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National Government
Structure and operation of national government,
meaning and practice of democracy, power relationships, civil
rights and liberties, and American method of conducting elections.
Role of citizens and their choices.
Prerequisites: E, R
On Common Ground:
Framework for Democracy
Introduction to American Government
Framework for Democracy probes concepts that are basic to an introductory
course in American government. The course combines 26-half-hour
videos with text and online components to provide a comprehensive
and up-to-date treatment of core topics. Compelling interviews
and case studies on a range of issues, both historic and contemporary,
combine with the recognized textbook We the People (Patterson)
and customizable online content -- encouraging learners to think
about and debate the many questions and challenges confronting
our democracy.
Textbook: We the People with interactive CD-ROM & PowerWeb,
5th Edition by Patterson, Thomas E. 2004. ISBN# 0-07-293528-6
Study Guide: Framework for Democracy Study Guide, 2nd Edition
(Publisher lists Study guide as the 5th Edition), by Carleton,
Vile, & Eaton. 2004. ISBN# 0-07-293219-8
Produced by INTELECOM Intelligent Telecommunications
Twenty-six Lessons
1. American Heritage -- American politics today cannot
be understood apart from the nation's heritage. Government does
not begin over again with each generation; it builds on the past.
In the case of the United States, the most significant link between
past and present lies in the nation's founding ideals. This episode
examines the key principles that have shaped American politics
since the country's earliest years.
2. The American Experiment -- This narrative story of
the settlement and early days of the colonies culminates in the
fight for independence and the evolution of a constitutional framework
of government for the new United States. Comments of scholars
are interwoven with excerpts from writings of those who were on
the scene.
3. The Living Constitution -- A look at the Constitution
in contemporary terms reveals a short document-7,000 words long-shorter
than every state constitution except Vermont's. Only thirty-three
of the more than 11,000 amendments that have been proposed have
been approved by Congress and submitted to states. Twenty-seven
have been ratified. Nevertheless, the Constitution is an unfinished
work that has evolved through less formal methods of change-congressional
legislation, presidential actions, judicial review, custom and
use.
4. A Question of Sovereignty -- One national government;
fifty state governments; town, city, and county governments.international
visitors are often overwhelmed by the complexity of the U. S.
system of government. There are various ways of ordering relations
between central governments and local units. Federalism is one
of them. Understanding federalism and how it differs from other
forms of government is critical to understanding the American
political system.
5. The Most Basic of Rights -- Without government, people
live in a state of anarchy. With unbridled government, men and
women may live in a state of tyranny. The civil liberties imbedded
in the Bill of Rights place specific limitations on governmental
power. For example, the basic rights addressed in the first amendment-freedoms
of religion, speech, press, and assembly-cannot be abridged or
taken away. But the Bill of Rights, like the rest of the Constitution
is relatively brief. Broad guidelines are set forth in the language
of the Constitution, but it is the courts that apply this language
to specific situations.
5. The Rights of the Accused -- The United States has
one of the highest violent crime rates in the world. It is not
surprising, therefore, that many citizens have strong opinions
about the rights of the accused. When a person charged with a
crime is set free because of a legal "technicality,"
some people feel that the rights of the accused are being given
greater weight than the rights of society and victims of crime.
At the basis this discussion are the Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, and
Eighth Amendments of the Constitution-amendments that specifically
address the rights of criminal defendants.
7. The Struggle for Equality -- We hold these Truths to
be self-evident, that all Men are created equal. The struggle
for equality is never easy. When these words from the Declaration
were written in 1776, the term "men" did not include
slaves, Native Americans, men without property. or women. It has
taken this nation over two hundred years to strengthen and to
expand constitutional guarantees of equality to all persons in
our society.a struggle that still continues. In this program we
examine the rights of minorities and groups, and their struggle
for equal treatment in the United States.
8. Frames of Reference -- The United States is a country
marked by divergent political views. Political attitudes formed
early in life seldom change dramatically, however the basic framework
is etched and refined by life experiences. The Vietnam War in
the sixties, the Watergate scandal in the seventies, reaction
to the impeachment of President Clinton reflect the powerful role
public opinion plays in the politics of this country. In fact,
the scientific measurement of public opinion has become a permanent
fixture of the political scene.
