AP US Government Homework
Homework (No Number)
Read Remy, pp. 464-470
For Discussion: Many people have criticized party primaries by noting that they tend to be won by the most extreme candidates--thus polarizing the nation. Do you agree with this critique? Should we go back to nominating conventions? What do you think?
POST-ELECTION STUFF: Liberals reconsidering federalism? America will miss Barack Obama's decency. If colleges keep killing academic freedom, civilization will die too.
-Due Thursday, January 12th
Homework (No Number)
Read Remy, pp. 458-462
For Discussion: What do you think the future holds for political parties in the United States? Will they grow stronger? Weaker? Will either of the two major parties disappear? What do you think?
POST-ELECTION STUFF: Obama's legacy is more secure than you think? Jared Kushner's rise to unimaginable power. Or was the Obama presidency extraordinary and aimless?
-Due Wednesday, January 11th
Various
If you are interested in meeting with me for your essay, please enter your name here.
Here is the study sheet for Test 5.
Homework (No Number)
Read Remy, pp. 453-57.
For Discussion: Are political parties good or bad for the United States? What do you think?
ALSO: Dollree Mapp, the plaintiff in the famous Mapp case died not too long ago. Here's a really interesting obituary from the New York Times.
...and for those of you smarting over college deferrals/rejections, I recommend this piece from 2004.
POST-ELECTION STUFF: A great oral history of Election Night here!
-Due Monday, January 9th
Homework (No Number)
Read Remy, pp. 436-443
For Discussion: Have we gone too far in the creation of protections for the rights of the accused?
POST-ELECTION STUFF: Will Donald Trump be FDR or Jimmy Carter? The cruelest indictment of Donald Trump's voters was from Donald Trump?
-Due Thursday, January 7th
Homework (No Number)
Read Remy, pp. 429-435
For Discussion: Do criminals have too many rights under our system of criminal law?
POST-ELECTION STUFF: Final, final, final election results are in. Is the GOP Obamacare repeal effort collapsing? How to stop a Trump Supreme Court nominee?
-Due Thursday, January 5th
Homework (No Number)
Read Remy, pp. 422-428
Should tort law be modified in the United States? Why or why not?
POST-ELECTION STUFF: Intellectuals for Trump? American becomes a Stan? A Lincoln lesson (WSJ) for Trump.
-Due Wednesday, January 4th
Paper!
Please check out this instruction sheet for the thesis paper!
Then submit your thesis statement HERE before 11:59pm, December 30th. The sooner you submit, the sooner you can start reading and/or writing. Once you submit, you can see my response on this Google spreadsheet. The essay paper will be due at 12:01am, Monday, January 9th.
Homework (No Number)
Read Remy, pp. 415-420
Evaluate the major legal principles of the American legal system. Do you agree with them? If not, what might work better?
POST-ELECTION STUFF: Can Europe's center hold in the face of terror attacks? One problem for Democratic leaders is... Democratic voters. Are Donald Trump's tweets a threat to national security?
-Due Tuesday, January 3rd
Homework (No Number)
Read Remy, pp. 404-410
For Discussion: Do you agree with the Court's ruling in the Bakke case? Why or why not?
For those interested--here is a debate/discussion between Justices Stephen Breyer and the late Antonin Scalia. It's about an hour and a half, but it is quite fascinating (if you prefer to watch it in bite sized nuggets, you can go here). This is Dahlia Lithwick of Slate.com's take on the goings-on.
POST-ELECTION STUFF: Fight Donald Trump with normal politics, not crazy electoral schemes. Here's a big roundtable discussion on the accomplishments of the Obama administration and the future. The true story of the Dakota Pipeline?
-Due Monday, December 19th
Homework (No Number)
Read Remy, pp. 398-402.
For Discussion: Have we gone too far in the creation of protections for the rights of the accused?
Also, if you are interested in learning more about the diversity lottery, check out this Dan Baum piece from December 5th, 2005 New Yorker (PDF).
ALSO: The Great American Word Wrapper
-Due Friday, December 16th
Homework (No Number)
Read Remy, pp.391-397.
