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Politics

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1. Government
2. Politics and Elections

Lesson Plans

1. Censorship and Propaganda During Wartime (British Library - Words Alive)
   Helps students explore different points of view regarding censorship and propaganda of newspapers during wartime. Note - British spelling of English words is sometimes different from American spelling. 2-02
2. Propaganda (Donn)
   Provides lessons and resources that show you how to look for hidden messages. Includes worksheets.
3. Propaganda - Analyzing the Use of Propaganda (New York Times - Hambouz and Khan)
   "In this lesson, students analyze the use of propaganda in the war against terrorism, focusing specifically on the attacks in Afghanistan, exploring the distinction between ideas spread to benefit a cause and those spread to damage an opposing cause." 2-02
4. Propaganda Sources (Donn)
   Provides three dozen sources of lessons on propaganda, media, and public opinion. Helps students look for hidden messages. 2-02

Lists

1. Contact Legislators (Votenet.com)
   Provides information on U.S. senators and representatives, committees, state legislators, governors, federal government officials, and judicial members. 6-01
2. Countries - Search Engines by Country (Search Engine Colossus)
   Provides search engines from within many countries in both the language of the country and English. 3-00
3. Leaders by Country (Peoplespot.com)
   Provides six sources of information on of leaders by country. leaders, rulers, Presidents, and Prime Ministers 9-00
4. Terrorism (Awesome Library)
   Provides sources of information on terrrorism, how to help children cope with television images on terrorism, and related topics. 9-01

Materials

1. Maps for Current Events (University of Minnesota)
   Provides maps of areas of the world that are in the news. 7-01
2. Voices of US Presidents (Michigan State University - Vincent Voice Library)
   Provides the voices of US Presidents, covering 100 years. 10-00

