CITIES IN THE CLASSROOM
Section III: Local Government in Our Lives
Lesson 8
Public Policy and Public Interest
SS.7.C.2.13 – Examine multiple perspectives on public and current issues.
LAFS.7.SL.1.1 – Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own
clearly.
Source
Adapted from: Kletzien, S. B., and Rappoport, A.L. Kids Around Town: A Local Government Education
Model. League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania Citizen Education Fund, 1998
Overview
In preparation for in depth research of a city government issue and the creation of an effective action plan,
students need to understand the concepts of public policy and public interest. Students will apply their
knowledge of the terms public policy and public interest to the movie scenario lesson they were
introduced to in Lesson 2 as well as create their own questions about public policies in their city or
community.
Objectives
 Students will be able to identify the meaning of public policy and public interest.
 Students will examine policies from different vantages.
 Students will identify useful questions to ask about public policies.
Time
 Two 50 minute class periods
Vocabulary
 Public Policy
o The changing collection of structures and rules that regulate our public interactions. Public
policy includes the procedures and laws that we follow in our civic affairs, and the
consequences and penalties we face when we don’t. (As defined in the KAT handbook)
 Public Interest
o Common benefit, the general benefit of the public (Encarta)
Strategies
 Independent work
 Paired work
 Whole class discussion
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Materials
 Copies (or a description) of a current policy under review in your city
 Copies of “Seeking the Public Interest” Worksheet
Potential Roles of a Public Official
 Serve as a content knowledge expert on public policy and public interest.
 Facilitate the public policy questions activity with the students.
Activities
1. Discuss with students the ideas of “public policy” and "public interest." Post the definitions of
these terms on your whiteboard. Help students understand these terms through a guided
discussion. Ask your students to think about what “publics" there are in your community.
a. Who is in your community? What different kinds of needs to different groups of people
have? Do people have different “interests” when it comes to city problems or issues?
Examples? Consider city services, such as a city park – do you think retired citizens
have different interests than young skate boarders or swimmers?
b. Are there groups in your community who celebrate Sabbath on Sunday, while others
celebrate on Friday and others on Saturday? What implications does that difference
have on making public policy decisions?
c. Is your community home to any large corporations? These businesses probably employ
some of your friends and relatives. They probably pay taxes, support other community
groups by advertising in local publications, and sponsor little leagues or scholarships.
But can you think of any interests that the corporations might have that would result in
public policies that would be different and separate from public interests of other
groups and people in the community?
d. Who speaks for the fish, for the air, for the ill people in your community? How do
those publics express their interests? To what degree are surrogate voices truly
representative of those they claim to represent? Does that make them right?
e. So who knows for sure what is in the public interest?
2. Using a policy currently under consideration or recently passed (such as mandatory teen
curfews, or mandatory parental supervision at the local skate park), have students answer the
questions on the student activity sheet (Seeking the Public Interest). This could be a good
small group activity. Check your city’s website or local newspaper for ideas on current
policies, you can also look at recent changes in a school policy.
3. Have the class come together and discuss what the individual groups decided.
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4. If there are differing opinions, have students debate the issue. Does the issue represent a clear
and present danger? Is there another way to accomplish the same goal? Is the policy the least
intrusive as possible?
5. Ask students to think about what public policies they benefit from and what public policies
they feel intrude upon their private rights. Again, this might lend itself to a small group
discussion to be followed by a whole class sharing.
Extension suggestion
As a culminating activity have students respond to the "Letter to the Editor" worksheet. You may want to
post some of your students' responses on the bulletin board.
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Name: _______________________________________ Date: _______________
SEEKING THE PUBLIC INTEREST
Think about the problem in the Movie Theater scenario. Most towns have local
zoning laws that allow certain kinds of businesses in some places, but not in
others. Think about this what would happen if there were NO zoning policy
about what could be built in residential areas. Ask questions so that you can
decide whether zoning policies are in the public interest.
1. Who wants to build on this lot? Who is against it? What are the differences
between the people who want it and the ones who are against it?
2. What benefits could come from building the movie theater? What problems
could come from building the movie theater?
3. What do zoning laws do in communities that have them? What problems do
they try to fix? For whom?
4. What problems do zoning laws create? For what groups of people?
5. Instead of a movie theater, what would you think about building a school on
the vacant lot? A jail? A hospital?
6. What kinds of costs would there be if a movie theater were built? Who
would pay?
7. What kinds of costs would there be to keep the lot as it is? Who would pay?
8. Who should decide what happens to the property? Why?
What other questions would you ask to decide if a policy is good for a
community?
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SEEKING THE PUBLIC INTEREST
Think about the public policy that says you have to attend school. Ask questions
so you can decide if you think this policy is a good one.
1. Who wants this public policy? Who is against it? What are the differences
between the groups?
2. Why does this policy exist? See if you can learn from its history what
problem this policy fixed.
3. Does this policy create any problems? Give examples.
4. Does this policy affect different groups in your town in different ways?
o Would it affect you differently if you were a different race?
o Would it affect you differently if you were rich? If you were
homeless?
o Does it affect different religious groups differently?
5. What is the cost of this public policy? Who pays?
6. What costs would there be if there was not a public policy requiring
education? Who would pay for it?
7. What are the side effects of this policy? Does it affect the land, the air,
traffic, trees, local businesses?
8. What do you think your grandchildren will think about this policy?
Find out about another public policy in your community. Ask questions about
it. Decide if you think it is a good policy for your community.
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SEEKING THE PUBLIC INTEREST
You are a citizen - the most important public office in the country!
Every month, public policy decisions are being made in your town and in your
school district. These affect you and how you live. Think of five questions you
would ask about public policies.
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
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PUBLIC POLICY
This letter was in the newspaper. Read it and write a response.
Dear Editor:
I am angry about the school taxes in this town. I am a senior citizen and I
do not have much money. I cannot pay so much money in taxes. I don't even
have any children in school. Why should I have to pay school taxes? Why can't
the families with children pay for the schools?
Angry Citizen
Your response:
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