Debate Prep - Affirmative Action

Dear Aspiring Gubernatorial Candidates*,

As you can see, I am not at school today. Please click on the link below. Print out the worksheet TWICE. Complete one for each position, for and against affirmative action. Work on that during class today. Bring it to class tomorrow.

Remember, the typed, 1-page "Self-Debate" is also due tomorrow. The in-class debate is tomorrow, too. You will be assigned a position at the beginning of class tomorrow, so you should have both sides of the argument prepared.

The in-class debate is worth 25 points (toward the UNIT TESTS grade): 5 points preparation, 5 points participation, 5 points persuasiveness, 5 points self-evaluation, 5 points winning/losing.

THE DEBATE PREP WORKSHEET: http://www.eduplace.com/math/mw/wr/pdf/debate.pdf

Happy debating,

Mr. Settecase

*Well, maybe someday (look it up if you don't know what it means!)

STUDY GUIDES

Dear American Government Students,

Please find your study guides for the Unit Test below. The test will be on Monday, April 25. Happy studying. I would wish you luck, but you and I know it is not about luck.

Just a reminder: no one showed up to the re-take of the Constitution test last Monday. If you failed the Constitution test, you must come to the re-take on MONDAY, MAY 2. You cannot graduate from high school unless you have passed this exam. See me with any questions.

Study Guide:
The Lectures are posted first. The review questions are posted below them. Finally, questions are Libya are at the bottom of the post.

CHAPTER 20 LECTURE NOTES:
Two great issues in American Policymaking shaped by majoritarian politics (politicians compete for votes in order to attain the power they need to create policy)
- national diplomacy
- military policy

How are these policies shaped?
Through majoritarian politics
Political ideology plays an important role
Interest groups
- Exercise influence on certain issues only
- examples
free trade, allocation of military contracts, other issues that engage their interest
- Intervene when military budget is spent on services and military contractors

Majority opinion:
difficult to define
generally approves of the US playing an international role
Certain cases, would prefer the US stay home and Mind Its Own Business
When troops are sent overseas, Americans generally support government decisions and "support our troops"
Majoritarian politics predominantly influences military budget creation

Elite Opinion
Plays a powerful role - more powerful than majority opinion
Divided into four worldviews
1. Isolationist (more popular in the past, less popular today)
2. Containment
3. Disengagement
4. Human Rights

Elite disagreement over whether we should have...
1. stayed in Vietnam
2. Driven Iraqi troops out of Kuwait
3. Given aid to Bosnia
4. Launched an air campaign in Kosovo

How are policies organized?
In order to give citizens control
Dominant public figure: President Obama
...assisted by the National Security Council
- Secretary of State (Hillary Clinton)
- Secretary of Defence (Robert Gates)

President (Commander in Chief) maintains "civilian control" over the military
Issues orders through the Secretary of Defense
The Joint Chiefs of Staff give Planning and Advice to the President on Military Policy

CHAPTER 22 LECTURE NOTES:
Key Questions on Governemnt
Who governs
To what ends

No easy answers
everything depends on
the policy being proposed and
the opportunities to mobilize - for opponents and proponents

Changes over time -
Responsibilities and activities of government have expanded
New challenges to government in...
Government structure and Ideals of Government

Proposed reforms
Can be sweeping, broad, expansive
One example: replacing Congressional system with a parliamentary one
Effect will always be limited...
by how much they affect government efficiency
...the motivation behind reforms limit the speed of the reforms

Motivation for reforms:
public opinion
preserving rights (top goal)

Attempt to shape government
Attempt to make gov't more accountable
Desire for more responsive leadership

Effects of attempts to change government
May be effective
Typically slow to take effect

CHAPTER 20 Qs:
1. What are the two great issues in American policy making?
2. How are these issues shaped?
3. What does "majoritarian" mean?
4. What are interest groups focused on?
5. How do interest groups exert influence on policy making?

6. What is the typical response of the American people when the US plays an international role?
7. How do Americans generally feel when troops are sent overseas?

8. Which is more powerful, Elite Opinion or Public Opinion?
9. List the four worldviews of the political Elite.
10. There are four historical engagements over which the Elite disagree with each other. What are these four events?