News

1. Afghanistan - Challenges of New Government (Christian Science Monitor - Prusher)
   Discusses some of the challenges of then new government in Afghanistan, such as a lack of infrastructure to distribute aid to those in greatest need. 12-01
2. Assisted Suicide Law in Oregon Upheld by Federal Judge (Bloomberg.com)
   "Oregon's assisted- suicide statute was upheld by a federal judge who ruled U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft overstepped his authority in attempting to block the nation's only law letting doctors help patients die." 4-02
3. Britain Mourns Princess Margaret (USAToday.com)
   The sister of the Queen of England has died of a stroke at the age of 71. "Friends and family remembered Margaret as a high-spirited royal who was also committed to charitable work." 2-02
4. Bush Imposes Tariffs on Foreign Steel to Protect U.S. Steel Companies (The Times - Watson, Fletcher, and Webster)
   The Times (of Britain) reports on the tariff and predicts strong retaliation from other countries. 3-02
5. Churches - States Adopting Laws Requiring Clergy to Report Abuses (Chicago Tribune - Keilman)
   Describes efforts by states to require clergy to report cases of child abuse to law enforcement. 4-02
6. Dalai Lama Peace Message on March 10 (Awesome Library)
   Provides a message for world peace from H.H. the Dalai Lama of Tibet, Nobel Peace Laureate. 3-02
7. EPA Enforcer Quits - Claims Administration Is Siding With Polluters (Philadelphia Inquirer - Borenstein)
   Describes the reason why the head of the Environmental Protection Agency's enforcement quit. "Eric Schaeffer, director of the EPA's Office of Regulatory Enforcement, said energy-industry lobbyists were helping to write proposals to weaken air-pollution regulations for older coal power plants. Enforcing those regulations was Schaeffer's job." 2-02
8. Editorial - Political Reform Bill Will Benefit Incumbents (Washington Times - Lambro)
   Provides an essay arguing that the finance reform bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives would benefit current members of the House and penalize new candidates. Argues that the new bill would also favor President Bush for the next Presidential election. 2-02
9. End of Yugoslavia (CBS News - Jacinto)
   Reports on the dissolution of Yugoslavia into the semi-independent states of Serbia and Montenegro. "The new country, consisting of two semi-independent states, will be renamed Serbia and Montenegro, Kostunica said after the signing ceremony. Both republics will share a defense and foreign policy, but will maintain separate economies, currencies and customs services for the time being." 3-02
10. Enron - Confidentiality of Advisory Meetings and the Constitution (U.S. House of Representatives)
    Argues that the Government Accounting Office (GAO), an arm of Congress, has the authority to request records from the White House regarding policy task forces in which lobbyists were allowed to participate. Part of Congress's oversight responsibility includes preventing the executive branch of government from allowing lobbyists too much influence over government policies. Vice President Chaney counters that '...I'm a constitutional officer. And the authority of the GAO does not extend in that case to my office.' The letter from members of Congress does not agree. It states that "Under 31 U.S.C. sec.712, GAO is an extension of Congress and has authority to investigate 'all matters related to ...the use of public money.' " Congress is investigating whether the White House allowed Enron lobbyists to shape national energy policy. Uses PDF format. 2-02
11. Enron - Executives Had Personal Motives for Deceiving Stockholders (International Herald Tribune - Eichenwald)
    "Enron paid its executives huge one-time bonuses last year as a reward for hitting a series of stock-price targets in 2000 - the very time, investigators now say, when those executives were improperly inflating the company's profits by as much as a billion dollars." 2-02
12. Enron - Government Accounting Office Sues the White House (CBS News)
    Describes Government Accounting Office's efforts to gain records from the White House for information related to the energy task force. This is the first time that the GAO has sued the White House to gain information from the executive branch of government. "The GAO has forced a showdown with the executive branch in disputes over gathering information just four other times in the past 21 years. In two of those instances, the incumbent administration supplied the information." The GAO operates on behalf of the U.S. Congress to ensure that the executive branch spends public funds properly. 2-02
13. Enron - Government Accounting Office Sues the White House (MSNBC - Curry)
    Describes the reason that the Government Accounting Office (GAO) is suing the White House for information related to the energy task force that Vice President Dick Cheney chairs. "The lawsuit will be the GAO’s first against part of the federal government to get documents it wants." The GAO operates on behalf of the U.S. Congress to ensure that the executive branch spends public funds properly. 2-02
