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Video

Article II
Learning Objective: 7-1: Describe the historical role of the presidency.

Questions to consider:

1. What are the qualifications to be president laid out in Article II of the Constitution?
2. If the Electoral College ends up in a tie, how is the tie broken?
3. What constitutional justification does the president usually rely on when he takes actions that circumvent Congress’ power to declare war?
4. What are implied powers?
5. Describe the president’s role in the legislative process.
    

U.S. History: Terrorism, War, and Bush 43
Learning Objective: 7-1: Describe the historical role of the presidency.

U.S. History: Obama Nation
Learning Objective: 7-1: Describe the historical role of the presidency.

Questions to consider:

1. Has President Obama scaled back the unitary powers of the presidency put into place by his predecessor George W. Bush?
2. How did the financial crisis during the presidential election in 2008 affect President Obama’s first years in office?
3. What role did health care reform play in fostering animosity between President Obama and congressional Democrats and the Republicans in Congress?
    

60 Minutes: Bin Laden Raid
Learning Objective: 7-2: Discuss the modern presidency’s roles, powers, and challenges.

Questions to Consider:

1. Who gave the order for the Navy Seals to conduct the Bin Laden raid? Would the decision to move forward been harder or easier to make if it required more than one person to agree?
    

Obama Presses Case for Iran Nuclear Deal
Learning Objective: 7-2: Discuss the modern presidency’s roles, powers, and challenges.

Questions to consider:

1. What does President Obama hope to achieve by “going public” and describing the framework for his Iran nuclear deal to the American public?
    

Blaming Congress, Obama Readies Unilateral Action on Immigration
Learning Objective: 7-2: Discuss the modern presidency’s roles, powers, and challenges.

Questions to consider:

1. What argument does President Obama make regarding why he is taking unitary action on the issue of immigration?
2. What executive branch “tool” does President Obama rely on to conduct this unitary action?
    

Frontline: Cheney’s Law
Learning Objective: 7-2: Discuss the modern presidency’s roles, powers, and challenges.

Questions to consider:

1. What constitutional argument does the Bush’s Office of Legal Counsel present to justify unitary executive actions taken in the response to 9/11?
2. What are some of the unitary actions taken by President Bush discussed in the movie?
    

SNL Takes on Obama for Use of Executive Actions
Learning Objective: 7-3: Explain the dilemma of the president as a strategic actor.

The Colbert Report: Obama’s Executive Amnesty
Learning Objective: 7-3: Explain the dilemma of the president as a strategic actor.
 

Web Resources

Texas Leads Multistate Coalition in Lawsuit Over Obama Immigration Order
Learning Objective: 7-2: Discuss the modern presidency’s roles, powers, and challenges