Read the following article from the New York Times about Obama's approval ratings.
New York Times
Write a paragraph summary of the article and answer the following...
1. What were the president's approval and disapproval ratings as of December 13th?
2. What issue caused his approval ratings to be so low?
3. What complaints to the people have about Obama's handling of the issues?
4. What are the approval and disapproval ratings for the Affordable Care Act?
5. What two other crucial issues are affecting Obama's approval rating?
6. What is the main factor influencing people's opinions of Obama and the ACA?
Monday, January 27, 2014
Blog Post 3.7 "Obama Picks a Sidekick"
Read the following article from The Atlantic about Obama's appointment of a Chief of Staff.
LOOK AT OBAMA AND HIS FRIEND!
Write a paragraph summary of the article. Then answer the following....
1. How is the appointment of Chief of Staff (and other White House Staff) different from other presidential appointments, like Cabinets and judges?
2. Why is the Chief of Staff considered a "gatekeeper"?
3. How are the Chief of Staff and Vice President similar? What makes them different?
4. What is a "sub presidential" decision?
5. Besides the president himself, which policy making institutions does it sound like the Cheif of Staff interacts mostly with?
6. Who is the current Chief of Staff for the Obama Administration?
LOOK AT OBAMA AND HIS FRIEND!
Write a paragraph summary of the article. Then answer the following....
1. How is the appointment of Chief of Staff (and other White House Staff) different from other presidential appointments, like Cabinets and judges?
2. Why is the Chief of Staff considered a "gatekeeper"?
3. How are the Chief of Staff and Vice President similar? What makes them different?
4. What is a "sub presidential" decision?
5. Besides the president himself, which policy making institutions does it sound like the Cheif of Staff interacts mostly with?
6. Who is the current Chief of Staff for the Obama Administration?
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Blog Post 3.6 "More Obamaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa"
Read the following article from Newsweek about President Obama.
Click me, bro.
Write a paragraph summary of the article and answer the following question.
1. Why is Obama delivering this message to reporters? Who is he really talking to when he talks to reporters?
2. What goals did Obama outline in last year's State of the Union that Congress did not help him achieve?
3. Explain why Obama's legislative goals mostly passed the Senate but failed in the House.
4. What does the Speaker of the House think the main legislative goals should be?
5. Since Obama is not seeking reelection, why do you think he is more willing to get things done even if it means working without Congress?
Click me, bro.
Write a paragraph summary of the article and answer the following question.
1. Why is Obama delivering this message to reporters? Who is he really talking to when he talks to reporters?
2. What goals did Obama outline in last year's State of the Union that Congress did not help him achieve?
3. Explain why Obama's legislative goals mostly passed the Senate but failed in the House.
4. What does the Speaker of the House think the main legislative goals should be?
5. Since Obama is not seeking reelection, why do you think he is more willing to get things done even if it means working without Congress?
Blog Post 3.5 "President & Executive Orders"
Read the following article from National Public Radio about President Obama's agenda for the coming year.
http://www.npr.org/2014/01/20/263766043/wielding-a-pen-and-a-phone-obama-goes-it-alone
OH MY GOD I AM SO SORRY THE LINK DIDNT WORK. CLICK THIS!!
You can even have the story read to you if you struggle with big words!!!
Write a paragraph summary of the article and then answer the following:
1. What options does a president have if Congress will not pass any legislation?
2. What is Speaker Boehner's reaction to the president's actions?
3. Why would Obama resort to using the executive order to get his goals accomplished?
EASY ONE!!! You're welcome.
http://www.npr.org/2014/01/20/263766043/wielding-a-pen-and-a-phone-obama-goes-it-alone
OH MY GOD I AM SO SORRY THE LINK DIDNT WORK. CLICK THIS!!
You can even have the story read to you if you struggle with big words!!!
Write a paragraph summary of the article and then answer the following:
1. What options does a president have if Congress will not pass any legislation?
2. What is Speaker Boehner's reaction to the president's actions?
3. Why would Obama resort to using the executive order to get his goals accomplished?
EASY ONE!!! You're welcome.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Blog Post 3.4 "Broken Senate"
Watch the following segment from CBS's news program 60 Minutes about the 2012 Senate Election.
http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/is-the-us-senate-broken/
Write a paragraph summary of the video and answer the following questions.
1. How was the Senate week-long work schedule described?
2. Why are many Senators not running for reelection?
3. How did Senators of the past accomplish more while they were in office?
4. What do modern party caucuses expect of their members?
5. What do the parties in the Senate do to each other?
6. How are modern filibusters different from those in the past?
7. How has the frequency of filibusters changed?
8. Who are today's Senate Majority Leader and Senate Minority Leader?
http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/is-the-us-senate-broken/
Write a paragraph summary of the video and answer the following questions.