9. Voice of the People -- Americans attach great significance
to the right to vote. But the privilege of voting, so basic to
democratic government, is a right that took many Americans centuries
to achieve. In comparison to many nations in the world, voter
participation in the United States is declining. Studies show
a relationship between voting and a person's age, education, and
economic status. In addition to voting, citizens participate in
the political process through community and campaign activities,
and by participating in social movements and protests.
10. Party Politics -- The patterns of party politics in
the United States provide a fascinating platform from which to
view American political history. Divergent interests, seeking
to strengthen their voice, join with others in creating a common
political agenda, often under the Republican or Democrat banner.
In recent years, as the two major parties have become more narrowly
defined, many political moderates feel they've lost their political
home. Third party ventures tend to work to only a limited degree
because of the electoral system. They can play a major role in
influencing the outcome of an election, as was apparent in the
2000 presidential election, but they seldom elect their candidates
to public office.
11. Campaign Trail -- Today, party organizations are alive
and well in America, but they are no longer the driving force
in contemporary campaigns. Much of what transpires is more accurately
described as candidate-centered politics in which office seekers
raise their own funds, form their own campaign organizations,
and choose the issues on which they will run. This episode looks
at organizing and financing campaigns through the eyes of candidates,
strategists, managers and critics.
12. Pressure Politics -- Alexis de Tocqueville observed
in 1834 that "no country of the world has the principles
of association been more successfully used or applied to a greater
multitude of objectives than in America." The degree to which
Americans form groups to solve civic problems and lobby for their
economic or political interests is unique among the nations of
the world. The structure of government, particularly at the local
level, invites public participation. The system has many points
of access or places in the decision-making process where interest
groups, including big business, may make their opinion known.
13. The Fourth Estate -- On a daily basis, more Americans
connect to politics through the news media than through the activities
of parties or groups. The press brings events and problems into
public view, serves as a channel through which political leaders
can address the public, and scrutinizes political behavior for
evidence of deceitful, careless, or corrupt acts. The increasing
tendency of the media to probe into all aspects of a politician's
life, private as well as public, has made many officials less
candid and forthcoming with the American public. However, the
press cannot do the job of political institutions, even though
increasingly it tries to do so.
14. The First Branch -- The founders of the American republic
believed that the bulk of power exercised by a national government
should be in the hands of the legislature. Article I of the Constitution
is both highly specific and vague about the powers Congress may
exercise. This episode follows three current and past members
of Congress through the election process and their early days
in office. It examines the differences between the ways the Senate
and House of Representatives operate, the every-ten-year redistricting
process, and the challenges congressional members face not only
in the halls of Congress but in maintaining close ties to their
home districts.
15. Government by Committee -- Most of the actual work
of legislating is performed by the committees and subcommittees
within Congress. This division of legislative labor has emerged
as a means of responding to the profusion of bills introduced
each congressional term. Such an approach also allows members
to gain expertise in particular aspects of governmental activity.
This episode explores the committee structure and formal leadership
of Congress, and various routes bills may take before being enacted
into law. Members of Congress talk candidly about factors that
influence their vote.
16. The Glorious Burden -- The writers of the Constitution
had a basic idea of what they wanted in a president: a national
leader who would carry out the law of the land, a statesman who
could negotiate with world powers, a commander-in-chief in times
of conflict. But they had no models to follow, and the vague words
they used to describe the position in in Article II, Section I,
of the Constitution left a lot of questions unanswered. This episode
explores the foundations of the modern presidency, and takes viewers
from the campaign for nomination to staffing the executive branch
of government. It features political observers as well as those
who have occupied positions of authority in recent administrations
17. Leader for the Nation -- The president operates within
a system of separate institutions that share power. Without congressional
authorization and funding, most presidential proposals are nothing
but ideas, empty of action. Theodore Roosevelt longed to "be
the president and Congress, too" if only for a day, so that
he would have the power to adopt as well as propose programs.
Whether a president's initiatives are likely to succeed or fail
depends on several factors, including the force of circumstance,
the stage of the president's term, the president's support in
Congress, and the level of public support for the president's
leadership.
