Article I The Legislative Branch of the U.S. Government
Unit Questions
What does it take to be elected to Congress and do their job?
Is congress successful?
Icivics on running for congress. See how it works.
http://www.annenbergclassroom.org/page/law-craft
The Legislative Branch standards
C.12.4 Explain the multiple purposes of democratic government, analyze historical and contemporary examples of the tensions between those purposes, and illustrate how governmental powers can be acquired, used , abused, or legitimized.
C.12.6 Identify and analyze significant political benefits, problems, and solutions to problems related to federalism and the separation of powers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hltv8-nzcUc&t=2s 5:55 Intro Video on Legislative Branch
Activity 1
constitution Article 1 leg branch.docx This is article 1 of the Legislative Branch
Lets see what in it?
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1igdhR6V64PqbfkIhxe2YR5lYDZv-LvoERE2HIoo9Yuc/edit?usp=sharing Do this DOC while reading Article 1 of the constitution
When unit is over you should:
1. List the many duties and responsibilities that Congress performs.
2. Identify what representatives in the Legislative Branch do and will understand why they do it.
3. Identify and understand the steps a bill goes through to become a law.
4. Determine how you can participate, influence, and use legislative powers in your daily life
5. Define the primary responsibilities of a member of Congress
Vocabulary http://www.studystack.com/flashcard-2387108 Use the Stack to study.
Activity 2: Notes on legislative Branch (Intro)
1. . https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aHepFh6qXDE_YcOVtvnX764uM5vLhQOvGfAj-gEWEkw/edit?usp=sharing - use this note sheet throughout the unit.
2. While watching the videos, identify words that are associated with the two columns.
- Video 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hltv8-nzcUc 5:05
- Video 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-YKvx3vH7c 6:56
3. Add information to your notes from the following links below on basic legislative information
- https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/the-constitution Legislative branch defined and all three interactive.
- http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/uscongress/a/legbranch.htm
Activity 3
Essential Question: When is the legislative branch successful?
Essential Question: Why is Democracy a difficult and messy form of government that is not easy to appreciate?
Congress Approval rating at 19%. Why?
http://www.gallup.com/poll/201974/congress-job-approval-start-new-session.aspx
Introduction
http://constitutioncenter.org/ Use this resource for full Constitution resource
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JlgC2DE0tw 4:30 Uptown Funk 3 branches
Introduction
1. Read pp. 27-52 in the graphic novels on Legislative Branch
2 After reading we will do the following questions
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1J2dbWZQfu1ZyJTL0MfztJ2tXnSOzzgVhrO3bkc1mz28/edit Google doc of the 20 questions from the reading
- legislative branch 20 questions.docx word doc on the 20 questions
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhVeIOy99f4 20:00 Mr Hughes on the Bi cameral house
3. Discuss answers
4. Lets read together what article I is says the duties are of congress.
https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/interpretation/article-i/clauses/762 Use this link to study Article I of the constitution.
5. How effective is Congress at doing its job? How much do the you think people appreciate the job Congress does? ?
What is it we expect of the Legislative Branch? Let's read together and you decide.
6.
Re teaching or practice on congressional power
What congress does and why it matters?
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/1602cbcaccc06549?projector=1 match the duty with the power.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Sc-0vT51xeVyQsbfFGCaCd_P_mDZ5o0VGYBgmYvJ4uM/edit?usp=sharing quick write on the Legislative Branch.
Activity 4 5 Areas where the we lose appreciation for the Legislative branch (Congress).
When does the Legislative branch not work or work for us? 1. lobbyists 2. gov shut down 3. Citizen united 4. Confirm supreme court justices 5. Gerrymandering
https://docs.google.com/document/d/14_wngF_bBqe43vBm7xp_ovcXEVHwJU-cdiZrdT9ntpA/edit?usp=sharing Use this organizer for the 5 areas below.
1. Lobbying and Interest Groups
INTEREST GROUPS and LOBBYING
Who has Congress' ear?
Lobbyist-(n) a person who tries to influence legislation on behalf of a special interest; a member of a LOBBY. Lobbyist represent interest groups or faction.
