CONGRESS> ***COMMUNICATOR UPDATE: September 2003***
- From: Gleason Sackmann <gleason@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: NetHappenings <nethappenings@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2003 09:14:23 -0500
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Net Happenings - From Educational CyberPlayGround
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From: Cindy Koeppel <ckoeppel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ckoeppel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 12:30:10 -0500
Subject: ***COMMUNICATOR UPDATE: September 2003***
COMMUNICATOR UPDATE: September 2003
Welcome to The Dirksen Congressional Center's "Communicator" - a
web-based e-newsletter providing educators with news and ideas to
enhance civic education and improve the understanding of Congress --
http://www.webcommunicator.org
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NEWS FROM THE DIRKSEN CENTER
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<<< Expansion of Congress for Kids >>>
The Dirksen Center's site for kids - Congress for Kids -
http://www.congressforkids.net - reached a point where it outgrew its
existing Web site for one simple reason - site feedback. That's right,
site feedback warranted an expansion. Thanks to everyone who
contributed comments to help improve our site!
The site provides our users with more detailed information and
activities, focusing exclusively on the federal government and
elections.
Instructional areas include:
* Independence (e.g., democracy, democracy vs. autocracy, the original
thirteen colonies, the Declaration of Independence, Articles of
Confederation)
* U.S. Constitution (e.g., delegates to the constitutional convention,
writing the Constitution, the Great Compromise, signing the
Constitution, ratifying the Constitution, Bill of Rights, powers of the
federal government, three branches of government, checks and balances,
the Amendments, women - right to vote)
* The Legislative Branch (e.g., House of Representatives, the Senate,
making laws, the veto)
* The Executive Branch (e.g., the president, the president's job, the
president's cabinet, the president and Congress, impeachment, the
president has fun)
* The Judicial Branch (e.g., Supreme Court, the justices, dealing with
segregation)
* Elections (e.g., election day, voting, election of the president,
candidates, political parties, the primary election, national
conventions, the campaign, polling places, the Electoral College, the
Electoral map, inaugurations)
Although the site is designed for students in grades fourth through high
school, other students, teachers, parents, and interested citizens may
use the site's functionality for free. And if you're up for the
challenge, we have uploaded 3 new introductory quizzes, too.
Take a peek! - http://www.congressforkids.net
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<<< The Vice President and Presidential Succession >>>
The vice-president is elected to take over the duties of the president
"in case of removal of the president from office, or of his death,
resignation or inability to discharge the powers and duties of the said
office." This transfer of executive power is one of the most notable
features of the American government.
The twenty-fifth amendment to the Constitution was a direct response to
the assassination of President John Kennedy in 1963 and provides for the
presidential succession of the vice president. Learn more about this
Amendment at: http://www.congresslink.org/amend.html
Teachers, have your students study a flowchart to help them understand
the process of electing the president and vice-president. You can even
apply the flowchart idea to another government process like how a bill
becomes a law. Find "Steps in Selecting a President" at:
http://www.congressforkids.net/games/Elections_eletionpres/2_electionofp
resident.htm
(If link is broken - Copy and Paste in the address line of your
browser.)
The Constitution does not clearly define the vice president's role and
this means that he has to rely on the president's guidance for his
duties. Find "Roles of the Vice President" and learn more about his
duties: http://www.aboutgovernment.org/vicepresidents.htm
When the vice-presidency becomes vacant, the president may nominate
someone to fill the office. Both houses of Congress, however, must
confirm the choice by majority votes. Find a complete list of vice
presidents of the United States including the acting president and party
and their service dates at: http://www.congresslink.org/sources/vps.html
In the event of the death of both the president and vice-president,
according to an Act passed in 1947, the Speaker of the House of
Representatives is first in line of succession to the presidency,
followed by the president pro tempore of the Senate. To learn more
about this Act, find "Presidential Succession Act of 1947" at:
http://www.aboutgovernment.org/presidents.htm
<<< Featured Grant-Funded Project >>>
This month our featured grant-funded project is a Congressional Research
Award of $3,500 granted to Casey Byrne Knudsen Dominguez from the
University of California at Berkeley. Casey's project, "Before the
Primary: Party Participation in Congressional Elections," investigates
party elites' motivations for supporting congressional primary
candidates. Its goals are (1) to explain variation in the roles party
insiders play in the pre-primary process and (2) to explain how the
electoral environment can affect the relationship between candidate and
party prior to nomination. Learn more about this project and others at:
http://www.dirksencenter.org/grantcongresearchaward.htm#Grntrecipient00
You know the presidents, but do you know their vice-presidents? See how
much you know, take the trivia quiz posted on Congress for Kids. Find
"U.S. Vice-Presidents" at:
http://www.congressforkids.net/games/Elections_eletionpres/2_electionofp
resident.htm
(If link is broken - Copy and Paste in the address line of your
browser.)
** Vice-President Verbatim **
1. True or False: Provided in the 25th Amendment, the president must
nominate a new vice-president who must be confirmed by a majority vote
of both houses of Congress. Under this procedure set out in the 25th
Amendment, Gerald Ford was the first vice-president appointed and
confirmed, and Nelson Rockefeller was the second.
2. When no vice-presidential candidate receives a majority of votes in
the Electoral College, then the Senate selects the winner, just as the
House does in the case where no presidential candidate has received a
majority. Who is the only vice-president to be selected in this fashion?
A) Richard M. Johnson
B) Aaron Burr
C) Elbridge Gerry
D) Martin Van Buren
3. John C. Calhoun was vice-president under both John Quincy Adams and
Andrew Jackson. Which of the following was also vice-president under
two different presidents?
A) Millard Fillmore
B) Thomas Hendricks
C) George Clinton
D) Daniel D. Tompkins
Answers to the August issue of "Fun, Facts, and Trivia" link here:
http://www.webcommunicator.org/funfactstrivia0803ans.htm
Happy fall! Encourage your colleagues to subscribe to the Communicator.
If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, contact Cindy Koeppel
at mailto:ckoeppel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Your feedback makes a difference!
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NOTICE REGARDING E-MAIL ADDRESSES: Communicator's mailing list has over
11,000 names and is still growing. Please follow the instructions below
to help us with list editing:
TO SUBSCRIBE to the Communicator, please follow these instructions: Send
an e-mail to mailto:ckoeppel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx with the phrase -
"subscribe Communicator" - in the body of the message. Your e-mail
address will be added to our mailing list.
If you experience any problem, send an e-mail to Cindy Koeppel at
mailto:ckoeppel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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