SUSIE’S CURRENT EVENTS September 24, 2013 THE BASICS Topic Debt crisis: A government shutdown?
Term to Know •
Deadlock: a state, as in negotiations, in which progress halts, due especially to the intransigence of opposing forces; stalemate http://www.thefreedictonary.com/Political+deadlock
“Capitalism is the astounding belief that the mock wickedest of men will do the most wickedest of things for the greatest good of everyone.” – John Maynard Keynes http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2011/07/national-debt-ceiling-explained-in-one-graphic/
Articles “Shutdowns and debt limits: Making sense of the fiscal deadlines ahead” http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/19/20581426-shutdowns-and-debt-limits-making-sense-of-thefiscal-deadlines-ahead?lite
“Senate sees way forward on funding bill” http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/323447-senate-sees-a-way-forward-on-government-funding-bill
“Debt ceiling, government shutdown and Obamacare: PolitiFact roundup http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/09/post_132.html
“Strained relationships increase likelihood of fiscal calamity” http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/appropriations/323849-sour-relationships-increase-chance-offiscal-calamity
“House votes to finance government but defund health care law” http://articles.philly.com/2013-09-22/news/42274773_1_house-republicans-house-speaker-john-boehnergovernment-shutdown
Questions to Consider • How does the federal budget reflect the values of our democracy? http://www.heritage.org/constitution#!/articles/O/essagys/1/preamble
• What is the national debt? How is it related to other policy issues? • How does the atmosphere of disagreement about the Affordable Care Act affect the possibility of compromise about the budget? • How are the House of Representatives and the Senate designed to check each other’s powers? What is the process by which they work together? How is the principle of limited government expressed in the structure of the Congress? • How does the lack of trust relationship between the two political parties affect the possibility of a compromise about the budget? Why does a trust relationship matter between members of Congress and between Congress and the President? • How does the debt impact the United States domestically and in foreign policy?
THE EXTRAS Pre-teaching, Extensions & Further Reading •
Lesson Plan: “Budget fight in Congress could lead to government shutdown” http://www-tc.pbs.org/newshour/extra/teachers/lessonplans/us/jan-june11/gov_shutdown_0304_teachersguide.pdf
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“America’s first debt ceiling crisis” http://money.cnn.com/2013/09/06/news/economy/debt-ceiling-crisis/index.html
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Federal Debt Ceiling http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/n/national_debt_us/index.html
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Federal Budget 101 http://nationalpriorities.org/budget-basics/federal-budget-101/federal-budget-process/
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Three Branches of Government http://www.uen.org/general_learner/civics/government/three_branches.shtml
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What Every Student Should Know About Congress http://www.congresslink.org/print_expert_studentknow.htm
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US Debt Ceiling: Costs and Consequences http://www.cfr.org/budget-debt-and-deficits/us-debt-ceiling-costs-consequences/p24751
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How does our debt affect America’s foreign policy? http://pgpf.org/Email-Content/101512_foreign_policy_fiscal
What’s the connection? Constitution • Article 1, Section 1 – The Legislature • Article 1, Section 8, Clause 1: assigns the responsibility to pay the debts of the United States to the Congress http://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/articlei • “Full Faith and Credit” http://financial-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Full+Faith+and+Credit+Clause
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“Our National Debt ‘Shall Not be Questioned’ the Constitution says”
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Is Congress ready to abdicate its responsibility to the Supreme Court?
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/05/our-national-debt-shall-not-be-questioned-theconstitution-says/238269/ http://www.policymic.com/articles/64101/government-shutdown-2013-why-the-supreme-court-might-getinvolved
Oregon • “John Kitzhaber stumps for Sept. 30 special session on PERS, taxes”
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/09/john_kitzhaber_stumps_for_sept.html
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“White House threatens veto of bill to increase Oregon federal timber harvests” http://www.oregonlive.com/mapes/index.ssf/2013/09/white_house_threatens_veto_of.html
Syria Update! • “Syria to cast shadow over U.N. meeting amid Iran hopes”
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Security-Watch/terrorism-security/2013/0916/UN-Syria-chemical-weapons-reportWhat-will-it-say-video
• “Assad: Syria Committed to Destroy Chemical Weapons”
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/assad-syria-access-chemical-sites-20340948
Oregon State Social Science Standards/CCSS 8.17. Examine the development activities of political parties and interest groups and their affect on events, issues, and ideas. HS.27. Examine functions and process of United States government. HS.30. Analyze the roles and activities of political parties, interest groups and mass media and how they affect the beliefs and behaviors of local, state, and national constituencies. HS.31. Describe United States foreign policy and evaluate its impact on the United States and other countries. HS.33. Explain the role of government in various current events. 6-8.RH.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions. 9-10.RH.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text. 11-12.RH.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
NEW! We the People Lesson Connections Middle School, Level 2 • Unit 6, Lesson 28: What is the relationship of the United States to other nations in the world? High School, Level 3 • Unit 4, Lesson 22: How does Congress perform its function in the American Constitutional System? • Unit 4, Lesson 23: What is the role of the President in the American Constitutional System? • Unit 4, Lesson 25: What is the role of the Supreme Court in the American Constitutional System? • Unit 6, Lesson 36: How have American political ideas and the American Constitutional System influenced other nations? • Unit 6, Lesson 38: What are the challenges of the participation of the United States in world affairs?