There is an organized group (interest group) for nearly every person with a policy interest—from automobile manufactures to small business owners; factory workers to retirees; religious freedom advocates to ethnic constituencies. Many accuse these “special interests” of hijacking the legislative process. But these groups play an important role—by focusing the public‘s attention on certain issues and helping members of Congress understand their values. Joining an interest group is one of the main ways Americans participate in public life and communicate their concerns to government.
http://www.cheatsheet.com/money-career/special-interest-government-corruption.html/?a=viewall Here is an article on the 20 biggest special interests groups.
2. Government funding
What is a Government Shutdown?
How is the legislative branch messy? Lets look at funding the Federal Government and how they influence paying the bills for the nation.
In U.S. politics, a government shutdown is the process the Executive Branch must enter into when the Congress ( Legislative Branch) creates a "funding gap" by choosing not to or failing to pass legislation funding government operations and agencies, or, after the Congress passes a bill to fund the government and sends it to the President, ...
https://www.nationalpriorities.org/budget-basics/federal-budget-101/federal-budget-process/ How does a federal budget pass?
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/12/07/congress-poised-pass-bill-fund-government-boost-defense-spending/95094238/ Article on a Government shut down
Do this activity on passing a federal budget.
Is it easy to pass a budget?
How is the legislative branch messy? Lets look at PACs and how they influence making of laws.
3. Campaign financing
What is Citizens United?
http://reclaimdemocracy.org/who-are-citizens-united/ This is full reading on What is Citizens United.
What is Citizens United? The short answer is it’s two different but related things: a Political Action Committee (PAC) in Washington, D.C., and a Supreme Court case about election spending in which the aforementioned PAC was the plaintiff. Both lie at the center of a debate over the role corporations play in society.
See how Congress has compromised since Citizens United has existed
Look at the money and how it influences the political process.
https://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cycle=2014&cid=N00036409&type=I
What is Citizens United and how has it influenced politics?
frayer_model Citizens United.docx
Quick Write: Why is the legislative branch a difficult and messy form of government that is not easy to appreciate?
Statement, evidence, evidence, evidence, Conclusion. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1kpFlPFgaKuZWcrT29Jm2n2DM5Gd-AuCpu2k_WXAFIa8/edit Place your answer on this google form.
4. Confirm Supreme Court Justices
Confirm Supreme Court Justices
Does the Legislative Branch (Senate) have to fill the Supreme Court by Holding Hearings?
Legislative Supreme Court nominee.pdf Article on the Senates refusal to hold court hearings
legislative branch Checks and Balances w.s.docx W.S. on Checks and Balances.
5. Drawing House of Representative boundaries
washingtonpost.com-This is the best explanation of gerrymandering you will ever see.pdf Article about Gerrymandering from above chart
Gerrymandered Congressional Districts in the United States top 10.pdf Top 10 most gerrymandered districts
http://redistrictinggame.org/ Play the redistricting games on Gerrymandering.
Gerrymandering organizer.docx complete this organizer and the questions after reading the articles and playing the redistricting game.
3. After looking at links below and watching videos, take the list of vocabulary words and make the two Wordles. Repeat words that your hear more often.
4. Final Activity Create your Wordle using the Wordle vocabulary sheet from the beginning of the unit Wordle Link
5. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1dHG36au7zkSKz712y4soRWCA6nfXu947L2OGZQinrhw/edit?usp=sharing Create a google side about the duties of Legislative branch
Activity 5 Appreciating Democracy
Essential question: Why is Democracy a difficult and messy form of government that is not easy to appreciate?
Pick a place to eat- lets use Democratic principles
1. A unanimous pick for a place to eat
2. 2/3 pick for a place to eat
3. Majority vote for a place to eat 51%
Congress does not need a 60% threshhold to pass a bill. The House of Representatives requires a simple majority for any given bill. That's the easy part. The Senate is tricky because while the votes for bills only require 51%, there's the filibuster.
A filibuster in the United States Senate is a dilatory or obstructive tactic used in the United States Senate to prevent a measure from being brought to a vote. The most common form of filibuster occurs when a senator attempts to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a bill by extending the debate on the measure.
Lobbyist-(n) a person who tries to influence legislation on behalf of a special interest; a member of a LOBBY. Lobbyist represent interest groups or faction.
Democracy Definition: a system of government in which the power is shared by all the people.
Background on why the legislature branch is messy
- Democracy is filled with conflict
- Democracy is extremely human
- Democracy gets a bad rap when practiced in Congress or state legislatures
- Electronic and print media are critical and report what appears bad or scandalous because people respond more to the negative than the positive news
- The negative is central to political campaigns, where competition is intense.
