tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9336271613788530772024-03-13T19:40:20.777-07:00BLS AP US GovernmentUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933627161378853077.post-33413434514207986232012-03-08T12:15:00.001-08:002012-03-08T12:15:38.585-08:00Inside the MeltdownHere is a link to the video we watched in class <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/meltdown/view/">Inside the Meltdown</a>. You can use this if you missed the video in class or if you need to check on an answer to your questions.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933627161378853077.post-41880374624675880902011-11-07T05:05:00.000-08:002011-11-11T04:17:29.999-08:00Campaign Finance Videos<a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/law/jan-june10/supremecourt_01-21.html">Summary of Citizens United Case</a><br /><br /><object width = "514" height = "290" > <param name = "movie" value = "http://www-tc.pbs.org/video/media/swf/PBSPlayer.swf" > </param><param name="flashvars" value="width=514&height=290&video=2155454293&player=viral&end=0&lr_admap=in:pbs:0" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param > <param name = "allowscriptaccess" value = "always" > </param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param ><embed src="http://www-tc.pbs.org/video/media/swf/PBSPlayer.swf" flashvars="width=514&height=290&video=2155454293&player=viral&end=0&lr_admap=in:pbs:0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" width="514" height="290" bgcolor="#000000"></embed></object><p style="font-size:11px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #808080; margin-top: 5px; background: transparent; text-align: center; width: 512px;">Watch <a style="text-decoration:none !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#4eb2fe !important;" href="http://video.pbs.org/video/2155454293" target="_blank">Outside Super PACs Poised to Dominate 2012 Spending</a> on PBS. See more from <a style="text-decoration:none !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#4eb2fe !important;" href="http://newshour.pbs.org/" target="_blank">PBS NewsHour.</a></p><br /><br /><div style="background-color:#000000;width:520px;"><div style="padding:4px;"><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:video:colbertnation.com:379369" width="512" height="288" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" base="." flashVars=""></embed><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#FFFFFF;padding:4px;margin-top:4px;margin-bottom:0px;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><b>The Colbert Report</b> <br/>Get More: <a href='http://www.colbertnation.com/full-episodes/'>Colbert Report Full Episodes</a>,<a href='http://www.indecisionforever.com/'>Political Humor & Satire Blog</a>,<a href='http://www.colbertnation.com/video'>Video Archive</a></p></div></div><br /><br /><div style="background-color:#000000;width:520px;"><div style="padding:4px;"><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:video:colbertnation.com:382013" width="512" height="288" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" base="." flashVars=""></embed><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#FFFFFF;padding:4px;margin-top:4px;margin-bottom:0px;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><b>The Colbert Report</b> <br/>Get More: <a href='http://www.colbertnation.com/full-episodes/'>Colbert Report Full Episodes</a>,<a href='http://www.indecisionforever.com/'>Political Humor & Satire Blog</a>,<a href='http://www.colbertnation.com/video'>Video Archive</a></p></div></div><br /><br /><div style="background-color:#000000;width:520px;"><div style="padding:4px;"><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:video:colbertnation.com:382014" width="512" height="288" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" base="." flashVars=""></embed><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#FFFFFF;padding:4px;margin-top:4px;margin-bottom:0px;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><b>The Colbert Report</b> <br/>Get More: <a href='http://www.colbertnation.com/full-episodes/'>Colbert Report Full Episodes</a>,<a href='http://www.indecisionforever.com/'>Political Humor & Satire Blog</a>,<a href='http://www.colbertnation.com/video'>Video Archive</a></p></div></div><br /><br /><div style="background-color:#000000;width:520px;"><div style="padding:4px;"><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:video:colbertnation.com:387920" width="512" height="288" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" base="." flashVars=""></embed><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#FFFFFF;padding:4px;margin-top:4px;margin-bottom:0px;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><b>The Colbert Report</b> <br/>Get More: <a href='http://www.colbertnation.com/full-episodes/'>Colbert