1. How was the Senate week-long work schedule described?
2. Why are many Senators not running for reelection?
3. How did Senators of the past accomplish more while they were in office?
4. What do modern party caucuses expect of their members?
5. What do the parties in the Senate do to each other?
6. How are modern filibusters different from those in the past?
7. How has the frequency of filibusters changed?
8. Who are today's Senate Majority Leader and Senate Minority Leader?
Monday, January 13, 2014
Blog Post 3.3 "Size of the House"
Read the following editorial from The New York Times about why the size of the House of Representatives should be increased.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/24/opinion/24conley.html
Write a two paragraph summary of the blog entry and answer the following questions:
1. What were the intentions of the Framers about the size of the House?
2. What was the motivation to permanently fix the size of the House at 435 in 1910?
3. How has representation in the House changed since 1910?
4. How do interest groups benefit from the larger constituencies for the House members?
5. What is another consequence of the larger constituencies?
6. What does the author claim would be the positive consequences of increasing the size of the House?
7. Not in the article: What implications would this proposal have for other branches of government? Explain your answer.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/24/opinion/24conley.html
Write a two paragraph summary of the blog entry and answer the following questions:
1. What were the intentions of the Framers about the size of the House?
2. What was the motivation to permanently fix the size of the House at 435 in 1910?
3. How has representation in the House changed since 1910?
4. How do interest groups benefit from the larger constituencies for the House members?
5. What is another consequence of the larger constituencies?
6. What does the author claim would be the positive consequences of increasing the size of the House?
7. Not in the article: What implications would this proposal have for other branches of government? Explain your answer.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Blog Post 3.2 " Congress is broken"
Read the following article from The Washington Post about problems in lawmaking in Congress.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-three-reasons-congress-is-broken/2013/05/23/8b282d2c-b667-11e2-aa9e-a02b765ff0ea_story.html
Write a two paragraph summary of the article and answer the following questions.
1. First, what is the purpose of the Dodd-Frank Act ? You can just wikipedia this and read the top part and origin)
2. Who wrote most of the original proposals in this Act?
3.Why were the Congressmen not the best people to make drastic reforms to the financial sector?
4. Did Congressman Dodd or Congressman Frank actually write any of the bill they sponsored? Who did?
5. How did most Congressmen decide to vote for or against this bill?
6. At the end of this article, how does the author describe the work of a typical Congressman today?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-three-reasons-congress-is-broken/2013/05/23/8b282d2c-b667-11e2-aa9e-a02b765ff0ea_story.html
Write a two paragraph summary of the article and answer the following questions.
1. First, what is the purpose of the Dodd-Frank Act ? You can just wikipedia this and read the top part and origin)
2. Who wrote most of the original proposals in this Act?
3.Why were the Congressmen not the best people to make drastic reforms to the financial sector?
4. Did Congressman Dodd or Congressman Frank actually write any of the bill they sponsored? Who did?
5. How did most Congressmen decide to vote for or against this bill?
6. At the end of this article, how does the author describe the work of a typical Congressman today?
Blog Post 3.1 "Two Americas in Congress"
Read the following article from The Atlantic about the districts in the House and how they allow Congressmen to ignore moderates.
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/11/there-really-are-two-americas-republistan-and-democravia/281412/
Write a two paragraph summary of the article and answer the following questions:
1. How is representation in the House different than representation in the Senate?
2. How does the idea of single member districts in the House allow House members to appeal to voters differently than they would in a nationwide election?
3. Why were Republicans in the House able to convince their voters that the federal government shutdown was a good thing?
4. How do Republican and Democratic districts differ in the % of people using public transportation? How does that effect the goals of those Congressmen?
5. Describe the racial demographics of Republican and Democratic House districts.
6. How do these demographic differences impact the attitude of those Congressmen toward immigration reform?
7. The last paragraph begins with the phrase "in a gerrymandered House...." What does that mean?
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/11/there-really-are-two-americas-republistan-and-democravia/281412/
Write a two paragraph summary of the article and answer the following questions:
1. How is representation in the House different than representation in the Senate?
2. How does the idea of single member districts in the House allow House members to appeal to voters differently than they would in a nationwide election?
3. Why were Republicans in the House able to convince their voters that the federal government shutdown was a good thing?
4. How do Republican and Democratic districts differ in the % of people using public transportation? How does that effect the goals of those Congressmen?
5. Describe the racial demographics of Republican and Democratic House districts.
6. How do these demographic differences impact the attitude of those Congressmen toward immigration reform?
7. The last paragraph begins with the phrase "in a gerrymandered House...." What does that mean?
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