UNIT 3 OVERVIEW

Welcome to the third unit of ‘Florida: history, people and politics’. In this unit we will look at how Florida co-exists in a country with 49 other states. The people of Florida have come from very diverse and rich origins. Unit Three will look at how this many faceted state is becoming one of the country's largest, most multicultural regions within the fifty states.

Florida operates independently, to large extent, under its own set of rules and guidelines. This unit will examine those rules and guidelines, which are set forth in the Florida State Constitution. Unit Three will also compare how Florida's constitution differs from other states’ constitutions.

Our third unit will focus on Florida's relationship with the federal government, which we define as the concept of federalism. Florida's governance is intricately linked to the powers that it shares with Washington's political institutions. As Florida's needs and contributions change, so must its relationship with the federal government.

One of Florida's greatest distinctions is in its peoples, composed of a population that has migrated from not only other parts of the country, but also other parts of the world as well. There can be no greater resource than the tapestry that’s woven by different cultures and heritages. This unit will not only focus on the origins of people who currently live in Florida, but it will also look to the future, and who will be its new citizens.

Florida's very rapid growth, current and anticipated, along with a diverse population has created an extraordinary opportunity to live in a state rich in economic and natural resources. Along with this growth however comes a challenge. Diversity also brings with it conflict and the possibility that many people may be excluded from benefits that may be both deserved and earned. This section will study the issue of civil rights, which is the ruling principle of how we are treated, and how resources are distributed. This unit will examine how civil rights have been, and are being, applied in Florida. This examination may afford us the opportunity to learn from the successes, as well as the mistakes made in the application of civil right