Week 16, Syllabus

Mr. Ditzenberger, American Government
Time: 5 Periods, 3:45 Unit 2, Civics Week: 16 Dates: November 26-30

Objectives:
1. Students will list, from memory, the major steps in a bill becoming a law.
2. Students will examine the intangible, behind the scenes process of passing legislation.
3. Students will observe the legislative process in a committee on CSPAN and witness the questioning of Gordon Brown in Parliament.
4. Students will take a mini-test on the legislative branch.
5. Students will learn about the basic elements of the executive branch’s chief position, the off ice of the president.
6. Students will explore and evaluate the function and significance of the major departments that constitute the cabinet of the executive branch.
Materials: Textbook, http://ditzenberger.blogspot.com/index.html;

Monday

Continue with the simulation…
1. a speaker and whips are chosen for the House. The remaining people divide themselves equally into Dems or Reps.
2. Bill is introduced into a committee (chosen from one of the committees that students are familiar with). After testimony from a special interest group (real or imaginary), the bill is given an official name and reported favorably.
3. The bill is introduced to the entire house. Debate ensues, amendments are tacked on, including some pork, and then it is passed.
4. The bill goes to the Senate. There is a filibuster in the Senate until and interest group (in the guise of a grassroots letter writing campaign) puts pressure on the “filibustering” senators to remove the filibuster.
5. Additional amendments and revisions are made.
6. 2 people from the Senate and 2 from the House are elected for the conference committee.
7. The bill is signed by the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader and sent to the White House.

Tuesday.
1. How a Bill Really Becomes a Law
2. CSPAN-FISA deliberations (roll call)-46:50 minutes.54:40-Specter, Durbin, Hatch. http://www.c-span.org/homepage.asp?Cat=Current_Event&Code=Congress&ShowVidNum=7&Rot_Cat_CD=Congress&Rot_HT=&Rot_WD=&ShowVidDays=365&ShowVidDesc=&ArchiveDays=30
3. http://www.c-span.org/homepage.asp?Cat=Series&Code=PMQ&ShowVidNum=10&Rot_Cat_CD=PMQ&Rot_HT=206&Rot_WD=&ShowVidDays=100&ShowVidDesc=&ArchiveDays=365
4. Amendment process lecture.

Wednesday
1. Read pages 129-132.
2. Answer questions 3-a, b, and c.
3. Answer #s 1 and 2 on page 133.

Thursday
1. Mini Test.
2. Executive Branch Lecture
3. Homework-page 147, numbers two and three.

Friday
1. Executive Branch Lecture continued (in computer lab)
2. Homework-page 146, numbers one and three.