Democracy Web: Comparative Studies in Freedom is an online study guide for U.S. secondary school and college level teachers and their students centering on the themes of democracy and the struggle for freedom, created by Freedom House and the Albert Shanker Institute. Democracy Web teaches young people what democratic values are – a concept often discussed but rarely defined. The study guide is based on the methodology of Freedom in the World, Freedom House’s annual survey of the global state of political rights and civil liberties which rates countries as “Free,” “Partly Free,” or “Not Free.” The core of Democracy Web consists of chapters on the key components of freedom, including government accountability, rule of law, freedom of expression, and majority rule/minority rights. Each component draws on country examples to illustrate their presence or absence within a society. An interactive Map of Freedom is a key feature of the website. By clicking on a particular country, a teacher or student can gain access to basic information about the country, as well as the variety of surveys, country assessments, and reports published by Freedom House.
Democracy Web is part of a broad Education for Democracy initiative that seeks the incorporation of the story of freedom’s global struggle and the values of free societies into the basic civics and history curriculum in American schools. Both Freedom House and the Albert Shanker Institute believe that all students should be provided with a full accounting of the strengths and failings of democratic society, as well as a clear picture of the alternatives against which democracy can be measured. Democracy Web is a tool that can be used to correct the lack of knowledge about foreign societies and educate students about the functioning of different political systems around the world.
Visit:
http://www.democracyweb.org/
