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 * //**Due 01/22**// ||  || Final paper on Obama inaugural address [|[full text here]]

The assignment is here: 2009Final.Inauguration.doc He gave you lots to work with!

//** PLEASE RETURN TEXTBOOKS TO MR. FARRINGTON **//

//** OPTIONAL EXTRA CREDIT ASSIGNMENT: **// 1) Go to the following links and examine these attempts to rank the Presidents.

[| C-Span Survey of Presidential Leadership] [| Federalist Society/ Wall Street Journal Survey on Presidents] [|Zogby Presidential Greatness Poll]

2) Write a 1.5 - 2 page summary in which you compare and contrast the rankings and the methodologies used. (Pay attention to who was surveyed, what their criteria were, etc.) //** ASSIGNMENT MUST BE EMAILED NO LATER THAN 10 PM ON SUNDAY ! **//

|| Your review should include specific details and a few brief quotations from the article. Inaugural.Civil.Religion.pdf ||
 * //**Due 01/15**// ||  || Read the article on American civil religion in presidential inaugurals and write a review of approximately 300-400 words in which you
 * identify the researcher’s initial question(s),
 * explain her methodology for gathering evidence,
 * summarize her findings, and
 * evaluate her conclusions.
 * //**Due 01/13**// ||  || Read the article "Values Extolled in U.S. Presidential Inaugural Addresses." Then carefully read FDR's 1933 inaugural address and find examples of any 3 of the values listed in Table 1 of the article. If you plan to submit this assignment for a grade, copy the specific quote(s) in the speech that correspond to each value. (Some values will show up in several places in the speech.) Finally, describe in a paragraph why FDR might have chosen to emphasize these particular values as opposed to others from the list.

NOTE: On the second paragraph of the next-to-last page of the inaugural address, there's a weird formatting error in the text. The paragraph should read this way:

"//If I read the temper of our people correctly, we now realize as we have never realized before our interdependence on each other; that we can not merely take but we must give as well; that if we are to go forward, we must move as a trained and loyal army willing to sacrifice for the good of a common discipline, because without such discipline no progress is made, no leadership becomes effective.//"

ValuesExtolled.pdf FDRInaugual.doc ||
 * //**Due 01/07**// ||  || Use the audio link to listen to the Maine House of Representatives debate on L.D. 1084, "An Act to Provide Adult Adoptees Access to Their Original Birth Certificates."

The audio starts midway through the debate; the motion being debated is whether to accept the "Ought Not to Pass" recommendation from the majority of the Judiciary Committee.

HouseDebate.06.18.2007.doc || [|The Obama Presidency: Wilsonian Idealist or Progressive Realist?] [|Obama, Foreign Policy Realist] || RealismIdealismSurvey.doc ||
 * //**Due 12/10**// ||  || Read the two articles linked below on Obama's foreign policy positions, and be prepared to discuss them in class. In particular, think about which foreign policy challenges are likely to be the "test cases" that will show Obama's guiding principles.
 * //**Due 12/08**// ||  || Complete the survey on foreign policy viewpoints.
 * //**Due 12/04**// ||  || Read "America the Conservative" by Jon Meacham, then
 * Summarize Meacham's basic argument
 * Describe several specific examples of the evidence he cites to support his argument
 * List at least 3 people he refers to with whom you are unfamiliar, look them up, and briefly explain who they are/were, and do the same for at least 2 additional unfamiliar references he makes (terms,titles, events, etc.)

Figuring out where people fit on the political spectrum seems to be one of the favorite uses of the internet. Here are some examples of online efforts to identify and classify your political views.
 * Extra credit**: Read "We're Heading Left Once Again" by Jonathan Alter and complete the first two bullets as above for this article. ||
 * //**In class 12/02**// ||  || **Where do you fit on the political spectrum?**
 * Step 1: Take this survey and print your results:**

[|Idealog] Asks your views on lots of issues. Be sure to do the tutorial first so you can establish your self-rating at the start.


 * Step 2: Choose __at least two__ from this list of tests, take them, and print your results.**

[|Party Matchmaking Test] Lines up your views with the paltforms of the major (and some minor) American political parties. [|Political Typology Test] Attaches a label to you based on your responses (for instance, "Liberal" or "Conservative.") [|World's Smallest Political Quiz] Brief but interesting. [|Moral Politics Test] Looks specifically at moral issues and how they affect your politics.


 * Step 3: Send me a detailed email in which you:**

a) Make some observations about your own political views based on the way you scored on these tests (Did you consistently end up in the same place? Did you score the way you thought you would?) b) Evaluate the tests themselves. (Which was most interesting? Most accurate? Most biased?) || [Review key terms on pages 73-91, class notes, reading quizzes] ||
 * **//DUE 11/25//** ||  || TEST on Bill of Rights
 * //**DUE 11/21**// ||  || No new assignment; we will finish reviewing for next Tuesday's Bill of Rights test and you will share the Supreme Court cases you selected last time. ||
 * //**DUE 11/19**// ||  || Select a Supreme Court case from the list on the [|Bill of Rights Institute] site. Do some background research on the case and prepare a case summary for class. Your summary should include:
 * the scenario that led to a legal case
 * the constitutional issue in dispute
 * the arguments made by both sides in the case
 * DO NOT include the court's decision in the case.

