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)
Slavery and the American Revolution - Part 4
Video that uses Alfred and Ruth Blumrosen's Slave Nation: How Slavery United the Colonies & Sparked the American Revolution. The video covers Lord Mansfield's decision that released James Somerset from slavery in England and its repercussions in British Colonial America as the "13 original" colonies headed down a path toward revolution and independence. (Teacher-made video)
Four Events that Upset Colonists and Caused the American Revolutionary War
A brief Imovie on the events leading up to the Rev. war. (Teacher-made video)
The Townshend Duties
History video for high school. "The repeal of the Stamp Act did not end Britain’s plan to tax the colonies. In 1767, Chancellor of the Exchequer Charles Townshend proposed enacting new customs duties on the most popular items imported by the colonies. Parliament approved The Townshend duties (also referred to as the Townshend Revenue Act), which taxed a wide variety of imports, including glass, lead, paints, paper, silk, and tea. Unlike the Stamp Act, the new levy was an indirect tax payable a
Political situation
This video is accompanied by text and it is about the political situation and political causes of the American Revolution. "The Revolution generated radical changes in the principles, opinions, and sentiments of the American people. New ideas and issues affected social customs, political ideals, and gender and racial roles as the thirteen colonies evolved into the United States. Debate and conflict over government authority, diverse state economies, federal control of western territories, and th
Social Situation
This is a video accompanied by text. It is about the social situation and the social causes of the American Revolution. Although the concept of forming an autonomous American nation was not new, Thomas Paine’s call to create a democratic republic resonated with a growing number of colonists. By the late eighteenth century, many towns, particularly in Massachusetts, experienced republicanism firsthand in the form of town meetings and elections. Terminating the British monarch’s arbitrary auth