Report Full Episodes</a>,<a href='http://www.indecisionforever.com/'>Political Humor & Satire Blog</a>,<a href='http://www.colbertnation.com/video'>Video Archive</a></p></div></div><br /><br /><div style="background-color:#000000;width:520px;"><div style="padding:4px;"><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:video:colbertnation.com:391014" width="512" height="288" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" base="." flashVars=""></embed><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#FFFFFF;padding:4px;margin-top:4px;margin-bottom:0px;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><b>The Colbert Report</b> <br/>Get More: <a href='http://www.colbertnation.com/full-episodes/'>Colbert Report Full Episodes</a>,<a href='http://www.indecisionforever.com/'>Political Humor & Satire Blog</a>,<a href='http://www.colbertnation.com/video'>Video Archive</a></p></div></div><br /><br /><div style="background-color:#000000;width:520px;"><div style="padding:4px;"><embed src="http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:video:colbertnation.com:398531" width="512" height="288" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" base="." flashVars=""></embed><p style="text-align:left;background-color:#FFFFFF;padding:4px;margin-top:4px;margin-bottom:0px;font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12px;"><b>The Colbert Report</b> <br/>Get More: <a href='http://www.colbertnation.com/full-episodes/'>Colbert Report Full Episodes</a>,<a href='http://www.indecisionforever.com/'>Political Humor & Satire Blog</a>,<a href='http://www.colbertnation.com/video'>Video Archive</a></p></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933627161378853077.post-68631523833842824982011-09-19T18:00:00.000-07:002011-09-19T18:10:55.290-07:00Videos from Class<object width="640" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uZfRaWAtBVg&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uZfRaWAtBVg&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="390"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/jYyttEu_NLU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933627161378853077.post-79984545885030616782011-08-14T07:26:00.000-07:002011-08-14T07:36:38.997-07:00Current Events #5<a href="http://www.economist.com/node/21525929">Economist Wolves Article</a>
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<br />An article about wolves in Idaho might seem like a bit of a non-sequitor. However, we will watch a film about federalism early in the school year and the release of wolves in Idaho is a topic covered in that film. Please look for the role that the federal and state governments have played in this debate.
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<br /><a href="http://www.economist.com/node/21525945">The Economist British Riots</a>
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<br />The Economist is a British newspaper (magazine) so I decided to use their coverage of the British riots to give you some background on this issue.
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<br /><a href="http://www.economist.com/node/21525905">The Economist Debt Article</a>
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<br />Here is an article that summarizes what happened with the debt deal as well as the economic and political implications.
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<br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/should-the-iowa-straw-poll-be-put-out-to-pasture/2011/08/12/gIQAvZMSBJ_story_1.html">Washington Post Straw Poll Article</a>
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<br />Here is some background on the Iowa Straw Poll and the impact is has on the presidential race
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<br /><a href="http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2011/08/14/pawlenty_vows_to_continue_despite_3rd_place_finish/?page=1
<br />">Boston Globe Straw Poll Results</a>
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<br />Now that you read the background information on the Straw Poll, here is the impact it had on the Republican presidential nomination
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<br /><a href="http://www.boston.com/news/politics/articles/2011/08/14/rick_perry_joins_the_gop_race/?page=1">Boston Globe Presidential Announcement</a>
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<br />The Republicans have yet another candidate and this one might shake up the race.
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<br /><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/12/us-usa-healthcare-idUSTRE77B4J32011081">Reuters Health Care Ruling Article</a>
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<br />Finally, there is yet another ruling on the healthcare law.
