RI GP Infopack Politics I

RI GP Y6 2023 / Politics and Governance I Copyrighted: Knowledge Skills Department, for internal circulation only Page 1 of 78 RAFFLES INSTITUTION YEAR 6 GENERAL PAPER 2023 STUDENTS’ INFORMATION PACKAGE Unit: Politics and Governance I Primary Readings* EUs Pages 1 Introduction 2 2 Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions 3 3 For Further Reading/Viewing 4 4 Past Year Examination Questions 5-8 Section A: Governance and the State* 5. Primer – A Glossary of Basic Political Terms - 9-10 6. Politics and the State 2-4 11 7. Classic Notions of ‘Citizens’, ‘State’ and, ‘Politics’ 2-4 12-13 8. Functions of the government 1-7 14-17 9. Personal Freedom and the Harm Principle 2-4 18-20 Section B: Contemporary Challenges of Governance: Democracy 10. Central Concepts of Democracy* 1 21-24 11. The Problem of Majority Rule* 1 & 4 25-26 12. Is the epistocracy superior to democracy? 1-3 27-29 13. Why no vote is deplorable 1-3 30-32 14. Political effects of social media platforms on political regimes 1, 3 & 7 33-36 15. Managing freedom of choice in an age of ‘hyperdemocracy’ 1-3 37-39 Section C: Tension between Managing Resources for the Short and Long-term 16. Why we need to reinvent democracy to focus on the long-term* 1 & 5 40-42 17. Indian ministry seen to favour ease of business over climate goals 5 & 6 43-44 18. Economic Growth and Environmental Sustainability – A False Dichotomy 5 & 6 45-47 Section D: Tension between Managing Individual Freedom and Social Good 19. Why “Security” Keeps Winning out over Privacy* 2 & 3 48-50 20. At what point should personal freedom yield to the common good? 2 & 3 51-53 21. China eases ‘Zero Covid’ restrictions in victory for protesters 1-3, 5 54-57 Section E: Tension between Individual Freedom and the Power of the State 22. The Rise of Populist Authoritarians* 2 & 3 58-60 23. Are Dictators Worse than Anarchy? 1 & 2 61-63 24. New Zealand’s plan to outlaw smoking for the next generation is misguided 3-5 64-65 Section F: Tension between Domestic Interests and Global Pressures 25. How China’s foreign policy is driven by internal politics 6 66-68 26. Ukraine – Conflict at the Crossroads of Europe and Russia 6 69-72 27. United States Aid to Ukraine: An Investment Whose Benefits Greatly Exceed its Cost 5 & 6 73-78 Note: Those in bold denote foundational readings

RI GP Y6 2023 / Politics and Governance I Copyrighted: Knowledge Skills Department, for internal circulation only Page 2 of 78 1. Introduction Politics and Governance I is meant to introduce students to basic concepts in politics. Specifically, systems of government, with a particular focus on democracy (it being the dominant form of government in the world today), the tension between individual rights and state needs, and between government and the media. As you work through this package, you should seek to (i) know the classical definitions of the terms politics, the state