Blog Post 3.4 "Senate Rules Reform"

Read the following articles from the New York Times  & The Atlantic about filibuster reform and rule changes in the 113th Congress.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/25/us/politics/bipartisan-filibuster-deal-is-reached-in-the-senate.html?_r=0

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/01/how-senate-graybeards-killed-real-filibuster-reform/272495/

Write a one paragraph summary of each article and answer the following questions.
From the NYT
1. What rule changes were actually decided upon?
2. Explain why filibusters today aren't really like filibusters than people are familiar with.
3. What has changed about the motion to proceed?
4. Senators who voted for these very minor changes are acting like they are a big deal.  Which lessons from Hardball do these actions seem to correlate with?

From the Atlantic
1. What are the proposals that were not adopted?
2. What problems did real reforms encounter?
3. Why are Senators unwilling to get rid of the opportunity to filibuster?
4. What did the majority party gain?
5. What did the minority party gain?

Blog Post 3.3 "Obama's 2nd Term"

Read the following article from the New York Times about what Obama can realistically accomplish during his second term.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/23/us/politics/the-first-year-of-the-second-term-is-key-for-obama.html?hp&_r=0

Write a two paragraph summary of the article, then answer the following questions.

1. Why is the Democratic Party worried about Obama emphasizing gun control?
2. What issues are at the top of Obama's policy agenda?
3. Who has ultimate control over Obama's policy making agenda?
4. What will happen to the media focus on Obama after the first year of his second term?
5. Based on what he has done, what approach will Obama take in dealing with Congress?
6. Why do you think Obama must try to accomplish so much in the first year of this term?
7. What other political issues will dominate the rest of his term?
8. Why might Democrats in Congress treat him differently before and after the coming 2014 Mid Term elections?

Blog Post 3.2 "The Politics of Cabinet Nominations"

Read the following articles from the New York Times about Obama trying to fill vacancies in his Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense positions.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/17/us/politics/obama-expected-to-name-kerry-as-secretary-of-state.html?_r=0

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/07/us/obama-expected-to-select-hagel-for-defense-post.html?hp&_r=0

Write a two paragraph summary of EACH ARTICLE.

Then, answer the following questions.

From the article on Secretary of State

1. Why did Susan Rice withdraw from consideration for the appointment?
2. What are the problems with the demographics of Obama's national security team, if Kerry replaces Clinton?
3. How would you describe Obama and Kerry's relationship?
4. What would be the foreign policy priorities Kerry would have to deal with in Obama's second term?


From the Secretary of Defense

5. Why would Obama select Hagel if he is a Republican?
6. Why might Hagel's confirmation as Secretary of Defense be difficult?
7. What are some of Hagel's attitudes about the US role in foreign policy towards the  Middle East?
8. What problems do conservatives have with Hagel?
9. What problems do liberals have with Hagel?

Blog Post 3.1 which will never go away until you do it!!! "Obama and Congress: policy making"

Watch the following episode of PBS Frontline about President Obama trying to get health care reform passed back in 2010.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/obamasdeal/view/

Write a three paragraph summary of the documentary and answer the following questions.

THIS POST WILL ALSO COUNT IN BOTH YOUR BLOG AND HOMEWORK GRADE CATEGORIES


1. What was Rahm Emmanuel's job in the Obama Administration?  What are the roles of that job?
2. Why did the Obama Administration decide to go after health care reform immediately upon assuming office?
3. How were Bill Clinton's attempts at health care reform defeated?
4. What kind of people was Obama hiring to work in his administration to get reform passed?  How would this approach be useful?
5. What did the interests groups for private insurance companies demand that Obama include in his health care reform plan?  Why?
6. How was the Senate version of the health care bill written?  Using what you know from reading House and Senate, how was this allowed to happen?
7. Why did the Obama Administration have to ensure that the pharmaceutical interest groups were on his side?
8. During the "summer recess", how did public opinion turn against health care reform?
9. How did the death of Ted Kennedy change the debate over the issue?
10. What happened during the President's State of the Union address that increased the intensity of the debate?
11. How did Obama use his "bully pulpit" against the insurance companies?
12. What were the results of the first vote on the bill?
13. How did the death of Ted Kennedy change the makeup of the Senate?
14. Why is the 41st vote so crucial for Republicans in the Senate?
15. How did Obama respond after Democrats lost their super-majority in the Senate?
16. What new approach did Obama and Nancy Pelosi take with the House of Representatives?
17. What was the result of the vote in the House?  How did both parties vote?

18.  Using what you know, and what you saw in this case study, n ONE PARAGRAPH, explain the process by which a president gets major legislation enacted.