For Discussion: Many have criticized the doctrine of jus soli and claim that it is subject to abuse. Should jus soli be abolished? Why or why not? Also, read this article from the 2011 New York Times on birthright citizenship.
POST-ELECTION STUFF: No, Voting Against Trump Doesn't Mean I Know Nothing About My Fellow Americans! Could Democrats actually be positioned to retake the House in 2018? What it really means to be a "friend of Putin."
-Due Thursday, December 15th
Homework (No Number)
Read Remy, pp.387-390
For Discussion: Are our current immigration laws too harsh? Or should we have a less permissive policy? Why?
ALSO: here's the updated calendar for the class!
Here's the study sheet!
POST-ELECTION STUFF: Memes don't matter--they didn't get Donald Trump elected. And 3 Election stats liberals love that don't mean as much as they seem.
ALSO: Here's a brutal takedown of Malcolm Gladwell.
-Due Wednesday, December 14th
Homework (No Number)
There is no written work, but do the reading and be prepared to discuss the question below.
Read Remy, pp. 376-382
Do you agree with the outcome of the case of the Nazi march in Skokie? Why or why not?
ALSO: Check out this Planet Money podcast called "Schoolhouse Rock Is A Lie"--though the filibuster has changed a bit since Reid's reforms.
POST-ELECTION STUFF: The World Fears Trump's America--and That's a Good Thing. Trump's Denying EPA Pick is Worse Than You Think. Trump's Carrier Deal is the Opposite of Conservatism, says Conservative George Will.
-Due Monday, December 12th
Homework (No Number)
There is no written work, but do the reading and be prepared to discuss the question below.
Read Remy, pp. 371-375. Also check out this justification from New York Times of their decision to publish the WikiLeaks info dump of diplomatic cables a couple of years ago.
For Discussion: Do you agree with the New York Times here?
ALSO: For those of you interested in the Supreme Court, here is a scholarly comparison of the strict originalism (also called textualism) employed by Justices Scalia and Black when making decisions.
AND: The famous Brandeis concurrence to the Whitney case.
CHECK here to see your grade.
-Due Thursday, December 7th
Homework (No Number)
There is no written work, but do the reading and be prepared to discuss the question below.
Read Remy, pp. 366-370. Also please read this interview "Plain Words and Constitutional Absolutes," with Justice Black from 1962. Additionally, here's a pretty incendiary piece from Slate arguing that Supreme Court Justices "are not really judges."
For Discussion: Is "clear and present" danger the proper test for legal free speech? Or are you inclined to agree with Justice Black?
POST-ELECTION STUFF: Donald Trump's stunt presidency. Let liberals be liberal!
ALSO:
World leaders holding koalas!!!1!!
-Due Wednesday, December 7th
Homework (No Number)
There is no written work, but do the reading and be prepared to discuss the question below.
Read Remy, pp. 358-364. Also check out this piece on the attempt to abolish "under God" from the pledge of allegiance.
For Discussion: Should religion be totally banished from the public sphere? Should "In God We Trust" be expunged from our currency, for example? Use the info in the reading to answer this question.
-Due Tuesday, December 6th
POST-ELECTION STUFF: America doesn't need deal-maker in chief! Why Trump's Taiwan call changes everything. "The lead to my prewritten 'Clinton wins' story explains a lot about why she lost."
Homework (No Number)
There is no written work, but do the reading and be prepared to discuss the question below.
Read Remy, pp. 355-357
For Discussion: Justice Hugo Black believed in total incorporation--he thought that all of the rights in the bill of rights should apply to the states. In the end, we now use selective incorporation. Do you agree or disagree with Black? Why or why not?
-Due Thursday, December 1st
POST-ELECTION STUFF: The American Center must be protected, says David Brooks! David Brooks helped kill the American Center, says Jon Chait. Could the rise of Donald Trump lead Congress to recover and assert many of its long-neglected legislative prerogatives?
Homework (No Number)
Read Remy, pp. 198-203.When Republicans took control of the House and Senate in 2010, they banned earmarks. Now there's a plan to bring them back. Check out this piece from the Atlantic.
For Discussion: Should earmarks, also known as pork, be returned to the House?
