How America Governs Itself 美國政治

Ground Rules · 這個系列的界線

What this series does, and what it leaves out 這個系列寫什麼、不寫什麼

These rules apply to every lesson. They are here so that a reader of any political view can use the series, and so that a teacher can use it without bringing personal politics into the classroom.
下面幾條每一課都適用。這樣不論讀者的政治立場是什麼都能用這套教材，老師拿來上課也不必帶進自己的政治意見。

• Civics, not commentary公民課，不是時事評論

  The lessons explain how institutions work. They do not praise or criticize any party or officeholder, and they do not say how anyone should vote.
  課文講制度怎麼運作，不稱讚也不批評任何政黨或公職人員，更不談該投給誰。

• Parties as institutions政黨只當作制度來講

  The two major parties appear only as parts of the system: what a party is, how the two came to be, and what parties do in elections and in Congress. Their platforms are not compared.
  兩大黨只當作制度的一部分來講：政黨是什麼、怎麼來的、在選舉和國會裡做什麼。不比較兩黨的主張。

• No living politicians不寫在世的政治人物

  Current and recent presidents, members of Congress, and justices are not named or judged. Examples come from history, where the main facts are documented and the events are long past.
  現任與近年的總統、議員、大法官，不寫名字、不作評價。例子取自歷史——主要的事實有紀錄可查，事情也已經過去很久。

• Open controversies are not lesson topics還在爭論的議題不當主題

  Questions that Americans are still fighting over are not the subject of any lesson, and the series takes no position on them. To show how the system handles disagreement, it uses cases that are now history. The Design Debate card in each lesson is a different thing: a question about method or design that scholars of every political view argue over. The card states each side and does not choose.
  美國社會還在激烈爭論的議題，不當作任何一課的主題，這個系列也不表態。要說明制度怎麼處理意見不同時，用已經成為歷史的案例。每一課的「制度的爭論」卡是另一回事：那是不同政治立場的學者都在爭論的方法或設計問題；卡片把兩邊都寫出來，不替它們選。

• Domestic institutions only只講國內的制度

  The series is about how the United States governs itself at home. Foreign policy is outside its scope.
  這個系列講的是美國在國內怎麼治理自己；對外政策不在範圍內。

• History told straight歷史照實寫

  Many of the men who designed the system held other people in slavery. At first only a minority could vote, and Native Americans, Black Americans, and women won their rights later and with difficulty. The lessons say so.
  設計這套制度的人，很多自己蓄奴；一開始能投票的只是少數人，原住民族、黑人和女性的權利是後來辛苦爭取來的。這些課文都會寫。

• Numbers with a source and a year數字標明來源與年份

  Seats, electoral votes, and counts of amendments or cases can change. Each figure is checked against an official source when the lesson is written, and the year is given.
  席次、選舉人票、修正案或案件的數目都可能改變。每個數字在寫那一課時對過官方來源，並標出年份。

• Taiwan, compared by design only和台灣只比制度的設計

  The Taiwan card sets two designs side by side, quoting the text of the Constitution of the Republic of China and official explanations. It does not say which design is better, and it leaves Taiwan's parties and current events alone.
  「和台灣比一比」把兩種設計並排，引用中華民國憲法條文與官方說明；不評價哪一種比較好，也不碰台灣的政黨與時事。