The CIVICS Initiative

The CIVICS Initiative A Program of the Harvard Institute of Politics and The Phillips-Brooks House Association FALL 2009 CURRICULUM . . . . . . . . . Unit I: Introductions to CIVICS and the Ideas of Democracy What is the purpose of government? What would the world look like without one? What is the ideal form of government? Lesson Goals  Create an Environment of Free Expression. Students need to leave the first class understanding that CIVICS is a place for sharing and speaking out. The process of introducing yourselves (and letting students introduce themselves) is extremely important. Be relaxed and informal, and don‘t hesitate to cold-call on students or to invite quieter students to comment throughout the course of the class. Get Your Students to Start Thinking About the Purposes of Government. Students should leave the first class thinking about what they would do if they had the responsibility of creating and running government.  Unit I: Introduction to CIVICS Critical Terminology & the Ideas of Democracy Citizen: A participating member of society. Constitution: Written document setting forth the fundamental rules of society under government. Constitutional Convention: The meeting in 1787 that brought America‘s Founders together to draft the U.S. Constitution. Contract: An agreement made between two or more people that they promise to keep. A social contract is an agreement between citizens about the rules that society should have. Democracy: Governance through majority rule in which all people are treated equally under the law. Government: The only institution in society that can legitimately force people to do things— and punish them if they don‘t. Freedom: The ability to think, say, and do what one wants to think, say, and do, so long as he doesn‘t hurt other people in the process. Laws: The formal rules of society. Rights: Abilities we have simply because we are human. (i.e. ability to say what we want without fear that someone will kill us, ability to practice whatever religion we want, ability not to be put in jail unfairly) Tyranny of the Majority: One danger of a democracy without constitutional rights: the majority can oppress the minority through voting. Part 1: Introductions  20 min.  Introducing the Teachers. The most important thing for you to do in the first class is to introduce yourselves to your students; this is the first step toward making them trust you, which is a prerequisite to any meaningful education. Capitalize on the fact that you‘re college students, since elementary and middle school students are fascinated by the idea of college life – automatically granting you social cache you wouldn‘t otherwise possess. Tell them who you are, where you‘re from, what you study, what your favorite extracurricular activities are – and why you‘re amazingly excited to be with them participating in this thing called CIVICS. Introducing the Students. Requiring all students to introduce themselves instills the expectation that everyone must speak out and participate regularly in CIVICS. (Participation in CIVICS is compulsory.) You may want students to put on nametags during the course of this activity. Student introductions function most effectively when they also operate as a segue to real CIVICS content: so, try out the following activity. ACTIVITY 1. “If I Were President…” Pass out note cards to all the students. Have them write down their name on one side of the note card. On the other side, instruct them to write down what their first action would be if they were president—and (most importantly) why. Tell them that they should write something down that they would do for the good of the country, not just for their personal gain. Have every student share one idea with the rest of the class. (Don‘t forget to make them tell you why—it‘s important to keep track of what justifications for policies and laws your students consider legitimate at the beginning vs. end of the class!) Part 2: What is a government? Why do we need them? 25 min. ACTIVITY 2. “Into the State of Nature: A Desert Island Scenario.” Inform your students that their entire class has crash-landed on a desert island. The only survivors are the students. Ask your students what they would do in such a scenario, with an eye toward keeping the discussion focused on political concerns (i.e. don‘t entertain an elaborate plan of how to desalinate the ocean water). Direct a general class discussion, keeping written track (on paper) of the rules that students want to put in place. Use the following questions if necessary to keep student participation focused, with the end goal of making students realize the importance of delineating a set of general rules for organizational structure and individual rights in the form of a constitution. (Make sure that students address both organizational questions and rights, like our real constitution.) Guiding Questions    Who is in charge? What happens if multiple people want to be in charge? What kind of people get to be in charge? Are there any kinds of people who could never be in charge? What happens when one member (point to a student) of the class hits another (point to a student)? Should people on the island be able to hit each other? If people disagree on the facts of who hit whom first, who should be the person that decides? What if one person (choose a student) decides she doesn‟t like the rules you‟ve just made. Should she be allowed to leave and start her own society on the island? One student (point to somebody) mentions he was talking about how much he dislikes a certain TV show (name a show)—and is indeed thrilled that, being on a desert island, he‟ll never need to watch that show again. Most of the people on the island really like (and miss) that TV show. They decide that the person shouldn‟t be able to give his opinions on TV shows anymore. Is that okay? (If they seem inclined to endorse majoritarianism, ask one of the majoritarians if he would agree with the principle if he happened to be in the minority. (Base this question on real information you extract from students by asking them individually what they‟re favorite show is, etc.) Even though everyone seems interested in being a part of this process of making the rules, at some point many of the people on the island are going to want to go build homes and find food (and maybe even—someday—have a family!). So, it‟s probably a good idea to choose some people to spend lots of time taking care of making the rules. How should we decide them? How many should there be?    Part 3: Democracy, Constitutions, and the American Founding 10 min. At this point in the class, you must de-brief from the scenario by explaining a few key points and asking the students to reflect on the process:  So…What is CIVICS? Inform your students that CIVICS is precisely the project they just completed: figuring out what they would do if they had the job of creating the rules and structure of government because as citizens we are all engaged in shaping our society. Yet what CIVICS also teaches us is that this is hardly an exercise in make-believe, since we live in a… Democracy. The exercise we completed in the desert-island activity was a process of democracy: a process in which discussion between participating citizens determines the rules of the entire society. This is the kind of government in which we live, which means that we as citizens have the ability to contribute to the creation and implementation of society‘s rules. And such a process of democracy leads people to develop…   Constitutions. A constitution is a written document describing the fundamental rules of government that the majority decides. This includes not only the organizational structures of government (who leads and how are they chosen), but also rights: abilities we should have simply because we are human, such as the ability to say what we believe without getting hurt. Even though democracy is about the rule of the majority (a leader with 3 out of every 4 people supporting him will win against someone with only 1 out of every 4 supporting him), members of the majority in a society realize that someday they might not be in the majority, and so they want special constitutional protections for minority members of society. The American Founding. While the Founding Fathers were not born on a desert island, they did have to undergo a similar process to today‘s exercise. After the American colonists declared their independence from the British, they too gathered in a room and wrote a constitution that described the rules of government and the rights entitled to all citizens. The document they produced is the U.S. Constitution, and it is this document that is the primary focus of CIVICS. Next class we will begin to examine the contents of this document. Throughout the semester, we will continue to compare it to our own island‘s constitution, paying attention to how our thinking today differed from the Founders, in the hopes that we might ultimately understand why they made the choices they did.  Part 4: Review 5 min. At the end of every lesson that you teach this semester, you must spend at least sometime at the end of every lesson, reviewing the material from the day. Don‘t worry if you didn‘t manage to cover everything that you wanted to in the time allotted. That‘s okay. But DON‘T leave until you‘ve asked your students what they learned that day. A simple way to wrap up a lesson, is to ask your students to name three things that they learned that day. It helps them to reflect on what happened during the lesson, and it let‘s you know whether or not you have done your job for the day. TEACHER REFERENCE Below you can find additional information to enrich your discussion with your students. While these concepts, historical facts and activities are extremely valuable, they should be a complement to and not a replacement for the material above! Our Democratic Government There are two important ideals of democracy: majority decision-making and equality of political and civil rights. Democratic governments give structure to democracy. Different democratic governments through the ages have given structure to democracy in very different ways. In ancient Greece, citizens participated in government by attending public assemblies. In the United States today, citizens participate by electing representatives who will represent their views and beliefs. This is called a representative government. Pure democracy often decreases efficiency and risks a tyranny of the majority. 1. If our government featured a pure democracy, then every citizen of the United States would have to gather together whenever a decision needed to be made. Government would take up too much time and effort for the citizens. 