The Balance of Power in American Government
Learning Objective: Through intensive critical thinking and analysis of Articles I, I, and III of the U.S. Constitution, students learn how the balance of powers works in a republican form of government.
For this assignment, research any one of the topics listed below. Notice the conflicting interests of the parties involved in the issue. Do the mechanisms designed to balance the power of government between institutions and individuals continue to work? Has one center of power grown too powerful? Are individual rights being protected during these disputes? Include a discussion of the balancing mechanisms found in the U.S. Constitution and discussed in Federalist Papers 10, 47, and 51.
| Topic | Article Link | Video Link |
| Sanctuary Cities v Federal Immigration Laws | Sanctuary city, Wikipedia | How sanctuary cities actually work, Vox, 2017 |
| Obergefell v Hodges: State rights and Same Sex marriage | Obergefell v. Hodges, Wikipedia | Obergefell v. Hodges Summary | quimbee.com, Quimbee, 2017 |
| Civil Rights Act of 1964 Federal Laws replace State laws | Civil Rights Act of 1964, Wikipedia | A Confrontation for Integration at the University of Alabama, theGrio, 2013 |
| Legalizing Marijuana: State Laws v Federal laws | Timeline of cannabis laws in the United States, Wikipedia | Legalized: A Year In The Life Of Colorado’s Legal Weed Experiment | NBC News, NBC News, 2016 |
| Dealing with Factions: Is Federalist Paper No ten still viable? | Unite the Right rally, Wikipedia | Documenting Hate: Charlottesville, PBS FrontLine, 2018 |
| Individual rights versus the federal government The Sagebrush Rebellion | Sagebrush Rebellion, Wikipedia | American Patriot, PBS FrontLine, 2017 |
| Drivers licenses for undocumented immigrants Cities and States versus Federal Immigration Law | Driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants in the United States, Wikipedia | New York lawmakers OK allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses, NBC News, 2019 |
| Wounded Knee 1973 Native Rights versus the Federal Government | Wounded Knee incident, Wikipedia | We Shall Remain – Episode 5: Wounded Knee, RetroExotica, 2011 |
| SCOTUS v Administration Census and citizenship question | Supreme Court Leaves Census Question on Citizenship in Doubt, The New York Times, 2019 | Census citizenship question: what we know about the debate so far, USA Today, 2019 |
| Voting Right Act of 1965 | Voting Rights Act of 1965, Wikipedia |
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 Explained, Hip Hughes, 2015 The fight for the right to vote in the United States – Nicki Beaman Griffin, Ted-Ed, 2013 |
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