Humanitarian Reform in the 1800s
This video is accompanied by text. "The Age of Reform--the decades prior to the Civil War--was a period of tremendous economic and political change. Many Americans believed that traditional values were undercut by the emerging industrial and market economy and they supported humanitarian and social reforms in an effort to create a new moral order. Some reformers, including those who embraced transcendentalism, promoted the divinity of the individual and sought to perfect human society. A number
Demographics
Demography is the study of the characteristics of the human population, such as age, race, and gender. Political scientists use demography to identify and study specific target groups to determine who shows up at the polls versus who does not. In addition, these demographic groups enable political scientists to study voting trends, or what causes people to vote a particular way. Their studies not only yield statistics that can be used to forecast voter turnout in subsequent elections, but they a
The Impact of mobile learning
Phase one of MoLeNET (2007/08) involved 75 colleges and 18 schools, approximately 10,000 learners and 2,000 staff, in 32mobile learning projects. The Learning and Skills Council provided funding for h...
The Purpose and Intent of the Founders
This video is accompanied by text. "The Bill of Rights guarantees basic human and political rights to Americans. As an addendum to the United States Constitution, the document has evolved in scope through judicial interpretation.
Many states had a Bill of Rights in their own constitution and insisted that the protections be added to the federal document. Two states, North Carolina and Rhode Island, refused to ratify the Constitution until a Bill of Rights was included. Five other states,
Intensity and Voting
Voter intensity gauges the likelihood that people will vote and otherwise participate in elections. It is measured by how strongly people feel about their role as the electorate, whether they feel a personal stake in the policy agenda, and their degree of political socialization.
(Video is narrated with slides and speeches.)
Campaign Finance Reform
Congress enacted campaign finance reform due to criticism directed toward interest groups and Political Action Committees (PACs). Federal Election Campaign Acts were passed in 1971, 1974, and 1976. Early legislation limited individual donations to candidates to $1,000 and $5,000 to PACs. PACs in turn may only donate $5,000 to individual candidates
(Video is narrated with slides and speeches.)
The Electoral College
The Framers of the Constitution worked diligently to establish an effective system for electing a president and vice president. The members of the Constitutional Convention were reluctant to allow a popular vote because information dissemination, in their time, was very limited. They rejected direct election of the president by Congress because it would give too much power to the federal government. Likewise, they felt that presidential elections held by the various state assemblies would result
Primaries, Caucuses, and Conventions
Political parties determine their presidential candidates through primaries, caucuses, and conventions. Until the early part of the twentieth century, every state used caucuses to choose a candidate. Caucuses began to lose favor because many of the “political machines” that controlled the caucuses were corrupt and did not necessarily carry out the will of the people. Still, caucuses continue to be used in 12 states. (Video is narrated with slides and speeches.)
Incumbency
While the president is limited to serving two terms in office, members of Congress can serve an unlimited number of terms. In the mid-nineteenth century, most congressional representatives served only a single term because at that time politics was not considered a career. However, by the mid-twentieth century, congressional representatives began to view holding congressional office as a prestigious career. (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
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
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.)
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
The Great Declaration
Video accompanied by text. "By the end of 1775, the military conflicts with Great Britain increased the eagerness of many Patriots to declare their independence, but many other colonists, including influential members of the Second Continental Congress, were wary about breaking completely from the Crown. The ties to England remained strong for many Americans and the thought of losing their political and commercial connections to one of the world’s most powerful nations seemed irrational to the
Learning Latin with Virgil - Pt. 1
Learning Latin with Virgil is a completely new and original Latin video series. It hopes to bring you engaging, effective and regular lessons to enhance your knowledge and enjoyment of Latin. In this series, the emphasis is on understanding the Latin you read, not on translating it. The course centers around the characters and the stories of the great epic work of Virgil, the Aeneid.
Learning Latin with Virgil - Pt. 2
Learning Latin with Virgil is a completely new and original Latin video series. It hopes to bring you engaging, effective and regular lessons to enhance your knowledge and enjoyment of Latin. In this series, the emphasis is on understanding the Latin you read, not on translating it. The course centers around the characters and the stories of the great epic work of Virgil, the Aeneid.
Learning Latin with Virgil - Pt. 3
Learning Latin with Virgil is a completely new and original Latin video series. It hopes to bring you engaging, effective and regular lessons to enhance your knowledge and enjoyment of Latin. In this series, the emphasis is on understanding the Latin you read, not on translating it. The course centers around the characters and the stories of the great epic work of Virgil, the Aeneid.
Learning Latin with Virgil - Pt. 4
Learning Latin with Virgil is a completely new and original Latin video series. It hopes to bring you engaging, effective and regular lessons to enhance your knowledge and enjoyment of Latin. In this series, the emphasis is on understanding the Latin you read, not on translating it. The course centers around the characters and the stories of the great epic work of Virgil, the Aeneid.
Learning Latin with Virgil - Pt. 5
Learning Latin with Virgil is a completely new and original Latin video series. It hopes to bring you engaging, effective and regular lessons to enhance your knowledge and enjoyment of Latin. In this series, the emphasis is on understanding the Latin you read, not on translating it. The course centers around the characters and the stories of the great epic work of Virgil, the Aeneid.