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933627161378853077.post-19681901988050431982011-08-06T10:46:00.000-07:002011-08-06T10:50:41.561-07:00Current Events #4<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/05/us/politics/05poll.html?src=recg">New York Times</a><br /><br />Congress tends to have the lowest approval rating of all three branches of the federal government, but this is a new low in their approval rating. Please read the article to see reasons why the public feels so negatively towards Congress.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2011/08/06/nations_credit_rating_is_downgraded_to_aa/">The Boston Glob</a>e<br /><br />The downgrading of the nation's credit rating had never happened before. Sadly this is not a historic moment anyone hoped to see.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.economist.com/blogs/freeexchange/2011/08/debt-ceiling-deal">The Economist</a><br /><br />Here is a summary of the debt deal and the political impact of it.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2011/08/05/mystery_donation_to_pro_romney_pac_draws_scrutiny/">Boston Globe Mystery Donation Article</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.boston.com/news/politics/articles/2011/08/06/1m_mystery_donor_to_pac_for_mitt_romney_ids_himself/<br /><br />">The Boston Globe Mystery Donation Solved</a><br /><br />A PAC is a Political Action Committee. After the Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission case the rules on political fundraising changed quite a bit. This first article summarizes the mystery of the donation and the second article explains who the donor was.<br /><br />I hope all of you are enjoying your summer break!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933627161378853077.post-76855298039331288372011-07-30T07:08:00.000-07:002011-07-30T07:14:37.617-07:00Current Events Articles #3 All Things Debt<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/28/us/politics/28default.html">New York Times Background Article</a><br /><br />I know these issues are really confusing for high school students who HAVEN'T completed the AP Government course yet. If this were happening during the school year we could discuss it in class and I could answer your questions. Since we can't do that, this article might help you understand the crisis. Understanding some vocabulary will help. Try to understand the following terms: deficit, budget, debt limit, default, and national debt.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/30/us/politics/30fiscal.html?_r=1">New York Times House Budget Plan Article</a><br /><br />Legislation must be passed by both the House of Representatives and the Senate and then signed by the President. The House passed a budget plan, the Senate rejected it, so the President will not even deal with it.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/07/22/us/politics/20110722-comparing-deficit-reduction-plans.html?ref=politics">New York Times Budget Plans</a><br /><br />Here is a history of the plans offered by various members of Congress. You do not need to memorize the different plans, be able to identify the major differences among them and the points that are preventing compromise.<br /><br /><object id='cspan-video-player' classid='clsid:d27cdb6eae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000' codebase='http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0' align='middle' height='500' width='410'><param name='allowScriptAccess' value='true'/><param name='movie' value='http://www.c-spanvideo.org/videoLibrary/assets/swf/CSPANPlayer.swf?pid=300681-2'/><param name='quality' value='high'/><param name='bgcolor' value='#ffffff'/><param name='allowFullScreen' value='true'/><param name='flashvars' value='system=http://www.c-spanvideo.org/common/services/flashXml.php?programid=257409&style=full'/><embed name='cspan-video-player' src='http://www.c-spanvideo.org/videoLibrary/assets/swf/CSPANPlayer.swf?pid=300681-2' allowScriptAccess='always' bgcolor='#ffffff' quality='high' allowFullScreen='true' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' pluginspage='http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer' flashvars='system=http://www.c-spanvideo.org/common/services/flashXml.php?programid=257409&style=full' align='middle' height='500' width='410'></embed></object><br /><br />This week the President used his access to the media to address the nation directly. If you missed it (as many did because it is summer) please watch the address on C-Span.<br /><br /><object id='cspan-video-player' classid='clsid:d27cdb6eae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000' codebase='http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0' align='middle' height='500' width='410'><param name='allowScriptAccess' value='true'/><param name='movie' value='http://www.c-spanvideo.org/videoLibrary/assets/swf/CSPANPlayer.swf?pid=300710-1'/><param name='quality' value='high'/><param name='bgcolor' value='#ffffff'/><param name='allowFullScreen' value='true'/><param name='flashvars' value='system=http://www.c-spanvideo.org/common/services/flashXml.php?programid=257414&style=full'/><embed name='cspan-video-player' src='http://www.c-spanvideo.org/videoLibrary/assets/swf/CSPANPlayer.swf?pid=300710-1' allowScriptAccess='always' bgcolor='#ffffff' quality='high' allowFullScreen='true' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' pluginspage='http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer' flashvars='system=http://www.c-spanvideo.org/common/services/flashXml.php?programid=257414&style=full' align='middle' height='500' width='410'></embed></object><br /><br />Speaker of the House Boehner also used the media to respond to the President. If you missed it, please watch it on C-Span.