Civil Liberties

We don't have time for this discussion in class--we have a 13 slide powerpoint and are still only on slide 9! But I sensed it rising its head in class, even though ignored. We've been discussing civil liberties, consitutional protections, and citizenship. Here's your opportunity to air out your ideas on any and all of those issues.

Please remember to keep it academic discourse. You are more than welcome to voice a controversial opinion or statement, but keep your beliefs supported by relevant arguments. If you diasgree with someone, please do so respectfully.

Bureaucracy

The bureaucracy is clearly the largest part of American government, yet it's not constitutionally mandated and the American public seems to be largely ignorant of its scope and duties.

Make an argument for or against the bureaucracy. You MUST support your argument with a SPECIFIC example of how the bureaucracy helps or hinders American government.

Brainwashing or Learning

Brainwashing or learning? This topic came up before break and it resrufaced today as I went off on a diatribe about abortion, federal spending, right to life, and other issues. Several students were uncomfortable with the topic, with my obviously biased viewpoints, and that I "forced my views" upon you. Isn't that what teachers do every day? Is education a series of events and experiences where an authority figure (who has ethos established by their intellectual and academic accomplishments) tells you what to think?

I apologize for the class for becoming too political, too one-sided, or too intimidating in my position. But I challenge you to address the question above. Do teachers force their beliefs on you? Are some of those beliefs more insidious and latent than others? What effects does that produce in society?

What about political figures? Do they force their views on the people as well, or do they reflect the beliefs of society?

Mock Congress

HOMEWORK: Draft a bill. Your bill should propose some course of action related to our Go Green initiative. Pick ONE particular course of action, and consider all aspects of that action (goals/outcomes, resources, methods, etc.) Be creative--we don't need 32 bills all about recycling plastic bottles.

You want your bill to be clear, yet still conscise so you can easily get it through committee. All bills will be submitted using "House" rules (i.e. in the "Hopper"), assigned a number, and then sent to committee. Students will be assigned to the following committees: Recycling, Reduction, ReUse, Marketing, Energy Efficiency, and Rules.

Each student will propose their "bill" and the committees will votes on which bill to put forth. Each committee may add or subtract to the original bill through a "mark-up" session. Each committee will draft a single bill to submit to the Committee of the Whole. Debate will be held, and then bills will be voted on.

US Congress Leadership

So who are the current congressional leaders? And what exactly is a congressional whip? What do they do (and NO it's not kinky!)?

Please Pass the Pork

What exactly is pork (besides a delicious, carnivourous delicacy)? Define pork barrell spending and log rolling. Find examples of pork and log rolling. What's wrong with pork? Isn't a form of "enlightened self-interest"?

Once someone has defined the terms, only add to those definitions, or provide additional examples.

And what exactly are some of the standing committees on congress? What do they do? Who is on them? What committees do our senators (John McCain and John Kyl) sit on? Do they hold any leadership positions?

Senate and House of Representatives

So exactly how much money do these folks make? What other perks, benefits, and privileges do they have? What exactly are the current demographics in Congress? What did most Congress members do before they were elected to this gig? Are they representative of "the people"?