-Due Wednesday, November 30th
POST-ELECTION STUFF: The recount road to nowhere. Why Trump is lying about the popular vote. Can Democrats quit identity politics? Or should they retain identity politics to rebuild a national movement?
Homework (No Number)
Read Remy, pp. 194-198
For Discussion: If anything, do constituents have too much influence on their members?
Also, here's the study sheet for Test Three--this Friday!
ALSO
Here is a really fantastic interactive budget, though it is based on the 2010 fiscal year. It focuses on how small a percentage of the budget is discretionary non-defense spending.
-Due Tuesday, November 29th
Optional Reading
Richard Fenno is a political scientist who became famous through his exploration of how members of Congress act in their home districts and how these actions aid in their reelection. He wrote a book called Home Style on these matters, but the book grew out of an academic article entitled House Members in Their Constituencies: An Exploration. Here's the article--it's great; but its not required.
Homework (No Number)
Read Remy, pp. 189-192. Also, here is a great article about the way that the Senate circumvents the requirement that the House pass tax legislation first.
For Discussion: Does the federal government spend too much money?
-Due Monday, November 28th
POST-ELECTION STUFF: Here it is--the full NYTimes interview with Donald Trump. Also, for fun I made a word cloud of Trump's remarks here.
Bonus Graphics
A great graphic design visualization of how a bill becomes a law.
The North Carolina gerrymander
Homework (No Number)
Read Remy, pp. 181-188
Have the founders created an overly cumbersome legislative process? Or should it be easier to make a bill into a law?
POST-ELECTION STUFF: Forbes scored a rare interview with powerful Trump consigliere Jared Kushner. The Constitution probably won't save us if Trump decides to become a kleptocrat. Will John Roberts save the Supreme Court from Trump? Here's a very interesting and controversial piece called You Are Still Crying Wolf--it's on a personal blog but worth reading.
Another really interesting one: "What So Many People Don't Get About the American Working Class."
-Due Wednesday, November 23rd
Homework (No Number)
Read Remy, pp. 172-176
For Discussion: Given the breakdown in communication between Congress and the President, should reforms be undertaken to improve this relationship? Can they?
POST-ELECTION STUFF: Donald Trump turns staid cabinet process into a spectacle. An interesting piece claiming that liberals make war on science far more effectively than conservatives. Is Donald Trump's base really vanishing?
-Due Tuesday, November 22nd
Optional
Homework (No Number)
Read Remy, pp. 167-171.
The reading spoke about the practice of legislative oversight, and also how limited it is. Scholars Matthew McCubbins and Thomas Schwartz published a very influential defense of Congress in their 1984 piece "Congressional Oversight Overlooked: Police Patrols versus Fire Alarms." (PDF) Please check it out.
For Discussion: Do you agree with McCubbins and Schwartz? Why or why not? Explain.
POST-ELECTION STUFF: Everyone is talking about this Ryan Lizza piece in which Obama Reckons with a Trump Presidency. Damon Linker says Beware the Liberal Thought Police! In a similar vein, Mark Villa writes about the End of Identity Liberalism in the New York Times.
-Due Monday, November 21st
Homework 17
Read Remy, pp. 157-165.
THE COMMERCE CLAUSE! Read the opinion of the Supreme Court in the 1942 case Wickard v. Filburn. Also, please watch this video from Reason Magazine on this issue--Wheat, Weed and Obamacare. Note that Reason has a strong libertarian bias--they are affiliated with the Cato Institute. Note, as an opposing point of view, that it was via the commerce clause that the Civil Rights Act was applied to private businesses.
Has Congress overstepped its bounds when interpreting the commerce clause?
POST-ELECTION STUFF: Reeling Democrats confront a brutal 2018 Senate map. A former advisor to Mitt Romney says that Democrats lost because they moved too far to the left. Jon Chait argues that Democrats should give Trump no policy victories. And Jamelle Bouie blames Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren for misreading the results of the election. Maybe most importantly, Republicans AREN'T going to nuke the filibuster?
-Due Friday, November 18th
Homework (No Number)
Read Remy, pp. 146-150
Check out this article on the powers and responsibilities of Congressional Staffs.