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/senate-headed-for-critical-debt-vote-sunday/2011/07/28/gIQAplhMiI_story.html">Washington Post Article on Senate vote</a><br /><br />The Senate is going to try to solve this situation with a vote on Sunday. This article is an update on that process.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933627161378853077.post-56882446678500735122011-07-09T08:19:00.000-07:002011-07-09T08:23:15.895-07:00Current Events Articles #2<a href="http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2011/07/09/romney_gets_a_boost_from_new_funding_environment/">Boston Globe Campaign Finance Article</a><br /><br />Campaign finance is an important part of our curriculum. The Citizens United v. FEC case significantly changed the campaign fundraising landscape. This article helps your understand some of the impact these changes are having on our current election cycle.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/09/us/politics/betty-ford-dies.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp">New York Times Betty Ford Article</a><br /><br />Here is a detailed summary of Betty Ford's life. She passed away this week and as you can imagine First Ladies still impact the political process, even though they aren't elected.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/09/us/09caylee.html?src=recg">New York Times Caylee's Law</a><br /><br />This is an interesting example of how current events, citizens, and the media can influence what legislation becomes part of the public agenda.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2011/07/08/nasa_fuels_atlantis_for_the_last_shuttle_launch/?page=1">Boston Globe NASA article</a><br /><br />NASA is part of the bureaucracy and is a great example of the many accomplishments and potentially failures of our federal bureaucracy.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933627161378853077.post-86857073298703018132011-07-03T11:43:00.000-07:002011-07-03T11:48:24.671-07:00Summer Current Events #1There's a lot going on right now in the world of government. Here are some articles that will help you will these current issues:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/27/nyregion/for-gay-marriage-movement-momentum-but-challenges.html?ref=politics">Gay Marriage Article</a><br /><br />Whether you agree or disagree with gay marriage, the issue is great for illustrating the concept of federalism. This is one of the first ideas we will cover when we return in the Fall. Federalism allows for a national government and state government to operate at the same time. This means that states can determine for themselves who can marry.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/21/business/21bizcourt.html?src=me&ref=general">Supreme Court Article</a><br /><br />The Supreme Court tends to release the most controversial decisions at the end of their session. The Supreme Court session ends right about when our school year ends. So, here is a controversial decision for you to read about.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/06/23/whitey_bulger_surrenders_in_calif_after_16_years_on_run/">Whitey Bulger Article</a><br /><br />I don't think current events would be very current if I didn't include an article about the FBI finding Whitey Bulger. Look for how the government is involved in this story that you've probably read a lot about.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/01/us/politics/01budget.html?_r=1">Debt Ceiling Article</a><br /><br />The questions about the debt ceiling and budget are going to be debated all summer. So, I am sure this is the first of many articles about this subject I will send you.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933627161378853077.post-16799570431832804022011-03-29T07:34:00.000-07:002011-03-29T07:35:06.622-07:00Presidential Address on Libya<object id='cspan-video-player' classid='clsid:d27cdb6eae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000' codebase='http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0' align='middle' height='500' width='410'><param name='allowScriptAccess' value='true'/><param name='movie' value='http://www.c-spanvideo.org/videoLibrary/assets/swf/CSPANPlayer.swf?pid=298695-1'/><param name='quality' value='high'/><param name='bgcolor' value='#ffffff'/><param name='allowFullScreen' value='true'/><param name='flashvars' value='system=http://www.c-spanvideo.org/common/services/flashXml.php?programid=248222&style=full'/><embed name='cspan-video-player' src='http://www.c-spanvideo.org/videoLibrary/assets/swf/CSPANPlayer.swf?pid=298695-1' allowScriptAccess='always' bgcolor='#ffffff' quality='high' allowFullScreen='true' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' pluginspage='http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer' flashvars='system=http://www.c-spanvideo.org/common/services/flashXml.php?programid=248222&style=full' align='middle' height='500' width='410'></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933627161378853077.post-33368066307255199402011-03-20T17:32:00.001-07:002011-03-20T17:34:27.064-07:00Obama's DealHere is the link to "<a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/obamasdeal/view/">Obama's Deal</a>" the video we watched in class on Friday and Monday (March 18, 21). Here are the questions about the video:<br /><br />Directions: Answer the following questions on a piece of lined paper. Be sure to use supporting details from the film and thoughtful analysis in your response.<br /><br />1. Describe the Obama administration’s strategy for holding the May 2009 health care reform meeting with the President and all interested parties. Based on lessons learned in the past, what was the administration trying to accomplish?