Constitutional Foundations

The Primaries

In the News: The primaries move west and south this week. Keep an eye on MICHIGAN, NEVADA and SOUTH CAROLINA by clicking here.

Read our analysis of the results here! Updated with New Hampshire

Click here for all our Election 2008 information!

Overview

Our first unit reacquaints you with the Constitution, the underpinning of the U.S. government. We will pay particular attention to several of the principles which underlie this document: separation of powers, checks and balances, and federalism. In order to understand these principles, we will examine the historical context in 1787, the philosophical traditions on which the framers drew, the role of the Supreme Court in interpreting key aspects of the Constitution, and several current debates which bring these principles to life.

Guiding Questions: What’s the purpose of government? How did the Founders answer this question? How did they view the role of a citizen? Are these views still relevant today? How does the Constitution underpin U.S. government? How does the Constitution strive to balance active citizenship and the need for stability? How does it balance state government and national government? How has this balance changed over the years? What have you learned about the role of individuals in shaping the outcome of politics in a democracy during this unit?

Click here to read more about the unit 6 test.

Topics & Assignments

Topic #1: Democracy in Action

• Pathways to Action in a Democracy

Topic #2: Constitutional Principles

• Government and Politics/Power, Authority & Legitimacy: Government vs. Politics | Power etc.

• Constitutional Principles Assignment

• Thought Talk #1: How do you interpret the Constitution? Points of View, Chapter 2

• Limitations of Government Power and Majority Rule: Federalist 47, 48, 51

Topic #3: Federalism

• Introduction: No Child Left Behind

• Timeline of Federalism: PPT Project | federalismchart.doc | View the completed PPTs here.

• Debate #1: Gay Marriage—4 Corners Chairs Debate

Major Assignments

• Thought Talk (20 points)

• Federalism PPT assignment (50 points)

• Federalism Debate (20 points)

• Connections Assignment: 2 Entries (20 points)

• Test #1 (100 Points)

Resources

Comparative Governments

• Freedom House: http://www.freedomhouse.org
  
• Freedom House Map of Freedom: http://www.freedomhouse.org/template.cfm?page=363&year=2007
• International IDEA:http://www.idea.int/
• Center for Voting and Democracy: http://www.fairvote.org/?page=1468

No Child Left Behind

• Online NewsHour: No Child Left Behind in Depth
• New York Times: No Child Left Behind Act
• NPR: Commentary, “Let’s Keep No Child Left Behind,” (Sept. 10, 2007)