People Power: Civics, Government and Citizenship

Book excerpt: Why did Lonely Planet call Wellington the coolest little capital in the world? Why does New Zealand always feature at or near the top of international surveys of the best-governed countries and why is it a constitutional monarchy yet has no written constitution and a monarch who lives in the UK? What is Youth Parliament and what have students been invited to Parliament to teach MPs? What role does an old biscuit tin play in deciding which bills get through a ballot in Parliament and why is government said to have three branches? Why are the front benches in the Debating Chamber two and a half sword lengths apart and what are the rules for taking selfies on Election Day? This Civics book answers questions such as these during its study of how government works in New Zealand. Primarily, but not exclusively, this book is designed for Social Studies; Years 9 - 13, levels 4 - 8; the Social Organisation strand; a New Zealand setting; Bicultural, Gender, Current Issues, and Future perspectives; the origins, development, operation of government as Essential Learning About NZ Society: and the processes of Inquiry, Values Exploration, Social Decision Making