A More Perfect Union The Three Branches of the Federal Government The Presidency The Congress The Supreme Court Teacher s Guide
Teacher s Guide for A More Perfect Union : The Three Branches of the Federal Government Copyright 2000 by Knowledge Unlimited, Inc. For more information, write Knowledge Unlimited, Inc., P.O. Box 52, Madison, WI 53701. www.knowledgeunlimited.com
Introduction This guide provides supplemental materials and activities to use with A More Perfect Union : The Three Branches of the Federal Government, a series of three 15- to 18-minute video programs on the basic structure of the federal government of the United States. The video programs and accompanying materials are designed to be useful in history, civics, government, and political science classes. Each of the three programs teaches a basic government lesson about the structure and functioning of one branch of the federal government. And each program also raises challenging political and ethical questions. The accompanying materials in this guide are designed to be useful to a wide range of students. Some of the materials stress basic history and government concepts and issues. Others are appropriate for more advanced students. You have the opportunity to select those materials that will be most useful for your students. How is this guide organized? The guide is divided into three sections, one for each of the three videos: The Presidency, The Congress, The Supreme Court. The supplemental material for The Presidency starts on page 2. The material for The Congress begins on page 7. And the material for The Supreme Court begins on page 12. Each section contains the following: A statement of objectives A brief summary of the video Suggestions for what to do before and during the video Suggested follow-up activities A handout reviewing important terms covered in the video Two reproducible activity sheets: 1) Review Quiz, 2) Interpreting the Video Note: This 20-page guide contains all the lessons found in the old 31-page teaching guide. We were able to reduce the amount of paper we used and make a better and more environmentally-friendly product without sacrificing content.
The Presidency Objectives 1. Students will be able to define most of the essential powers and duties of the U.S. president. 2. Students will understand the principle of checks and balances and identify some of the ways in which that principle operates in the Constitution to check the powers of the president. 3. Students will be able to discuss and read more about some key issues related to the growth of presidential power in this century. Summary of the Video The program describes the powers and duties of the U.S. president. But it also raises this fundamental question about the nation s chief executive: has the presidency become too powerful? The program begins with the oath each new president takes on Inauguration Day. Then, through three contrasting statements about the U.S. presidency, it immediately focuses on the question of presidential power. Next, the program describes the concerns that led the nation s founders to invent the presidency at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. An overview follows of the president s basic powers and the constitutional checks against any abuse of those powers. An account of the growth of presidential power during the 20th century comes next, keynoted by a quote from Harry Truman. Roosevelt s 100 Days are presented as a dramatic example of the president s growing leadership role in relation to Congress. This section emphasizes the enormous power of the modern president as foreign policy leader and commander-in-chief. The program ends with a brief account of the Watergate crisis. Did that crisis herald the arrival of an imperial presidency, unaccountable to the electorate? Or did it prove that the system can indeed check presidents when they abuse their powers? The program concludes by posing these all-important questions for further discussion.
Before the Program Suggestions for Using this Video Explain to students that they are about to see The Presidency, a video that explains the powers and duties of the president. Make copies of the sheet of Terms and use it to review any words your students do not know. Ask your students to consider, as they watch the video, whether our presidents are now too powerful or not powerful enough. Ask them to name some recent presidents and to rate them in terms of how good a job they did. Ask students what, if anything, they know about the Watergate scandal of 1973. Tell them that the video closes with a brief account of the Watergate crisis. Suggest that they pay attention especially to the questions raised at the end of that account. During the Program Just after the opening segment, the video presents three dramatized points of view about the presidency. You may wish to pause the program at this point and ask students to comment on these three points of view. Suggest that students keep these opinions in mind as they view the rest of the program. Follow-up Activities 1. Lead a brief, open-ended discussion based on the questions raised at the end of the video. 2. Have students complete Activity Sheet 1, the Reproducible Quiz, as a way to review key facts and concepts in the program. 3. Give students Activity Sheet 2 either as a classroom assignment or as homework. Ask them to be brief in their answers, but to use additional sheets of paper if they wish. Use their answers to the questions as a starting point for a follow-up discussion about the video. 4. Conduct a discussion that focuses on the particular episodes and presidents mentioned in the program. Ask students to recall as many of the presidents mentioned in the program as they can. Have students come up with the names of other U.S. presidents. Of those other presidents, which ones best illustrate the points raised in the video? What other important issues about the presidency arise in discussing these other presidents? 5. Ask students to relate the points in the video to our current chief executive. In light of the issues raised in the video, how would they evaluate the president s performance since taking office? 6. Further follow-up activities can be found at the end of the individual guide accompanying the video The Presidency.