11. The way foreign policy is organized, who is given control?
12. Who is the dominant public figure in foreign policy?
13. Which two people assist the President in matters of foreign and military policy? (Name of position, name of person)
14. What is the National Security Council?
15. What do the Joint Chiefs of Staff do?

CHAPTER 22 Qs:
1. What are the two key questions on government?
2. What are the two factors that determine "who governs" and "to what ends?"
3. What two groups "mobilize" or take action on a given issue?

4. How have the responsibilities and activities of Government changed over time?
5. In which two areas has the government experienced new challenges?

6. Give one example of a "sweeping" (broad) governmental reform that has been proposed.
7. What is it that slows the speed of a reform taking effect?
8. What motivates reform movements?
9. What is the chief goal of reformers?
10. What are two examples of ways reformers would like to change or "shape" the government?
11. How quickly do reform movements take effect?

LIBYA QUESTIONS (to help you prepare for the essay question)
Prepare a five-paragraph response to one of the following questions. Both will be on the test, and you will be able to choose one to answer.

1. Outline the conditions that you believe are necessary before the United States Military should intervene in situations overseas.

2. Should Colonol Muammar Gaddafi be forcefully removed from power?
a. If yes: on what grounds (why)? Who should do it? Why?
b. If no: why not? What would he have to do to justify being forcefully removed?

3. Compare the situation in Libya with the Holocaust. Discuss the conditions that must exist in order for the US military to intervene in such a situation.

Wesley Clark Video and Audio Summary Link

This interview with General Wesley Clark with Amy Goodman took place on March 2nd 2007. He explains that the Bush Administration planned to take out 7 countries in 5 years: Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Iran (2007 up to 2012). I guess that the Obama Administration devised a slightly edited version of that plan.

General Wesley Clark, U.S. Army (ret) — Former Commanding General of U.S. European Command, which included all American military activities in the 89 countries and territories of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Additionally, Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), which granted him overall command of NATO military forces in Europe 1997 – 2001. Awarded Bronze Star, Silver Star, and Purple Heart for his service in Viet Nam and numerous subsequent medals and citations.

Here's the video from 2007 – General Wesley Clark interview. http://vigilantcitizen.com/latestnews/4-star-general-reveals-plan-to-invade-libya-in-2007-video/

Here's the link to the website with the audio summaries of the chapters: LINK

Weekend Homework: STUDY REVIEW GUIDE!

Most excellent Government students,

Use this guide to prepare for the Unit Test coming up on Monday, April 25. Also, you will be assigned a paper to write in the next two weeks. If you do it right, this guide will help you with that as well. Answer all the questions on a loose-leaf sheet of paper (or, for you over-achievers, type it!). Bring this with you to class on Tuesday/Wednesday, April 19/20.

I repeat, this is due on 4/18 or 4/19 (depending on which period you have class). Students who fail to complete this assignment will be shipped to Libya to learn about the Qaddafi situation first-hand*.

Happy studying, Mr. Settecase *They will not actually be shipped to Libya. They will, however, be shipped to the office--a situation which could certainly be compared to being sent to Libya.


FOREIGN/MILITARY POLICY REVIEW GUIDE
Find the answers to the following 5 questions from Ch. 20 in your textbook. 1. Who is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces? 2. Who has the power to declare war? 3. Are most foreign policy matters issues of war and peace? 4. Why should we expect conflict between the Congress and the President over foreign affairs? 5. How much support does public opinion generally give the president? How much direction?

Answer the following questions from your knowledge about the ongoing situation in Libya: 1. What happened in Libya in February, 2011? 2. Why did the U.N. Security Council authorize military action? 3. What are the key events in the Libyan uprising - and the government's response - so far? 4. What is the history of the relationship between Libya and the U.S. since Colonel Qaddafi came to power in 1969. 5. What elements of Libya's politics, diplomatic relations, internal infrastructure and culture, including the status of the military and its role in the African Unbion, are important components to understanding the situation there?

Answer the following questions by using your own higher order thinking skills. 1. How is the current "kinetic military action" in Libya similar to the Iraq War of 2003-present? 2. The cost of intervening in Libya is already at over $500 million, and President Obama's administration estimates it will cost $40M a month going forward. Is it worth these costs? Explain. 3. Hypothesize what will happen to Libya if Colonel Gaddafi is deposed or dies. 4. When should the American military intervene in situations overseas?