Some helpful websites for research: [|Cornell Law School] [|Oyez! Supreme Court site] ||
 * //**DUE 11/17**// ||  || Read textbook pages **83-91**. Reading quiz on vocab terms. ||
 * //**DUE 11/7**// ||  || 1) Copy and paste the following questions into an email with the subject "Election Reflection" and send it to Mr. Farrington.
 * Now that the presidential election is finished, what do you think was the key to Obama's victory?
 * What might McCain have done differently that might have won him more states?
 * In looking at the other elections and/or ballot questions, which result surprised you most? Why?
 * Having followed the election so intensely, what is your emotional reaction now that you've seen what happened?
 * Please offer some feedback on each of these class assignments regarding whether they were engaging and/or helped you learn more about the electoral process: 1) analyzing campaign ads 2) making a campaign ad 3) creating a candidate profile on five issues 4) running a mock election 5) predicting the electoral vote outcome.

2) Read textbook pages 73-83 and prepare for a reading quiz on the vocabulary terms. || //**11/03**// ||  || [|Ballot questions] ||
 * //**In class**//
 * //**DUE 10/29**// ||  || Use the "Ballot Questions" link in the left menu to read the 3 questions Maine voters will be deciding next week. Choose one and use the links provided to learn more about both sides of the argument. Then, write a letter to the editor of 150-175 words arguing for a "Yes" or "No" vote on one of the questions. Two sample letters to the editor are [|here]. ||
 * //**DUE 10/27**// ||  || Go to [|Real Clear Politics]and select & read two articles on the presidential election. For each story, 1) summarize the author's main point, and 2) list 2 questions the article raises for you. ||
 * **//DUE 10/24//** ||  || Add your assigned candidate's profile to the "'CANDIDATE GUIDE" wiki. Include their name, the office they are seeking, their political party, and a table briefly stating their positions on these issues:
 * Economic crisis/Jobs
 * Health Care
 * Taxes/Federal budget
 * War on Terror/Iraq
 * Social Issues ||
 * //**DUE 10/22**// ||  || Campaign ads due. ||
 * **//DUE 10/20//** ||  || Work on your 30-second campaign ad. All images, music, text (with appropriate citation) and narration should be ready so you can put everything into iMovie during class. ||
 * //**DUE 10/16**// ||  || Go to the collections of [|Bush / Kerry] and [|McCain / Obama] political ads. Choose one ad from each candidate's campaign, then list the title of the ad and describe what technique(s) it represents, citing details from the ad. A copy of the handout that describes the techniques is attached.

GuidetoCampaignAds.doc || 1) Cite 3 examples Carey uses to support his argument that presidential power has grown significantly beyond what the Founders intended. 2) Carey is pessimistic about the chances of presidential power being scaled back: why?
 * //**DUE 10/14**// ||  || Read George W. Carey's "The Problem of the Imperial Presidency," then respond in writing to the following:

ImperialPresidency.pdf ||
 * //**DUE 10/9**// ||  || Watch the presidential debate at 9 PM Tuesday then write a brief analysis of the //**substance**// (issues, proposals, etc.) and **style** (tone, repetitive slogans, etc.) of both candidates. Your analysis should be about a page in length.

[|Watch the debate online] || RolesOfThePresident.doc || FuelTaxBill.doc || CongressHW.doc || [|Quiz #1] [|Quiz #2] || media type="youtube" key="FLP_HGKq-jg?fs=1" height="385" width="480" || GovtQuotes.doc Aristotle.v.Warren.doc ||
 * **In class, 10/7** ||  || Presidential rankings - [|Federalist Society] [|C-Span] [|Zogby] ||
 * //**DUE 10/7**// ||  || Read textbook 302-314. **Reading quiz** on the vocab terms. ||
 * //**DUE 10/3**// ||  || Read "Roles of the President." You will have an activity in class in which you will be asked to apply the concepts to a specific scenario.
 * //**DUE 10/1**// ||  || Reply to the email regarding the Senate simulation. ||
 * //**DUE 9/29**// ||  || Write an opening statement on the gas tax bill (see attached doc) from the perspective of your assigned Senate profile. Your statement should be approximately 250-300 words and indicate to your colleagues your general thinking on the issue (aim for a tone that emphasizes the high principles you seek to uphold, not any self-interested motives you may have.) Each of you will read your statement at the start of class.
 * //**DUE 9/25**// ||  || Read pages 269-278 in the textbook. Compose a fictional short story (no more than 3 paragraphs) about a member of Congress. Your story must include at least 8 vocabulary terms from the reading. ||
 * //**DUE 9/23**// ||  || Download the Congress HW document and use the sources listed to find the basic information on the makeup of Congress.
 * < //**DUE 9/19**// ||  ||< Read the chapter excerpt on the Constitution. (Skip the table w/the list of amendments.) **Reading quiz** on Friday (plus a question from Wednesday's notes.) ||
 * < **//DUE 9/17//** ||  ||< Test your prior knowledge of the Constitution by taking these online quizzes:
 * < **//DUE 9/15//** ||  ||< Memorize the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution (top of p. 46 in the Constitution book.) You may find this helpful: [|The Preamble]
 * < **//DUE 9/11//** ||  ||< Read p. 4-8 in handout (textbook excerpt.) Prepare for reading quiz on these concepts:
 * minimalist state v. positive state
 * democracy (4 precepts)
 * constitutionalism ||
 * < //**DUE 9/9**// - ||  ||< Read excerpt from Locke's //Second Treatise// (p.14-18 in Constitution book) and complete the assignment sheet. [[image:http://www.wikispaces.com/i/mime/32/application/msword.png width="32" height="32"]] LockeHW.doc ||
 * < **//DUE 9/5 -//** ||  ||< **1)** Complete responses to 3 quotations. **2)** Read Aristotle and Warren and write 75-100 words on how their views of government differ.