The Presidency Terms appropriate In this case, to set aside or make available public funds for a specific purpose. the Cabinet The president s top advisers and the heads of the major executive departments of the federal government. executive branch The branch of the federal government that executes, or carries out, the laws and the government plans. The executive branch is headed by the president. federal budget The federal government s annual plan for raising and spending its money. impeachment The act by Congress of charging the president or another top official of treason, bribery, or other serious crimes. treaties Formal agreements between two or more nations. tyranny A government in which the rulers have total power and citizens have few or no rights. veto The president s power to stop a bill passed by Congress from becoming a law.
Name Date The Presidency Activity Sheet 1 Review Quiz 1. The rules for the presidency are written in the..?.., which was signed in Philadelphia in 1787. 2. The earlier rules for the U.S. government, those in effect from 1781 to 1789, were called the..?... Under them, the U.S. government was very weak. 3. Congress is able to limit the president s powers in several ways. For example, it has the right to (CHOOSE ONE: appoint, approve) Cabinet officials. 4. Congress also has the power to declare war. However, presidents have often sent U.S. troops into battle without such a declaration. In the video, (CHOOSE ONE: Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt) was identified as a president who did this. 5. In 1933, at the height of the Great Depression, the 100 Days showed just how much control (CHOOSE ONE: a president can have over Congress, a Congress can have over the president). 6. Presidents can check the power of the Supreme Court by (CHOOSE ONE: appointing its justices, vetoing its decisions). 7. The..?.. helps the president prepare the annual trillion-dollar-plus budget. 8. In 1973, Congress passed the War Powers Act to limit the president s power to send soldiers into battle. Since then,..?.. maintained that the War Powers Act is unconstitutional. a) only one president has b) no presidents have c) all presidents have 9. In July of 1974, the..?.. finally ordered President Nixon to turn over tapes showing his part in the Watergate cover-up. a) Congress b) Special Prosecutor c) Supreme Court 10. TRUE OR FALSE: On August 9, 1974, Richard Nixon became the first president to be impeached. answers on page 17
Name Date The Presidency Activity Sheet 2 Interpreting the video The Presidency Write brief responses to the following questions (use additional paper if necessary). 1. Why did so many of the nation s founders feel the need to create a strong presidency when they met to write the U.S. Constitution in 1787? 2. Summarize some of the checks the Constitution places on presidential power. 3. Presidents George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Harry Truman, Franklin Roosevelt, and Richard Nixon are specifically mentioned in the video. Pick one of these presidents, summarize what the video said about him, and explain what point these references to him were intended to make. 4. The video ends by asking whether or not presidents today have too much power. What do you think the answer to this question is? Explain.
The Congress Objectives 1. Students will be able to describe the role Congress plays as one of the three branches of the federal government and understand some of the ways in which its powers are limited by the other two branches of government. 2. Students will understand the way Congress works in particular, the way the committee system functions and how legislation is passed. 3. Students will be able to discuss and be motivated to read more about some key issues having to do with the Congress and its effectiveness today. Summary of the Video The program describes the role of Congress in the federal government. But it also raises this fundamental question: has Congress become increasingly ineffective and less representative of all the people in recent decades? First, the video reviews a key moment in the Watergate scandal and gives a brief account of Richard Nixon s impeachment process, which was cut short when President Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974. This account of the Watergate crisis dramatically illustrates one of Congress s greatest powers. The program then sets this power in the context of the entire system of checks and balances established by the nation s founders when they wrote the Constitution in 1787. The prominence, and the detail, devoted to the description of Congress in Article 1 make it clear that the founders expected the legislative branch to dominate the federal government. But how true is this today? In spite of its assertiveness during the Watergate crisis, Congress has seemed to some experts to be less and less decisive. After a thorough account of how Congress works, the program s focus returns to this issue. And a brief look at the influence of money in congressional campaigns raises related questions about how democratic and representative Congress still is. The program concludes with these troubling questions, and with the suggestion that the quality of our legislators depends ultimately on how active each of us is willing to be as a citizen and voter.
