Week of 4/26

This week we delve into a fun and interesting unit: political parties and elections!

Becoming an informed and active voter is one of the most important civic responsibilities for citizens in a democratic republic such as the United States. Many citizens take these rights for granted, but as you will see, obtaining these rights has been a hard-fought struggle for many others.

This week's plans:

Note: If you were absent on Friday, please logon and complete the IdeaLOG lesson on political ideology and the associated quiz. The link to the activity is posted on last Friday's blog entry.

Also, please read Chapter 16 in your book this week.

4/26 (Monday)--Introduction to Political Parties and Systems. Today we will discuss what political parties are and what they do. We will also learn about single-party, two-party, and multiparty political systems. The United States is a two-party system, dominated by the Republican and Democratic parties. How would government in the United States be different if it were a true multiparty system? We will examine these and other questions.

4/27 (Tuesday)--Minor Political Parties. Although the United States is a "two-party" system, numerous minor political parties exist. Today we will examine some historical and modern examples of minor political parties, discuss a scheme to classify these minor parties, and consider the contributions these minor parties have made and continue to make to the United States political landscape.

4/28 (Wednesday)--Voting Rights; Alabama Literacy Test. Today we will discuss voting rights in America. Although in the modern United States, most adult citizens are eligible to vote, it took well over 150 years to achieve this status! Many southern blacks in particular were effectively denied the right to vote for more than 90 years after the 15th Amendment technically granted them the right to vote. You will personally experience some of the obstacles they faced by taking an actual literacy test administered in Alabama prior to the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

4/29 (Thursday)--Election History. In today's lesson, we will discuss several of the fascinating and controversial presidential elections from U.S. history. We will also discuss how the evolution and growth of political parties have influenced election procedures in the United States.

4/30 (Friday)--Money and Elections. Although many (perhaps most) politicians run for office for ideological reasons, and have a genuine desire to serve the public, the reality of modern politics is that large sums of money are necessary to win most elections beyond the city and county level. Along with the need for money comes the threat that deep-pocketed individuals or business interests could unfairly control the outcome of important elections. Today we will examine how campaigns are financed, including laws established by Congress and rules issued by the Federal Election Commission, the federal agency that regulates federal elections. We will also consider the recent Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, in which the Court overruled prior decisions banning corporate contributions to political campaigns. Be prepared to discuss whether this is a good change or bad policy!

Have a great week!

Week of 4/19

This week's plans:

Note: The exam on Unit III will be this Thursday, April 22! Review will be on Tuesday, April 20, so please make a special effort to be in class! The exam is worth 60 points. It will consist of multiple choice, matching, completion, and short answer questions (totaling 50 points), plus one essay question worth up to 10 points. The exam will be closed book/closed note, so study, study, study!

4/19 (Monday)--Plea Bargain Wrap-Up; First Amendment Rights. Today we will finish our discussion of plea bargains, and then cover a few important aspects of the First Amendment that we have not yet covered.

4/20 (Tuesday)--Unit Exam Review. Today we will review for Thursday's exam. I will have an exam review sheet posted on Docushare, and we will play Jeopardy. Make sure you know the material in your Essentials package!!

4/21 (Wednesday)--Introduction to Unit IV; Questions About Exam (early release). Bring any questions about tomorrow's exam to class today, as this will be the final opportunity to clarify the material on the exam. For the remainder of the class, I will introduce Unit IV, which deals with political parties and elections. We will discuss requirements that must be met to be eligible to vote, why many citizens choose not to vote, and the most convenient way to vote! Being a responsible, informed voter need not be time-consuming!

4/22 (Thursday)--Exam on Unit III.

4/23 (Friday)--Political Ideology. Today we will go to the SSRC to complete an online lesson and quiz on political ideology--the set of values and beliefs that define each individual's place in the "conservative vs. liberal" political spectrum. You may find that the labels "conservative" and "liberal" do not fit as neatly as you may believe! We will examine a two-dimensional model of political ideology that more accurately describes the views of most Americans. The lesson and quiz are located here:

http://idealog.org/en/quiz/537e0399

Have a great week!

