Welcome to The Dirksen Congressional Center's Communicator - a web-based e-newsletter providing educators with news and ideas to enhance civic education and improve the understanding of Congress -- http://www.webcommunicator.org

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NEWS FROM THE DIRKSEN CENTER
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Expansion of Congress for Kids

The Dirksen Center's site for kids - Congress for Kids - http://www.congressforkids.net - reached a point where it outgrew its existing Web site for one simple reason - site feedback. That's right, site feedback warranted an expansion. Thanks to everyone who contributed comments to help improve our site!

The site provides our users with more detailed information and activities, focusing exclusively on the federal government and elections.

Instructional areas include:

• Independence (e.g., democracy, democracy vs. autocracy, the original thirteen colonies, the Declaration of Independence, Articles of
  Confederation)
  
  
• U.S. Constitution (e.g., delegates to the constitutional convention, writing the Constitution, the Great Compromise, signing the Constitution, ratifying the Constitution, Bill of Rights, powers of the federal government, three branches of government, checks and balances, the Amendments, women - right to vote)
  
  
• The Legislative Branch (e.g., House of Representatives, the Senate, making laws, the veto)
  
  
• The Executive Branch (e.g., the president, the president's job, the president's cabinet, the president and Congress, impeachment, the president has fun)
  
  
• The Judicial Branch (e.g., Supreme Court, the justices, dealing with
  segregation)
  
  
• Elections (e.g., election day, voting, election of the president, candidates, political parties, the primary election, national conventions, the campaign, polling places, the Electoral College, the Electoral map, inaugurations)

Although the site is designed for students in grades fourth through high school, other students, teachers, parents, and interested citizens may use the site's functionality for free. And if you're up for the challenge, we have uploaded 3 new introductory quizzes, too.

Take a peek! - http://www.congressforkids.net

The Vice President and Presidential Succession

The vice-president is elected to take over the duties of the president "in case of removal of the president from office, or of his death, resignation or inability to discharge the powers and duties of the said office." This transfer of executive power is one of the most notable features of the American government.

The twenty-fifth amendment to the Constitution was a direct response to the assassination of President John Kennedy in 1963 and provides for the presidential succession of the vice president. Learn more about this Amendment at: http://www.congresslink.org/amend.html

Teachers, have your students study a flowchart to help them understand the process of electing the president and vice-president. You can even apply the flowchart idea to another government process like how a bill becomes a law. Find Steps in Selecting a President at: http://www.congressforkids.net/games/Elections_eletionpres/2_electionofpresident.htm

(If link is broken - Copy and Paste in the address line of your browser.)

The Constitution does not clearly define the vice president's role and this means that he has to rely on the president's guidance for his duties. Find Roles of the Vice President and learn more about his duties: http://www.aboutgovernment.org/vicepresidents.htm

When the vice-presidency becomes vacant, the president may nominate someone to fill the office. Both houses of Congress, however, must confirm the choice by majority votes. Find a complete list of vice presidents of the United States including the acting president and party and their service dates at: http://www.congresslink.org/sources/vps.html

In the event of the death of both the president and vice-president, according to an Act passed in 1947, the Speaker of the House of Representatives is first in line of succession to the presidency, followed by the president pro tempore of the Senate. To learn more about this Act, find Presidential Succession Act of 1947 at: http://www.aboutgovernment.org/presidents.htm

Featured Grant-Funded Project

This month our featured grant-funded project is a Congressional Research Award of $3,500 granted to Casey Byrne Knudsen Dominguez from the University of California at Berkeley. Casey's project, Before the Primary: Party Participation in Congressional Elections, investigates party elites' motivations for supporting congressional primary candidates. Its goals are (1) to explain variation in the roles party insiders play in the pre-primary process and (2) to explain how the electoral environment can affect the relationship between candidate and party prior to nomination. Learn more about this project and others at: http://www.dirksencenter.org/grantcongresearchaward.htm#Grntrecipient00

You know the presidents, but do you know their vice-presidents? See how much you know, take the trivia quiz posted on Congress for Kids. Find U.S. Vice-Presidents at: http://www.congressforkids.net/games/Elections_eletionpres/2_electionofpresident.htm

(If link is broken - Copy and Paste in the address line of your browser.)

Vice-President Verbatim

1. True or False: Provided in the 25th Amendment, the president must nominate a new vice-president who must be confirmed by a majority vote of both houses of Congress. Under this procedure set out in the 25th Amendment, Gerald Ford was the first vice-president appointed and confirmed, and Nelson Rockefeller was the second.

2. When no vice-presidential candidate receives a majority of votes in the Electoral College, then the Senate selects the winner, just as the House does in the case where no presidential candidate has received a majority. Who is the only vice-president to be selected in this fashion?

A) Richard M. Johnson
B) Aaron Burr
C) Elbridge Gerry
D) Martin Van Buren

3. John C. Calhoun was vice-president under both John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. Which of the following was also vice-president under two different presidents?

A) Millard Fillmore
B) Thomas Hendricks
C) George Clinton
D) Daniel D. Tompkins

Answers to the August issue of Fun, Facts, and Trivia link here: http://www.webcommunicator.org/funfactstrivia0803ans.htm

Happy fall! Encourage your colleagues to subscribe to the Communicator. If you have questions, comments, or suggestions, contact Cindy Koeppel at mailto:ckoeppel@dirksencenter.org Your feedback makes a difference!

If you experience any problem, send an e-mail to Cindy Koeppel at mailto:ckoeppel@dirksencenter.org