A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE PRESIDENT Today's Date (For example: Jan. 1 2015)

Dear President __________ (Write the President's name here),

In the body of the letter, you should first briefly introduce yourself. Remember to include you name and address so that you can receive an answer to your letter. Explain why you are writing this letter to the President. Perhaps you have a question, a suggestion, an opinion, a request, a concern, or a criticism for the President. Look up the President's schedule ( and using critical vocabulary from the President's Packet, write well thoughtout questions, concerns or requests.)  Please avoid expressing your personal politics but rather assert you concerns as a high school students starting your adult lives.  The letter should focus on a day in the life of the President. My goal here is that you A) can use critical vocab to ask questions about the President's day and B) express your concerns as a young citizen The President's schedule can be found at this link: http://www.whitehouse.gov/schedule/president/2014-12-02 Ask the President specifically for a response that you would like (for example, you might request that the President visit your city or support legislation helping students).     Remember to thank the President for reading your letter.

Thank you, (or use another closing phrase)(Sign your name here) Acopy of your letter is due to me on January 6th/7th depending on our day 1/ day 2 schedule. We will mail them together.

Winter Break Assignment:

 

Watch a movie about the Presidency and blog a review of the movie citing 5 critical vocabulary terms from the packet provided to you in class.

Here are some choices:

Romantic Comedies: 

The American President
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyGibtCfMLM

Dave
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vkf4VQx2MHE

Classic Movie:

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sm9qaEJ3MBc

Action Adventure: 

Air Force One
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwQzfS-Di98

Historical recreations:

Frost/Nixon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh26dgvPWO0

Thirteen Days
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSA7Evcy7iE

Capaign Finance Reform

Lobby groups and other special interests allow Americans a voice in government.  What dangers are present in American democracy when that access into the government is abused?

Watch the following video and offer your opinion using at least two vocabulary words from the unit.

EXTRA CREDIT BLOG

PLAY THE REDISTRICTING GAME.

Post your results and one vocabulary word you learned when you were playing

http://redistrictinggame.org/

Play the Basic Section of Mission 2 - You should see a section that looks like this:

Mission 2: Partisan Gerrymander
Gerrymander the State of Hamilton in your party's favor.
Basic - Advanced - Learn More - Quotes

THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING THE LICSS WORKSHOP ON INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM.

 If you leave an e-mail address in the comments section I will happily foward my materials to you if you didn't get a handout at the conference.

FEDERALISM AND HURRICANE KATRINA

Federal, State and Local government all failed to communicate with each other in dealing with Hurrican Katrina. Hundreds lost their lives in the aftermath.  Politicians spent a great deal of time blaming each other.  The babies of Katrina are now attending high school.  We will be talking to the kids in this video via Skype in class.

a) Please watch the above video and please offer a comment based on your reaction and your familiarity with government agancies dealing with crisis management.  Was Sandy easier for New Yorkers because of the lessons earned from Katrina?

b) What should have been done that was not done, in your opinion?  Please answer in the context of vocabulary from chapter 3.

Flip Classroom # 1: Political Sociailization

Phase 1 - Home study - Do you have any questions about the Google Slides presentation?
Phase 2 - Contacting the NY Congressional Delegation.  Why did we do this actvity in class?  What was the connection to your homework?

Please post a question regarding the content we've discussed over the last two days?  Good Luck finishing the summer assignment.

Checks and Balances:

The President, Congress and a Foreign Policy Crisis in the Middle East

Sep 2, 2014 9:04pm

An additional 350 U.S. troops will go to Iraq to protect U.S. personnel stationed in Baghdad, the White House announced today.

The State Dept. had requested extra military personnel for security, and after the Department of Defense reviewed that request and recommended it be granted, President Obama approved the additional forces today, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest announced in a statement to reporters.

“The additional forces will not serve a combat role,” Earnest wrote. In today’s daily press briefing, Earnest again reiterated Obama’s stance that the U.S. will not send combat troops to fight on Iraq.

A U.S. official said the 350 new troops headed to Baghdad are a mix of Marines and Army personnel already serving in the U.S. Central Command’s theater of operations, which stretches from Egypt eastward through the Middle East and Turkey, up to Kazakhstan.

This deployment will bring to 820 the total of U.S. forces responsible for augmenting diplomatic security in Iraq, Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said in a statement to reporters, noting that a total of 405 military personnel will go to Baghdad, allowing 55 currently stationed there to leave Iraq.

While these troops will provide security, Earnest noted that the U.S. will continue helping Iraqi troops fight ISIS. U.S. bombs have continued to fall on ISIS targets in northern Iraq, in support of Kurdish forces fighting ISIS west if Erbil, since Obama authorized the airstrike campaign just over three weeks ago. Last week, the U.S. military expanded its anti-ISIS campaign southward to assist Shiite Turkmen surrounded by ISIS forces in the town of Amirli, and the Pentagon announced another airstrike there over the weekend.