- Advocates for one issue or another criticize the congressional and legislative systems to enact their policies or agendas.
- No one is ever entirely happy with what a legislature produces.
- Americans do not see why there is so much conflict in politics and are unaware of the divisions that exist. We agree on surface at a general level but not in detail.
- Americans do not see the existence of differences in the American public. "We all know what's right, why don't they just do it?
Legislative process
Agreement (consensus)
Deliberation (position)
Negotiation (compromise)
Decision (majority rule)
Restaurant Assessment Questions
Wrap up
Directions: Answer the questions below about the legislatvie process. Each answer must include two statements.
Wrap up Legislative Process.doc
Extra article here on how money in politics is working against the middle class and poor.
Money Plans To Destroy Our Safety Net Will Also Kill Democracy.pdf
Political Action Committee (PAC) — A popular term for a political committee organized for the purpose of raising and spending money to elect and defeat candidates. Most PACs represent business, labor or ideological interests.
Top 20 PAC Contributors to Candidates, 2015-2016
| PAC Name | Total Amount | Dem Pct | Repub Pct |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Assn of Realtors | $3,912,200 | 42% | 58% |
| National Beer Wholesalers Assn | $3,515,700 | 42% | 57% |
| AT&T Inc | $3,100,750 | 38% | 62% |
| Honeywell International | $2,785,864 | 40% | 60% |
| National Auto Dealers Assn | $2,747,250 | 28% | 72% |
| Lockheed Martin | $2,600,750 | 38% | 62% |
| Blue Cross/Blue Shield | $2,585,898 | 36% | 64% |
| American Bankers Assn | $2,524,507 | 22% | 78% |
| Credit Union National Assn | $2,462,350 | 46% | 54% |
| Intl Brotherhood of Electrical Workers | $2,413,200 | 97% | 3% |
| National Assn of Insurance & Financial Advisors | $2,312,400 | 33% | 67% |
| Operating Engineers Union | $2,270,903 | 74% | 26% |
| Comcast Corp | $2,264,200 | 37% | 63% |
| United Parcel Service | $2,218,203 | 34% | 66% |
| Northrop Grumman | $2,149,500 | 39% | 61% |
| Boeing Co | $2,086,000 | 42% | 58% |
| Machinists/Aerospace Workers Union | $2,084,500 | 92% | 8% |
| Majority Cmte PAC | $2,076,513 | 0% | 100% |
| New York Life Insurance | $2,029,200 | 43% | 57% |
| National Assn of Home Builders | $2,028,125 | 16% | 84% |
Top lobbyists
- NRA (guns) $22,450,670. 98% to Republicans 2% to Democrats
- AARP (retirees)
- NFIB (small businesses)
- AIPAC (Israel)
- AAJ (lawyers)
- AFL-CIO (trade union)
- USCC (business)
- NBWA (beer)
Reading Activity
Goal: How does this article state what is or is not messy about Democracy?
Read the article below and answer the questions that follow.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/03/opinion/populism-and-the-silent-majority.html?_r=2&ref=conservatismuspolitics Article on the silent majority and Nixon's reach to both sides of the spectrum.
What Worked using Democracy?
What did not work or was messy with Democracy?
Read the link on Nixon above. Comment on chart.
Difficulties with Democracy Chart
Exit question: What is one aha!!! moment that you learned about the political spectrum, politics, or Democracy?
How congress influences your life
Unit objective: Why is Democracy a difficult and messy form of government that is not easy to appreciate?
Understanding Congress
http://media.wix.com/ugd/291e9d_831940dd1a1445b38bd3356931137042.pdf a citizen's guide
1.Choose three videos to watch and respond to criticism, impacts and the importance of civic responsiblilites on the organizer.
Organizer
What do you know about how Congressional action can affect your everyday routine?
List at least 5 things that you learned how congress influences your everyday life on a google form
http://www.phschool.com/curriculum_support/interactive_constitution/quiz/index.htm do quiz on Article 1
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1lu1RgXZqUYxpz9FnhpabX8W1zxPytV5AyzjQ-LhHTdA/edit Final exit slip on Legislative Branch
Summative Assessment Legislative Branch
Legisative branch Trading Cards 2010 (1).docx