Also, check out Legistorm--a website that shows all of the staffers in Washington and their salaries. If you're challenged to log in, I have created an account for the class:
username: stuystudent
password: imastuystudent
Here is a link to the staff of Senator Schumer--note that there are two such pay periods, so the numbers you see can be multiplied by two to see what yearly salary the staffer makes. And here is a link to the salaries of the staffers on the House Energy and Commerce Committee--the committee fought over by Waxman and Dingell. Note that there are four pay periods in the House, so to determine yearly salaries, multiply the numbers you see by four.
For discussion: "Members of Congress have become cripplingly over-reliant on their staffs. Staff budgets must be slashed in order to force our legislators to do the work for which they were elected." Do you agree or disagree with this quote? What do you think?
-Due Thursday, November 17th
Homework (No Number)
Read Remy, pp. 141-145
Also, check out this article from the New York Times about the struggle for control of the House Energy and Commerce Committee between auto industry advocate John Dingell and environmental activist Henry Waxman. Also look at this piece about the Senate finance committee.
Do committee chairs have too much power? Why or why not?
-Due Wednesday, November 16th
Optional Multimedia
Fascinating audio piece that asks: Why do we blink?
Homework 16
Read Remy, pp. 138-140
Also, please read this blog entry by enormously prolific Judge Richard Posner on the filibuster.
Should the filibuster be abolished?
-Due Tuesday, November 5th
POST-ELECTION STUFF: Seven reasons why Clinton lost and Trump won. How President Trump could reshape the Court. Democratic factions jockey to lead a broken party. And do university therapy sessions for disappointed students turn these schools into a joke? Some interesting nuggets about the transition here.
Optional Stuff
Interesting piece on procrastination from the New Yorker. Read it AFTER you finish the homework...
Amazing mashups (of Youtubers) by Kutiman and (of Muppets) by Pogo.
Homework (No Number)
Read Remy, pp. 132-137
Also, click on this link to the web site of the radio program "This American Life." If you want to save it, you can right click on the link and download the mp3 to play on your iPod or whatever.
For Discussion: I want you to listen to a segment about life in the minority in the House of Representatives called "Bully's Pulpit"--it comes 42 minutes into the show and is about 13 minutes long. (Note: it might take a couple of minutes for the program to load in its entirety)
Do you think that the House is too dominated by the majority party? Should anything be done to change this?
ELECTION STUFF: Trump was stronger where the economy was weaker. One of my alums made a chart showing the Democratic vote drop.
Extras
Behold the amazing hexaflexagon!
-Due Monday, November 13th
Election Stuff
The Time is Nigh!
Hillary Clinton's staff always wanted Trump.
Did Harry Reid's machine destroy Donald Trump's chances?
Slate's "unprecedented" Election Day experiment.
Local schmocal--all politics is national.
Seven major questions for Election Day!
...and 270towin!
BONUS ASSIGNMENT: Go to 270towin and create your own anticipated electoral map. Then save it and upload it as a .jpg or PDF to our shared Dropbox account by midnight tonight!
Homework (No Number)
There is no written work, but do the reading and be prepared to discuss the question below.
Read Remy, pp. 123-130
1. Read this article by Jeffrey Toobin about the increasingly sophisticated techniques behind gerrymandering.
2. For fun, check out this website that lets you create your own gerrymandered districts. Wow!
For Discussion: Has gerrymandering made a mockery of the House of Representatives? What realistic solutions are there to the problems that Toobin explains?
ELECTION NEWS: The quiet ruthlessness of the Clinton campaign. And the (long read) case against democracy? In any event, maybe liberal publications are going too far with the whole Putin-Trump thing?
ALSO: Richard Feynman explains why rubber bands work. Fascinating stuff.
-Due Thursday, November 3rd
Homework (No Number)
There is no written work, but do the reading and be prepared to discuss the question below.
Read Remy, pp. 343-348
Do the other branches have enough power to really stop the Supreme Court?
ELECTION NEWS: Big think piece on authoritarianism in the Republican party by Jon Chait. And here's a big piece attacking both Clintons.
-Due Wednesday, November 2nd
Homework (No Number)
There is no written work, but do the reading and be prepared to discuss the question below.
Read Remy, pp. 336-341
For Discussion: Does the Supreme Court have too much power in shaping public policy?