<br /><br />2. Karen Ignagni and the heath insurance lobby wanted the final health care reform bill to require everyone to buy health insurance and not include a public option. What does Ignagni’s role indicate about the role of lobbyists in the legislative process? Do you think their work helps or hurts the process? Why?<br /><br />3. In what ways were the demands of the health insurance lobby in opposition to the health care reforms candidate Obama proposed during the 2008 campaign? Why do you think President Obama agreed to the requests from the lobbying groups? Do you think this type of political compromise is in the best interest of Americans? Explain.<br /><br />4. What were some of the reasons why many in the Obama administration felt Senator Max Baucus was the least likely person to bring comprehensive health care reform?<br /><br />5. Why were health care reform activists like Dr. Margaret Flowers angry with Sen. Baucus during the committee hearings?<br /><br />6. Do you feel the legislative process works reflects the wishes and desires of the American people? If so, how? If not, how would you change the system to reflect the will of the people effectively?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933627161378853077.post-86206685970844766212011-03-08T10:11:00.002-08:002011-03-08T10:14:13.144-08:00Inside the MeltdownHere is a link to the video we watched in class <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/meltdown/view/">Inside the Meltdown</a>. You can use this if you missed the video in class or if you need to check on an answer to your questions.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933627161378853077.post-60337670442708585952011-03-08T10:11:00.001-08:002011-03-08T10:11:24.587-08:00Credit Crisis Video<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/3261363" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/3261363">The Crisis of Credit Visualized</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/jonathanjarvis">Jonathan Jarvis</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933627161378853077.post-2376702275308305842011-02-16T08:05:00.000-08:002011-02-16T08:06:40.206-08:00AP Test PaymentAs you know, taking the AP exam in May is one of the requirements of this course. Additionally, you are ALL in a great position to pass this exam. While the exam may seem like a lot of money, it is a great deal cheaper than college tuition. <br /><br />If you haven't made your payment you need to:<br /><br />Pick up an AP request form from Ms. Gomez in Room 021 or in guidance<br />Bring a check made out to "Boston Latin School" for $97 or $10 if you are eligible for free or reduced lunch<br />Give your request form and check to Ms. Gomez by March 4 (the date of the presidential inauguration until the 20th Amendment changed it to January 20)Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933627161378853077.post-60571379480136674262011-01-01T15:56:00.000-08:002011-01-01T15:58:54.000-08:00Gay-Straight Alliances and Government<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/02/us/02utah.html">New York Times Article on GSAs in Utah</a><br /><br />Hi everyone, here is an interesting article that shows the connections among interest groups and legislation and high school clubs. What is very interesting is the "unintended consequences" that can come from legislation. You can really see many of the concepts we discussed in the first four months of class in this article.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933627161378853077.post-4773888141447840112010-12-23T05:45:00.001-08:002010-12-23T06:09:59.760-08:00Busy Times in Current EventsHopefully you are following the news on your own. But, just in case you want to read some articles that illustrate what we are studying in class here are some articles I thought you might find interesting.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/12/23/legislative_redistricting_may_be_a_tough_task/">Redistricting in Massachusetts</a><br /><br />The results of the 2010 census are out. As we thought, Massachusetts lost a seat.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/22/us/22census.html?bl">New York Times Census Summary</a><br /><br />Here is an article about the overall changes noted in the census.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/23/the-early-word-goodbye-to-the-111th/?ref=politics">Lame Duck Congress</a><br /><br />Here is a great summary about the lame duck Congress.<br /><br />Have a great break!!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933627161378853077.post-62685281810418770222010-11-24T19:57:00.000-08:002010-11-25T07:46:36.130-08:00Happy Thanksgiving!Just in case you thought I was making up the fact that the President pardons turkeys every year......<br /><br /><object id='cspan-video-player' classid='clsid:d27cdb6eae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000' codebase='http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0' align='middle' height='500' width='410'><param name='allowScriptAccess' value='true'/><param name='movie' value='http://www.c-spanvideo.org/videoLibrary/assets/swf/CSPANPlayer.swf?pid=296749-1'/><param name='quality' value='high'/><param name='bgcolor' value='#ffffff'/><param name='allowFullScreen' value='true'/><param name='flashvars' value='system=http://www.c-spanvideo.org/common/services/flashXml.php?programid=238425&style=full'/><embed name='cspan-video-player' src='http://www.c-spanvideo.org/videoLibrary/assets/swf/CSPANPlayer.swf?pid=296749-1' base='http://www.c-spanvideo.org/videoLibrary/assets/swf/' allowScriptAccess='always' bgcolor='#ffffff' quality='high' allowFullScreen='true' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' pluginspage='http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer' flashvars='system=http://www.c-spanvideo.org/common/services/flashXml.php?programid=238425&style=full' align='middle' height='500' width='410'></embed></object><br /><br />Here's the coverage in various news outlets:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2010/11/24/131571485/obama-s-white-house-pardons-turkeys-yes-humans-no">NPR</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6AN5PP20101124">Rueters</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20023807-503544.html">CBS</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.latimes.com/sns-ap-us-turkey-pardon,0,825476.story">LA Times</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933627161378853077.post-9253557810905460762010-11-13T07:05:00.000-08:002010-11-13T07:09:08.069-08:00Current Events and FRQHello everyone,<br /><br />Remember we have an FRQ on elections on Monday. This could cover topics in Chapter 10 and what we have done in class since the last exam. Please review the text and your notes. I will have two questions and you will be able to choose one of them to answer.<br /><br />Here are some articles on the election!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/11/AR2010111107910.html">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/11/AR2010111107910.html</a><br /><br />This article addresses the role the election might have on Nancy Pelosi's future<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-03/wealthy-candidates-reap-poor-returns-in-u-s-voting-booths.html">http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-11-03/wealthy-candidates-reap-poor-returns-in-u-s-voting-booths.html</a><br /><br />Remember, the Buckley case says that candidates can spend as much of their own money as they want on a race.<br /><br /><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704462704575590510679315310.html?mod=WSJ_ele_main">http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704462704575590510679315310.html?mod=WSJ_ele_main</a><br /><br />A Wall Street Journal article summarizing the election results<br /><br /><a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/11/11/a_preview_of_2012_redistricting_107924.html">http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/11/11/a_preview_of_2012_redistricting_107924.html</a><br /><br />Finally, an article about redistrictingUnknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933627161378853077.post-63556121810183417582010-10-14T12:17:00.000-07:002010-10-18T06:30:26.975-07:00Online Resources for the Election Prediction Assignment<a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/elections/">Real Clear Politics</a> gathers courses from a variety of media outlets and is a really good place to go to get quick polling data.<br /><br />Here is a link to the <a href="http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/">CNN politics</a> page. CNN is generally considered a "middle of the road" political source. So, keep that in mind when using it.<br /><br />Here is a link to the <a href="http://voices.washingtonpost.com/politics/campaigns.html">Washington Post's</a> campaigns section. They did list all the Democrats first in the competitive races. So, keep that in mind in terms of possible bias, etc.<br /><br />Here is a link to the <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/politics/">Washington Times</a> election section. The Washington Times is considered the more conservative of the Washington, D.C. papers.<br /><br />Here is a link to <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/interactive/politics/election-map-2010/">Fox News'</a> electoral map. Remember, it is important to use all news sources to try to make an educated prediction.<br /><br /><a href="http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page">This</a> is a good place to get started for background on the ballot questions. However, you will need to look at newspapers and news website to get polling information.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933627161378853077.post-87245246954336588132010-10-07T09:15:00.000-07:002010-10-07T10:37:40.510-07:00Argument day podcasts: Snyder v. PhelpsClick <a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/2010/10/argument-day-podcasts-snyder-v-phelps/">here</a> for a link to the lawyers summaries of their cases that they presented to the court yesterday, October 6, 2010 in the First Amendment case.<br /><br />Click <a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/2010/10/bonus-round-up-snyder-v-phelps/">here</a> if you would like a link to a list of all the coverage of the case.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933627161378853077.post-63417566116195210202010-10-07T09:11:00.000-07:002010-10-07T09:14:50.913-07:00Frontline Video from Class 10/7/2010<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/js/pap/embed.js?frol02n49fq74"></script>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933627161378853077.post-78940814676289788122010-10-06T05:47:00.000-07:002010-10-06T05:48:47.031-07:00Washington, D.C. Trip Information MeetingWe will be having an informational meeting about the trip to Washington, D.C. during February vacation on Wednesday, October 13 at 7:00 in Room 125. <br /><br />If you would like to read more about the program online the address is <a href="http://closeup.org">http://closeup.org</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933627161378853077.post-56308502442803469522010-09-22T11:51:00.000-07:002010-09-22T11:53:47.617-07:00Current Events Articles for 9/26<a href="http://www.economist.com/node/17043968">Economist</a><br /><br />We will be discussing ideology, parties, and elections in October. Obviously the TEA Party is going to have an impact on these mid-term elections. This article discusses the impact of the TEA Party on the Delaware primary election to fill Joe Biden's vacant seat in the Senate.