The President's Powers
Grade level: 8-12
Overview: Students will examine the presidency of the United States and its powers and privileges by researching four important and controversial issues concerning presidents in the 20th century. The lesson includes investigations into the FDR court-packing incident, the War Powers Resolution of 1973, Nixon's withholding of the Watergate tapes, and the invoking of Executive Privilege in the Whitewater and Lewinsky incidents during the Clinton administration. Students will be asked to write a thoughtful essay explaining how much power they think the president should be allowed and whether he should be given special privileges and immunities that the general public does not receive.
Objectives: The students will
- Explain the system of checks and balances of the federal government.
- Review Article II of the Constitution.
- Use the Internet to research four controversial issues and incidents in the presidency.
- Determine whether these four issues involve privileges that the Constitution specifically gives to the president and state whether they think the president should have these privileges.
- Explain what they think the scope of presidential power should be.
Warm Up Activity (Anticipatory Set): Creating a Diagram of the Checks and Balances System
A) Display the following web page using a large screen computer, liquid crystal display (LCD) projector, or by printing the page and making copies or placing the content on an overhead transparency.
Checks and Balances: http://longman.awl.com/polisci/resources/images/edv02.gif
B) Have students develop their own original diagram of the checks and balances system.
C) When students have completed their diagrams, choose individuals to explain their diagrams. Take exemplary or imaginative samples and display them in the classroom.
D) Alternate: Have students develop their diagrams using basic image editing software on most PCs. Post the best student products to the school web site if one exists.
E) Have students discuss the reasons why the system of checks and balances was considered so vital to the Constitution of the new nation. Ask them to think about what this country might be like if there were only one branch of the government. Then ask them to discuss whether they think there could be improvements made on the current system of checks and balances, based on their own knowledge of how the government works.
Main Activity (Instructional Input): Student Worksheet On the Presidency
Distribute worksheets to students. If possible allow students to work in cooperative groups of three or fours students.
Wrap-Up Activity (Closure): Writing an Editorial
A) Have students research an aspect of the current presidential administration.
B) Inform students they will write an editorial (an opinion-based essay) that they will send to the editors of local newspapers or that can be e-mailed to magazine editors.
C) Allow students to write their editorials using formal five-paragraph essay format. Students should be encouraged to use computers or word processors to refine their work.
D) Print and send the editorials to the editorial staff of the local newspaper. Also, if the school has a web site, post the editorials on the site (using proper on-line safety precautions and school district student publishing guidelines), or have them published in the school newspaper.
E) Keep a log or journal of responses generated by the publishing of the editorials.
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