Summary:
Based on evidence data from an election held in a Brazilian city, the students perform the counting of votes, pointing out the elected people for both the proportional and majority system. Compared to the official result, they are asked about the Brazilian electoral system model and its implications for democracy.
Objective:
- GENERAL GOAL: It is to make students understand the functioning of the institutions in the context of democracies. - SPECIFIC GOAL: It is to understand the functioning of institutions, work with the Electoral Rule Code, and critically question the model and its implications.
Dynamics:
- TEACHING METHOD: Socratical dialogue, problem-based learning and role-playing.
- REQUIREMENTS: it has the previous reading of the work Modelos de Democracia, by Arend LIJPHART.
- INTRODUCTION TO THE DYNAMICS: the classroom was divided into groups of four components and it was distributed to them the result of the 2004 elections from determined city, as well as the resolution of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) about theme (attached). The professor explained the dynamics and development, prompting the groups to identify the winners of that election, the difference in votes and the blank and null votes (10min). - DEVELOPMENT OF THE DYNAMICS: the groups should compile results indicating who were the candidates that won the elections, using the reference consult material (valid regulation in that electoral context). Meanwhile, the professor circulated to monitor the classroom and foster the discussions. After completing, within 40 minutes, the groups handed in writing the result of the counting that they did, and at the same time the professor placed the official result of the election on the blackboard and compared it to those achieved by the groups. Additionally, the professor used the Socratical dialogue to discuss the implications of the template model and partied coalitions, the importance of it for federalism and unitarianism, the comparison to different forms of democracy, the different forms of participation, etc. In addition, some questions have been suggested in the attachments.
- END OF THE DYNAMICS: there was a reflection about the consequences of the electoral system model that has been adopted in Brazil (50min). - ATTENTION IN THE CLASSROOM: The students should have an idea of the majority and proportional system. Also, it is good to request the delivery of the counting calculation to see how the achieved results. The professor should always choose small towns with few candidates, to make the dynamics possible.
Evaluation:
- FEEDBACK: It was done at all classes during the closure.
- GRADE EVALUATION: written and oral participation.
Observation:
Copyright from the cover page image:
Image: "Senado2006", 2006, available by the Wikimedia Commons user "Dantadd", photographer: Wilson Dias/Agência Brasil, under the Creative Commons BY 3.0 license