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/19/sports/football/19doping.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=football%20states%20steroids&st=cse">New York Times</a><br /><br />This article is a year old, but students find it interesting to see the conflict in a federal system. I bet you never thought of football players as employees protected by state law.......<br /><br /><a href="http://www.boston.com/news/special/politics/2010/ballot_questions/?p1=News_links">The Boston Globe</a><br /><br />This "article" is very short. I want you to know all of these questions. More importantly, I want you to think about how they might be examples of federalism.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.tnr.com/blog/william-galston/77805/polling-on-democratic-legislative-record">The New Republic</a><br /><br />This article if from The New Republic. This is a very liberal magazine. However, it is a good overview of the past two years and addresses the question of polling, which is a topic we are discussing soon.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933627161378853077.post-64074685646577983752010-09-07T12:39:00.000-07:002010-09-07T12:51:30.268-07:00Summer Current Events Articles<a href="http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/06/28/kagan_hearings_will_set_tone_for_midterm_elections/">http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/06/28/kagan_hearings_will_set_tone_for_midterm_elections/<br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifhttp://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/06/28/brown_outpolls_kerry_obama/">http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/06/28/brown_outpolls_kerry_obama/<br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/06/28/senator_robert_c_byrd_92_was_longest_serving_us_senator/">http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/06/28/senator_robert_c_byrd_92_was_longest_serving_us_senator/<br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0623/The-McChrystal-Rolling-Stone-article-the-story-behind-the-story">http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0623/The-McChrystal-Rolling-Stone-article-the-story-behind-the-story<br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/07/05/26_flub_question_on_us_independence/">http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/07/05/26_flub_question_on_us_independence/<br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/06/us/06guns.html?_r=1&hp">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/06/us/06guns.html?_r=1&hp</a><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/30/AR2010063003801.html">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/30/AR2010063003801.html<br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/29/AR2010062905209.html?sub=AR">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/29/AR2010062905209.html?sub=AR<br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/07/12/3_political_seats_open_in_west_roxbury/">http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/07/12/3_political_seats_open_in_west_roxbury/<br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/07/09/curb_on_gay_marriage_upended/">http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/07/09/curb_on_gay_marriage_upended/<br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/12/AR2010071201655.html">http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/12/AR2010071201655.html<br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/12/us/politics/12whitman.html?ref=todayspaper">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/12/us/politics/12whitman.html?ref=todayspaper<br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/07/11/how_facts_backfire/?page=1">http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/07/11/how_facts_backfire/?page=1<br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/22/business/22regulate.html?_r=1&ref=politics">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/22/business/22regulate.html?_r=1&ref=politics<br /></a><br /><a href="http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/22/with-banking-question-everything/?src=mv&ref=business">http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/22/with-banking-question-everything/?src=mv&ref=business<br /></a><br /><a //www.nytimes.com/2010/07/21/education/21standards.html?bl">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/21/education/21standards.html?bl<br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/07/mass_legislatur.html?p1=News_links">http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2010/07/mass_legislatur.html?p1=News_links<br /></a><br /><a href="http://whttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifww.economist.com/node/16541619?story_id=16541619">http://www.economist.com/node/16541619?story_id=16541619<br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/28/us/politics/28donate.html?_r=1&ref=politics">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/28/us/politics/28donate.html?