On Thursday, the president will attend a NATO summit in Wales, where he will gather with U.S. allies that have expressed fears about the threat of ISIS, particularly as it has recruited large numbers of fighters from European nations.

“The president will be consulting this week with NATO allies regarding additional actions to take against ISIL and to develop a broad-based international coalition to implement a comprehensive strategy to protect our people and to support our partners in the fight against ISIL,” Earnest wrote, hinting at broader cooperating and potential action.

Obama is also sending top advisers to the region, Earnest announced: Secretary of State John Kerry, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, and top White House counter-terrorism adviser Lisa Monaco will travel separately to the Middle East “in the near term to build a stronger regional partnership,” Earnest wrote

What is your opinion?  Should the US escalate military forces into Iraq and possibly Syria?  Will the American people be willing to engage in a third ground war afterour conflicts against Saddam Hussein in Iraq and Al Queda in Afghanistan?  Offer your opinion in this blog. Please be respectful of other people's opinion and please base your answers on Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 readings.

AP EXAM 

TOMORROW AT 

7:30AM

ROOM 141 Period 4 Day 1 Class

ROOM 140B Period 7 Day 2 class

Here is Monday / Tuesday's class for anyone who missed due to AP Exams.  Feel free to blog any questions you may have.

Flipped Classroom # 3

The First Amendment

To what extent should the government be allowed to practice Prior Restraint?

Please watch the Google Presentation below and leave aquestion or comment below.

https://docs.google.com/a/msd23.org/presentation/d/1djG_1xWNajOIsuZV95BZpFceZmzs5zrSHT255Tib6Qw/edit#slide=id.p

A copy of the Google Presentation is in the msd23.org account that we used in class to write the Amicus Curiea Briefs

AP US GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS QUIZ

Two of the following essays will be on Thursday/Friday’s Quiz.  You will be required to write one for the quiz in class.

Topic: Judicial Activism as compared to Judicial Restraint

1. Define Judicial Activism.

2. Explain the public policy interest that addressed in Roe v. Wade and its companion case Casey v. Planned Parenthood.  Address specifically why many textualists may feel that Roe v. Wade is considered to be Judicial Activism.

3. Evaluate the validity of the following statement “The public views the Supreme Court as a single issue institution”

Topic: Origins of Judicial Power

1. Define Judicial Review

2. Explain TWO precedents set by the Marshall Court.  Be certain to address the manner in which these cases expand Federal Power at the expense of the states.(You may NOT use Gibbons v. Ogden in this part of the essay)

3. Evaluate the role that Gibbons v. Ogden plays in the modern interpretation of interstate commerce.

Topic: Amicus Curiea Briefs

1. Define Amicus Curiea Briefs

2. Explain how interest groups use briefs influence public policy by citing a specific example.

3. Evaluate the role of the solicitor general. Is it valid to say that the government has an unfair advantage in case to which it is a party.

Flip Classroom # 2

I plan to walk you through the history of the Supreme Court in an effort to help you understand the best way to study the case law section of the AP exam.

Does the Supreme Court have moodswings?

Click on the link and please watch the video lectures, take notes and leave me a question on the blog.  Use The handouts in your packet to help.

https://docs.google.com/a/msd23.org/presentation/d/18wL_q1n1r2qReMgVwfK1WphZvJwEQPidJ3-fzfio3Qw/edit#slide=id.p

FLIPPED CLASSROOM #1

SUPREME COURT ARGUEMENTS

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1tTmEulgSb_iU7M9QJzW2wvPIxq1RgGK8ewZSj27QBYw/edit?usp=sharing

WATCH THE ABOVE GOOGLE SLIDES PRESENTATION AND ASK 1 QUESTION ABOUT THE LESSON IN THE BLOG BELOW.

Do you agree with Justice Scalia's belief that the philosophy of textualism best supports the view that judges should interpret the constitution and not legislate from the bench?

Base your opinion on Scalia's comments on the following issues:

a) Bush v. Gore

b) The Citizens United Case 

c) Roberts Court decision on Obamacare

http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/fox-news-sunday-chris-wallace/2012/07/29/justice-antonin-scalia-issues-facing-scotus-and-country#p//v/1760654457001

Foreign Policy and President

Do you agree with the President Obama's handling of the Ukrainian Crisis?  Give your answer in reaction to the following videos.  Consider the following manners in which the Obama Administration should proceed:

a) Economic Sanctions/ Aid depending on your point of view
b) Diplomatic measures
c) Future military assistance should the violence in the region expand.


http://www.voanews.com/content/ukraine-crisis-sharpens-debate-on-obama-foreign-policy/1867640.html


http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/mccain-obamas-feckless-foreign-policy-invited-ukraine-crisis/