ELECTION NEWS: More Hillary e-mails! Who's to blame? James Comey! Not James Comey! James Comey! Not James Comey!
-Due Tuesday, November 1st
Homework 15
Read Remy, pp. 331-335. Also read this article by Howard Bashman.
To what extent to you agree with Bashman's argument?
ALSO:
The time Richard Nixon met Robocop--and was lucky to avoid arrest!
Probably the oldest photograph containing a human being.
I've been looking at this picture from 1970s NYC and have been trying to figure out the cross streets. Can you do it?
ELECTION NEWS: Republicans are already planning to make Hillary Clinton's first term a "living hell." A great report from Bloomberg on Trump's campaign and how it's possibly preparing to launch Trump TV.
-Due Monday, October 31st
Homework (No Number)
Read Remy, pp. 320-326
Is it right that Supreme Court Justices serve a life term? Why or why not? What alternatives might there be? I also want you to read this article from The Atlantic magazine on law clerks. It's a short and interesting piece.
ALSO:
Watch 15 different sorting algorithms do their job! With sound effects! More fascinating than you might think.
-Due Thursday, October 27th
Homework (No Number)
Read Remy, pp. 312-317
For Discussion: Evaluate the process for
the selection of federal judges.
ALSO:
ELECTION NEWS: Your Facts or Mine?
Recapture the archery techniques of
the ancient masters!
-Due Wednesday, October 26th
Homework 14
Read Remy, pp. 305-310
Almost no one in American history has had anything bad to say about judicial review--that's why this 1825 opinion by Pennsylvania judge John Gibson is so notable. Please read it in Eakin v. Raub
Was John Marshall right to grab the power of judicial review? Do you agree with Gibson’s critique? Explain.
ALSO:
Here's the link to the study sheet for Test 2.
AND
ELECTION NEWS: Donald Trump is the nemesis of political science... and has led to a crisis among conservative intellectuals! Meanwhile, do the latest batch of leaked e-mails offer us clues as to what type of president Hillary Clinton would be?
-Due Tuesday, October 25th
Homework (No Number).
Read Remy, pp. 291-298
For Discussion: As you can see from the reading, bureaucrats have a great deal of power--yet they are totally unelected. Should our bureaucracy be more democratic? Should we introduce some sort of election system?
ALSO
ELECTION NEWS: Donald Trump's scary answer about accepting election results. But what about the eight times that liberals claimed an election was stolen or rigged? And Ezra Klein at Vox says that Hillary's debate performance has left Trump in ruins.
-Due Friday, October 21st
Homework (No Number)
At
9pm tonight. Watch it!!
Is tonight's debate Donald Trump's last stand? The one thing Donald Trump should do at the debate? Hillary Clintons (plural intentional) for President? So many questions!
-Due Thursday, October 20th
Homework (No Number)
Read Remy, pp. 284-289
For Discussion: Given how hard it is to fire incompetent federal employees, was the move towards civil service reform such a good thing?
ALSO
ELECTION NEWS: I can't stop watching this supercut of Trump talking about babies. Also Trump saying China.
-Due Wednesday, October 19th
Homework (No Number)
Please note that we are skipping the beginning of Chapter 9, Section 3, but read Remy, pp. 266-7--just the section on Executive Privilege. and Chapter 10, Section 1: pp. 275-283. Also, please check out this piece by David Iglesias, "Out of Bounds," from back in 2008.
For Discussion: Does executive privilege give the President too much power to keep secrets? Why or why not?
ELECTION NEWS: As Trump stumbles, Clinton weighs a striking choice! A writer for the (conservative) Washington Times writes that, yes, he still supports Trump. And, in non-election news, a piece in the WSJ argues that colleges should stop hoarding their endowments.
-Due Tuesday, October 18th
Homework 13
Read Remy, pp. 252-259. Also, check out this editorial about the Senate's treaty powers. For fun, Google the authors!
Do executive orders and executive agreements undermine the powers of Congress?
ALSO
The site you've been waiting for: Vice-presidents with cephalopods on their heads.
