Americans Governing CONSTITUTION ROOTS FEDERALISM

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1 ROOTS What is the Purpose of Government? Let s Put Politics Behind Us Political culture is made up of opinions and values. Some people express their political culture on the backside of their car. This assignment explores the politics of bumper stickers. Right to Revolution An excerpt from John Locke s Second Treatise. David Gilbert: A Lifetime of Struggle A video interview with David Gilbert, imprisoned member of The Weather Underground, a radical group which violently protested against the U.S. government in the 1970s. Degrees of Democracy Visitors to the Statue of Liberty tell us what America means to them in audio interviews, and a journalist sums up the characteristics of a modern democracy. With a map provided by Freedom House, we examine the discrepancies between free and not free nation-states. Governments in the Late 20th Century Maps by Matthew White showing the various political systems at intervals from The Declaration of Independence The full text of the Declaration of Independence. CONSTITUTION Constitution Timeline An interactive timeline of Constitution history, with compelling audio and images, from the National Constitution Center. FEDERALISM American Federalism, 1776 to 1997 An article by Eugene Boyd, American government analyst, outlining various forms of federalism. Hammer v. Dagenhart An excerpt from Justice Day s ruling on interstate commerce and child labor laws. U.S. v. Darby An excerpt from Justice Stone s 1941 ruling on commerce and labor. U.S. v. Lopez An excerpt from Justice Rehnquist s 1995 ruling on firearms. Governor Barnett Goes up Against JFK In 1963 Mississippi Governor James Barnett took a stand against President John F. Kennedy when he attempted to bar James Meredith, a black student, from enrolling at the University of Mississippi. Federalist No. 10 Federalist 10, one of the best-known of the Federalist Papers, presents the advantages of a union over a confederacy. Assignment questions address faction and democracy. Where is the Love? An examination of political culture through analysis of several pop music videos and their political messages.

2 CIVIL RIGHTS Federal Farmer Federal Farmer was written by those who feared that the new plan would give too much power to the federal government and not enough to the states. Assignment questions provide an examination of this document. Federalist No. 51 Federalist 51, another well-known Federalist Paper, argues for the separation of powers and for checks and balances. Assignment questions address concentration of power, human nature, and framing of government. CIVIL LIBERTIES Ironed Jawed Angels A photo album and timeline of the women s suffrage movement with a synopsis of the HBO film Iron Jawed Angels. Roe v. Wade Audio recording and transcript of the Roe v. Wade case argued Dec. 13, Bioterrorism and Civil Liberties Two scholarly articles outlining the problems with balancing the protection of civil liberties with the fight against bioterrorism. Bong Hits 4 Jesus If citizens have the right to free speech, and students are citizens, then do students have the right to free speech? Audio interview with Ken Starr, Jay Sekulow and others on the Morse v. Frederick case decided June, Geography of a Movement We Shall Overcome: Historic Places of the Civil Rights Movement is an annotated, interactive map of significant locations in the civil rights movement, maintained by the National Park Service. John Lewis A video interview of John Lewis, a champion of civil rights and a congressional representative from Georgia. I Have a Dream Video of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. s 1963 speech, I Have a Dream. Brown v. Board of Education Text of the 1954 court decision that put a legal end to segregation. Letter from a Birmingham Jail Text of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. s famous letter. CONGRESS Learn About Congress Interactive presentation of both The Textbook Legislative Process and The Dynamic Legislative Process from the Center on Congress at Indiana University. (And Schoolhouse Rock s I m Just a Bill, for fun.) How Members Vote A radio commentary by former Representative Lee Hamilton on what really drives voting by members of Congress. Annotated Constitution Photo and text annotations on the Constitution and Bill of Rights by Dr. Jocelyn Evans, University of West Florida.

3 BUREAUCRACY What Does Congress Do? collection of interviews held on city sidewalks, college campuses and in small towns. This question garners an array of fascinating responses from the public. Bureaucracy and Medicaid Newt Gingrich speaks on Medicaid reform. He presents an optimistic vision for bureaucracy in suggesting a new model that allows for the highest possible quality of life at the lowest possible cost. PRESIDENCY War Powers Resolution Complete text of the 1973 Joint Resolution concerning the war powers of Congress and the President. How Did George W. Bush Beat Al Gore? A series of links to bring out the the relationship between the popular vote and the Electoral College including maps, graphs and narrative, analyzing the 2000 election. Johnson, the Sudden President Recorded phone calls from his first month in office provide a close-up look at the unexpected and often controversial presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson. These recordings give us a rare opportunity to watch politicians in one-on-one communication. Watergate Recordings of the president s private conversations in the aftermath of Watergate offer a rare look into the humanity of the former president. Candidate for Chief Bureaucrat Barack Obama, during his 2008 election campaign, presents his perspective on Federal bureaucracy and how it should work during a town hall meeting in Harrisburg, PA. THE COURTS How They Rule Highlights of the Supreme Court term including cases on abortion rights, affirmative action and free speech, among other important issues. Students are encouraged to understand how these new rulings affect them. Brennan and Bork Interpret the Constitution Justice William Brennan s 1985 speech at Georgetown and video interview with originalist Robert Bork s view on interpreting the Constitution. U.S. Federal Courts Structure A diagram of court structure, map of U.S. Courts of Appeals and District Courts. Nixon Nominates Rhenquist Phone conversations between President Nixon and an advisor prior to his nomination of Justice William Rehnquist for the Supreme Court. It s an interesting perspective on the powers of appointment, checks and balances, and the process of choosing names.

