Intro to Civil Liberties 📜

🎯 Learning Targets

• Explain how the Constitution protects individual liberties and rights
• Describe the rights protected in the Bill of Rights

⏰ What We Did

• Examine a brief overview of Unit 3
• Take notes on the Bill of Rights, including each specific amendment, the definition of civil liberties, and how the Bill of Rights is interpreted

⚙️ Resources

• 3.1 Intro to Civil Liberties, First Amendment: Freedom of Religion, Engel v. Vitale, Wisconsin v. Yoder

Unit 2 Personal Progress Check: MCQs ⚫️

🎯 Learning Targets

• Assess comprehension of Unit 2: Interactions Among Branches of Government

⏰ What We Did

• Complete a 28-question MCQ covering Unit 2

Unit 2 Big Ideas Review ♻️

🎯 Learning Targets

• Review concepts of Unit 2, Interactions Among Branches of Government

⏰ What We Did

• Reviewed the Big Ideas of Unit 2 in preparation for tomorrow's MCQ portion of the Personal Progress Check

Holding the Bureaucracy Accountable; Achieving Administration Goals 🔎

🎯 Learning Targets

• Explain how Congress uses its oversight power in its relationship with the executive branch
• Explain how the president ensures that executive branch agencies and departments carry out their responsibilities in concern with the goals of the administration
• Explain the extent to which governmental branches can hold the bureaucracy accountable given the competing interests of Congress, the president, and the federal courts

⏰ What We Did

• Collected "Bureaucracy Superheroes" projects from before Spring Break
• Took notes on congressional oversight of the bureaucracy, executive authorization, and ideological influences shaping how the bureaucracy carries out the administration's goals, in addition to examining the challenges of compliance monitoring and the system of checks and balances that constrain bureaucratic power

⚙️ Resources

• 2.15 Holding the Bureaucracy Accountable, Achieving Administration Goals

Spring Break — No School 🏖

Clintondale High School is currently on Spring Break. Classes will resume on Monday, March 31, 2025, at 7:35 A.M.

Have a fun and relaxing time away, Dragons!

Bureaucracy Superhero 🦸🏼‍♀️

🎯 Learning Targets

• Explain how the bureaucracy carries out the responsibilities of the federal government
• Explain how the federal bureaucracy uses delegated discretionary authority for rule making and implementation

⏰ What We Did

• Continue creating a superhero character representing one executive agency, office, or bureau (NOTE: Due on M 31 March 2025)

Bureaucracy Superhero 🦸🏼‍♂️

🎯 Learning Targets

• Explain how the bureaucracy carries out the responsibilities of the federal government
• Explain how the federal bureaucracy uses delegated discretionary authority for rule making and implementation

⏰ What We Did

• Begin creating a superhero character representing one executive agency, office, or bureau

⚙️ Resources

• Bureaucracy Superhero (Presentation)
• Bureaucracy Superhero (Directions/Research Record)
• Bureaucracy List & Sign-Up
• Superhero Drawing Templates
• Bureaucracy Superhero Examples

The Bureaucracy, Discretionary and Rule-Making Authority 🔖

🎯 Learning Targets

• Explain how the bureaucracy carries out the responsibilities of the federal government
• Explain how the federal bureaucracy uses delegated discretionary authority for rule making and implementation

⏰ What We Did

• Took notes on the constitutional authority of the bureaucracy, its functions and responsibilities, the concept of iron triangles and their role, key reforms aimed at improving the bureaucracy, and its organizational structure
• Examined the bureaucratic regulations of pizza delivery
• Define types of bureaucracies and identify that-which-doesn't-belong

⚙️ Resources

• 2.14 The Bureaucracy, Discretionary and Rule-Making Authority
• Bureaucracy of Pizza
• The Federal Bureaucracy

Checks on the Judicial Branch ✅

🎯 Learning Targets

• Explain how the exercise of judicial review in conjunction with life tenure can lead to debate about the legitimacy of the Supreme Court’s power
• Explain how other branches in the government can limit the Supreme Court’s power

⏰ What We Did

• Wrapped up last week's notes on 2.12 Marbury v. Madison, Legitimacy of the Judicial Branch
• Took notes on the constitutional restrictions placed on the Supreme Court and the Court's decision-making process, using the 16th Amendment as a case study
• Use notes from previous sections of Unit 2, answer the following questions as thoroughly as possible:

1. Which branch of government is the most powerful? Why?
2. Are there really checks and balances when one political party controls all three branches of government? Why or why not?
3. In what ways has the evolution of government powers affected Americans and their daily lives?