2. Learning the complexities of difficult issues also takes a lot of time and work. In a pure democracy, the majority of citizens might vote in an uninformed manner or think only of their personal interests, violating minority rights in the process. It is precisely for these reasons that the United States uses representative government. Shaping a New Government – A Division of Power On May 14, 1787, George Washington opened the Constitutional Convention, held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The convention was called by the Congress to revise the Articles of Confederation, the body of laws that then dictated the governmental structure of the United States. Fifty-five delegates arrived from twelve of the thirteen colonies (Rhode Island did not send a delegation). Adopting a code of secrecy, the delegates went to work to produce a single unified document, the Constitution. The delegates found common ground in their shared belief that the new government should feature a division of power. This, they thought, would prevent any particular individual or group of individuals from acquiring too much authority. Our government features this division of power in several ways. Political authority is divided among the federal government, the several state governments, and the several local governments. This division among federal, state and local government is called federalism. The Constitution also divides power within the federal government itself among three branches of government: Legislative, Executive and Judicial. The Legislative Branch, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, is responsible for drafting legislation (laws). The President, at the head of the Executive Branch, ensures that the laws are executed and serves several other functions. The Judicial Branch interprets the law, and through judicial review, has the authority to strike down legislation. Do You Want to Know More? Compromises at the Convention Sharp disagreements characterized several phases of the Convention. For example: 1. Small states vs. Large States: Larger states like Virginia and New York argued for proportional representation (the number of reps correspond to the state population) whereas smaller states like Delaware were afraid of being overshadowed. The compromise created a two-house legislature, in which each state is represented proportionally in the House of representatives and each state is given two members of the Senate. Weak vs. Strong Executive: Many delegates, remembering the British king as a tyrant, were wary of a strong American president, while others believed that without a strong President, the nation would flounder. The delegates eventually compromised by giving the president many responsibilities but also limiting his power with a series of checks and balances between the three branches of government. State vs. Federal Government: The federal government under the Articles of Confederation was generally agreed to be too weak. However, many delegates still believed in a United States where the state governments reigned supreme. Eventually, the delegates decided to supremacy to the federal government but promised the state governments a Bill of Rights (to be discussed in the spring). The 3/5ths Compromise: Slavery, crucial to the economy of the south but detested by many as grievous violation of human rights, became a very heated issue in the 2. 3. 4. Constitutional Convention. Southern states insisted on counting slaves to increase their representation in the House of Representatives (but refused to let slaves vote), while northerners vehemently disagreed. Eventually it was decided to count every slave as 3/5ths of a free white person for representation. Slavery as an issue wasn‘t resolved for about 90 years until the Civil War. Thus, the final document resembled a compromise of radically different perspectives. Do You Want to Know More? Thoughts on Democracy Today in the United States, nearly everybody supports the chief tenet of democracy – that there should be majority rule and that voting citizens should be politically and civilly equal. While we take these beliefs for granted, it is important to recognize that democracies exist in fewer than half the countries of the world. Further, large-scale democracies, like the democracy of the United States, have existed for only a few hundred years. Throughout history, and even today, the principles of democracy have been debated at length. Here are a few of the arguments in support, and in opposition, of democracy. These quotations might help a thoughtful group to think more about the uniqueness of our government. In Support of Democracy: All Men Are Born Equal The American Declaration of Independence contains the words, ―We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these, are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.‖ Since all men (and women) are equal, it follows that all men and women should be given political equality in government. In Opposition of Democracy: All Men Are Not Equal The Greek philosopher Plato wrote, ―Democracy is a charming form of government, full of variety and disorder, and dispensing a sort of equality to equals and unequals alike.‖ If not all people are equal, why should they be given political equality? In Support of Democracy: Democracy Prevents Tyranny Robert Dahl writes, ―Perhaps the most fundamental and persistent problem in politics is to avoid autocratic rule… the human costs of despotic rule rival those of disease, famine and war.‖ In a democracy, tyrants can be replaced by the people, since the people are in charge. In Opposition of Democracy: The Tyranny of the Majority Vladimir Lenin, the communist revolutionary, said, ―A democracy is a state which recognizes the subjecting of the minority to the majority.‖ Critics of democracy point out that oftentimes the minority is right, and the majority is wrong. For example, for one hundred years the state governments of the southern United States maintained the institution of slavery because it received the support of majorities in each state. Do We Need More Democracy Or Less Democracy? To have good government, you often need less, not more, democracy. Kishore Mahbubani (1948– ), Singaporean diplomat. The Observer (London) "Sayings of the Week" (April 17, 1994) All the ills of democracy can be cured by more democracy. Al Smith (1873–1944), U.S. politician. Speech, Albany, New York (June 27, 1933) Other Activities . 1. Name Note Cards: Pass out a blank 3x5 note card to each student. In addition to their names, have the students take a few minutes to write down something about themselves that will enable you to get to know them better (e.g. hobby or pastime, favorite musical group, sport, thing to do on vacation). Collect the note cards and use them to help you gauge the students‘ interests and get to know their names. Name Game: Play a name game with your kids. There are many options. One is to pass out M&Ms and having the students say one thing about themselves, one issue that they care about, for each M&M they have. You could also play ―Two Truths and a Lie,‖ where the students say three things about themselves and everyone tries to figure out which is a lie, or a name association game, where the students say something that starts with the same letter as their name. If I Had a Million Dollars: Have the students pretend that each has a million dollars to donate to local government earmarked for some particular fund. For instance, one might donate the money with the contingency that the government spends it on education. Each student should introduce themselves and present their ideas to the class. 2. 3. Democracy and Democratic Governments 1. Pros and Cons of Majority Rule Democracy: Divide the students into four groups. Give each group a sheet of paper containing a quotation either supporting or opposing majority rule democracy. Have students discuss the quotation and debate to what extent they agree with the quotation. Bring the class back together and have each group share the key points of their debate. Class Discussion: Can majority rule democracies make poor decisions? Why or why not? Are there solutions to this problem? Is democracy useful only as a defensive measure against tyranny? In other words, is it the ―best‖ form of government because it is the only form of government that will not lead to disaster? Acting Out a Democracy: Have the students vote about which kind of candy they‘d like you to bring in the following week. First, have all the students submit a vote, and count each one equally, with the majority winning. Then, have just one student (the ―dictator‖) choose the type of candy. Then, have only a select group vote. Have a class discussion about which type of voting process was the most fair. 2. 3. The Constitutional Convention and the Division of PowerClass Constitution: To complement your discussion about the Constitution, create a constitution for your CIVICS class with rules that everyone must follow, e.g. always raise your hand before speaking. You might choose to include the classroom teacher, as well as yourselves, in this process in order to demonstrate the effect of different perspectives. 1. Reenact the Constitutional Convention: Tell the students that they are the Framers and are faced with the task of fixing the problems of the Articles of Federation. Discuss how best to create a government that will protect the diversity of people in the nation, satisfy the large and small states, the North and the South, the Anti-Federalists (states-rights) and the Federalists (strong national government). . . . . . . . . . Unit II: Who Makes the Laws? The Legislative Branch In the last lesson, we discussed the concept of democracy and the idea of a constitution that defines the structure of government. In this lesson, we will discuss how laws are made in a democracy and how the U.S. Constitution sets up the process of lawmaking. Lesson Goals  Teach students the role of Congress in the American system. Students should understand the basic concepts of balance of powers, and know that the branch responsible for lawmaking is called the legislative branch. They should also understand the differences between House of Representatives and the Senate. Teach students the process through which laws are made. By the end of the lesson students should understand how a bill becomes a law. Get Involved. Make sure students understand their role in the legislative process. How do they fit into the making of a bill? Discuss how they can contact their local representative and make a difference.   