House of Representatives Session

Please watch the following video of The House of Representative November 17th Session. In the comment area below please write down some thoughts about the video. Be specific so I know you are definitely watching the video. It is 4 hours long so I suggest you skip and fast forward some parts instead of watching the whole 4 hours (I do not expect you to watch the whole thing)

Things to keep in mind:

How is is structured (a session)?
What are they discussing that day?
Is there anything unique or did you learn anything new in the video about the HOR?
Who is speaking? What are their names and titles?
How does HOR chamber in Capital Hill look (description)

http://houselive.gov/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=6590

Local Representative Part 2

Use the Clerk’s Web site (http://clerk.house.gov) and other online and offline
sources to research your  Representative’s  (from Yesterday's homework) background, political views, and floor activities.

 After researching their background, political views, and floor activities and writing them down- choose an issue that concerns you and research your Representatives’ views and floor history regarding your choice


Write down your findings in the comment area below. Your answers should be long and must be completed!

House of Representatives

Using the following link and typing in your zip then your whole address in the area provided on the page I would like you to:
1. Find the name of your Representative near your house
2. Tell me what political party he or she belongs to
3. Tell me the district that you live in PUT IT ALL IN THE COMMENT ARE BELOW! DO NOT EMAIL ME ANSWERS!



http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

NEW QUARTER

ALL HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE DONE ON THIS BLOG - NO EMAILS WILL BE ACCEPTED. YOU HAVE 3 DAYS FROM WHEN THE HOMEWORK IS POSTED TO COMPLETE IT! HOMEWORK #1 - PLEASE SEARCH GOOGLE FOR THE NEW COLORADO MARIJUANA LAW- LIST THE DETAILS OF THE LAW AND PLEASE EXPLAIN HOW THE FEDERAL LAW WILL AFFECT THE LAW....

Round 3 Debate!

Watch the Debate ROUND 3 Tonight and Comment in the area below! Also take the poll to the right! **** Also! Have Textbooks in Class tomorrow!!!

Presidental Debate Round 2

Tonight is the Night!!!!! Round 2 Obama vs Romney!!! You are responsible for watching the debate and commenting in the area below . .

Marbury v. Madison

Background Summary and Questions •

The President of the United States has the power to appoint judges to the federal courts. Usually, the President appoints individuals who are members of his political party or who share his ideas about politics.

In 1800, John Adams was President and supported the Federalist Party.  There was an election that year. Thomas Jefferson, who belonged to a political party called the Republican Party, got elected. There were many positions in the federal government that were empty.  Adams also worked on passing the Judiciary act of 1801, which created many more positions in the judicial branch.  Before he left office, President Adams tried to fill these positions with people who shared his ideas.
President Adams and Secretary of State, John Marshall worked around the clock to get all the pro-federalist officials appointed into office. In all, hundreds of officials were appointed at the end of John Adams’ term of presidency.  He asked his Secretary John Marshall, to deliver the paperwork to these people so they could start their new jobs. Marshall delivered most of the papers. He was in a hurry, so he left some of the papers for the new Secretary of State, James Madison, to deliver. When he came into office, President Thomas Jefferson told Madison not to deliver the papers to some of the people Adams had appointed.
One of the individuals who didn't receive his papers was William Marbury. He sued James Madison and tried to get the Supreme Court of the United States to issue a writ of mandamus. A writ is a court order that forces an official to do something. Marbury argued that a law passed by Congress (the Judiciary Act of 1789) gave the Supreme Court of the United States the power to issue this writ. If the Court issued the writ, Madison would have to deliver the papers. Then Marbury would become a justice of the peace.
The Supreme Court of the United States had to decide the case. The new Chief Justice of the United States was John Marshall. He was the same person who had been unable to deliver the paperwork in the first place!

Questions to Answer in Blog Below:

1. Why would the President appoint people who are members of his same political party?
    
2. Why do you think Thomas Jefferson did not want the people Adams appointed to get their jobs?
    
3. Who is Chief Justice John Marshall likely to agree with? Why?
    
4. When the Supreme Court of the United States makes a decision, how do they get people to obey it? In other words, who enforces it? If the Court issued a writ to force Madison, a member of the executive branch, to deliver the commission to Marbury, who would enforce it?
    
5. How would Chief Justice Marshall and the other members of the Court look to the public if they made a decision and people refused to obey it?
    
6. According to Article 3, Section 2, Clause 2 of the Constitution, does the Supreme Court of the United States have original jurisdiction to issue writs of mandamus?
    
7. If Congress passes a law that conflicts with the Constitution, which one are we required to follow: the new law or the U.S. Constitution?