WtP: Nevada State Standards and Representative Democracy in America

Mark led this section and directed us to paperwork showing the correlation between the We the People curriculum and the Nevada social studies standards. These are also available online.

Kit then presented on Representative Democracy in America.

Representative Democracy in America

This is one of the programs of the Center for Civic Education.

They run a back-to-school program intended to get legislators into classrooms. When they come, they will bring a variety of items:

• High School: Class set of Your Ideas Count, InTime Your Ideas Count, and the Representative Democracy in America video
• Middle School: Questions and answers about representative democracy, TFK (Time for Kids) Your Ideas Count, and a video
  
• Elementary School: Citizen Brain video and TFK (Time for Kids) Your Ideas Count
  

Kit then introduced us to the Center for Congress at Indiana University. The site is resource-rich for both students and teachers and includes many simulations for use in classrooms. Two simulations used and recommended by teachers at the Institute include:

• The Impact of Congress
• Federal Budget Allocation

Both are available from http://www.centeroncongress.org/learn_about/launcher.htm

We then viewed part of the Representative Democracy in America video and engaged in a lesson from p. 71 of the Representative Democracy in America video series instructional guide. In our group, we had to argue why the executive branch we should have more power. We came to these suggestions:

• Should happen because the executive branch is represented by every U.S. citizen and "The executive power shall be vested in the President of the U.S.A." (U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 1.1), we were chosen into this position because of our wisdom
  
• The President in office remains in office until the President is recalled or dies
• Suspend the writ of habeas corpus
• Enforce ex post facto laws
• Unanimous vote of Congress is needed to override a veto
• Congress cannot adjourn or recess until their agenda is complete
• Only the executive officer receives a paycheck
• We can change members the judicial branch at will
• Remove the idea of Advice and Consent of the Senate for any appointments or treaties

After having each branch present its ideas, Kit presented us with the question: "Did the Framers get it right?"