ELECTION NEWS: Two incendiary speeches crystallize the stark choices facing American voters. Here's Representative Mike Kelly's argument for Donald Trump. And here's a Slate piece arguing that Hillary is not unlikable, but rather "downright inspiring." Finally, Eric Erickson a prominent #nevertrump conservative pens an Op-Ed for the NYTimes: The G.O.P. After Donald Trump.
-Due Monday, October 17th
Homework (No Number)
Read Remy, pp. 245-250. Also read this summary of the National Emergencies Act.
Do presidents take too much power during times of emergency?
ELECTION NEWS: The NYTimes's Charles Blow says that Donald Trump is "unshackled and unhinged." Meanwhile, Christian activist Eric Metaxas asks Should Christians Vote For Trump? Here's some election probabilities made clear.
-Due Friday, October 14th
Homework (No Number)
Read Remy, pp. 234-239
Has the President consolidated too much power for himself through the growth of the Executive Office of the President?
-Due Thursday, October 13th
ELECTION NEWS: How much pressure has Donald Trump's candidacy put on down-ballot Republicans? What about the lies of Hillary Clinton? A larger, step-back piece which asks: has American growth has stagnated?
ALSO
Ranked by scientists and historians--the greatest 50 inventions of humanity.
Homework 12
It's
on SUNDAY night at
9pm. Watch it and be prepared to discuss.
Read Remy, pp. 228-232. Also read this article from John Dickerson on the decline of the cabinet. It's from 2004, but is still relevant.
Is there anything that can be done to make the cabinet more effective? Should it be made more effective?
-Due Tuesday, October 10th
ELECTION NEWS: Could Hurricane Matthew have devastating consequences on the election? When did American get so hyper-partisan?
ALSO:
This map showing the evolution of the top name for girls since 1960 is fascinating--like watching generals slug it out for territory.
Homework 11
Read Remy, pp. 220-226. Also, check out Five Reasons to keep the Electoral College by Judge Richard Posner.
Should the Electoral College be scrapped? Why or why not? If so, what should be put in its place?
-Due Friday, October 7th
ELECTION NEWS: Monica Crowley says to look out for Trump's secret weapon in the second debate. And here's a piece about how Hillary learned to govern. Finally, an interesting interview with NYTimes (conservative) columnist Ross Douthat in Slate, where he argues that the rise of Trump is also the fault of liberals.
Not really election news, but worth reading: President Obama pens a piece for the Economist about four crucial pieces of unfinished business for America and the American economy.
Homework (No Number)
Read Remy, pp. 213-219 (NOTE THAT WE ARE SKIPPING TO THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH!)
For Discussion: Evaluate the constitutional requirements for becoming president. Are they a good idea? Why or why not?
-Due Thursday, October 6th
ELECTION NEWS: Are Clinton and Trump really shuffling the electoral map? Did Mike Pence effectively rebut Tim Kaine's attacks? Or did Pence "gaslight" the nation? And, BTW, these five states will decide who controls the Senate.
ALSO
Hypnotic letter painting skillz.
Homework 10
Read Remy, pp. 112-116. Also, check out this article from the New York Times from a couple of years ago.
Given the tremendously low turnout in local elections, to what extent should we be worried about our federalist system?
-Due Thursday, September 29th
Optional
Apparently this video is sweeping Japan? Very strange.
Homework 9
Read Remy, pp. 106-110
“States' rights, as our forefathers conceived it, was a protection of the right of the individual citizen. Those who preach most frequently about states' rights today are not seeking the protection of the individual citizen, but his exploitation... The time is long past - if indeed it ever existed - when we should permit the noble concept of States' rights to be betrayed and corrupted into a slogan to hide the bald denial of American rights, of civil rights, and of human rights.” --Robert Kennedy
Do you agree or disagree with this quote? Note that today, some states are more progressive than the nation as a whole, passing laws legalizing marijuana use, same sex marriage and imposing tighter restrictions on industrial pollution and emissions.
-Due Wednesday, September 28th
ALSO: We have a test this Friday. Check out this study sheet.
DEBATE REAX: What worked for Trump in the primaries failed in this debate, says Dana Milbank. Byron York says that Donald Trump missed his opportunities. Caroline Framke argues that the silent audience was a killer for Trump.
Homework (No Number)
It's on tonight at
9pm. Watch it and be prepared to discuss.
