The New 50 States

Check out the following article and subsequent map of our new nation. Read the article, look at the map and then feel free to post your comments about the consequences of "redistricting our states". Keep your posting short - 1 key take away so as you can leave others their moments of brilliance.

Mr. Thompson

Electoral College

The home of the Electoral College. Anything you could want to know about the process and the history of this great American institution. On the left hand side you can access some historical electoral maps that show you how our states have voted over the years. Check out the 1984 election - the first time a woman was on the ticket for either president or vice-president. If you have questions about the process you can get them answered here.

KEY Parts to be included in your writing Monday!
Number of Electoral Votes, Number of Electoral Votes per State, Popular votes
Electoral Votes, Majority, Plurality , All, President, and Vice-President

Mr. Thompson

White House website

The White House website provides the browser a plethora of information about what the president is up to and what he has done. You can contact the White House (give it a try and let's see if you get a response). You can tour the White House virtually. Want email and text updates sent to you, you can sign up for those. Check to see if the president is visiting your neck of the woods. There is no reason a person has to go through life uninformed about what our chief executive and those who assist him are up to. Feel free to comment on your White House travels.

Mr. Thompson

Plum Book

When a president is elected, he is handed a Plum Book and wished well as he embarks on a journey to appoint great people to help him enforce the laws of the United States. Use the link to open the current Plum Book (it is updated every 4 years with a new administration). In fact in 2012 (the most recent edition) the Government Printing Office has made the Plum Book an app. The current edition has about 9 pages of Executive Office of the President positions, about 127 pages of positions within the 15 Cabinet Departments, and an additional 55 pages of Independent Agency and Government Corporation positions. On page V (near beginning) and on pages 203 and 205, there are some keys and charts explaining some of the codes and pay scales that accompany some of these jobs. Spend a little bit of time in the Plum Book and post your comments about what you found and what you think about your findings. Make sure your comments are unique. The last thing you want to do is sound similar to a classmate's comments. Assignment is worth 10 points and is due by the time you put your name on your executive test.

Enjoy,
Mr. Thompson

"What If" student generated list

 

What if no parents?

World-wide caste system?

Government controlled birth rate

No family values

Drugs wo consequences

No set relationships (free love)

Moral standardization

Conditioning BEFORE birth (modification of DNA)

Conditioning AFTER birth

No privacy/never alone (except sleep)

All babies out-vitro

One world-wide religion

Homogenous culture

One government – no wars

What if we valued community more than self?

There was complete social order?

Government had more control?

We were cloned

We lived in defined caste system?

Science has a limit – benefits of additional knowledge does not “help”

All desires fulfilled

More heavily conditioned --- or at least, differently than we are now. . .

No individual identity

A perfect drug

All belonged to each other

Monogamy was discouraged – “smut”

Repro was regulated

Always content

What if we valued community more than individualism?

What if we want security more than chaos?

Grade breakdown for Language

AP Language Quarter One

        Per 1      Per 2       Per 4            TOTALS

A      5              7              12             24  As      34%       

B      7              8              14             29 Bs       42%

C      5              7              2               14 Cs        20%

D      2                                               2 Ds         3%

F                                                         0 Fs

                                                            69 students

Gov Review

Link to the Google Doc

Monday November 11th

Unit 3 test on Congress

“CONGRESS”

50 multiple choice                  
Know your vocabulary
Organization of Congress (CHART)
Facts about Congress, House of Representatives and Senate
     Membership                          Qualifications
     Term of office                      Term limits
      Method of selection              Area they represent
     Party representation              Leadership ie. Speaker, majority leader etc.
     ie. Majority party in each house
Committees
   Types                                    Influence
   Purpose                                 Choosing committee members
   Actions
Congressional Powers - Be familiar with examples of the powers that are given to
   Congress, to  the House and to the Senate.
    Expressed/enumerated powers
    Implied powers (necessary and proper clause or elastic clause)
    Legislative powers- taxing and spending, foreign and domestic trade,
        foreign policy, etc.
   Non-legislative powers- choosing a president, impeachment and removal,
         confirmation, ratification, proposal of amendments.
   Power to investigate
   Legislative oversight
“How a Bill Becomes a Law”
   Know the entire process
   Introduction, assignment to committee, committee work, referral to entire house
   conference committee, presidential action, congressional override.
There will be some questions about our federal budget.
   Vocabulary - deficit, surplus, debt, mandatory expenses, discretionary expenses,
    revenue
   Know the biggest expenditures and revenue sources in the budget.
   Be familiar with recent trends when it comes to our gov’t’s spending, our deficits and 
    our debt.

So you want to be a Budget Hero?

Here is the link. Play the game and then post your comments. What were your goals? What were your successes? What were your failures?  Post your comments by noon, Nov. 8th. The assignment is worth 10 points...15 points will be awarded if you can delay the budget bust to 2113 (a century from now).

We need a budget hero! Let that person be you!
Mr. Thompson