2/18/13: How do you determine what is "significant" in history?

 You determine what is "significant" in history by looking at how an event made an impact on the way the world is today. It is helpful to ask questions such as "What would the world be like if this event wouldn't have happened?" or "How would history have been affected if this event had been altered?" Something that is "significant" can be determined its lasting impacts on the way the world developed (i.e. The Neolithic revolution is significant because it allows large groups of people to live together and civilizations to develop).

2/13/13: Government Test Answers

1. D
2. A
3. A
4. B
5. B
6. D
7. A
8. D
9. B
10. C
11. A
12. A
13. A
14. D
15. A
16. A
17. B
18. C

19. Control of the Media/Use of Propaganda

      Developing a Cult of Personality

      Changing National Laws to give the dictator more power

      Having a single-party government

      Use of Secret Police

20. 

      Article 2 connects to John Locke because he said that all people have natural rights which include life, liberty, and property. The preservation of those rights is what the article claims is the aim of political association.

      Article 11 connects to Voltaire because he supported free speech and the article states that "Free communication of ideas and opinions. is one of the most precious of the rights of man." Granting the right of free speech.

      Article 4 connects to Jean Jacques Rousseau because he philosophized that everyone has natural rights, however some of those rights may have to be forfeited to the government because the rights of society precedes the rights of the individual. 

     Article 16 connects to Baron de Montesquieu because he declared that "Power should be a check to power" and that power should be separated among three branches of government. Article 16 mentions the separation of power and therefore connects to Baron de Montesquieu. 

  

      

2/11/13: Map questions

a. The newest countries in the world are located in sub-saharan Africa. There is a large chunk of semi-new countries in the Eastern Europe to Northern Asia/Russia region. A few not-as-new countries are scattered throughout the world (Between 30 and 40 years old).

b. In the western hemisphere and sub-saharan Africa full presidential republics have either a satisfactory situation or noticeable problems. Towards asia full presidential republics have a difficult or very serious situation. Other countries with vary serious situations are generally single-party republics. Good situations are found within parliamentary constitutional monarchies.

c. One question I have is that of Mexico. It has the same type of government as that of the countries around it but a worse freedom situation. Also the countries with the worst situations are for the most part single party republics. With both media censorship and single party being on the list of things in making a totalitarian government. Something I noticed.

2/7/13: Totalitarianism list from memory

Eliminate rivals

secret police

scapegoat for the nation

rough childhood

military background

control the media

use propaganda

control the schools

use nationalism

use the country's hardship to your advantage

make territorial gains

take away freedom of speech

cult of personality

support of religion
one party state
dynamic speaker

2/5/13: Dictator's being researched

Franco
Hitler
Mussolini