Mock Congress

Committees (includes Senators and Party IDs for all classes) Click for lists of committee assignments

**How to Run Your Committees - Chairs and Secretaries**
Committee Participation Chart
Floor participation Chart

Dates:
Period 6 Committees - 5/29, 5/30, 5/31
Period 8 Committees - 5/30, 5/31, 6/1
Mock Senate - Tuesday 6/5

Bill Template
Robert's Rules
Committee Session Rules
Additional info on writing bills

Current Events Roundup #1

UPDATE:  You must respond to the second question by Friday evening.

Using online news sources, you must respond to one of the following.

1 - "The First Gay President."  Bill Clinton was named "the first black president," and now Newsweek has named President Obama the "first gay president."  Read this story and the others below:
DC Churches....
Gay Marriage Debate...
Conservatives Mobilize....

Where do you see this issue in another decade?  Explain your response using evidence from above or other recent developments.

2 - Who is Mitt Romney?  Will he be effective in positioning himself for the presidential race?  What are his greatest strengths/weaknesses?
Shifting to the Center...
Romney on Russia..
Romney Woos Evangelicals..
 

 

First Post Due Wednesday 5/16 - PM 

Second Post Due Friday 5/18

Obamacare in the Courts

 
 Solicitor General Donald B. Verrilli, Jr. speaking in front of the Supreme Court Justices

You will be divided into 1 of 3 groups representing the 9 Supreme Court Justices, attorneys representing the Solicitor General's office, and attorneys representing the states filing suit against the Affordable Healthcare Act.


Links:
US Supreme Court
Washington Post

Justices
Research/review summaries of the case filings, arguments for and against presented in the briefs.  You should have extensive notes covering all testimony, and a knowledge of the questioning of each of the justices during the oral arguments.  You are responsible for:

1. Individually - 3 questions prepared for each of the sides arguing before you,
2. EVERY member of the court must ask at least 1 question to receive ANY participation credit.
3. Collectively - 2-3 page majority and dissenting opinions.  Opinions must cite constitutional basis and legal precedent when needed.  

Attorneys FOR and AGAINST the Affordable Healthcare Act

1. Each side will have 20 minutes to argue the case.  
2. One member should be selected to present opening statements.   
3. Every member must participate by responding to questions from the justices or delivering opening or closing remarks.  If a member does not participate, the entire team will lose participation points.  You may use notes. 
4. Each side must submit by the date indicated a 2-3 page summation of their arguments in the case, citing all relevant constitution and other relevant legal precedent. 

SCHEDULE

Period 6
Tuesday 4/3 - Questions from justices exchanged.
Wednesday 4/4 - Prep for Oral Arguments
Thursday 4/5 - Oral Arguments
Wednesday 4/11 - TEST
Thursday 4/12 - Draft Papers
Friday 4/13 - Papers Due

Period8

Monday 4/2 - Questions from justices exchanged.
Wednesday 4/4 - Prep for Oral Arguments
Thursday 4/5 - Oral Arguments
Tuesday 4/10 - TEST
Thursday 4/12 - Draft Papers

Friday 4/13 - Papers Due

In discussing national defense policy, we will be examining the Obama Administration's approach to conflict in Afghanistan, Iran and Syria.

Essential Questions to Consider:

• How has policy differed in these three areas?  
• Are there common principles applied, or is each a completely unique situation?
• What are the options being considered in each of these areas, and how do we move forward?
• What are the "tools" at the President's disposal?  

Afghanistan

Eleven years into the war in Afghanistan, where do we stand?  Have me made
progress since the 2008 Frontline Report?  What advice would you give
the the President as to the course of action from this point forward (2012)? 

Questions to Consider:

Who are we fighting?

What is our objective?

What is the role of Pakistan?

Obama's decision Making Process

We have discussed the role of the President as Commander in Chief, and the awesome weight of this responsibility.  Read the articles from 2010, taking into account what we learned from Frontline's Forgotten War (2008).  What options was President Obama presented with?  Who were the people giving him this advice?  How does he make his decision?

Readings All readings/videos located HERE
Obama's War Part 1 & 2
Obama Mulls Way Forward (video)
A Divided Team

Developing Stories.  How/have the most recent setbacks reshaped policy?
Amid anger over Afghan killings, U.S.  faces growing public weariness about war
Panetta in Afghanistan
More Stories on the Afghan War

Syria and Iran

The Arab Spring has demonstrated that there is no "One size fits all" approach to addressing conflicts.  (Why) is the Syrian uprising different from Libya?  What unique problems does it present for American diplomats?

We have discussed the increasingly tense situation with Iran.  Explore the the possible paths President Obama has to take in addressing this issue.   How do some of these options fit into the concepts of unilateralism and multilateralism?

Imperial Presidency

Analyze the arguments put forth by Schlesinger in his 1973 publication, The Imperial Presidency, as well as the subsequent readings.  Do recent administrations bolster or undermine his arguments?  Discuss. 

Due Friday 7:30am. 

Dysfunctional Congress???

Interesting article from Sen. Olympia Snow Why I am leaving the Senate. Echos of Evan Bayh's article by the same name. With a Real Clear Politics Ave. Approval Rating of 11.3%, (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/congressional_job_approval-903.html), is our Congress simply too dysfunctional to do it's job?

Due Friday 7:30am.