Critical Terminology Bill: An idea for a law that a legislature is going to vote on. Congress: The body of government that initiates, debates, and votes on legislation; consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Law: A rule made by government that citizens are required to follow, or be punished. House of Representatives: The lower, larger (435 members) house of Congress Legislation: Proposed new laws (bills) that are considered by Congress. Legislature: Any government body that votes on laws. Senate: The higher, smaller (100 members) house of Congress. Part 1: Introduction: What is a Law? 10 min. Activity 1: Laws and Us. Begin class with a general discussion of what kinds of laws exist. Have students raise their hands and give some examples of laws that impact their lives (laws about driving, drinking, drugs, jay-walking, stealing, immigration, guns, etc.). To bring it even closer to home, you can talk about laws like they are rules in the classroom—compare the two to indicate the role that laws play in life. One teacher should write the studentgenerated examples on the board. The point of this section is to illustrate that lawmaking is not a process that occurs far away in Washington or Beacon Hill: it has implications for our own lives right here in our home communities. This shows how laws apply to students. Part 2: Legislative Branch 15 min. This is some of the only lecturing that needs to occur in the entire semester, so keep it lively, energetic, and question-oriented. Mechanics of the Legislative Branch. The legislative branch makes the laws. The United States features a representative government. This means that democratically elected representatives are chosen by the people to represent their interests. Citizens elect representatives to two different houses: the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House of Representatives has 435 members. Each state is assigned a certain number of representatives depending on population size. The states are divided into congressional districts, and each district elects one representative to the House every two years. Today, less-populated states like Vermont and Wyoming have only one representative, while California, the most populated state, has 53 representatives. Massachusetts has 10 representatives. Who is Cambridge’s representative? Michael Capuano (find the rep for the district you are teaching in) The Senate has 100 members - 2 from each of the 50 states. This means that small states like Vermont and Wyoming and large states like California are represented equally. Who are Massachusetts’ Senators? John Kerry & Pending Replacement for Ted Kennedy Activity 2: How great is the Great Compromise? Ask students why they think the Founders set up this system the way they did. Explain that when the framers were writing the Constitution, nobody really wanted a congress with two parts. Delegates from big states wanted the entire congress to be like the House (so they would have the most power), while delegates from small states wanted it to be like the senate (so they wouldn‘t be ignored). The bicameral congress is the result of what was called the ―Great Compromise.‖ What do you think of the great compromise? Which system would you have preferred if you were a delegate? What do you think is the fairest way to balance big and small states? HOW A BILL BECOMES A LAW A bill starts as an idea Bill discussed and revised by House committee Bill discussed and revised by Senate committee Bill debated on House floor Bill debated on Senate floor Bill voted on by House Bill voted on by Senate A Conference Committee combines the House and Senate bills The President signs the bill into law The president vetoes the bill The veto stands 2/3 of Congress overrides the veto Part 3: Model Congress 25 min. Do not simply show your kids the diagram of how a bill becomes a law! Teach them the process through participation in the Congress Simulation. Activity 3: Congress Simulation. Pick an issue of relevance to your students‘ lives; depending on the tone of the class and the length of time, it can be anything from ―Should there be CIVICS homework this week?‖ or ―How can be curb the increasing number of gun victims in the inner city?‖ Divide the students into two groups representing the House of Representatives and the Senate. Give each student an identity (i.e. Senator John Kerry). Have each group write out an idea. Then have either the CIVICS volunteers or the classroom teacher be the President and veto the bill, forcing the class to compromise and write a new, less extreme version of it. Allow the bill to pass. (Don‘t tell them about the 2/3 veto ability until after!) The point is that lawmaking is inherently a process of compromise between disagreeing people. Part 4: Personal Contributions & Questions 10 min. This week, we learned about the legislative branch and how laws are made in the United States. As a way to end our lessons each week we will ask students to reflect on how what they learned and what role it plays in their lives. Questions for Discussion: Did the process go how you imagined it should go? What seemed right? What seemed wrong? Are there issues/laws you feel should be changed? Confused about? What are some recent subjects you‘ve heard being debated by the legislative branch? (Health Care Policy) How can students get involved in the process? (write a letter to local representative) Teacher Reference: The Creation of the Legislative Branch The creation of the two chamber of the Legislative Branch was one of the great compromises of the Constitution. Large states wanted to take advantage of their populations with proportional representation. Small states wanted to level the playing field by having each state represented by the same number of representatives. Roger Sherman of Connecticut proposed the Connecticut Compromise, in which the large states got proportional representation in the House and the small states got equal representation in the Senate. There are a few key differences in the powers of the House and the Senate: 1. The House of Representatives must initiate all bills for raising revenues (taxes). It also has the power to impeach (indict) a federal office-holder. 2. The Senate must approve presidential appointments and ratify (approve) treaties with foreign countries. A division of power exists within the Legislative Branch – this is the reason for two separate houses. In order for legislation to be made into law, it must be approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate – with exactly the same wording in both chambers. If there is a difference in the wording in the legislation, the bill will go to conference committee, in which members of the House and Senate will try to come to an agreement over the exact wording. Constitutional Powers of Congress Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution further clarifies this right by outlining several specific powers. This clarification draws distinctions between the legislative powers of the federal government and the legislative powers of the various states. There are too many to teach and examine in one session, but several of them are listed below. 1. ―The Congress shall have Power to lay and collect Taxes…‖ This power to tax is crucial. Following the Revolutionary War, the United States faced enormous debts. Today, programs like Social Security and Medicare are funded by federal taxes. 2 ―To borrow money on the credit of the United States‖ 3. ―To establish an uniform rule of Naturalization…‖ Naturalization refers to the process of becoming an American citizen. 4. ―To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof…‖ Before the adoption of the Constitution, each of the several states utilized a different system of currency. 5. ―To establish Post Offices and post Roads‖ 6. ―To declare War…To raise and support Armies…To provide and maintain a Navy‖ 7. ―To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution for foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.‖ . . . . . . . . . Unit III: Who Enforces the Laws? The Executive Branch What role should the President play in our government? How do the President and the Executive Branch interact with Congress? How will the result of the upcoming election change the presidency? Lesson Goals  Understanding the exact role of the President and his assistants. Students almost always believe that the President is directly responsible for the making of laws or setting of policy. By the end of this lesson, students should understand that the President has a much more nuanced role, and that his power has limits. We should communicate four primary principles: 1. The President is responsible for enforcing the laws, while also influencing Congressional action through the veto. But the President does not make the laws, nor does he interpret them – those jobs are reserved for others in government. The President is the primary driver of US foreign policy. Presidents meet with foreign leaders, negotiate treaties, and, perhaps most importantly, serve as commander in chief. Yet there are checks on these powers; a vote of Congress is required to declare war, and it takes a supermajority of the Senate to ratify a treaty. One of the most powerful roles the President plays is the power of persuasion. An effective President will persuade the public, the Congress, and even some political opponents to adopt his ideas by giving speeches, traveling the country, and promoting his vision for a better America. The President is ―the most powerful person in the world,‖ but does not act alone. An extensive team of expert advisers helps the President make decisions about his many nuanced areas of responsibility. The President is the face and the final decision-maker of the Executive 2. 3. 4. Branch, but the job would be impossible without the Cabinet and many other officials. Critical Terminology Cabinet A group of advisors within the Executive Branch appointed by the President with the Senate‘s approval; each is the director of an important federal department. President: The chief of state, commander in chief, and the head of the executive branch. Veto: The presidential act of rejecting Congressional legislation. Vetoed legislation can still become law with the approval of 2/3rds of both the House and the Senate. Vice-President: The second in command, the VP is elected with the President and assumes the office if the President dies. Part 1: What is a president? 10 min. ACTIVITY 1. “First Impressions.” Open class with a general discussion of who the president is. What words come to mind when they think of the word ―president?‖ Write these on the board and comment on any relationships between them. Then, ask students to describe the virtues or characteristics the ideal president should have. Press them on why they think a president should have these characteristics (i.e. if a student suggests ―compassionate,‖ ask whether compassion might really be a weakness since a president needs to be strong in times of war).  Enforcing the Law. Now that students have shared their initial thought on the presidency, you can begin to help them understand what the President actually does, and understand how laws are carried out by him and his administration. Explain that the president‘s primary responsibility is to enforce the law. If Congress makes a law requiring that schools have more difficult tests, it is up to the president to ensure that those schools are having more difficult tests. If Congress makes a law requiring new roads, it‘s the president‘s job to ensure that they are built. Moreover, the president doesn‘t pursue these Presiding, but Never Alone. Students should also understand that, given the wide range of tasks the government has to do, one person can‘t handle everything. Help students understand that some authority is given to assistants to the President, under his control but often working independently to do what Congress requires. Further, explain that these people often have specialized experience in certain areas that makes them more qualified on issues than the President.  