Suggestions for Using this Video Before the Program Explain to students that they are about to see The Congress, a video that explains how Congress works and that asks them to consider whether Congress today is as effective or as representative of all the people as it once was. Make copies of the sheet of Terms and use it to review any words your students do not know. Ask students to name their state s senators and their district s representative in the House. Have them rate how good a job they feel these lawmakers are doing. Ask students what they have read or heard about the costs of congressional election campaigns. Suggest that they pay special attention to the discussion of that issue at the end of the program. Ask them to think about why this issue concerns so many Americans. During the Program If you wish, pause the video a few minutes in, at the point where the narrator asks: But how effective is Congress today? The Watergate crisis showed Congress acting decisively. But many people today see Congress as increasingly ineffective. Ask students to comment on these words and express their own initial opinions about them. Suggest that they keep these opinions in mind as they view the rest of the program. Follow-up Activities 1. Lead a brief, open-ended discussion based on the questions raised at the end of the video. 2. Have students complete Activity Sheet 1, the Reproducible Quiz, as a way to review key facts and concepts in the program. 3. Give students Activity Sheet 2, either as a classroom assignment or as homework. Ask them to be brief in their answers, but to use additional sheets of paper if they wish. Use their answers to the questions as a starting point for a follow-up discussion about the video. 4. Conduct a discussion of the program that focuses on the question of campaign financing. Remind students of the Mark Twain quote in the program: America has no distinctly native criminal class, except Congress. Ask them whether or not they think the corrupting influence of money and power is really any worse now than it has been throughout U.S. history. In light of their answers to this question, ask students to discuss and evaluate current proposals for reforming campaign finance laws. 5. Ask students to relate the points in the video to the performance of their own senators and representative. What important reforms of Congress, if any, would they like to see? 6. Further follow-up activities can be found at the end of the individual guide accompanying the video The Congress.
The Congress Terms bill A proposed law. campaign The overall effort a candidate makes to win votes through speeches, press conferences, television, and radio. congressional committee A small group of lawmakers who study and sometimes rework bills before submitting them to the full House or Senate. ethics Rules or standards for correct or moral behavior. floor vote A vote taken by the full House or Senate. legislative branch The branch of government that makes laws, also known as the Congress. lobbyists Officials of businesses, unions, and other special interest groups who work to influence the way lawmakers vote. Political Action Committees Also known as PACs. Groups set up by private organizations to give money and other help to favored political candidates. veto override The effort made by Congress to reverse a presidential veto, something that can be accomplished by a two-thirds vote of both houses.
Name Date The Congress Activity Sheet 1 Review Quiz 1. Each branch of the federal government of United States is given powers over the other two. The phrase..?.. is used for this feature of the U.S. Constitution. 2. Compared to the way it describes the powers of the president and the Supreme Court, the Constitution describes the powers of Congress (CHOOSE ONE: vaguely, in great detail). 3. In the video, the Watergate crisis is presented as an example of Congress acting (CHOOSE ONE: decisively, ineffectively). 4. Originally, senators were chosen by..?.., not by direct election as they are today. a. the House b. state legislatures c. the Electoral College 5. In each session of Congress, (CHOOSE ONE: hundreds, thousands) of bills are proposed. 6. When a bill is first introduced into one house of Congress, it is almost always sent immediately to..?.. for further consideration. a. a committee b. the Majority Leader c. the other house 7. If the House and Senate pass slightly different versions of the same bill, a..?.. meets and comes up with a final version of the bill that both houses can agree on. 8. Committee chairmen are powerful members of Congress. They are always (CHOOSE ONE: elected by the members of their committee, members of the majority party in their house of Congress). 9. Since 1950, support staff for the nation s legislators has grown from about (CHOOSE ONE: 5,000 to 15,000; 15,000 to 45,000). 10. Mark Twain is quoted in the video as a way of showing that the problem of corruption in Congress (CHOOSE ONE: has always worried many Americans, is far greater today than it once was). answers on page 17 10
