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American Government Projects

1. Comparative Government Project

2. Constitution Delegate Project

3. Bill of rights Project:

Bill of Rights Notebook Assignment
Part 1: Rewrite Amendments 1 through 10, and 14.

Part 2: Explain in your own words the purpose of the whole Bill of Rights as you interpret its meaning. Write at least five paragraphs explaining in your own words the purpose of the whole Bill of Rights as you interpret its meaning. Remember a "good" paragraph should have a topic sentence that tells the reader what is in the paragraph, at least four sentences with good, detailed information, and a concluding sentence that summarizes what the paragraph covered. In addition, you must use complete sentences.

Submit responses to Drop Box

4. Legislative Unit Projects

   A. Know Your Congress Person project

   B. Law Making in the Senate: Human Cloning project (WebQ)

   C. Policy Issue Projects:

Congress has long been accused of being slow in responding to public needs for new laws. Others accuse members of Congress as being too busy protecting their jobs or their parties to create effective laws. But as you have learned in this unit, the process of creating laws is intentionally long and complicated, since this gives members of Congress a better opportunity to investigate bills. The variety of responsibilities and duties of both Senators and Representatives contribute to slowing down the legislative process, but in many cases these outside jobs are just as important to the country as making laws.

In this unit you have read about some current policy issues, and many of these issues are being considered by Congress. Below is a list of the policy issues from this unit. Click on any of them for more information.

Policy Issue One: Same-Sex Marriages

Hawaii's decision to legally recognize same-sex marriages produced a huge debate about how society should view same-sex marriages. You will be expected to demonstrate an understanding of the current legal status of same-sex marriages and know what groups oppose and favor same-sex marriages. You will then be expected to explain your own position.

Policy Issue Two: Internet censorship/Free speech

You will be expected to understand the arguments about Internet content. You will also have to visit web-screening services and understand how they work. You will then be expected to summarize the debate and present your opinion about the wisdom of Internet censorship.

Policy Issue Three: Term limits

Although the constitutional amendment limiting term limits has been defeated, there is still considerable debate about the need to limit how long someone can serve in Congress. You will need to understand both sides of the term limits issue and be able to defend both sides.

Policy Issue Four: Animal Rights

Animal rights activists are generally portrayed as wild-eyed fanatics who throw paint on people wearing fur coats. However, there is a broad range of people who feel that too often animals are treated like disposable items. You will need to understand the various issues related to animal rights and be able to explain the points of view of both those who want laws passed to protect animals and those who feel no laws are needed.

 

    D. Amendments Research Project:

Notebook Activity

Three of the constitutional amendments deal directly with voting rights for previously disenfranchised individuals: Amendment 15 (Black Suffrage), Amendment 19 (Women's Suffrage), and Amendment 26 (18-year-old Vote).

Choose one of these amendments for your notebook activity. Using the Internet, research the issues involved with the amendment. Write a summary and analysis of the issues, actions, and key figures in getting the amendment added to the Constitution.

NOTE: Your summary and analysis should be a MINIMUM of seven paragraphs.

 

5. Executive Unit Projects:

    A. Know Your Cabinet

    B. Policy issue Projects:

No other part of the government has witnessed such a large change in the amount of responsibilities and powers as the Presidency. That change has been due as much to the personalities of the Presidents as it has been due to the country's growth. Today, the President must supervise a massive government and lead the United States in a very uncertain global atmosphere.

In this unit you have read about some current policy issues, and many of these issues are important issues during Presidential campaigns. Understanding what each issue concerns will make you a more educated and better voter. Below is a list of the policy issues from this unit. Click on any of them for more information.

Policy Issue One: Foreign Aid/Human Rights

Whether food aid or development aid, the United States yearly spends billions of dollars helping lesser developed countries, or LDCs. Often, this aid is only provided to nations who conform to American concepts of human rights. Your project will require you to know which countries receive American aid and what strings are attached. You will then be required to decide if the United States has the right to dictate how other countries treat their citizens.

Policy Issue Two: Environment

Environmental issues such as the greenhouse effect and rainforest destruction have commanded considerable attention in recent years. You will be required to understand some of these issues, determine what the American government is doing about the environment, and decide if these actions are sufficient.

Policy Issue Three: Military Segregation of the Sexes

According to many women's rights groups, the military remains one of the last American institutions to consistently resist treating women as equals. You will need to visit Web sites, listen to interviews, and decide for yourself whether the current treatment of women in the military is fair.

Policy Issue Four: America as Peace Keeper

As with America's distribution of foreign aid, the role that the United States plays in international affairs has received considerable attention. Many people feel that, as the world's only superpower, the United States has an obligation to help maintain global peace. Others feel that American Presidents should be more concerned with American problems. You will need to find out where American troops are currently being used and decide if the United States should continue its activity as global peacekeeper.

    C. Executive Branch Research:

Notebook Activity 

All of our lives are affected all the time by decisions and actions in the Executive Branch of the federal government. Choose one of the offices within the Executive Office of the President, one of the departments within the Cabinet, OR one of the independent agencies and discuss how its duties affect your life.

You probably are going to need to use the Internet to research the roles of some of these groups.

NOTE: Your discussion paper should be a MINIMUM of five paragraphs long.  

 

6. Judicial Unit Projects:

    A. Policy Issue Projects:

Perhaps no other system in the American government is as important and so little understood as the American legal system. Although the Constitution makes promises of rights and due process for Americans, it has been the judicial branch that has held the government to that obligation. In the twentieth century the courts, especially the Supreme Court, have also forced the government to finally recognize the rights of all Americans, regardless of race, gender, or age. A crucial part of American government, the American legal system is always changing as new issues come up.

In this unit you have read about some current policy issues, and many of these issues are under consideration by the courts. Below is a list of the policy issues from this unit. Click on any of them for more information.

Policy Issue One: Rights of Minors

The legal status of minors varies from issue to issue. You will be expected to find out the legal ages for a variety of activities and judge if the current system is fair, or if it denies people under eighteen of rights guaranteed to all Americans.

Policy Issue Two: Juvenile Crime

Considerable debate has been caused by the issue of juvenile crime. You will need to examine the question of when a minor needs to be tried as an adult for crimes, or if it is even fair to expect a minor to understand the consequences of crime.

Policy Issue Three: Teen Pregnancy

You will be expected to understand how teen pregnancy affects a variety of people, including the teen mother, her partner, and the unborn child. You will also need to make some kind of policy to decrease teen pregnancy in America.

Policy Issue Four: Capital Punishment

You will need to weigh the different opinions concerning capital punishment and decide for yourself if the government has the right to put criminals to death. You will also need to understand the political debates behind capital punishment.

 

7. Bureaucratic Unit Projects

 

 

 

Policy Issues Links