Part 2: Presidential Power 15 min. Now that students understand the vastness of the President‘s responsibilities, they need to learn that his power is not without limits. The Founding Fathers set up our system of government to prevent one person from having king-like power, but they also wanted to ensure that the president could wield his power effectively. ACTIVITY 2. “One or many: the game of power.” When the founders wrote an early draft of the Constitution (called the Articles of Confederation), they initially wanted an executive branch with 13 co-leaders working together. Why do you think they changed their minds? Have students suggest advantages and disadvantages to having a single executive vs. having a group of people decide. Discuss when it might be appropriate to have Congress make decisions as a group, and when we would want one person in charge. Is it ever better to make decisions where people (or their representatives) don‘t get to vote on the issues? Students should decide how much authority the president should have over some or all of the following things (depending on time): declaring and fighting wars, carrying out diplomatic negotiations, choosing his assistants, choosing other government employees (like judges), vetoing laws passed by Congress, and issuing pardons. Spend a minute or two on each example, debating how much power the President should have over these issues (for example, should he be able to declare war, or fight wars at all? Can he negotiate treaties with any other downed passengers we meet, or do we have to do it as a Congress?), and then explain how the U.S. deals with the issues discussed. The goal of the section is to illustrate the tension between efficiency and stability; it‘s more efficient to have one person running the show since it cuts down on the amount of time and resources necessary to make decisions, but it‘s also risky and potentially unstable if that person makes bad choices. The American system has attempted a balancing act between the two. Guiding Questions  Are there times that it makes more sense to have one leader directing things rather than a Congress? When does it make more sense for Congress to take the lead? Would it be difficult for 15 members of our Congress to oversee a road-building project? During war or emergencies, should there be one commander at the top or 13, as in the Articles of Confederation? Should the President be able to prevent certain laws from taking effect? On what grounds is this acceptable, for one man to overrule the will of our Congress? Is it sometimes ok, and sometimes not ok for a veto to take place (if it‟s an unenforceable law, it‟s ok to veto it, but if the President simply doesn‟t agree, should he be allowed to veto it if Congress thinks it‟s a good law)? If we allow the President to veto laws, then should there be something to keep him from vetoing good bills?   Part 3: President-Cabinet Simulation 25 min. The Executive Branch includes many people, not just the President. There are 15 different departments that each focus on a different policy area (i.e. Defense, State, Homeland Security, Transportation). Each department has a head called a Secretary. All of those Secretaries work together to advise the President as part of his Cabinet. ACTIVITY 3. Mock Cabinet – Budget Allocation. The President has $100 billion left to budget out to various federal programs. Assign students roles as each cabinet member and the President, or split them into small groups representing the agencies of your choice. You might choose to be President yourself, depending on your class. Provide students with descriptions of their positions and activities, and ask them to present their ideas for how to use the extra money to the President. Alternately, you could have a mock budget cut meeting and ask the students how they would cut funding from their departments. Part 4: What have we learned? 10 min.  Who’s in charge? We have discussed two different branches of our government already, designed for two different tasks; we need them to complement and check each other. One makes the laws, while the other carries them out, and the respective powers of each prevent one or the other from completely dominating government or the people.  The role of the President. Students should know that decisions made by the President do affect their everyday lives. Carrying out the laws means a lot more than just overseeing the police—it can also mean overseeing building projects, health care, electricity generation, foreign policy, etc.  What can the President do alone, and why? Certain jobs of the President are more effectively carried out by one person, like negotiating treaties or meeting with foreign leaders, or even conducting a war. The Constitution gives the President these powers so that he/she can carry out these tasks when quick decision-making is needed.  What role does the Cabinet play? Cabinet members serve as advisors to the President. Each member specializes in one area (i.e. Defense) and acts as the head of that particular department. The President chooses his Cabinet members (though they must be confirmed by the Senate). Teacher Reference Key Information: Presidential Powers and Responsibilities What is the role of the President of the United States according to the Constitution (Article II Section 2)? POWERS: o o The President is Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States. This responsibility suggests another: the President should be well informed about foreign affairs. The President can grant reprieves (postponements of punishment) and pardons (releases from punishment) except in cases of impeachment (cases which involve government officials). o o o The President has the power to make treaties with the advice and consent of the Senate. Two thirds of the Senators must agree to a proposed treaty before it is valid.This is a check and balance between the Executive and Legislative Branches. The President can nominate Ambassadors, Judges of the Supreme Court, and other public ministers with the advice and consent of the Senate. Two thirds of the Senators must approve nominations before they are valid. This is a check and balance between the Executive, Judicial, and Legislative Branches. Another important responsibility is explained in Article I, Section 7 (this is the Article which discusses the responsibilities of the Legislative Branch). Once legislation is passed by both houses of Congress (the Senate and the House of Representatives), the President must decide whether or not to sign the bill into law. If the President disapproves of the bill, the President can veto it (reject it and send it back to Congress with objections). The Congress can override this veto by acquiring a two thirds majority vote in each of the two houses. This is a check and balance between the Executive and Legislative branches. RESPONSIBILITIES: o o o o The President ensures that the laws are faithfully executed. The President recommends potential laws and actions to Congress. The President gives an address on the State of the Union each year. The President receives Ambassadors and other public Ministers, and has historically served other ceremonial responsibilities similar to this one, which are not mentioned in the Constitution. The President might, for example, give public addresses to commemorate historical landmarks. In this regard, the President is like a Prime Minister and a Monarch – the President is expected to satisfactorily fulfill governmental and ceremonial functions. What are the responsibilities of the Vice President? The Constitution tells us: o o o The Vice-President is the President of the Senate, but only votes when the Senate vote is tied. Because this rarely happens, the Vice President usually leaves thePresident Pro Tempore (traditionally, the senior Senator of the majority party) in charge of the Senate. If the President dies, resigns, or is removed from office, the Vice President becomes President and serves the remainder of the term. If the President cannot fulfill his duties, the Vice President serves as Acting President. Because the Constitution says little about the roles of the Vice President, additional responsibilities have sometimes been created by various presidential administrations. For example, Vice Presidents have served their administrations by increasing public awareness about issues important to the administration or by assisting in diplomatic affairs. Still, the vice presidency is not regarded as a very desirable position by most politicians. Key Information: Getting to the White House—and Staying There The Constitution states that the President has to be a natural born citizen of the United States and be at least 35 years old. Additionally, the President needs to have lived in the United States for the past 14 years. Because the Vice-President could become the President, these restrictions apply to both offices. According to the Twenty-second Amendment, no President can be elected to more than two terms. This amendment was passed in response to Franklin Delano Roosevelt‘s election to four terms. Prior to his presidency, no President had served for more than two terms. The Constitution informs us that the President can be removed from office by being ―impeached‖ by both the House and the Senate if found guilty of ―Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.‖ It is possible to only be impeached by only the House and not the Senate—as was the case for both former Presidents Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton—and thereby not actually be removed from office. Key Information: The President’s Cabinet The Cabinet is the President‘s committee of close advisors that advises the President on matters of policymaking. Each Cabinet member directs a specific federal department within the Executive Branch. The first Cabinet, under President George Washington, had only four members. As the country has grown, so has the number of agencies in the Executive Branch. The Cabinet Members are titled Secretaries, with the exception of the Secretary of Justice, who is referred to as the Attorney General. The fifteen Secretaries are chosen by the President and approved by the United States Senate by simple majority vote. Cabinet Secretaries are experts in their respective fields of government; many have previously been governors, senators, representatives, or other public servants. Others have been scholars from academic professions or businessmen who possess strong management skills. As a part of the separation of powers, no Cabinet member can simultaneously hold an office in the legislative or judicial branches of government while serving in the cabinet, nor can they hold office in state government. Additionally, unlike the Cabinets in parliamentary systems such as England where the Prime Minister is said to be ―first among equals,‖ the officials in the United States Cabinet are strongly subordinate to the President. Cabinet Members and Their Duties Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (Department of State, 1789): Handles foreign affairs and relationships with other nations. It makes recommendations on foreign policy, negotiates treaties, speaks for the United States in the United Nations, and represents the United States at international conferences. Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner (Department of the Treasury, 1789): Formulates and recommends economic, financial, tax, and fiscal policies; serves as financial agent for the US Government; enforces the law; and manufactures coins and currency. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates (Department of Defense, 1947): Provides the military forces needed to deter war and to protect the security of the United States. The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard, and Reserve Forces are part of this Department. Attorney General Eric Holder (Department of Justice, 1870): Enforces and defends the Federal laws of the United States by preventing and controlling crime, seeking just punishment for those guilty of unlawful behavior; and enforcing the Nation's immigration laws. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar (Department of the Interior, 1849): Oversees national conservation efforts and is responsible for most of our nationally owned public lands, natural resources, and wildlife. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack (Department of Agriculture, 1862): Ensures a safe, affordable, nutritious, and accessible food supply; cares for agriculture, forest, and range lands; supports the development of rural communities; and provides economic development for farmers and rural residents. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke (Department of Commerce, 1903): Promotes economic, business, and job opportunities for all Americans. It is responsible for all copyrights, patents, and trademarks. It also plays a major role in Federal government matters related to oceans, weather, and technology. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis (Department of Labor, 1913): Oversees the interests of US workers by protecting workers' wages, health and safety employment and pension rights; promoting equal employment opportunity; and administering job training, unemployment insurance, and workers' compensation programs. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius (Department of Health and Human Services, 1953): Protects the health of all Americans and provides essential human services. The duties of the Department include conducting medical research, preventing the outbreak of diseases, assuring the safety of food and drugs; administering financial assistance for low income families; protecting against child and domestic abuse; and protecting against drug abuse. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan (Department of Housing and Urban Development, 1965): Aims to create a decent, safe, and sanitary home and living environment for every American. It is responsible for home ownership programs, providing housing assistance for low income persons, helping the homeless, and promoting growth and development in distressed neighborhoods. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood (Department of Transportation, 1966): Ensures a fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation system. This includes transportation of people and goods by car, plane, train, and ship. It is also responsible for maintaining the Federal highway system. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu (Department of Energy, 1977): Researches and develops reliable energy systems that are friendly to the environment, but are not too expensive. It is also responsible for the Nation's nuclear energy and weapons technologies. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan (Department of Education, 1979): Establishes guidelines and provides leadership to address American education. It helps local communities meet the needs of their students. It also helps individuals pay for college and prepare for employment. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki (Department of Veterans Affairs, 1989): Acts as the principal advocate for veterans and their families ensuring that they receive medical care, benefits, social support, and lasting memorials recognizing their service. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano (Department of Homeland Security, 2002): Works to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce America's vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage from potential attacks and natural disasters. Do You Want to Know More? Presidential Trivia The following is taken from Richard Saul Wurman‘s Understanding USA. Of the first 42 presidents… 19 21 1 1 18 13 41 1 6 1 6 26 were born in New York, Ohio, or Virginia. had fathers who were farmers or planters had a father who was president (now, with George W. Bush, there is 2) had a grandfather who was president had 6 or more brothers and sisters were the first-born in their families were married was divorced were childless had 15 children were in their 40s when they took office were in their 50s when they took office 9 1 8 4 30 27 26 15 15 19 16 13 17 1 1 14 9 2 1 were in their 60s when they took office was in his 70s when he took office died in office were assassinated were college graduates had military service were lawyers served as vice president served as senators served as representatives served as state governors were Democrats were Republicans was elected for a fourth term was elected for a third term were elected for a second term who succeeded to the presidency were subsequently elected in their own right were impeached resigned Other Activities 1.The President in the News: Generative Activity: Demonstrate to the students the presidency in action by compiling recent news clips about President Obama. Share the articles with the students and have them discuss which responsibilities of the presidency they demonstrate. Have the students discuss whether they would agree with the assertion made by political scientist Richard Neustadt that the power of the president is the power to persuade. Describe the term ―bully pulpit,‖ which was coined by Theodore Roosevelt to describe the president‘s ability to sway the public. 2.The President’s Schedule. Pass out a copy of a hypothetical schedule of President Barack Obama in a given day. Emphasize the frequency with which the president is either involved with foreign policy, or with giving speeches to sway public opinion on an issue. Review the contents of the schedule with students, pointing out how each item on the president‘s agenda is related to a different aspect of his job enforcing laws. Then, have students work on preparing their own schedules of what they would do with a day if they were president. Have them share their schedules with the class. . . . . . . . . . Unit IV: Incorporating the Third Branch. The Judicial Branch and Separation of Powers. Today you‟ll learn about the third branch, the Judicial branch. Members of this branch interpret the Constitution and exercise unique powers. Then we will look at all three of the branches: the Legislative, Executive and Judicial, to see how power is balanced in our government. Lesson Goals  Students should understand the fundamentals of Supreme Court and the concept of Judicial Review. Students should understand the authority and limits of the Supreme Court, and in particular the significance of judicial review – in which Justices can invalidate laws which are unconstitutional. Students should understand the concept of separation of powers. Students must understand that each branch holds a distinct set of powers, but also that each branch has the ability to check and balance the other two  Critical Terminology Appoint: to name or assign to a position Checks and balances: System created by the separation and sharing of powers in the government to avoid tyranny. Impeach: to bring an accusation against Judicial Review: The Supreme Court holds this power, allowing it to strike down laws that are unconstitutional, or inconsistent with the Constitution. Supreme Court: The highest court in the United States, equipped with the right to judicial review. Its decisions overrule the decisions of the lower courts. Unconstitutional law: A law which violates the Constitution, and is therefore void. Veto- the right of a president, governor, or other chief executive to reject bills passed by the legislature Part 1: Introducing Judicial Branch 10 min. This week‘s lesson attempts not only to teach students about what the judicial branch is, but it also tries to synthesize everything they have learned about the three branches by focusing on how the interact and work together in order to check and balance. In order to accomplish this, we will have to spend a small amount of time at the beginning of the lesson lecturing as to what the Supreme Court and judicial branch are. The Supreme Court and Judicial Review: The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States. Nine justices serve on the court – they are appointed to life terms. One of the justices serves as the Chief Justice. Justices have their jobs for life, unless they retire, resign, or are impeached. When one of these events occurs, the President has the power to nominate a new justice, but this nomination must be confirmed by a majority vote of the Senate (this is a check and balance between the Executive and Judicial Branches). The current members of the Supreme Court are John Paul Stevens, Sonia Sotomayor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Anthony Kennedy, Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia, and Clarence Thomas, and Chief Justice John Roberts. The Supreme Court has an extraordinary power called judicial review. This power allows the Court to reject or amend a federal law if it determines that the law is unconstitutional, or inconsistent with the Constitution. A Supreme Court decision can only be overturned by constitutional amendment. This power is not directly recorded in the Constitution. However, in Marbury v. Madison (1803), Chief Justice John Marshall established a rationale for judicial review based on the Constitution. Today, the Supreme Court usually only hears cases which may require judicial review. Discussion Questions: Do you think it is fair or democratic that the public doesn‘t elect Supreme Court Justices? The Justices were given life terms so that they can make decisions based on what they truly believe to be just and not based on public opinion. Do you agree with this or should they have limited terms? Do you think Senators should decide to vote for a Supreme Court appointment based on the person‘s qualifications (how good of a judge they are) or based on their political views (i.e. republican or democrat?) Part 2: All 3 branches and the Separation of Powers 10 min. Now that your students understand what the judicial branch is and how it functions, quickly review the names and functions of the other two branches. Point out that each branch has a distinct set of powers. Ask your students why the founders thought that this separation of powers was important? Have your students fill out the provided worksheet as you explain this section of the lesson. Checks and Balances Although Separation of Powers is a fundamental aspect of American democracy, the branches were not left to wield supreme power within their designated fields. The federal government was designed with a built-in system of checks and balances to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful. -We can see an example of this in the passage of a bill into a law. The President (belonging to the Executive Branch) has the power to reject a bill put forth by the Legislative branch through the power of veto. To get around the executive branch though, a two-thirds majority of both the Senate and House of Representatives in favor of the bill can still make it into law. Ultimately, the judicial branch may review this law and decide to override it for being unconstitutional. Part 3: Simulation 30 min. Divide the class into three groups of varying sizes. Select one students to serve as the President. Assign majority of the class to be either a Congress person or a Senator, and then tell the remaining students that they will be the Supreme Court justices. You and your co-teacher will play the role of concerned citizens/advisors. Assign your legislative branch to debate and write a bill concerning something that they think is important. Then have them send it up to the president, where he or she will determine whether or not to veto the bill. When/ if the bill eventually does pass the executive branch have your co-teacher pretend to have an issue with the new law until it is finally taken to the supreme court for judicial review. There your students will determine whether or not the law is constitutional. Part 4: Review 10 min. Spend time reviewing with your students about what they just learned today. If you didn‘t used the worksheet earlier, now might be a good time. Clear up any questions that they might have. . . . . . . . . . Unit V: How Do We Organize Ourselves? Political Parties Our government is a „representative democracy,‟ which means we vote for people to represent us in the government. In past weeks we‟ve learned about the executive and legislative branches of governments. Today we will learn how people in government and voters organize themselves through political parties. Understanding Goals  Function of political parties: Students should understand that parties organize people with similar political beliefs or goals to act together and maximize their united political power. Parties also organize campaigns and elections and structure debate on issues. Character of political parties: Students should understand what it means to be a Democrat and a Republican today in terms of several substantive policy issues.  