14. Euro Dollar Introduced (Washington Post - Reid)
    Describes the switch to the Euro currency by 12 European countries. 1-02
15. Europeans Very Close According to DNA (Time Europe - Graff)
    Provides genetic support for the theory that Europeans are more related to each other than formerly believed. "The vast majority of Europeans, be they Italians or Swedes, whether they pride themselves on their aristocratic or their peasant origins, can trace their ancestry to just seven female lineages and as few as 10 male ones." 5-01
16. Finance Reform - New Methods of Lobbying (MSNBC - Isikoff)
    Suggests ways that lobbyists will operate after finance reform goes into effect. 2-02
17. Finance Reform Passed by the U.S. Senate (Los Angeles Times - Hook)
    "At a time when a polarized Congress has deadlocked over an array of issues, it has now accomplished what many thought impossible: voting to change the campaign finance rules that helped each of its members get elected." 3-02
18. Finance Reform Passed by the U.S. Senate (MSNBC)
    "By a 60-to-40 vote, the Senate gave its approval Wednesday to a bill that would impose the most extensive restrictions on campaign fund raising and political advocacy in the past 30 years." 3-02
19. Finance Reform Passes the U.S. House (Time.com - Waller)
    Describes new legislation that is designed to prevent corporations, associations, and other powerful groups from buying power in U.S. elections through contributions to political campaigns. 2-02
20. Jordanian Satire of Terrorist Bin Laden (Christian Science Monitor - Lynfeld)
    Describes a satire designed to make fun of bin Laden. Also notes that most Jordanians are more worried about American policies than they are about bin Laden. In Jordan, however, it is illegal to criticize the policies of the Royal Family and the Royal Family supports the USA. 12-01
21. Judge Pickering Rejected by Senate (Yahoo - Ferraro)
    "On three successive 10-9 votes, the Democratic-led panel refused to send to the full Senate for consideration the nomination of Charles Pickering, contending he could not be trusted on civil rights and has repeatedly put his own views above the law." 3-02
22. Legal News (FindLaw.com)
    Provides legal news related to current events. 12-00
23. Local Sources of National News (Associated Press)
    Provides sources of national news, by state and then source. 2-02
24. News Related to President Bush (Whitehouse)
    Provides news from the Whitehouse of the United States. 11-01
25. News Sources (Awesome Library)
    Provides sources of national and world news, by subject or country. 2-02
26. Nobel Peace Prize Laureates for 2001 (BBC News)
    Describes why the United Nations and its Secretary General, Kofi Annan, were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2001.
27. Nobel Peace Prize Winner Released from Arrest (CNN)
    Provides a timeline of Myanmar (Burma), ending with the release of Aung San Suu Kyi on May 6, 2002. 5-02
28. Pearl, Daniel (CNN - Cabell)
    Remembers Daniel Pearl, reporter for the Wallstreet Journal, who was killed while covering a story in Pakistan. His French wife, also a reporter, said ''We are two people who met and fell in love because we have the same ideal, and all my life and all his life and our life together is just a big effort to try to create dialogue between civilizations.' 2-02
29. Political Headline News (Yahoo)
    Provides headline news. 2-02
30. Queen Mother of England Dies at 101 (CBS News)
    The Mother of the Queen of England has died at the age of 101. 3-02
31. Senate Rejects Rules Requiring Better Mileage (Philadelphia Inquirer - Kuhnhenn)
    "A powerful alliance of carmakers and autoworkers yesterday crushed an environmentalist push to increase fuel-efficiency standards, as the Senate removed mileage requirements from a sweeping energy bill." 3-02
32. Taliban Leave - New Afghanistan Government to Begin (MSNBC)
    According to Karzai, the person chosen to lead an interim government in Afghanistan, "The Taliban rule is finished.” The Taliban have left Khandahar, the last remaining major city in Afghanistan that the Taliban controlled. 12-01
33. U.S. Government Bans Andersen Consulting Firm (BBC News)
    "Arthur Andersen, the US accountancy firm embroiled in the Enron bankruptcy scandal, has been banned from US government work after being indicted by a federal grand jury on the charge of obstruction of justice." 3-02
34. U.S. Supreme Court Rulings (Yahoo News)
    Provides the latest Supreme Court rulings. 11-01
35. USA Reconsiders Use of Nuclear Weapons (Los Angeles Times - Savage)
    "Responding to new threats since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Bush administration now wants to consider using nuclear weapons to respond to biological and chemical attacks, as well as nuclear strikes, on the U.S. or its allies." "Administration officials went out of their way Sunday to assert that military planners have not targeted any nation for a nuclear attack but rather are preparing for how to respond if others resort to weapons of mass destruction."
    