Name Date The Congress Activity Sheet 2 Interpreting the video The Congress Write brief responses to the following questions (use additional paper if necessary). 1. The program begins with a brief account of the Watergate crisis. What point is this account in the video meant to make? 2. Briefly explain the work congressional committees do and why they are so important to Congress. 3. What can Congress do to pass a bill once the president has vetoed it? Do you think Congress should have this power? Why or why not? 4. The video suggests that the costs of modern-day election campaigns have made Congress less democratic. Explain the reasons this may be so. Do you agree or disagree with these reasons? Why? 11
The Supreme Court Objectives 1. Students will be able to understand and describe the way the Supreme Court works. 2. Students will understand the concept of judicial review and be able to explain why it gives the Supreme Court a unique and substantial power in relation to the other two branches of the federal government. 3. Students will be able to discuss and be motivated to read more about recent trends in the Court s decisions and arguments about the role it has played in defending minority rights in a majoritarian democracy. Summary of the Video The program opens with these words from Oliver Wendell Holmes: We are very quiet here but it is the quiet of a storm center. The video then provides a brief description of the Supreme Court as the head of the judicial branch of the federal government and of its role as interpreter of the Constitution, with an emphasis on the Bill of Rights. The Court s powerful impact on society is then illustrated with a look at one important decision, the 1954 Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka desegregation case. This is followed by a brief description of the way the Court works, along with an account of Chief Justice John Marshall s famous Marbury v. Madison decision, the decision that engendered the all-important power of judicial review. The program explains that judicial review is the Supreme Court s check in the system of checks and balances. The other two branches can control the Court mainly through the appointment process. The independence of Supreme Court justices is also stressed, with specific references to Dwight Eisenhower s disappointment over Earl Warren s decisions. The program ends with a look back at the roundup and internment of Japanese American citizens during World War II. While this internment is now considered a great injustice, it was upheld by the Court in the 1944 case of Korematsu v. the United States. By ending with this case, the program poses an important final question: Will the Court remain a strong defender of the rights of the minority in a democracy governed by a majority? 12
Suggestions for Using this Video Before the Program Explain to students that they are about to see The Supreme Court, a video that explains the role of the Court and asks them to consider the Court s historic role in protecting the rights of individuals and weaker groups in society. Make copies of the sheet of Terms and use it to review any words your students do not know. Ask students to identify as many current Supreme Court justices as they can. Ask them what their opinion is if the current Supreme Court as a whole, and why. Point out that the video ends with a dramatic account of the internment of thousands of Japanese Americans during World War II. Suggest that they pay special attention to the questions raised at the end of that account. During the Program If you wish, the program may be paused a few minutes in, at the end of the account of the Brown v. Board of Education case. Ask students what else they have read about this case. Then ask them why they think this case was included here and what point it was intended to make. Suggest that they think about this as they view the rest of the program. Follow-Up Activities 1. Lead a brief, open-ended discussion based on the questions raised at the end of this video. 2. Have students complete Activity Sheet 1, the Reproducible Quiz, as a way to review key facts and concepts in the program. 3. Give students Activity Sheet 2 either as a classroom assignment or as homework. Ask them to be brief in their answers, but to use additional sheets of paper if they wish. Use their answers to the questions as a starting point for a follow-up discussion about the video. 4. Conduct a discussion of the particular court cases mentioned in the program. What more have they heard or read about each of these cases? Ask students what other famous court cases, if any, they would have used in the program. What other points would these cases have made about the Supreme Court and its role in the nation s past, present, and future? 5. Ask students to relate the points in the video to the current Supreme Court. In light of the issues raised in the video, how would they evaluate the Court s performance in recent years? 6. Further follow-up activities are described at the end of the individual guide accompanying the video The Supreme Court. 13
The Supreme Court Terms concurring opinion A written explanation agreeing with a majority decision of the Supreme Court, but for reasons slightly different from those expressed in the majority opinion. court A place where trials are held and law cases are settled. dissenting opinion A written explanation by a justice or justices disagreeing with a majority decision of the Supreme Court. imply To hint at or suggest indirectly. interpret To explain the meaning of something. judicial branch The branch of government that interprets the laws, makes sure they are obeyed, and settles arguments about them. The judicial branch is headed by the Supreme Court. majority opinion In this case, the written explanation of the decision on a case taken by a majority of Supreme Court justices. This is the decision that prevails. overrule To overturn or reverse an earlier court decision. segregation In this case, laws or rules that separate people by race in schools, businesses, and other ways. separate but equal The principle expressed by the Court in 1896 that segregated facilities were constitutional as long as both sets of facilities were equal. 14