Vocabulary Political Parties: Organizations of politicians and voters who generally share political beliefs and agree on the best way to run a government. In the United States, there are two main political parties, the Republicans and the Democrats. Plank: An individual stance on an important issue taken by a party. Political Platform: A collection of party planks, or official positions, on a wide range of important issues. The party planks together form the platform. Partisan: A ‗partisan‘ is a person who believes strongly in most or a political party‘s entire platform, and tends to distrust other political parties. Conservative: Group of political ideologies including fiscal conservatives, free-market conservatives, social conservatives, religious conservatives anti-internationalists, and states‘ rights proponents. Generally favoring traditional views and values and supportive of limited government. In the United States today, conservatives tend to support the Republican Party. Liberal: A group of political ideologies favoring a strong governmental commitment to the public welfare, well-regulated competitive markets, civil rights, and broad social freedoms. Generally favoring proposals for reform; willing to have big government if it will run social programs. In the United States today, liberals tend to support the Democratic Party. Political spectrum: People‘s political beliefs are spread over a wide range. Political scientists and journalists often describe these beliefs with the words Left and Right. Imagine a line. The more liberal a person is, the farther they are to the Left on the line, and the more conservative a person‘s political beliefs, the farther they are to the Right. Candidate: The person ―running for office‖ or attempting to get a position in government. The candidate wants to represent the voters after winning an election. Campaign: The time between when a candidate starts to run for office and the general election, during which the person attempts to get enough voters‘ support to win the election. Nominating Convention: A gathering of a single political party‘s delegates to determine that party‘s nominee for President in the larger general election. Source Material Key Information: Links to Previous Lessons We learned in previous weeks that the US government is a ‘representative democracy’. That means that we elect people to represent us and our interests in the government. We also learned in previous weeks that the US government is divided into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. In our government, we elect a President for the executive branch every 4 years, and every 2 years there are elections to choose our Representatives and some of our Senators in the legislative branch of government. The President, Senators, and Representatives are the people we elect to represent us in government, which is what makes us a representative democracy. Key Information: The Function of Parties But how do we decide who gets to run in these elections? How do voters decide for whom they will vote? What process do candidates go through to run for office? Obviously we can’t have 100,000 candidates for every election. When there are too many options, voters have a hard time investigating every candidate’s positions on the issues, and with so many candidates it would be hard for any one candidate to win a majority. Any representative democracy like ours needs a selection process before the general election to choose who the final candidates will be. Also, the US population is approximately 300 million, and many of these people are registered voters. With so many voters, it is difficult for an individual candidate to reach out to people who share similar political beliefs, and it is difficult for an individual voter to find a candidate who truly represents him or her. A country as large and diverse as ours needs an organization to connect voters with each other and with politicians who share similar political beliefs. Large groups of voters and politicians working together can exercise much greater political power than unorganized individuals. Political parties are organizations that fulfill these functions. Political parties help link voters and politicians who share similar political beliefs. Political parties also run primary elections within their own parties to select who will be the final candidates in the general election. Key Information: The Political Parties Today: Democrats and Republicans The two largest political parties in the United States today are the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. Remember that political parties link voters and politicians with similar political beliefs. Let‘s look at what beliefs most Democrats share with other Democrats, and what beliefs most Republicans share with other Republicans. DEMOCRATS Often called liberals. This means that they favor progressive ideas and can have more lenient views on how people act. Guns: Guns are dangerous weapons that lead to hundreds of deaths annually. Anyone who wants a gun should pass a strict background check. Foreign Policy: The United States needs to Foreign policy: It is important that the protect its own interests and to help make U.S. attempts to resolve all conflicts the world a peaceful and democratic place. peacefully. Working with the United While the United States will work with Nations and other allies to find diplomatic partners when it can, these goals are so solutions to problems is important. The important that the U.S. is willing to act U.S. can act alone in an emergency, but alone when necessary. The U.S. is also because war should be the last option, the willing to fight preemptive wars to combat U.S. should not start a war unless it is ruthless and dangerous enemies. immediately necessary to national security to do so. Size of government: The government is Size of government: The government necessary to protect individual rights and exists to protect the people, and also to freedoms, not to limit them. Of course make society fairer for those who are less government is necessary to make and fortunate. Programs to help the poor and enforce the law, but to make sure that elderly are important functions of Americans have full exercise of their government. Democrats tend to support individuality, government should be as universal healthcare and the current Social small as possible. Security system. Taxes: Taxes come from the people. The Taxes: No one likes to pay taxes, but they government should not take people‘s are necessary to pay for important money away from them more than is government programs. Taxes can also be necessary. Taxes should be kept to a used to help the disadvantaged. Rich REPUBLICANS Often called conservatives. This means that they tend to support and act to preserve traditional values. Guns: American citizens have the right to own guns to hunt and to protect themselves from danger. minimum. When taxes are cut, they should people should be expected to contribute to be given back to the people who paid them, society by paying a higher percentage of like a refund. taxes than do poor people. Do You Want to Know More? Two-Party System and Third Parties In the United States, there is no limit on the number of political parties. Therefore, in addition to the two dominant parties, there are many smaller political parties, called ―third parties,‖ that participate in American democracy. Why are they small? Generally, third parties are more extreme and/or more limited in scope than the major parties, and so they do not appeal to many voters. Frequently, these smaller parties have a single issue that they especially endorse (e.g., the Green Party, which lobbies for environmentally-friendly policies). Sometimes these parties are radical or reactionary, that is, far from moderate political views (e.g., the Communist Party). Also, other third parties have a hard time competing against the large and established Democratic and Republican parties for ballot access and voter support. Many voters see voting for a third party with a very small chance of winning as ―throwing their vote away.‖ If third parties are mostly small and do not win elections, then why should third parties exist at all? First, they occasionally do win elections. The Republican Party emerged in the 1850s as a ―third party‖ opposing slavery. But the Republican Party is an exception. Most third parties do not have a chance to win an election. They are still important, though, because they can affect the positions that the major parties take. The importance of third parties is therefore to make the two major parties address important topics. Key Information: The Political Party in the Election The second major function of political parties, besides organizing people who share similar political beliefs, is to help organize elections. Elections are times when voters have the opportunity to choose representatives to act on their behalf. The campaign is the period of time leading up to the election in which the candidates explain their positions on important issues (ranging from taxes to foreign policy to fixing local streets) and try to convince citizens to vote for them. Once each party has chosen the nominee, the candidates participate in campaigns to persuade the people to vote for them on Election Day. The candidates are often guided by what is called the party platform, or a set of principles with which the members of the party generally agree. A particular issue stance in the platform is called a plank. An example of a plank would be the Republican Party‘s stance against same-sex marriage. There is just one issue (same-sex marriage) and one position (opposition). There are many planks on all sorts of different issues. Because candidates of a party often follow most planks of the party platform, people often cast their votes according to which party the candidate represents. There is no way