_r=1&ref=politics<br /></a><br />http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif<a href="http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2010/08/05/federal_judge_strikes_down_calif_ban_on_gay_marriage/">http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2010/08/05/federal_judge_strikes_down_calif_ban_on_gay_marriage/<br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/06/us/politics/06prop.html?ref=politics">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/06/us/politics/06prop.html?ref=politics<br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/08/06/kagan_heads_to_high_court/">http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/08/06/kagan_heads_to_high_court/<br /></a><br /><a href=http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif"http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/08/14/protests_at_funerals_a_test_of_free_speech/">http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/08/14/protests_at_funerals_a_test_of_free_speech/<br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2010/08/13/judge_keeps_gay_marriage_on_hold___for_now/">http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2010/08/13/judge_keeps_gay_marriage_on_hold___for_now/<br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.scotusblog.com/blog/2010/08/14/prop-8-who-speaks-for-california/ ">http://www.scotusblog.com/blog/2010/08/14/prop-8-who-speaks-for-california/ <br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2010/08/08/plans_for_new_mosques_drawing_protests_across_the_us/">http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2010/08/08/plans_for_new_mosques_drawing_protests_across_the_us/<br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/28/us/politics/28beck.html?_r=1&hp">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/28/us/politics/28beck.html?_r=1&hp<br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/08/28/running_hard_against_the_scott_brown_effect/?p1=News_links">http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/08/28/running_hard_against_the_scott_brown_effect/?p1=News_links<br /></a><br /><a href="hhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/11/us/politics/11stevens.html">http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/11/us/politics/11stevens.html<br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/09/04/patrick_holding_thin_lead_in_poll/">http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/09/04/patrick_holding_thin_lead_in_poll/<br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2010/08/31/obama_to_honor_troops_as_iraq_combat_mission_ends/">http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2010/08/31/obama_to_honor_troops_as_iraq_combat_mission_ends/<br /></a><br /><a href="http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/09/04/urban_violence_rarely_a_campaign_focus/">http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/09/04/urban_violence_rarely_a_campaign_focus/<br /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933627161378853077.post-85314672248140844922010-06-24T09:58:00.000-07:002010-06-24T09:59:58.492-07:00BLS in the News.<object width="420" height="245" id="msnbc795be2" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=10,0,0,0"><param name="movie" value="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640" /><param name="FlashVars" value="launch=37869094&width=420&height=245"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><embed name="msnbc795be2" src="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32545640" width="420" height="245" FlashVars="launch=37869094&width=420&height=245" allowscriptaccess="always" allowFullScreen="true" wmode="opaque" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"></embed></object><p style="font-size:11px; font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: #999; margin-top: 5px; background: transparent; text-align: center; width: 420px;">Visit msnbc.com for <a style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;" href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com">breaking news</a>, <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032507" style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;">world news</a>, and <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032072" style="text-decoration:none !important; border-bottom: 1px dotted #999 !important; font-weight:normal !important; height: 13px; color:#5799DB !important;">news about the economy</a></p><br /><br />Watch this clip please. Think about how the government interacts with the issues brought up in this piece.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-933627161378853077.post-62807001669112549852010-06-16T06:07:00.000-07:002010-06-16T06:11:29.571-07:00President Obama's Speech on the BP Oil Spill<object id='cspan-video-player' classid='clsid:d27cdb6eae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000' codebase='http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0' align='middle' height='500' width='410'><param name='allowScriptAccess' value='true'/><param name='movie' value='http://www.c-spanvideo.org/videoLibrary/assets/swf/CSPANPlayer.swf?pid=294074-3&start=0&end=1020'/><param name='quality' value='high'/><param name='bgcolor' value='#ffffff'/><param name='allowFullScreen' value='true'/><param name='flashvars' value='system=http://www.c-spanvideo.org/common/services/flashXml.php?programid=226273&style=full&start=0&end=1020'/><embed name='cspan-video-player' src='http://www.c-spanvideo.org/videoLibrary/assets/swf/CSPANPlayer.swf?pid=294074-3&start=0&end=1020' base='http://www.c-spanvideo.org/videoLibrary/assets/swf/' allowScriptAccess='always' bgcolor='#ffffff' quality='high' allowFullScreen='true' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' pluginspage='http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer' flashvars='system=http://www.c-spanvideo.org/common/services/flashXml.php?programid=226273&style=full&start=0&end=1020' align='middle' height='500' width='410'></embed></object><br />This is the President's first Oval Office address to the nation since taking the Oath of Office. Pay attention to what he identifies as his responsibilities and what he is going to do with the Constitutional powers he has.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com