The Logic of American Politics
Video and Multimedia
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What Is Gerrymandering?
Learning Objective: 6-2: Identify the factors that create advantages and disadvantages in congressional electoral politics.
What Is Congressional Dysfunction?
Learning Objective: 6-2: Identify the factors that create advantages and disadvantages in congressional electoral politics; 6-4: Explain six basic problems of legislative organization; 6-5: Relate the institutional structures in the House and Senate that help members overcome barriers to collective action.
America’s Most Gerrymandered Congressional Districts
Learning Objective: 6-2: Identify the factors that create advantages and disadvantages in congressional electoral politics.
Video
How a Bill Become a Law
Learning Objective: 6-1: Describe the requirements and powers of Congress and how the congressional electoral system works.
The Bicameral Congress
Learning Objective: 6-1: Describe the requirements and powers of Congress and how the congressional electoral system works.
Questions to consider:
- What are the historical reasons that the Founding fathers settled on a bicameral legislature?
- What are the practical reasons the Founding fathers settled on a bicameral legislature?
The Filibuster for Dummies
Learning Objective: 6-1: Describe the requirements and powers of Congress and how the congressional electoral system works.
What Are Lobbyists?
Learning Objective: 6-2: Identify the factors that create advantages and disadvantages in congressional electoral politics.
Questions to consider:
- Describe the important role that lobbyists play in the legislative process?
- Why is lobbying reform difficult to pass?
Year of the Woman in Congress? Not So Fast
Learning Objective: 6-3: Discuss the racial and ethnic makeup of Congress.
10 Richest Members of Congress for 2014
Learning Objective: 6-3: Discuss the racial and ethnic makeup of Congress.
Gerrymandered Districts
Learning Objective: 6-5: Relate the institutional structures in the House and Senate that help members overcome barriers to collective action; 6-6: Describe what influences public opinion about Congress and its performance.
Questions to consider:
- What does the statement “that’s not the voters choosing their representatives, that’s the representatives choosing their voters” refer to?
- Explain the redistricting technique called “scorpions in the bottle.”
- Why do partisan gerrymanders encourage ideological extremism?
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Takes on ALEC
Learning Objective: 6-5: Relate the institutional structures in the House and Senate that help members overcome barriers to collective action; 6-6: Describe what influences public opinion about Congress and its performances.
NBC News Taking the Hill: Inside Congress
Learning Objective: 6-5: Relate the institutional structures in the House and Senate that help members overcome barriers to collective action; 6-6: Describe what influences public opinion about Congress and its performances.
Web Resources
Demographics of the 114th Congress
Learning Objective: 6-3: Discuss the racial and ethnic makeup of Congress.
Confessions of a Congressman
Learning Objective: 6-6: Describe what influences public opinion about Congress and its performance.
Help! We’re Living in Hell and Don’t Know How to Get Out
Learning Objective: 6-6: Describe what influences public opinion about Congress and its performances.