to force the candidates to follow each plank of the platform, however, and other things like the candidate‘s personality cannot be part of the party platform. Paying attention to the individual candidate is important in any election, but the party he or she represents can help to decide for whom to vote. Review  Political parties exist to organize voters and politicians with similar political beliefs, because organizations exercise stronger political influence than   individuals. Political parties also help to organize elections and debates on issues by selecting their nominees during the primary election. Democrats and Republicans are the two major political parties in the United States today. The two parties have different beliefs and political goals (see previous chart). There are other parties, but the Democrats and Republicans are generally the only ones who stand a chance of winning the Presidency. Senator Joe Lieberman, for example, is an Independent. Activities 1. Party identification: Break the class up into two groups. Each volunteer should represent a candidate from a political party, so one teacher will be a Democrat and the other a Republican. Have each teacher go to a group and tell the members of the group his or her stances on important issues. After several minutes, rotate. Finally, the volunteers should have the class vote on who they would elect president. After tallying the results, the groups should vote on who they think is the Democrat and the Republican. This activity can lead to discussion of both important issues and the political parties. A fun alternative is to present actual candidates‘ platforms to the class for the class to guess their party affiliation. Then the volunteers may tell the class who the candidates are and to which of the two major parties they belong. 2. Party platform: Brainstorm issues that the class believes are important. Then, break the class down into small groups and ask each to form a plank on a particular issue. The planks should form the platform of the class‘s ideal party. Teachers can compare the class‘s party platform to the Democratic and Republican Party platforms. 3. Third party politics: Since 1852, every president has been either a Republican or a Democrat. In every presidential election since George Washington‘s, every president has belonged to one of two major political parties. Why is it so difficult for third parties to enter into presidential politics? Are third parties helpful (in advancing issues) or detrimental (in drawing votes away from the ―real‖ parties and candidates)? Hold a discussion or a debate. Jeopardy: Play Jeopardy with information about party platforms, candidates, and elections. Please Note: successful games of jeopardy require lots of preparation to create thoughtful and fun questions. Also be sure to carefully think through the specific rules you will use in your game – the students don‘t like it when you have to change or clarify a rule you had not thought through previously! 4. . . . . . . . . . Unit VI: How do we elect our leaders? Campaigns & Elections How should we choose our leaders? What makes a good political leader? How can we influence our leaders? How can we hold them accountable? Lesson Goals  Encourage understanding of electoral politics. Students should understand how we chose our leaders on the national, state, and local levels. We should encourage critical questions about the system of electing our leaders. We believe that the only way to appreciate our electoral system is by understanding its rationale and its history, as well as recognizing its weaknesses and proposals for reform. Encourage involvement in electoral politics. Students must understand the role that they as citizens can and must play in our democracy. We must emphasize both the intellectual underpinnings of popular sovereignty and their resultant obligation to participate in the process. This includes brainstorming ways for students to be involved even before they are old enough to vote.  Critical Terminology Citizen: A participating member of society. Political Party: A political organization that tries to gain political power through elections. Most parties share a common set of ideas that bring their members together. In American today, we have two main political parties: the Democratic Party and the Republican Party. Primary Election: An election within each party to choose who will represent the party in a general election against the other party. There are two separate sets of primaries, one for each party. General Election: An election between the Democrat and the Republican chosen in each primary. Electoral College: The system we use for presidential elections. A winner-take-all system in which the winner of the election in each state gets a certain number of electoral votes, and the candidate with the most electoral votes is elected president. The electoral college is not direct democracy, and there are important discussions about whether we should change the system. Part 1: Introduction to the Electoral System  20 min. Who do we elect? Ask students to name positions to which we elect leaders. Explain that we elect leaders for all levels of our government: from our local mayor all the way to the President of the United States, and everyone in between. Why are elections important? The word ―democracy‖ literally means a system where the people rule. Since not everyone can be directly involved in running our government, elections are the means by which we choose who would best represents us. It is important to think carefully about who we want to represent us. Ask students: What kind of person would you want to represent you? How old should they be? What should they believe in? How most elections work. We have to begin by explaining the key steps in an election cycle. The following is a basic timeline of the election process, which we should review briefly with the students. Given the culture of the ―permanent campaign,‖ we should help the students connect this timeline with current events (either nationally or in Massachusetts) that they may be hearing about. 1. Candidates decide to run. Candidates will often be elected officials looking to be promoted to higher office, but we also have cases of lawyers, businesspeople, teachers, and even actors running for office. Candidates begin to campaign. This means candidates reach out to voters: they knock on doors, send mail, run TV ads, and build a team of volunteers. Candidates debate within their parties. Democratic candidates debate other Democrats and Republicans debate other Republicans to choose who will be the nominee from each party. PRIMARY ELECTIONS. In two separate elections, voters from each party choose a nominee. At the end of the primary there are only two candidates left: one Democrat and one Republican. Continued campaigning: the nominees from each party keep on trying to gain support from voters. This includes more outreach and more debates. GENERAL ELECTION. On the Tuesday after the first Monday in November, the nominees face off, and voters elect a leader.   2. 3. 4. 5. 6.  How presidential elections are different. Given its centrality to the electoral system, its controversial nature, and its usefulness as a case study of reform proposals, we should teach exactly how the Electoral College works and why the framers designed it as they did. We should briefly review its strengths (mostly from the ideals of the revolutionary era) and its weaknesses (mostly from the centuries of history since). By means of review, here‘s a quick primer on how we elect or president: Parts 1-5 in the timeline above hold for presidential elections, but part 6 is different. While in most elections the candidate receiving the most votes is the winner, in a presidential election the Electoral College determines who is elected. Each state has a certain number of electoral votes depending on its population, which can be thought of as points. The winner of each state‘s popular vote receives all of its electoral votes; the candidate who wins Massachusetts, for example, receives 12 electoral votes. After voters have chosen a winner in each state, we tally up the total number of electoral votes for each candidate. Whoever has the most electoral votes is the winner. Ask students: Does the electoral college seem fair? Is it outdated? Highlight difficulties such as the 2000 election and swing state campaigning. The most common alternative to the Electoral College is a direct election of the president, where everyone votes and the candidate with the most votes wins. What are the advantages of such a change? What would be the danger? Could there be any other ways of electing the president besides those two? A direct election is the more democratic system of the two – is the most democratic option always best, or is there ever a time where democracy could be harmful? Part 2: Mock Election 25 min. Activity 1: Mock election! Using what we learned last week about political parties and what we just learned about elections and how they work, hold a mock election for class president.        Split the class into two or three groups, each of which will constitute a political party. Allow as many students from each group to run for class president. Each candidate is limited to one idea on which they may campaign. Allow campaigning within each party to take place for a few minutes. Hold primary elections within each party until one candidate wins a majority of his or her party‘s support. Stage a nominating convention at which a two-point party platform will be written. Hold a debate between the party nominees before the class. Have the students cast votes by secret ballot. Explain that there is no electoral college for reasons of convenience. Part 3: Review Worksheet 10 min. Distribute the review worksheet and have the students complete it individually. Review the worksheet with the class. Part 4: Review and Wrap-Up 5 min. Answer any lingering questions. If you wish, offer the following quote by George Bernard Shaw up for discussion: ―Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve.‖ Alternative Activities and Topics for Advanced Classes If you find yourself with extra time or with a class that is particularly familiar with the simple workings of our electoral system, you may want to consider some of the following topics of discussion. Alternate topics: If you have time, if you‘ve already covered any of the above topics, or if you‘d rather try something different, the following are a few possibilities: The Two-Party System: The system of primaries and general elections favors the two major parties: Every president for as long as any of us can remember has been either a Democrat or a Republican , and of more than 500 members of the Senate and House, all but three are either Democrats or Republicans. Is this system fair? Do you think it would be healthy to have more independents in government? Or do the two parties as they are represent pretty much everyone‘s point of view? Referendum and Direct Democracy: It may seem like Congress is the most democratic part of government, but we actually have something even most democratic. In many towns, voters get to vote ―yes‖ or ―no‖ on ballot questions. For example, in many places ballots ask ―should we raise taxes to improve our public schools?