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CLSM · Civic Literacy · Progress Check 2
Consent of the Governed
Read the situation. Connect the ideas. Show how you know.
Name ___________________________Class __________ Date __________
01 Recall, then make a connection.
consent of the governed
representation
turnout
Connect consent of the governed with representation. Why does a turnout figure need a denominator, and why does an election result not establish unanimous agreement?
Read the situation.
Consent of the governed means that legitimate political authority comes from the people. The Declaration of Independence expressed this principle, and North Carolina’s Constitution states that political power is vested in and derived from the people. In a representative system, people exercise authority through institutions such as elections and constitutional processes. Consent does not mean every person approves every decision or that an official can ignore limits after winning an election.
02 Organize the information.
Read the denominator
In a fictional classroom model of Brookfield, 100 people are stated to be eligible and registered. Sixty cast a valid ballot. Candidate A receives 32 votes and Candidate B receives 28.
What percentage of the stated eligible-and-registered group voted?
Answer: __________________ percent
Show the calculation, then explain what the result tells you in this model.
CLSM · Civic Literacy · Progress Check 2
What does the evidence show?
Consent of the Governed
03 Follow the evidence.
Who is missing from the meeting?
A fictional meeting drew 20 residents, all from the neighborhood closest to town hall. The town wants to know whether the recreation plan works for residents farther away.
Select every additional record that would help answer that question.
Responses from residents in the outlying neighborhoods about travel time and access.
A map showing where proposed facilities and available transportation routes are located.
A count of how loudly the 20 attendees applauded.
Past election totals from a different town, with no evidence about these neighborhoods.
Name the useful records and explain how they answer the claim.
04 Apply the idea.
What did the result establish?
The model’s stated rule awards the office to the candidate with the most valid votes. Candidate A wins 32–28. A supporter says, “Every resident approved every part of A’s plan.”
Which conclusion is justified?
A won under the stated rule; the vote totals do not prove unanimous approval of every proposal.
A’s victory lets the office ignore constitutional protections.
Because turnout was below 100%, the supplied rules automatically award the office to B.
Choose a conclusion and explain why it fits the situation.
05 Carry the idea forward.
Write a recommendation explaining whether A’s victory proves consent to every detail of the recreation plan. Use the vote totals, one missing perspective, and one constitutional limit.