Week of 4/12

We're running a day behind from last week, so the schedule is being adjusted a bit. You should still be planning for an exam on Unit III towards the middle of next week.

This week's plans:

4/12 (Monday)--Landmark Supreme Court Cases. Today we will discuss the landmark Supreme Court cases included in your Essentials package for Unit III. Each group should be prepared to present the information about their chosen case to the class.

4/13 (Tuesday)--Landmark Cases Wrap-Up; Begin Student's Rights Discussion. We will conclude the discussion on landmark Supreme Court cases and begin discussing the scope and limits of students' rights under the Constitution, particularly the First Amendment. Make sure you have read the purple handout prior to class!

4/14 (Wednesday)--Complete Students' Rights Discussion. Wrap-up of students' rights.

4/15 (Thursday)--Criminal Due Process. Today we will take a closer look at the Bill of Rights provisions which protect those suspected or accused of crimes: the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Eight Amendments.

4/16 (Friday)--Criminal Due Process; Plea Bargains. Today we will wrap up our discussion of criminal due process, and spend the remainder of class discussing plea bargains. Would you be surprised to learn that in approximately 95% of felony convictions, the accused chooses to give up his/her right to a jury trial and instead pleads guilty, often to a lesser charge, fewer charges, or in return for a more lenient sentence? We will discuss the important role of plea bargaining in our criminal justice system, and also examine some of the pitfalls and problems with that system.

Have a great week!

Week of 4/5

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a wonderful spring break, and is geared up for the last quarter of high school!

We will be spending the next three weeks studying the judicial branch of government, the federal court system, and the vital protections for individual liberty found in the Bill of Rights, including how those rights apply in favor of students.

This week's plans:

Reading Assignment: Read Chapter 11 (all sections) and Chapter 12, section 1 this week. Also, read the handout on students' rights and be prepared to discuss on Friday.

4/5 (Monday)--Bill of Rights Overview; Incorporation Doctrine. Prior to the break, we watched a two-part film on the Bill of Rights. Today, we will examine the numerous individual rights embodied in the Bill of Rights in more detail, and discuss the important doctrine of incorporation, under which almost all the protections in the Bill of Rights have been extended to the individual states, not just the national government.

4/6 (Tuesday)--Structure of the Federal Courts. Today we will discuss the structure and operation of the federal court system. You will learn about jurisdiction--the power of a court to hear and decide a case--and about the difference between original and appellate jurisdiction.

4/7 (Wednesday)--The Supreme Court. Today we will finish up our discussion of the federal court system by taking a closer look at the Supreme Court. Although it is the most important court in the United States, you may be surprised to find that the Court only hears a small number of cases each year. However, each of these cases usually involves a very important principle of constitutional law, and the decisions often have far-reaching impacts.

4/8 (Thursday)--Important Supreme Court Decisions. In its 200+ year history, the United States Supreme Court has decided thousands of cases that impact virtually every aspect of life in America. Today, we will examine twelve of the most important cases the Court has issued, from the 1803 decision in Marbury v. Madison that established the principle of judicial review, to the 2005 decision in Kelo v. City of New London, which greatly expanded the powers of a local government to exercise the power of eminent domain (also known as condemnation). Take careful notes, as you will see these cases again!

4/9 (Friday)--Students' Rights. Although school life often seems dominated by rules and restrictions, students enjoy most of the same protections as adults under the Bill of Rights, although some of those rights are more restricted. Today we will discuss the Supreme Court's decision in Tinker v. Des Moines School District, which established the foundation and limits of students' rights under the First Amendment.

Next week, we will take a closer look at First Amendment rights, the rights of those accused or suspected of crimes, and the important concepts of equal protection and due process of law.