Name Date The Supreme Court Activity Sheet 1 Review Quiz 1. The Supreme Court s power to declare laws and other acts of government unconstitutional is called its power of..?... 2. This power was first established by the Court in 1803, when (CHOOSE ONE: Oliver Wendell Holmes, John Marshall) was chief justice. 3. A great many Supreme Court cases have had to do with the rights listed in the so-called..?.., the first ten amendments to the Constitution. 4. This video presents the famous case of Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka. In this case, the Court (CHOOSE ONE: upheld, overturned) the separate but equal rule it had established much earlier. 5. The Supreme Court only hears about..?.. of the approximately 5,000 cases that come before it each year. a) 150 b) 550 c) 950 6. Supreme Court justices are chosen by the president. But they must be approved by a vote of the..?.. before they can become members of the Court. 7. Dwight Eisenhower described his appointment of..?.. as chief justice as the biggest mistake I ever made. 8. In 1973, the court said states could not ban abortion in the first three months of a woman s pregnancy. The Court based that decision on a right to privacy that it said is (CHOOSE ONE: specifically stated, implied) in several constitutional amendments. 9. Some experts say that, under Chief Justice..?.., the Court in the 1980s and 90s began reversing many important Court rulings of the 1960s and 70s. 10. The video ends with an account of the imprisonment of thousands of innocent Japanese Americans during World War II. In 1944, a majority of Supreme Court justices said the imprisonment of those Americans (CHOOSE ONE: did, did not) violate the Constitution. answers on page 17 15
Name Date The Supreme Court Activity Sheet 2 Interpreting the video The Supreme Court Write brief responses to the following questions (use additional paper if necessary). 1. The video begins with this brief quote from Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes: We are very quiet here but it is the quiet of a storm center. In your own words, explain what Justice Holmes means. 2. Briefly explain the Supreme Court s power of judicial review. 3. In the video, Alexander Hamilton is quoted as calling the Supreme Court the weakest of the three branches of the federal government. Do you agree or disagree? Why? 4. The video ends with a brief account of the imprisonment of thousands of Japanese Americans in the U.S. during World War II. What main point does the video try to make by ending with this account? 16
Answers to Review Quizzes ANSWERS TO REVIEW QUIZ The Presidency (page 5) 1-Constitution; 2-Articles of Confederation; 3-approve; 4-Abraham Lincoln; 5-a president can have over Congress; 6-appointing its justices; 7-Office of Management and the Budget; 8-c; 9-c; 10-FALSE ANSWERS TO REVIEW QUIZ The Congress (page 10) 1-checks and balances; 2-in great detail; 3-decisively; 4-b; 5-thousands; 6-a; 7-conference committee; 8-members of the majority party in their house of Congress; 9-5,000 to 15,000; 10-has always worried many Americans. ANSWERS TO REVIEW QUIZ The Supreme Court (page 15) 1-judicial review; 2-John Marshall; 3-Bill of Rights; 4-overturned; 5-a; 6-Senate; 7-Earl Warren; 8-implied; 9-William Rehnquist; 10-did not. 17
Change Has Come poster More Teaching Resources from Knowledge Unlimited, Inc. For information on these and other great resources for your classroom, or for a copy of our catalogue, call (800)356-2303, fax (800)618-1570, or write P.O. Box 52, Madison, Wisconsin, 53701 Our entire catalogue is also available online at www.thekustore.com. Teaching Kits Everything You Need to Teach About U.S. Government, includes dvds or videos, resource guide, posters Everything You Need to Teach About the Constitution, includes dvd or video, resource book, poster sets Everything You Need to Teach About the Presidential Election, includes dvds or videos, resource guide, posters The President and the Presidency, includes dvd or video, poster, and teacher s guide High Crimes and Misdemeanors: Impeachment and the Presidency, includes dvd or video, poster, and teacher s guide Bidding for Office: Who Should Pay for Elections?, includes dvd or video, poster, and teacher s guide Why Don't Americans Vote?, includes dvd or video, poster, and teacher s guide Videos/DVDs We the People : The Story of the Constitution, video and teacher s guide Electing a President, video and teacher s guide Resource Book That Grand, Noble Work : Exploring the Constitution Choosing the President Posters Branches of Government poster set Landmark Decisions of the Supreme Court poster set with teacher s guide The Bill of Rights poster set How a Bill Becomes a Law poster The Presidents poster Produced by Knowledge Unlimited, Inc. P.O. Box 52, Madison, Wisconsin 54701-0052 (800)356-2303 or (608) 836-6660 www.knowledgeunlimited.com ISBN 155933-080-5 4015GD