⚙️ Resources

• 2.13 Checks on the Judicial Branch

Judicial Restraint vs. Judicial Activism 📇

Today is St. Patrick's Day 🍀

🎯 Learning Targets

• Explain how the exercise of judicial review in conjunction with life tenure can lead to debate about the legitimacy of the Supreme Court’s power

⏰ What We Did

• Completed a cardsort from a provided text on the application of stare decisis and the debate between judicial activism and judicial restraint

⚙️ Resources

• Judicial Activism vs. Judicial Restraint (Text)
• Judicial Activism and Judicial Restraint (Assignment)

Ideological Change of the Supreme Court 🧑‍⚖️

🎯 Learning Targets

• Explain how the exercise of judicial review in conjunction with life tenure can lead to debate about the legitimacy of the Supreme Court’s power

⏰ What We Did

• Took notes on the ideological changes of the Supreme Court and how presidents have influenced the federal judiciary
• Finished yesterday's review of stare decisis and preview of ideological change of the Supreme Court

Stare Decisis and the Ideological Change of the Supreme Court 🧑‍⚖️

Half-Day Due to Parent-Teacher Conferences 🐲

🎯 Learning Targets

• Explain how the exercise of judicial review in conjunction with life tenure can lead to debate about the legitimacy of the Supreme Court’s power

⏰ What We Did

• Reviewed stare decisis and previewed ideological change of the Supreme Court

⚙️ Resources

• Stare Decisis and the Ideological Change of the Supreme Court
• Stare Decisis and Precedent in the Supreme Court (Khan Academy)
• Supreme Court Justices Get More Liberal As They Get Older (FiveThirtyEight)
• John Roberts Will Probably Be The Supreme Court’s Next Swing Justice (FiveThirtyEight)

Stare Decisis and Precedent 🧑‍⚖️

Late Start Day 🕣

🎯 Learning Targets

• Explain how the exercise of judicial review in conjunction with life tenure can lead to debate about the legitimacy of the Supreme Court’s power

⏰ What We Did

• Took notes on the differing forms of Supreme Court opinions and the principle of stare decisis and precedent

Marbury v. Madison (1803) 🏛

🎯 Learning Targets

• Explain the principle of judicial review and how it checks the power of other institutions and state governments

⏰ What We Did

• Discussed the facts of Marbury v. Madison, regarding the establishment of judicial review
• Add Marbury to the Landmark Supreme Court case graphic organizer

⚙️ Resources

• 2.12 Marbury v. Madison; Legitimacy of the Judicial Branch
• Marbury v. Madison Case Summary

The Judicial Branch 🏛Article III of the Constitution 📜Federalist No. 78 🪶

🎯 Learning Targets

• Explain the principle of judicial review and how it checks the power of other institutions and state governments

⏰ What We Did

• Took notes on the organization of the judicial branch and the justification of having a federal court system written into the Constitution

⚙️ Resources

• 2.11 The Judicial Branch; Article III of the Constitution; Federalist No. 78
• Federal and State Court Systems

State of the Union 2025 Bingo 🗣

🎯 Learning Targets

• Explain how communication technology has changed the president's relationship with the national constituency and the other branches

⏰ What We Did

• Watched a recorded broadcast of the 2025 presidential address to a joint session of Congress and played policy/buzzword bingo for Fun and Exciting Prizes™️

⚙️ Resources

• President Trump Full Speech to Joint Session of Congress (C-SPAN)

YMTR: Washington's Farewell Address 🪶Presidential Communication 🤳

🎯 Learning Targets

• Explain how communication technology has changed the president's relationship with the national constituency and the other branches

⏰ What We Did

• Answered Mr. Carpenter's ten yes/no questions regarding Washington's Farewell Address
• Took notes on the methods by which presidents have shared their message to the American people and with the other branches of government

⚙️ Resources

• 2.10 Presidential Communication

YMTR: Washington's Farewell Address 🪶

🎯 Learning Targets

• Explain how presidents have interpreted and justified their use of formal and informal powers

⏰ What We Did

• Read the warnings George Washington gave to both his successors and the public following his second term as president
• Developed ten yes/no questions related to Washington's Farewell Address (NOTE: Ten teacher-developed yes/no questions will be provided to answer at the beginning of class tomorrow)

⚙️ Resources

• You-Make-The-Read: Washington's Farewell Address, In Modern English

Expansion of Presidential Powers ↔️Federalist No. 70 🪶

🎯 Learning Targets

• Explain how presidents have interpreted and justified their use of formal and informal powers

⏰ What We Did

• Took notes on the development of a unitary executive, the qualifications and term of office of the president, and how the presidency has changed from the role envisioned by the Framers

⚙️ Resources

• 2.9 Expansion of Presidential Power; Federalist No. 70

Checks on the Presidency ✅

🎯 Learning Targets

• Explain how the president’s agenda can create tension and frequent confrontations with Congress

⏰ What We Did

• Took notes on the organization of the Executive Branch, the president's ability to make judicial nominations, and the conflicts that can develop between the president and Congress

⚙️ Resources

• 2.8 Checks on the Presidency

Powers of the President 💪

🎯 Learning Targets

• The presidency has been enhanced beyond the expressed constitutional powers

⏰ What We Did

• Continued the notes from Tuesday on the president's use of the veto for legislation and signing statements, the president's formal and informal powers in making foreign policy, the president and Congress, and the use -- and purpose -- of executive orders