Massachusetts

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Skills available for Massachusetts high school social studies standards

Standards are in black and IXL social studies skills are in dark green. Hold your mouse over the name of a skill to view a sample question. Click on the name of a skill to practice that skill.

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GOV.T1 Foundations of government in the United States

GOV.T2 Purposes, principles, and institutions of government in the United States

  • GOV.T2.1 Compare and contrast governments that are unitary, confederate, and federal.

  • GOV.T2.2 Identify and describe provisions of the United States Constitution and the Massachusetts Constitution that define and distribute powers and authority of the federal or state government.

  • GOV.T2.3 Explain the difference between a town and a city form of government in Massachusetts, including the difference between a representative and an open-town meeting.

  • GOV.T2.4 Explain the legal, fiscal, and operational relationships between state and local governments in Massachusetts.

  • GOV.T2.5 Distinguish among the enumerated and implied powers in the United States Constitution and the Massachusetts Constitution.

  • GOV.T2.6 Explain the functions of the courts of law in the governments of the United States and the state of Massachusetts with emphasis on the principles of judicial review and an independent judiciary.

  • GOV.T2.7 Explain the role, checks on the other two branches, and the powers particular to the President, including the implications of the authority to issue executive orders and the authority to appoint Federal judges.

  • GOV.T2.8 Explain the functions of executive branch departments or agencies in the United States or the state of Massachusetts; conduct research on one governmental agency to determine the reasons that it was established and give a contemporary example of the function it serves.

  • GOV.T2.9 Examine the constitutional principles of federalism, separation of powers among three branches of government, the system of checks and balances, republican government, representative democracy, and popular sovereignty. Analyze and evaluate one United States Supreme Court case that addresses these principles, and make an argument orally, in writing, or in a multimedia presentation, for either the majority or dissenting opinion in the case and explain what the case demonstrates about the relationship between the branches of government.

  • GOV.T2.10 Examine the relationships among the three main branches of the U.S. government in the current system of government, Congress, the Presidency, and the Federal Courts, as well as the Federal bureaucracy and the various balances of power between them. Evaluate historical challenges to the checks and balances among the branches of government and what they reveal about the relationship between the branches.

  • GOV.T2.11 Research the course of the movement to constrain and reduce the size of government since the 1980s and make an argument, supported by credible evidence and responses to possible counter-arguments, that makes the case for or against this movement. The argument may be presented in writing, orally, as in a debate, or in a multimedia presentation.

  • GOV.T2.12 Construct an argument about the relevance of the United States Constitution in the 21st century, analyzing the effectiveness of its concepts of the separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, and the rule of law; support the argument with examples from recent political history.

GOV.T3 Civil rights, human rights, and civil liberties

GOV.T4 Political parties, interest groups, media, and public policy

  • GOV.T4.1 Trace the evolution of political parties in the U.S. governmental system, analyze their organization, functions in elections and government at national and state levels, and evaluate examples of current methods used to promote candidates and issues.

  • GOV.T4.2 Research the platforms of political parties and candidates for state or national government and analyze data on campaign financing, advertising, and voter demographics, to draw conclusions about how citizens in the United States participate in public elections.

  • GOV.T4.3 Trace the evolution of interest groups, including political action committees (PACs); analyze the range of interests represented, the strategies used, the unique characteristics and roles of PACs in the political process, and the effects of interest groups on the political process. Evaluate perspectives on the role of interest groups since the founding of the U.S. (e.g. Federalist 10, current perspectives).

  • GOV.T4.4 Evaluate the benefits and disadvantages of new technologies in politics, including how they broaden the influence of media and public interest groups.

  • GOV.T4.5 Analyze current research on the impact of media on civic discourse and the importance of an informed citizenry that determines the credibility of sources and claims and exercises other sound media literacy skills.

  • GOV.T4.6 Compare the debate over a public policy issue from the past and a contemporary one and evaluate the role of political parties, interest groups and media in influencing public opinion.

  • GOV.T4.7 Use a variety of sources, including newspapers and digital sources, to identify a current local, state or national public policy issue and evaluate the influence on the legislative process of political parties, interest groups, grass roots organizations, lobbyists, public opinion, media, and individual voters.

  • GOV.T4.8 With other students, identify a significant public policy issue in the community, gather information about that issue, fairly evaluate the various points of view and competing interests, discuss policy options as a group and seek to arrive at a consensus or compromise agreement, examine ways of participating in the decision-making process about the issue, and draft one or more position papers, oral or multimedia presentations on how the issue may be resolved.

GOV.T5 The relationship of the United States to other nations in world affairs

  • GOV.T5.1 Give examples of the ways nation states interact, including trade, tourism, diplomacy, treaties and agreements, and military action.

  • GOV.T5.2 Analyze reasons for conflict among nation states, such as competition for resources and territory, differences in systems of government, and religious or ethnic conflicts.

  • GOV.T5.3 Identify and explain powers that the United States Constitution gives to the President and Congress in the area of foreign affairs.

  • GOV.T5.4 Describe the tools used to carry out United States foreign policy.

  • GOV.T5.5 Examine the different forces that influence U.S. foreign policy, including business and labor organizations, interest groups, public opinion, and ethnic and religious organizations.

  • GOV.T5.6 Differentiate among various governmental and nongovernmental international organizations, and describe their purposes and functions. (e.g., major governmental international organizations such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the World Court, and the Organization of American States (OAS); non-governmental entities (such as the International Red Cross and the Catholic Relief Services).

  • GOV.T5.7 Explain and evaluate participation by the United States government in international organizations such as the United Nations.

  • GOV.T5.8 Use a variety of sources, including newspapers, magazines, and the Internet to identify a significant world political, demographic, or environmental issue. Analyze how this issue may affect United States foreign policy in specific regions of the world, and make and argument, orally, in writing, or in a multimedia presentation that addresses the issue and acknowledges and refutes competing perspectives.