The Executive - 7 Roles

Readings: The President is a Dolt.....
From Mr. Swanson's site:

PowerPoint
Instructions for The Roles of the Executive presentations.

Committee Assignments

Congratulations on your election to Congress.  As a freshman member of either House or Senate, I am asking you to present, in order of preference, your first four choices for committee assignment.  For each committee, you should include a paragraph describing your interest in the committee, why you are seeking this committee, and how your knowledge will contribute to the functioning of your assignment.   

Who Represents Us?

How representative are our Representatives?  Take a look at the CHART below and Wikipedia's Congressional demographics. 

How significant a factor do these demographics play?

Women in the Military

"Pentagon to ease restrictions on women in some combat roles

The Pentagon said Thursday that it would ease some restrictions on women serving in combat roles, a step that in part codifies the reality on the ground in Afghanistan, where commanders have stretched rules to allow women to support ground combat units."
By Craig Whitlock, Washington Post. Thursday, February 9

PHOTO GALLERY

Should women's roles be restricted in the 21st century US military?  Should females be required to register for selective service?

Bill Review Exercise

Complete in Google Docs.  Due Wedneday.

Directions: Working in small groups, students will receive an actual bill that is currently being debated in Washington, D.C.  If wifi is available students can pick their own bill.  Students should read the bill and answer the following analysis questions.

1.What is the title of the bill? What is the bills main focus?

2.Who is sponsoring this bill?

3.Based on the title of the bill, what groups of people would you expect to support this bill? Who would be likely to oppose it and why

4.What does this bill require? What does this bill prohibit?

5.How clear is the language being used in this bill?

6.Does this legislation require the government to spend money? If so, where will the money come from?

7.Who would enforce this bill if it becomes law?

8.What penalties might someone face if they violate this bill if it becomes law?

9.How do you personally feel about this bill?  Why?

For Romney and Paul, a strategic alliance between establishment and outsider

Here is the article we discussed in Period 8.

Semester 2 Reading

Weeek of 3/26-3/30 

Chapter 10 THE BOOK IS FINISHED!!!!!
   Weeek of 3/19-3/23  

Chapters 9, 17, 18 in text
  
Week of 3/12-3/16

Chapter 19 in Text
Exercising Wartime Powers (Swanson Unit 6)
Unilateralism v. Multilateralism (Swanson Unit 6)
Readings on Afghan War @ Govweluv 


Due Monday 3/5 

Readings: The President is a Dolt.....

From Mr. Swanson's site: 
Arthur Schlesinger - The Imperial Presidency
Clinton Rossiter - The Presidency - Focus of Leadership
Craig Rimmerman - The Rise of the Plebiscitary Presidency
Boumediene et ak v Bush
Michael Cairo - The Imperial Presidency Triumphant
Richard Neustadt - Presidential Power (Lasser)
Richard Neustadt - Presidential Power (Woll)
Richard Neustadt - Presidential Power & the Modern Presidents


Weeks One through Three (2/1-Winter Break)

You should be taking notes on ALL readings.
For the online readings consider the following:

• What is the author's thesis?
• Is there a POV or bias?
• What are the most effective supporting arguments?
• Are there counter arguments or questions you would pose?
• Did the author raise any points that interested or surprised you, or challenged your own POV?

The notes need not be more than a half page per source, but if you do not take notes you will find yourself struggling come time to review.

1) Read Chapter 8 in Sabato

2) Unit 4 Readings (Mr. Swanson's Site) Underlined docs for Monday 2/12.


Richard Fenno, Going Home
Stephen Frantzich, Re--‐Presentation
John McCain, Hey There!
Evan Bayh, Why I’m Leaving the Senate

Ronald Brownstein, The Four Quadrants of Congress

Morris Fiorina, The Rise of the Washington Establishment

Michele Swers, The Difference Women Make

Woodrow Wilson,Congressional Government
Lawrence C Dodd, Congress and the Quest for Power
David Price, Congressional Experience

Paul Starobin, Pork: A Time Honored Tradition Lives on

John Ellwood & Eric Patashnik, In Praise of Pork

Sarah Binder & Thomas Mann, Slaying the Dinosaur

Bill Frenzel, Defending the Dinosaur

Gregory Wawro, & Eric Schickler, Filibuster

Barbara Sinclair, The 60 Vote Senate

Paul Quirk & Sarah Binder, Congress and the American Democracy

Sarah Binder, Stalemate

David R. Mayhew, Congress: The Electoral Connection

The Legislative Branch

The Dynamic Legislative Branch online "textbook"
Schoolhouse Rock I'm Just a Bill
How Does Congress Work
Thomas - Congressional Legislation
Bill Template
How to Write a Bill - Princeton
Robert's Rules

Mid-Term Review Material

Exam Review Guide

I would also suggest completing the online Chapter Exams for chapter 1-4,7, and 11-16.

Hope to see you all Friday!

ELECTION RESULTS!!!!!!

Period 6 - Mike Thomas, The Toucan Party. "You can with the Toucan"

Period 8 - Tom Ferry, Advancing America Party in a 1 vote recount win! Congratulations to all of the candidates for a good job all around.

Iowa Caucuses

Fox News 2012 Election Tracker

Mitt Romney's Response to Iowa
Rick Santorum
Rick Perry
Michelle Bachmann
Newt Gingrich
Ron Paul

Period 6 Debate