Also, Read Remy, pp. 103-105
ELECTION NEWS: The first presidential debate will be an EPIC SHOWDOWN. Three PIECES OF ADVICE for Donald Trump. And Clinton MUST STAY ON THE HIGH ROAD.
-Due Tuesday, September 27th
Optional Reading
What is it really like to be a baby?
This is a pretty cool video.
Homework 8
Please read Remy, pp. 95-102. Then check out this critique, which calls our sacred national document imbecilic.
To what extent is our constitution "imbecilic"?
-Due Monday, September 26th
ELECTION NEWS: Fiction writer Lionel Shriver asks whether the Left will survive the Millenials. And... the first debate is coming up! Will we see "Shrewd Trump v. Studied Clinton"?
Homework 7
Read Remy, pp. 84-90. Also, read this 2012 piece that argues that it's too hard to amend our Constitution.
If you could add any amendment to the US Constitution, what would it be and why?
Due Friday, September 23rd
ELECTION NEWS: Supposedly former President George H. W. Bush (Bush the Elder) has admitted that he will be voting for Hillary this November. Eli Stokols writes about "the Bush Family's Lament," while Byron York argues that they have forgotten the voters that propelled them to power.
Optional Stuff
Amazing Japanese mochi making.
Homework 6
Read Remy, pp. 76-81. PLEASE NOTE THAT WE ARE SKIPPING A SECTION.
Take a look at these failed amendments and these proposed amendments.
Also, please read James Madison's Federalist 10 and Federalist 51.
Finally--here's a fantastic site that allows you to explore the ratification of the Constitution in depth.
Did the Founding Fathers make the Constitution too difficult to amend? What do you think of the amendment process in general? Did seeing the failed or proposed amendments change your mind? Explain.
Also: for those who are curious to see James Madison's notes of the Philadelphia Convention, they can be found here.
-Due Thursday, September 22nd
ELECTION NEWS: Extraordinarily talented Polazzo Alum Esther Schoenfeld begs millenials to vote for Hillary, while Michael Goodwin argues that Obama's failure to acknowledge terrorism helps Trump.
Optional Reading
Here's an interesting map of the United States with 50 new states--all with more or less equal population.
Homework 5
Read Remy, pp. 63-67. Also check out this review of Robert Dahl's book "How Democratic Is the American Constitution?", written by Hendrick Hertzberg (the editorial editor at the New Yorker magazine). Finally, THE CONSTITUTION. Read it in FULL! Get thee to the interactive Constitution. Even if you do have a physical copy, the site is worth a visit.
Pick an article from the Interactive Constitution article and creatively disagree with it.
ELECTION NEWS: If Donald Trump were to win the presidency, this is how he'd do it, says David Catanese. But Eugene Robinson tells Democrats to "stop freaking out." And... Colin Powell's hacked e-mails--an unwitting gift to voters?
-Due Tuesday, September 20th
Optional Reading
Drilling. It kills your desire to learn... doesn't it?
Why are some languages faster than others?
"No Evidence of Disease"--this is a hell of a story.
Homework 4
Read Remy, pp. 53-58. Also read this article about the Constitutional Convention.
Here's a quote from famous abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison, on the Constitution:
There is much declamation about the sacredness of the compact which was formed between the free and slave states, on the adoption of the Constitution. A sacred compact, forsooth! We pronounce it the most bloody and heaven-daring arrangement ever made by men for the continuance and protection of a system of the most atrocious villany ever exhibited on earth. Yes—we recognize the compact, but with feelings of shame and indignation, and it will be held in everlasting infamy by the friends of justice and humanity throughout the world. It was a compact formed at the sacrifice of the bodies and souls of millions of our race, for the sake of achieving a political object—an unblushing and monstrous coalition to do evil that good might come. Such a compact was, in the nature of things and according to the law of God, null and void from the beginning. No body of men ever had the right to guarantee the holding of human beings in bondage. Who or what were the framers of our government, that they should dare confirm and authorise such high-handed villany—such flagrant robbery of the inalienable rights of man—such a glaring violation of all the precepts and injunctions of the gospel—such a savage war upon a sixth part of our whole population?—They were men, like ourselves—as fallible, as sinful, as weak, as ourselves. By the infamous bargain which they made between themselves, they virtually dethroned the Most High God, and trampled beneath their feet their own solemn and heaven-attested Declaration, that all men are created equal, and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights—among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They had no lawful power to bind themselves, or their posterity, for one hour—for one moment—by such an unholy alliance. It was not valid then—it is not valid now. Still they persisted in maintaining it—and still do their successors, the people of Massachusetts, of New-England, and of the twelve free States, persist in maintaining it. A sacred compact! A sacred compact! What, then, is wicked and ignominious?