4 PARTIES The Party People Six original video interviews with people actively working in political parties, including the press secretary for the Republican National Committee, President of the College Democrats and the communications director for the Libertarian Party. Elizabeth the Elector An original video interview with a recently elected member of the 2004 Electoral College Party Platforms Questions focus on the preambles of the 2008 Democrat and Republican party platforms. ELECTIONS, PARTICIPATION & VOTING Do You Vote? Charlie Stuart: The Primary Season This episodic documentary follows Charlie Stuart for six months as he runs for the US House of Representatives. The Primary Season documents Charlie s journey through the challenges and frustrations of a contested Congressional primary. Charlie Stuart: Campaign Finance This episodic documentary follows Charlie Stuart for six months as he runs for the US House of Representatives. In Campaign Finance, the viewer follows along as Charlie and his team explore the difficult tasks of financing a campaign. Who Votes? Information from Pew Research Center for the People and the Press provides insight into the factors that influence regular, intermittent, and non-voters. Printergate An excerpt from The War Room, an Oscarnominated documentary film about the 1992 Clinton presidential campaign. This segment shows how the Clinton campaign responds to footage of Bush signs being printed in Brazil. Campaign Commercials A selection of nine presidential campaign advertisements from 1964 to 2004, from the Living Room Candidate exhibition by the Museum of the Moving Image. Hip Hop Dreams A short documentary from the Washington Post on the Hip Hop culture and the push for voter participation. One State, Two State, Red State, Blue State An essay about voting trends, and an interactive Electoral College calculator. Getting Out the Vote in Toledo A busload of volunteers from Massachusetts journey to Ohio to get out the vote for John Kerry. A firsthand look at what motivates these citizens, what supporters on the ground can do to impact the outcome of an election, and what it looks like to be a campaign volunteer.

5 INTEREST GROUPS Sandra Froman Profile An article about the National Rifle Association s liberal, female, Jewish president. Lobbyist for a Day A journalist becomes a lobbyist to see what lobbying is like first-hand, and reports on her experience in Slate Magazine. POLICY MAKING AND THE BUDGET Budget Simulation An interactive federal budget simulation game. How Welfare Reform Changed America Feature article on the way Clinton s welfare reform has changed lives both for better and for worse. Is Spreading Democracy Our Duty? Two contrasting opinion pieces about America s role in spreading democracy. One side says it is our duty and the other says we are acting as imperialists. Public Policy Research shows that Congressional hearings directly reflect the current public agendas. Resources from the Policy Agendas Project and the National Science Foundation are used to explore this research. PUBLIC OPINION, POLITICAL SOCIALIZATION & MEDIA How is Congress Doing? How is Your Representative Doing? Exit Polling A Soomo original documentary on graduate and undergraduate students conducting an exit poll during the 2004 presidential election. Politics and Values in a 51%-48% Nation Despite splintering inside parties, Americans find themselves agreeing on some core issues. Think you know where parties stand? This report from the Pew Research Center may surprise you. Twenty Questions Can exit polls be trusted? What do you look for in a solid survey? This article from Public Agenda discusses twenty questions journalists should ask about poll results. Campaign Strategists An excerpt from The War Room, an Oscarnominated documentary film about the 1992 Clinton presidential election. This segment shows the campaign team crafting a spot in response to the GOP Convention bounce. Howard Dean and the Media Dean s infamous Iowa caucus speech, mainstream media reaction and Dean s comments on the media s role in his downfall. Street Fight Two segments from the Oscar-nominated documentary of Cory Booker s 2002 campaign for mayor of Newark, New Jersey. Is Knowledge Power? Video interviews with Al Gore and Joe Trippi who claim that the internet is revolutionizing the way Americans get their news, juxtaposed with a study by the Excellence in Journalism Project analyzing messages by medium.

Brief Contents. To the Student

Brief Contents. To the Student Brief Contents To the Student xiii 1 American Government and Politics in a Racially Divided World 1 2 The Constitution: Rights and Race Intertwined 27 3 Federalism: Balancing Power, Balancing Rights 57