18. The Federal Workplace -- Modern government would be
impossible without a bureaucracy. The government's enormous administrative
capacity makes it possible for the United States to have such
ambitious programs as social security, environmental protection,
interstate highways, and the postal service. In fact, it's the
only practical way of organizing large-scale government programs.
Yet the bureaucracy is also a problem. Even those who work in
federal agencies bemoan its rigidity and costliness. Today's civil
servants, governed by stringent rules and regulations, are encumbered
by regulatory impediments that would appall their private sector
counterparts.
19. The Power Imperative -- Although agencies are subject
to scrutiny by the president, Congress, and the judiciary, bureaucrats
are able to achieve power in their own right. They often develop
an "agency point of view" because of their expert knowledge,
support from clientele groups, and backing by Congress or the
president. This episode, featuring among others former Secretary
of Labor Robert Reich and former Secretary of State James Baker,
depicts the nature of the federal bureaucracy and the politics
that surrounds it.
20. The Rule of Nine -- The writers of the Constitution
were determined that the judiciary would be a separate branch
of the federal government but, for practical reasons, did not
spell out the full structure of the federal court system. Article
III establishes the Supreme Court of the United States, and then
grants Congress the authority to establish lower federal courts
of its choosing. Unlike the executive and legislative branches,
there are no age, residency, or citizenship qualifications for
federal judicial office, nor are top officials elected by the
people. Federal judges are nominated by the president, and if
confirmed by the U. S. Senate, appointed by the president to the
office.
21. Legal Precedent -- In recent years the judiciary has
become an increasingly powerful policymaking body. Although judicial
decisions are constrained by applicable constitutional law, statutory
law, and precedent, the courts have considerable discretion in
the way they interpret these laws, causing some people to question
the judiciary's proper role in a democracy. This episode probes
contemporary questions regarding the federal judiciary including
the debate surrounding originalism, textualism, judicial review,
and judicial activism.
22. Balancing Act -- When the Great Depression struck
in the 1930s, there were few programs in place to stabilize and
stimulate the U. S. economy. Businesses cut back on production,
investors fled the stock market, depositors withdrew their bank
savings, and consumers slowed their spending-responses that only
made the situation worse. This episode focuses on the economic
role of government: its promotion and regulation of economic interests,
its fiscal and monetary policies, the politics of economic decision
making, and the management of the public debt.
23. The Nation's Welfare -- Poverty is a large and persistent
problem in the United States, deeply affecting about one in seven
Americans, including many of the country's most vulnerable groups:
children, female "head of household" families, and minorities.
Just what government's role should be in alleviating this problem
is an intensely debated, partisan issue. Social welfare programs
are designed to reward and foster self reliance or, when this
is not possible, to provide benefits only to those individuals
who are truly in need. Public support tends to be higher for social
insurance programs, such as social security than for public assistance
programs such as TANF. Both education and training are needed
to move the working poor beyond mere survival.
24. Health of the Nation; Health of the Planet -- Despite
attempts to provide an equitable baseline of healthcare for Americans,
an estimated 44 million people in the United States do not have
health insurance, public or private. This episode looks at various
governmental attempts to insure a "healthy" America,
from the work of various research agencies and regulatory units
to specific governmental programs, like Medicare and Medicaid.
25. Global Politics -- In the world of the 21st century,
the basic tools of diplomacy are not far different than they were
at the country's inception. The primary goal of United States
foreign policy is the preservation of the American state. This
requires not only military readiness to protect the territorial
integrity and international interests of the United States, but
also global policies that foster economic growth and preserve
the nation's position in the international marketplace. This episode
takes a close look at the foreign policy of the United States
and shares the first-hand experiences of those who were involved
in its formulation.
26. Preserve, Protect, and Defend -- It was a sparkling
September morning in New York City. The familiar cacophony of
taxi horns and street vendors greeted commuters as they emerged
from the subway. No one anticipated that in a matter of moments
the city-the country-would be under attack. Since September 11,
2001, the protection and defense of the United States has occupied
center stage. This episode looks not only the nation's response
to the terrorist attacks, but also examines the defense and "peace
keeping" policy of the country in the post-Cold War period.
This page was last modified :
August 17, 2007
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