohesive society in Australia and/or in our region or globally. (AC9HC10K05)
Civics and Citizenship Skills
Develop and modify questions to investigate Australia’s political and legal systems, and contemporary civic issues. (AC9HC10S01)
Locate, select and compare information, data and ideas from a range of sources. (AC9HC10S02)
Analyse information, data and ideas about political, legal or civic issues to identify and evaluate differences in perspectives and interpretations. (AC9HC10S03)
Create descriptions, explanations and arguments using civics and citizenship knowledge, concepts and terms that incorporate evidence. (AC9HC10S05)
Teacher resources
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Democracy versus autocracy
Student learning resources
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Tax systems and freedom
Writing paragraphs in Civics and Citizenship
Suggested activity sequence
This sequence is intended as a framework to be modified and adapted by teachers to suit the needs of a class group.
Part A: Exploring the relationship between democracy and freedoms
- Working in pairs, students list 5 countries they associate with freedom and 5 countries they associate with a lack of freedom.
- Record these countries on the board under 2 headings: ‘Freedom’ and ‘Lack of freedom’.
- Students list of qualities that suggest ‘freedom’ and qualities that suggest a ‘lack of freedom’.
- Use student suggestions to create a list of indicators of the qualities of ‘freedom’ and a list of indicators of the qualities of a ‘lack of freedom’. Summarise these on the board.
- Display and discuss the definitions of democracy and autocracy using the Democracy versus autocracy visualiser.
- Students complete part 1 of the investigation. Examples of indicators of relevance and reliability include:
- a non-profit website
- associated with the University of Oxford
- provides current information
- no advertising
- information is freely available.
Part B: Exploring the relationships between democracy, freedom and human rights
- If possible, display a poster of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the classroom.
- Display the political cartoon of democracy in crisis on a whiteboard or screen.
- As a class and with reference to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, deconstruct the cartoon in relation to the issues of democracy and freedom.
- The following are examples of questions that could be used to prompt student responses:
- Why might the warrior be represented as a woman?
- What countries are identified as joining the battle for democracy and human rights?
- What does the dropped shield represent?
- What elements suggest the current approach of the United States to human rights?
- Why might Germany be seen as a leader in the battle for human rights?
- What might the representation of the warriors’ eyes tell us?
- From where might the arrows have been launched?
Part C: Exploring the correlation between tax revenue, freedoms and human rights
- Explain to students that they will work in pairs to explore if there is a relationship between a country’s tax system and the freedoms and human rights experienced by its citizens.
- Pairs complete part 2 of the investigation.
- As a class, revisit the relationship between democracy and freedoms, and discuss how a democratic country’s tax system might support its democracy (for example, by supporting freedoms and human rights) and societal cohesion (for example, by promoting inclusion).
- Students write a paragraph on the role of a country’s tax system in sustaining democracy and promoting social cohesion.
To scaffold student writing, refer them to Writing paragraphs in Civics and Citizenship – Model.