    "News of the Pentagon's planning was met with amazement and anger in foreign capitals, according to news reports."  3-02
    3-02
36. United States Back on the U.N. Human Rights Commission (USA Today)
    Reports that the United States has been voted back on the Commission after being voted off in 2001. 5-02

Papers

1. 2020 News (ABC)
   Provides the results of investigative studies. 8-00
2. Bloomberg, Michael R. - Biography (New York City)
   Provides a biography of the man who became Mayor of New York City in January of 2002. 1-02
3. Bush - Inaugural Speech, 2001 (PBS)
   Provides President George W. Bush's inauguration speech. 1-01
4. Bush and Europe - Cultural Differences (BBC - Roxburgh)
   Describes the areas of disagreement between President George W. Bush and European leaders. Areas include national defense, capital punishment, global warming, and more. (Uses British spelling of words, which is sometimes different from the United States.) 6-01
5. Bush, George Walker (POTUS)
   Provides facts and biographical articles. 1-01
6. Chao, Elaine L. (Heritage Foundation)
   Provides a short professional background on Elaine Chao, George W. Bush's Secretary of Labor. 1-01
7. China - Historical Events by Location (Time Asia)
   Provides a history of major Chinese movements or events, especially since the middle of the 20th century. 6-01
8. China - Jaing Zemin Profile (BBC News)
   Provides a biographical profile of the leader of China. 6-01
9. China - Recent Chinese History (Megastories.com)
   Provides a history of major Chinese movements, especially since the middle of the 20th century. 6-01
10. China and Amnesty International Report (BBC News)
    Summarizes an Amnesty International report that China has executed more people in a three month period than the rest of the countries of the world have executed in three years. 6-01
11. China's Relationship With the United States (PBS - Frontline)
    Discusses the delicate political and economic relationship between China and the USA, with a special emphasis on the role of Taiwan. The discussion is called "Dangerous Straits." 10-01
12. Count of Presidential Votes in Florida - What If (New York Times)
    Allows you to set the standard for the votes in Florida and then gives the results of the election based on those standards. Statistically, the election was a tie or inconclusive because of the small percent of difference in results. 11-01
13. Death Penalty (Michigan State University)
    Provides resource materials for examining pro and con arguments related to the death penalty. 1-01
14. Euro Dollar (Europa)
    Explains the new Euro currency that was adopted by 12 European countries in January 2002. 1-02
15. Euro Dollar (Guardian Unlimited)
    Provides pictures of the new Euro currency. 1-02
16. Euro Dollar Milestones (Europa)
    Provides key milestones of the Euro currency, starting in 1958. 1-02
17. Euro Dollar Milestones (Independent News)
    Provides key milestones of the Euro currency, starting in 1957. 1-02
18. Euro Dollar Milestones (Washington Post)
    Provides key milestones of the Euro currency, starting January of 1999. 1-02
19. Executive Privilege - A Short History (FindLaw.com - Dorf)
    Summarizes the few important events since George Washington in which Presidents declared that "executive privilege" required that they not disclose information. Executive privilege is a custom (not a law) that Congress and the courts have honored to ensure that the Executive Branch is not under the authority of Congress or the Judicial Branch, but rather is separate and equal. 2-02
20. Geneva Convention on Treatment of Prisoners of War (University of Minnesota)
    Provides the rules, adopted by most countries, for treatment of prisoners of war. Killing, torturing, starving, injuring, mistreating, or failing to provide medical assistance for, prisoners of war is a war crime. 11-01
21. Globalization Issues (About.com - Porter)
    Discusses the pros and cons of globalization and "Americanization." "Globalization will always have cheerleaders who are blind to the destruction globalization can cause. And it will always have strident opponents blind to the way globalization gives some people their first opportunity to fulfill basic aspirations."
     "As with most issues, the majority of people will be in the middle. They will see globalization not as something to worship or demonize. Instead, they will see it as something to mold, shape and manage for the betterment of everyone." 12-01
22. Hughes, Karen (Washington Post - Allen)
    Provides a profile of the counselor to President George W. Bush. "She is also the highest-ranking female aide to a modern president." Hughes resigned in April, 2002. 4-02
23. Leaders - Political Leaders in the News (ABC News)
    Provides a brief background on how each leader came into a position of power. Also provides quotes and a short biography.
24. Limits on Gun Records Proposed (CBS News)
    Describes a proposal by Attorney General John Ashcroft to limit the amount of time that quick check records can be kept to determine if a person is eligible to purchase a gun. The proposal would implement an action that Ashcroft proposed as a Senator to amend the Brady bill. (His amendment was defeated in the Senate.) Ashcroft also proposed procedures to make the instant background checks more complete. Provides statistics on the effects of the Brady bill. 6-01.
25. National Missile Defense (PBS NewsHour)
    Provides different perspectives on the USA missile defense strategies, including the ABM Treaty. 7-01
26. Public Opinion on Current Issues (Public Agenda Online)
    Provides results of surveys of public opinion on key issues related to health, education, and other current concerns. 9-00
27. Rumsfeld - Commission to Assess the Ballistic Missile Threat to the United States (Rumsfeld, et. al.)
    Provides a summary of the findings of a commission to determine the level of threat from ballistic missiles. 1-01
28. Rumsfeld as Secretary of Defense from 1975-1977 (DefenseLink.mil)
    Provides a summary of the style and direction of Rumsfeld's leadership as Secretary of Defense for President Ford. 1-01
29. Russia (U.S. Library of Congress)
    Provides a summary of key information on Russia, including politics, geography, education, religion, ethnic groups, crime, economy, history, and more. 7-01
30. Russia - Putin, Vladimir (BBC News - Mulvey)
    Provides a brief background on how the Prime Minister of Russia came into a position of power. (Also misspelled by visitors as Vlademir, Valademir, Valadamir, Vlademire, Vladamire, or Vladamir.)
31. Russia and the Future - A Survey of Russians (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace)
    Provides a summary of a survey of Russians to determine their views of the future of Russia. 7-01
32. Shadow Government for Emergencies (Seattle Times - Gellman and Schmidt)
    "President Bush has dispatched a shadow government of about 100 senior civilian managers to live and work secretly outside Washington, activating for the first time long-standing plans to ensure survival of federal rule after catastrophic attack on the nation's capital." 2-02
33. Sharon, Ariel (BBC News)
    Provides a political profile on the Prime Minister of Israel. 8-01
34. Taliban - How Taliban Criminals Gained Control of Afghanistan (MSNBC Newsweek - Bahari)
    Describes how Taliban criminals overthrew the legitimate government of Afghanistan. 10-01
35. UN Representatives to Afghanistan (BBC News)
    Provides a short profile and picture of Francesc Vendrell, responsible for gaining collaboration from different factions within Afghanistan to form a new, broad-based government. Also includes a picture of Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN's representative to gain cooperation among nations regarding Afghanistan's new government. 11-01
36. USA and China - Relationship Since the 1950's (CNN)
    Provides a short summary of each key event that changed the relationship between the USA and China since the 1950's. 5-01
37. Views of America from Europe (ABC News)
    Provides a summary of the changing views of Europeans toward the United States. 2-02
38. Who Owns What in the Media (Columbia Journalism Review)
    Provides a listing of companies owned by each of the largest media companies to show who controls what we see and how we see it. 6-01

Periodicals

1. International News (Foreign Wire.com)
   Provides international news stories for current events assignments.

Projects

1. Finance Reform - Your Way (PBS)
   Provides an opportunity for you to clarify you own position about how elections should be financed. 7-01