Happy New Year! Jacobson is out sick today, but nevertheless we're gonna be good to go today. Also, today is the day that the new Congress is sworn in!
After taking some time to discuss the starter, work your way through the page to get everything you need for today and to get all your assignments ready to go.
Class Notes for the Day:
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Starter: Which three states have never had a female representative in the House or the Senate?
1.How accurate was your prediction?
2.How surprised are you by this information?
3.How did your own state and district do in regards to female representation?
4.What story does the map tell?
5.Do you notice any big geographical patterns in the map?
6.Explain whether this is a happy map or a sad map.
7.Why do you think these three states have never had any representation?
8.What is one consequence of never having elected a female for these three states?
9.Vermont and Mississippi are about as politically and culturally different as any two states could be. Why do you think they both agree on not having female representatives?
10.It's been said that the gender of the politician isn't important, what matters are the policies they fight for. Explain whether you think this statement is true.
11.If the gender diversity of Congress is increasing so rapidly, why do you think the current administration's cabinet is the least diverse in the past 30 years?
12.How is there a female representative in Congress in 1917, prior to the 19th Amendment?
13.What is one policy that you think would change if the gender of the US congress more accurately reflected the population?
14.Why do you think Americans are reluctant to vote for women?
15.When women run for office, they tend to win. Why do you think that is?
16.In terms of gender parity, how do you think the US Congress compares to other countries around the world?
17.Of the 20 women in the senate, 14 are Democrats, 6 are Republican. Of the 88 women in the House, 65 are Democrats, and 23 are Republican. Why do you think there is a party gender disparity?
18.Are you represented in either the Senate or the House by a woman?
Word of the Day
FLOOR (use definitions 5c AND 5d)
- Define it
- Provide an example of it
- Would it be easier to accomplish work on the floor of Congress or in a committee?
Powers of the House and the Senate
At this point I would like you to take some notes on the differences between the House of Representatives and the Senate.
- Use the slideshow posted toward the top of the page to organize your notes.
- Then take a look at the more detailed notes to fill in any blank spots, but if there isn't a section for it on the slideshow you don't need to worry about it.
- After you have finished taking notes, reflect on and respond to the prompt below. Please answer all parts of the question.
Response: Describe one power unique to House and one power unique to the Senate. Why was each given that power?
- Make a claim here!
- Support your claim with TWO pieces of accurate and relevant information.
- Use reasoning to explain why your evidence supports your claim.
- Respond to an opposing or alternative perspective.
Hey There! SenJohnMcCain is Using Twitter
The following article is a collection of tweets from late Senator John McCain about earmarks and "pork barrel projects." Earmarks are funding in congressional legislation set aside for a particular purpose, like $40 billion to go to college tuition assistance in the form of Pell grants. Often, these earmarks are called "pork" because they fatten up, or waste, the budget on minor things just benefitting a handful of people but paid for by all taxpayers, like $190 K for the Buffalo Bill center in Cody, Wyoming (which you helped pay for).
Sorry that the article copied sideways, but you can fix that by rotating the view counterclockwise. The article is located below, please submit your response to the tray on the side of the room.
Sorry that the article copied sideways, but you can fix that by rotating the view counterclockwise. The article is located below, please submit your response to the tray on the side of the room.
Click here for the article.
In a typed response no greater than ONE page, respond in a paragraph (3 total) to each of the following:
In a typed response no greater than ONE page, respond in a paragraph (3 total) to each of the following:
- Describe the author's claim(s), perspective, evidence, and reasoning.
- Explain how the author's argument relates to Congress or congressional elections.
- Explain how the implications of the author's argument may affect the lawmaking process or how people view their government.