Big Deal (TV Edit) (ATOM Study Guide)

Christiaan Van Vuuren is an everyday Aussie – a comedian and a father with a keen sense of fairness and justice. Christiaan is proud of his country, its peaceful society and its sound political system. So proud, in fact, that he might be a little complacent. Smug, even.

Big Deal begins with Christiaan mocking the fact that the US democracy has been taken over by big money, but he soon realises that the situation in his home country is not all that different. A wake-up call about the frightening extent to which money has infiltrated politics, Christiaan's unlikely journey shows us why we should care, and how we might work together to ensure our democracy is safeguarded from being sold to the highest bidder.

Running time: 2 × 55-minute episodes

Curriculum Links:

Active citizenship and democratic values such as equity and justice are much lauded in our schools and the broader Australian community. Big Deal presents an opportunity to explore the extent to which these concepts and values hold up in the context of political donations and lobbying.

This study guide is suitable for mid to senior secondary students and tertiary students and supports the development of Critical and Creative Thinking and Ethical Understanding.

It is best suited to the teaching of:

• Humanities and Social Sciences (Civics and Citizenship)
• Senior school Politics and Law (supplementary text)
• English
• Media