‖ Voters then get to decide. Should we have this policy for every issue? In a true democracy, wouldn‘t all of us get to vote on every issue? What would be the problems with this approach? What would be the advantages? Campaign finance. What role should money play in politics? Should there be limits on how much donors can give? Should there be limits on how much candidates can spend? What‘s the fairest system? Some say that if we limit money, we limit free speech. Others say that if we don‘t limit money, we hurt democracy. What do you think? Negative Campaigns. Many candidates run negative campaigns, meaning that in addition to promoting their own ideas, they also run advertisements and make statements criticizing their opponent. Sometimes these attacks are valid and fair, but many times they aren‘t. What can we do to stop unfair attacks? Is it possible? Debates. Presidential debates feature a moderator asking questions to the candidates, and the candidates giving short (1-2 minute) responses. The candidates aren‘t allowed to ask each other anything, and most of the time candidates just repeat in the debate lines that they‘d prepared beforehand. Is this the right way to have a debate? How could we improve presidential debates? Political leadership. Many of our greatest leaders have been elected officials – Washington, Lincoln, and Roosevelt all come to mind. Yet our electoral system also produces many bad leaders, and some of the best leaders are people who were never elected to office (such as Ben Franklin and MLK). Has our electoral system produced good leaders? If not, how could we change the system? . . . . . . . . . Unit VII: How we can be Involved in Our Government - Political Activism While this semester we‟ve focused on the structure of government, that structure can‟t function without the work of its citizens. The framers were very aware when they began the Constitution with the words “We the People” that their new form of government couldn‟t survive without an engaged and enlightened citizenry. This means talking about issues you care about, writing to your elected representatives, working on political campaigns, and doing anything else you can to influence the political process. Lesson Goals:    Students will understand that for government to function and to protect their rights, they have to be activist citizens. Students will learn about past movements in which citizens have mobilized to enact democratic change. Students will understand the importance of acting upon their CIVICS knowledge. Critical Terminology: Constituent: a person who is represented by someone else. We are all constituents of our mayor, state representative and state senator, congressman, senator, and governor. Civil Disobedience: the act of intentionally disobeying a law you believe to be unjust. Lobby: to attempt to influence or a public official to take a certain action, especially to promote specific legislation. Petition: to make a formal request to the government (especially your representative) about something you want to change. Redress: to fix Part 1: What do we care about? 10 min. It is important to be active participant in the governmental process, but knowing that this is important is not the fundamental thing that drives individuals to act. People participate in the political process, because they are passionate about a something. Activity 1: Ask your students to think about things in their school, their community, even in their country that they would like to see changed. Brain storm a list of things that are most important to them. Create a list of these things on the blackboard. You will come back to these ideas later in the lesson. Part 2: What exactly is activism? 15 min. Using the source material below, define political activism for your students and briefly outline several historical examples of what it looks like, how it works, and what it can accomplish. The Founders The founding fathers, before the revolution began, were among the most activist of all citizens. They wrote letters, published articles, held meetings, and even engaged in peaceful protests. Every time the British did something the colonists didn‘t like, the ―We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured colonists organized themselves politically them by the ties of our common kindred. to and committed themselves to making a disavow these usurpations, which would difference. Many of the greatest texts of our inevitably interrupt our connections and tradition – such as ―Common Sense‖ by correspondence. They too have been deaf Thomas Paine – come from activist citizens to the voice of justice and of who wanted to change the behavior of their consanguinity.‖ government. Because the British system -Declaration of Independence wasn‘t a Democracy, when the colonists tried to have their voice heard, the British simply ignored them (as in the quote above). But in our system of democracy, our elected officials must listen to the voices of their citizens – after all, they wouldn‘t be in office if it weren‘t for us. The First Amendment gives us a specific right to try to change government policies: "Congress shall make no law … abridging … the right of the people … to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." Throughout our history, there has been a long tradition of different groups of Americans doing all they could to have their voice heard by government. Questions to think about: It would be absurd for us to all act like the founders and try to start our own nation every government did something we didn‘t like. What alternative framework for enacting change does the Constitution give us? Discuss the links between the electoral process and our liberty to petition the government for a redress of grievances. The Civil Rights Movement The Civil Rights movement, the largest citizen movement of the last century, was built on the activism of thousands of concerned citizens. Here are a few examples (out of many) of citizens taking action during the civil rights movement: The Little Rock Nine were a group of nine African-American high school students who bravely attempted to integrate the public high schools in Little Rock, Illinois in 1957. Despite threats of violence and racist taunting, the students courageously went to school nonetheless – with the help of National Guard troops, they successfully integrated the high school. The Montgomery Bus Boycott was a boycott of public buses in Montgomery, Alabama. Public buses were segregated, with African Americans required to sit in the back. After Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat in 1955 (an act of civil disobedience), African Americans (and many whites) throughout the city refused to ride the buses. As a result of the protest, in 1956 the Supreme Court declared that laws requiring segregated buses are unconstitutional. The March on Washington was a huge rally that took place in Washington, DC in the summer of 1963. During the march, Martin Luther King delivered his ―I Have a Dream‖ speech in front of a quarter million people. The speech and rally gained an enormous amount of attention. Only one year later, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the most important piece of civil rights legislation in our history. ―We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy.‖ - Martin Luther King, August 1963  Freedom Summer was a voter registration drive in the summer of 1964 in which citizens of all races traveled to Mississippi to register African American voters.  Questions to think about: Name at least three methods that members of the Civil Rights movement used to influence their government. Which of these have you seen used by other groups? Which do you think are most effective? How do the methods used in the Civil Rights movement relate to rights that we‘ve talked about, especially the First Amendment rights to free speech and freedom of assembly? Part 3: Citizen Activism – Your Turn 30 min Activity 2: Take Action! Go back to the list of things your students care about. Ask your students to vote on which idea is most important to them. Then help them go through the four step process descried below, so that they can begin taking part in the political process. End the lesson by having them draft letters that will be mailed to either their local representatives. 1. Find an issue you care about: Think about injustices in your own community, in your own state, or even around the world. Pick any issues that you are passionate about, and that you‘d like to see a change in government policy. 2. Learn about the issue: Look through newspapers, talk to your teacher and parents, and use the internet to find out more about your issue. Before you can make a difference, you have to understand the issue. 3. Decide who to contact: Depending on the issue, you‘ll want to contact a different elected representative. 4. Do it!! If you‘re working on a local issue, write a letter telling what you think about the issue and invite the elected official to visit your classroom to talk to you. If you‘re working on a national issue, write a letter to the elected official, telling them what you think and asking for a reply as to their views on the issue. Contact Information for Local Officials Boston: Mayor Thomas M. Menino: -Tom Menino has served as Boston‘s mayor since 1993. According to his official biography, ―Among his main priorities, are: providing every child with a quality education; creating affordable housing; lowering the crime rate; revitalizing Boston's neighborhoods; and promoting a healthy lifestyle for all city residents.‖ An April, 2008 Boston Globe-UNH poll indicated that the city was ―smitten‖ with the Mayor, with a 72% approval rating. Also in the poll an astounding 54% of participants reported having personally met the Mayor. Address: Mayor Thomas M. Menino 1 City Hall Square, Suite 500 Boston, MA 02201-2013 Telephone: 617-635-4500 Email: mayor@cityofboston.gov Cambridge City Manager: The Cambridge Executive Branch Robert W. Healy The City Manager is responsible for the enforcement of all laws and City ordinances; appointment of department heads; appointment of members to the numerous City boards and commissions; and submission of the annual budget to the City Council. In addition, the City Manager and his staff recommend policies and programs to the City Council and implement Council decisions Address: Telephone: Email: citymanager@CambridgeMA.GOV Robert W. Healy 617-349-4300 Cambridge City Hall 795 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139 City Council: The Cambridge City Counsel is comprised of 9 elected officials. They are elected to serve two year terms. The nine council members then elect one person to serve as mayor from among themselves. This mayor is the council head and sits on the school board, however, they are not the cities chief executive. The current council members are: E. Denise Simmons, the current mayor, Sam Seidel, the current vice mayor, Henrietta Davis, Marjorie C. Decker, Craig A. Kelley, David Maher ,Kenneth Reeves Timothy J. Toomey, Jr., and Larry Ward. Address: Cambridge City Council, c/o city clerk City Hall, 2nd Floor 795 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139 Telephone: 617-349-4280 Email: Council@CambridgeMA.GOV (goes to all 9 council members) Mayor Address: Mayor E. Denise Simmons 195 Brookline Street Cambridge, MA 02139 617 349-4321 (W) Telephone: 617-349-4321 Email (dsimmons@cambridgema.gov)