Committee on Homeland Security

Objective today is to begin work on your bill. The preliminary research that you will be doing will be presented in your committees. To get a better understanding of what committees do go to
Domestic Terrorism Hearings Opens with Contrasting Views on Dangers
Post a comment that demonstrates your understanding of what the purpose of the committee is and then give your opinion of its hearings.

Universal Health Care

After viewing the movie Sicko we have seen a strong argument for universal health care. Now we will research arguments against the idea of government run health care. Read
Reality check: Canada's government health care system
Read The Ugly Truth About Canadian Health Care
View John Stossel' Sick in America: Whose body is it anyway part 3/6 and 3/4
Create a list of 7 rebuttals or arguments against government run health care

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

After the movie SICKO was made the debate about health care in America kicked into high gear prompting President Obama and the democratic lead congress to pass two health care reform bills in 2010. Research the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. Find the following information.

1. When did it pass?
2. What was the tally of the voting? House? Senate?
3. Describe the overall act?
4. List 5 specific provisions in the act? Provisions that you understand and can explain.
5. Explain the nature of the legal challenges that have been made about the laws constitutionality.
6. Give your opinions of the law.

Lobbyist

Today's lesson focus is on interest groups or lobby groups. By the end of class you will know what they are, how they operated and be able to identify the particulars of their influence.
Go to www.opensecrets.org
click on lobbying on the left hand side of the page.Read
click on ranked sectors. Read and look at all the different sectors. Click around.
click on top spenders. read and look around.
post a one paragraph comment on the blog explaining one specific interest group and their influence/ interest

Pres Obama and the Use of Drones

Objective: to examine and compare Pres Bush's and Pres Obama's tactics in the war on terror.
Read Inside the Killing Machine
Respond to the following:
1. Summarize the article into 1-2 paragraphs
2. comment on the following
- Do you think President Obama's actions are legal? Why or why not?
- Why do you think President Obama uses the Predator strikes a lot more than President Bush?
- In the article the "lethal operation" decisions made by the President and Mr. Rizzo are described as morally complex. Describe how you would handled the moral complexities of the decision if you were in Mr. Rizzo's shoes

Enumerated powers

1. Define - enumerated in the context of the constitution enumerated the powers of congress.
Debates have raged for 200 years about states rights vs federal authority. Find two current event articles that center around states rights vs. federal rights.
2. Read the article
3. cite the name of the publication and the date and author of the article
4. In 1-2 paragraphs explain
a. the nature of the issue (ie health care , gay marriage, abortion etc)
b. the nature of the states vs. federal debate
c. end the writing with a 1-2 sentence commentary of your opinions.

Do all of this in a word document and put it into the senior seminar folder

current events homework

Read Cash Strapped States Facing Budget Crisis Summarize and comment according to regular homework format