Compare governments today: Brazil, Cuba and Mexico

Grade 8 Social Studies Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   How Cuba is governed (cards A to E; quotations from the 2019 Constitution of Cuba in the English translation published by the Constitute Project, unless noted). Card A, Articles 3 and 5: "In the Republic of Cuba, sovereignty resides nontransferably with the people, from which all of the State's power emanates." "The Communist Party of Cuba, unique, … is the superior driving force of the society and the State." Card B, Article 126 (cuts marked): "The President of the Republic is elected by the National Assembly of People's Power from among its representatives, for a period of five years …" "The President of the Republic may exercise the role for two consecutive periods, after which a person may not run for office again." Card C, the Assembly (in our words except in quotation marks): Article 102 calls the National Assembly of People's Power "the supreme organ of the power of the State". Its term is five years. It may extend its own term only in exceptional circumstances, by a vote of no less than two thirds of its members. It chooses the President, the Vice President and the Council of State, and it names the Prime Minister whom the President proposes. Article 101 (cut marked): "Elected representatives have the duty to periodically release required documentation regarding the performance of their duties and may be removed from office at any moment …". Card D, a dated fact (in our words, from reports by Al Jazeera, OnCuba and EFE): in the election of March 26, 2023, the ballot listed 470 candidates for the Assembly's 470 seats. Officials said all 470 were elected, each with more than half of the valid votes. The National Electoral Council reported turnout of 75.92 percent. Opposition groups and other critics disputed the result. Card E, for comparison, the United States Constitution (National Archives; cuts marked). Article II: "Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress …" The electors choose the President for a four-year term. Twenty-Second Amendment: "No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice …"

2. 1.

   What does Article 5 in card A say about the Communist Party, Ari asks?

   • It says several parties share power equally, each with the same say over the State
   • It says the Party has no role in the State and leaves the power with the voters
   • It names the Party as unique and the superior driving force of the State
   • It says the voters choose the Party each year, so it must win their support again
3. 2.

   A student writes: "Article 3 puts sovereignty in the people, so the people elect the President directly." How strong is that claim, given cards A and B, Bo asks?

   • Strong: card B says voters elect the President directly for a period of five years
   • Weak: card A says the people have no sovereignty, since power rests with the State
   • Weak: card B says the Assembly elects the President from among its representatives
   • Strong: Article 3 says the people choose each officeholder, so the vote must be direct
4. 3.

   Cards B and E set out how each country picks its President. How do they differ, Esme asks?

   • In both countries the legislature elects the President from among its own members, for a term set by the constitution
   • In Cuba the Assembly elects the President from its members; in the U.S., electors appointed by each State choose the President
   • In Cuba electors choose the President for a five-year term; in the U.S. the Assembly elects the President from among its members
   • In both countries a party alone picks the President, and the voters have no part in the choice
5. 4.

   Card B gives five-year terms and two consecutive periods. At most how many consecutive years is that, Jun asks?

   • 50 years
   • 5 years
   • 10 years
   • 25 years
6. 5.

   Which evidence would best show how the Assembly works in daily practice, Milo asks?

   • A single official speech praising how the Assembly works for the people
   • Article 102, which calls the Assembly the supreme organ of the power of the State
   • The text of the Constitution by itself, since it sets out how the Assembly is built
   • Assembly records and votes, checked against several independent reports
7. 6.

   A student writes: "Cuba holds no elections." How strong is that claim, given card D, Noah asks?

   • Strong: card D says no vote took place in 2023, so Cuba holds no elections
   • Overstated: card D describes a 2023 election, though critics dispute how it worked
   • Strong: card D says critics proved it was a sham, so Cuba holds no real elections
   • Weak: card D says the election was held in 1976, so Cuba has held no vote since then
8. 7.

   Card D gives an official account and critics' views that differ. What should a careful student do, Pia asks?

   • Ignore the whole election as unknowable, since the officials and critics disagree
   • Believe the official account because it is official and comes from the Electoral Council
   • Believe the critics because they disagree with the officials about the result
   • Note who says each claim and check each against results and independent reports
9. 8.

   Compare the two-term rules in cards B and E. Which statement is best supported, Ren asks?

   • Both allow unlimited terms, so one person could hold the office for life
   • Both limit the President to two periods, though Cuba's run five years and the U.S. term is four
   • Cuba has no limit on presidential terms, and the U.S. has a limit of two terms
   • The U.S. limit covers five-year terms, the same length as the term in the Cuban Constitution
10. 9.

    Article 101 in card C says elected representatives "may be removed from office at any moment." What does the text show and leave out about accountability, Tala asks?

    • It shows that voters have no role in holding their elected representatives to account
    • It shows that removals happen each year, since representatives may be removed at any moment
    • It shows that no representative has ever been removed from office since the 2019 Constitution
    • It shows a duty to report and a power to remove, but not how often removal happens
11. 10.

    A constitution is written by a government. What does that mean for using it as evidence about daily life, Zee asks?

    • It is worthless because a government wrote it, so it cannot show even the official rules
    • It shows just what outsiders think, because foreign readers translated and published it
    • It shows exactly how citizens live, since it covers each part of public life
    • It shows the official rules and aims, but not necessarily what happens in practice