Do you agree or disagree with the above quote? If you do agree, were there any alternatives? What do you think?
-Due Friday, September 16th
ELECTION NEWS: Could Trump win Florida? More ink spilled over Hillary's "basket of deplorables" comment.
Homework 3
Read Remy, pp. 48-52. Also read the Articles of Confederation. These also can be found at pp. R76-9 at the end of the book. (This is 808-811 if you have the old book).. Also, read this article comparing the EU to the Articles.
1) To what extent were the Articles of Confederation totally unworkable as a blueprint for the new nation?
2) Analyze at least one article in the Articles for HW. Show why it's a good or bad idea.
ELECTION NEWS: How damaging are the Hillary health revelations? It's not the cough--it's the cover up that's problematic, says Edward Morrissey. But former British Foreign Secretary William Hague argues that Hillary has the stamina for the job.
-Due Thursday, September 15th
Homework 2
Read Remy, pp. 42-7 and the Declaration of Independence found at pp. R38-41 at the end of the book. (This is 770-773 if you have the old book).
Also, check out this piece about the impact of the Declaration in early US history
To what extent did the United States live up to the revolutionary ideals of the Declaration of Independence? Should it have?
-Due Wednesday, September 14th
Optional Stuff
A really great piece from Vox: 38 Maps that Explain the Global Economy
Homework 1
Two broad assignments for Tuesday:
Assignment 1
1) Make sure you have a Dropbox account--if you've entered your information into the Google form, and you don't have a Dropbox account, you will have received an invitation from me to create one.
2) Share a folder with me. The format should be as follows: If your name were Joe Biden and you were in my 6th period AP US Gov class, the folder would be entitled: Joe Biden, 6. My e-mail address for sharing is mpolazzo@gmail.com
3) Upload a headshot (not a whole body picture) of yourself that (a) is not too large and (b) actually looks like you. Place it in the shared folder. Name it joebiden.jpg (substitute your first and last names). Please note that all headshots should be in JPEG form!
4) All uploaded data is due by the start of the period that I teach you on Tuesday!
Assignment 2
We are beginning to use the textbook, henceforth known as "Remy." Read pp. 35-40. Also, take a look at these excerpts from John Locke's Second Treatise of Government.
Written work: What do you think of Locke's work? What are his hypotheses and do you agree with them? Why?
What format should this work be in? It should be:
1) In PDF form. You should be able to use Word or any other word processing software to save as PDF. Also Macs and some other programs allow you to print to PDF. Also, Google Docs allows you to save as a PDF. PLEASE NOTE THAT HOMEWORK SUBMITTED IN .DOC OR .DOCX FORM IS NOT GRADABLE!
2) Double spaced
3) No longer than two, but no shorter than one page.
4) Titled "HW 1, John Smith" if your name were John Smith
5) Uploaded into our shared Dropbox account by the start of class tomorrow.
AND: Election coverage! Is Hillary Clinton basically a flawed but normal politician? Or would her lapses in judgment render her a lame duck from day one of a potential Clinton presidency?
-Everything Due Tuesday, September 13th
Optional Stuff
Here is a short George Orwell essay about good writing: "Politics and the English Language." Let it be your guide.
Here are some fascinating charts. Curious about where the federal budget goes? This chart by Death and Taxes is a nice graphical representation here (I know they are trying to sell the poster, but you can still look at all the spending and taxes using the magnifier tool).
Also: want to engage in a bit of military procurement through the Department of Defense? No problem! Simply master this organizational chart.
Homework
Please go to this form and enter in your information!
-Due Friday, September 9th