FDR and Packing the Supreme Court (3)
Roosevelt faces the fact that his New Deal programs may be destroyed by the courts. He looked for new ways to get his ideas OK'd by the courts.
2007 Stark Report On Homelessness (CBS News)
2007 government study finds that there are many more homeless people than beds in shelters, and even that number may be an underestimate.
Political Parties Era (1796-1824)
A political party is a group of people who work to influence policy agendas and hold government power by seeking to elect candidates to public office. The Federalist Party and the Democratic-Republican Party were the first political parties in the United States, lasting from approximately 1796 to 1824
March on Washington
While campaigning for the White House in 1960, John F. Kennedy made the pledge that civil rights would take center stage during his presidency. Kennedy guaranteed that discriminatory practices in housing would be done away with at the start of his term "with a stroke of a pen." Once in office, the results of his pledge were much less dramatic. In fact, the process took nearly two years to complete; all the while civil rights groups were sending pens to the White House to protest Kennedy's inacti
Harlem Renaissance
This is an overview of the influx of African-Americans to New York, maps of where they tended to settle, major authors, and the New Negro Movement are discussed. This lesson is best used with brief biographies of those individuals mentioned and a sampling of some of the materials developed by those mentioned would be ideal to gain a better understanding of the times and events.
Composition of the House
When the Founding Fathers created the Constitution, they divided the powers among the Congress (legislative branch), the president (executive branch), and the courts (judicial branch). The United States Congress is a bicameral legislature consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate. It is the chief policy-making and representative branch of the national government. Since the United States is a representative democracy, members of Congress represent the people by translating public
Committees and the Iron Triangle
The committee system dominates the House of Representatives. It is within committees that much of the daily work of the House is completed. Committees meet to discuss specific policies, work to control the congressional agenda, and guide legislation as it progresses through Congress until it is either signed or vetoed by the president. Representatives can be members of several different committees during any given session. (Video is narrated with slides and speeches.)
Composition of the Senate
Congress is made up of two legislative houses—the House of Representatives and the Senate. One hundred senators, two from each state, serve and represent their constituencies in the Senate. (Video is narrated with slides and speeches.)
Power, Committees and Debates
Power in the Senate is not as clearly defined as it is in the House, and it is much more widely dispersed. Although the Constitution makes the vice president of the United States the president of the Senate, the real power is held by the majority and minority leaders who dictate legislative agenda. The party whips are the senators who ensure good communication among party members and work with the party leaders to urge members to vote with the party on key issues
What is the House of Representatives?
Here's how the number of representatives in the House are determined and where the lines are drawn. (Video has slides and narration. Professionally-made video)
Just the Facts: Historical Icons - Edward Kennedy
This brief video is a tribute to Ted Kennedy, the man who lived a life marked with controversy and personal tragedy, but he gained a reputation as a steadfast liberal politician who worked tirelessly on issues such as education and health care. Because many of images are from older sources, many of them appear blurry. (02:12)
A House or Representative Session
Way to long, over five hours, this video shows what it is really like on the floor of the House. The transcript along side the video is very handy and contains words that can be used for a word wall. A real eye-opener for students as they can see what the nearly empty chamber looks like.
Legislative Branch: The Balance of Power
The Constitution makes Congress more powerful than the president, but many presidents, such as George Washington, Ronald Reagan, and George W. Bush, have used their office to lead the federal government. This video examines this relationship. Best used by older students who are familiar with the Constitution already.
Andrew Jackson: Reinventing the Presidency
Video discusses how Jackson fought in the Revolutionary War when he was just thirteen, how Jackson led the American army to the most surprising victory in its history in the Battle of New Orleans, how Jackson was the first great champion of the common white man -- but also "owned" over a hundred black Americans; how Jackson dramatically expanded the United States -- by brutally wresting vast regions of the south from Native Americans; how Jackson, in one of the boldest political strokes in histo
Executive Offices and Staff
The president resides in the White House and conducts much of his business from the Oval Office. However, the main executive offices are housed in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, located next door to the White House. The offices are run by officials who are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. They help the president develop policy and manage the nation's affairs
(Video is narrated with slides and speeches.)
Presidential Management Models
Political scientists have examined several models for how presidents run the White House and control their administrations. These models are helpful in understanding the daily workings of the executive branch of government.
(Video is narrated with slides and speeches.)
Approval Ratings and Public Perception
A new president generally enjoys very high public approval for the first 100 days of his administration. In part, this is because the electorate expects that the new president will address the problems of the nation with vigor and carry out the promises made during his campaign. (Video is narrated with slides and speeches.)
Polls and Polling
Pollsters have been gathering information about Americans' opinions of candidates and presidents since 1932 when a man named Gallup took a poll to determine his mother-in-law's chances of election to a state post in Iowa. The poll did so well in predicting her win that other pollsters soon followed suit in the prediction business. Taking polls is now a fixture of the political landscape. Presidents use this information to craft policies and legislation, while the media uses the results of polls
Media and Press Coverage
In order to be successful, presidents and their staffs must expend a great deal of effort cultivating and shaping public opinion. This requires careful planning, tact, and a good relationship with the press. (Video is narrated with slides and speeches.)
White House Facts and Tour Told From Child's Perspective
This short video gives facts about The White House and gives a diagram of places on tour inside The White House. Nice graphics and students will enjoy hearing a peer as the speaker. (1:45)