New York Times: Libya Article and Activity

Libya Article and Activity

Read the article below. Then, scroll down and find the activity. Copy and paste the activity into a word document. Complete the activity by asking the questions. Print out the completed activity and bring it with you to class on Tuesday, 4/12.

March 20, 2011

Allies Target Qaddafi’s Ground Forces as Libyan Rebels Regroup

By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK and ELISABETH BUMILLER

TRIPOLI, Libya — American and European militaries intensified their barrage of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi’s forces by air and sea on Sunday, as the mission moved beyond taking away his ability to use Libyan airspace, to obliterating his hold on the ground as well, allied officials said.

Rebel forces, battered and routed by loyalist fighters just the day before, began to regroup in the east as allied warplanes destroyed dozens of government armored vehicles near the rebel capital, Benghazi, leaving a field of burned wreckage along the coastal road to the city. By nightfall, the rebels had pressed almost 40 miles back west toward the strategic crossroads city of Ajdabiya, witnesses and rebel forces said. And they seemed to consolidate control of Benghazi despite heavy fighting there against loyalist forces on Saturday.

There was evidence, too, that the allies were striking more targets in and around Tripoli, the capital. More explosions could be seen or heard near the city center, where an international press corps was kept under tight security constraints. Recurring bursts of antiaircraft guns and a prolonged shower of tracers arced over the capital on Sunday night.

A day after a summit meeting in Paris set the military operation in motion, a vital Arab participant in the agreement expressed unhappiness with the way the strikes were unfolding. The former chairman of the Arab League, Amr Moussa, told Egyptian state media that he was calling for an emergency league meeting to discuss the situation in the Arab world, and particularly Libya.

“What is happening in Libya differs from the aim of imposing a no-fly zone, and what we want is the protection of civilians and not the bombardment of more civilians," he said, referring to Libyan government claims that allied bombardment had killed dozens of civilians. But reporters seeking proof have been offered none to account for even part of that number. Around 10 p.m., an explosion thundered from Colonel Qaddafi’s personal compound in Tripoli, and a column of smoke rose above it, suggesting that the allied forces had struck either his residence there or the nearby barracks of his personal guards. A group of foreign journalists were bused to the compound early on Monday morning and shown a building partially destroyed by a bomb. But those who attended reported no evidence of casualties.

Asked about the explosion, Vice Adm. William E. Gortney said in a Washington news conference that the United States was not trying to kill the Libyan leader. “At this particular point I can guarantee that he’s not on a targeting list,” he said, saying that the United States military was working to weaken his military capacity rather than removing him.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, also focused on those goals, talking about how allied forces had grounded Colonel Qaddafi’s aircraft and worked to protect civilians — both objectives stated by the United Nations Security Council in approving the military mission. “We hit a lot of targets, focused on his command and control, focused on his air defense, and actually attacked some of his forces on the ground in the vicinity of Benghazi,” Admiral Mullen told Fox News.

But the campaign may be balancing multiple goals. President Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and British and French leaders have also talked of a broader policy objective — that Colonel Qaddafi must leave power. In his comments on Sunday, Admiral Mullen suggested that objective lay outside the bounds of the military campaign, saying on NBC that Colonel Qaddafi’s remaining in power after the United States military accomplished its mission was “potentially one outcome.”

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, on a flight to Russia, said he was concerned about that possible result. Though he praised the mission’s “successful start,” he cautioned that a partitioned Libya, with rebels holding the east and Colonel Qaddafi the West, could bring trouble. “I think all countries probably would like to see Libya remain a unified state,” Mr. Gates said. “Having states in the region begin to break up because of internal differences is a formula for real instability in the future.”

Gen. Carter F. Ham, who as the head of the United States Africa Command is overseeing the operation, said in an e-mail on Sunday that “the initial strikes have had, generally, the effects we sought. Fixed air defense sites, particularly the longer-range systems, appear to no longer be operating.”

He said that “some ground forces in the vicinity of Bengazi were destroyed. Some appear to be at least static, if not moving back south and west.” He said there were few signs of fighting in the city itself. The general praised the coordination with Britain, France and other coalition partners, and said he expected additional countries to join the operation “in the coming days.”

The American and French militaries both said that Qatar would join the military operation, which would be the first Arab military force to explicitly sign on. But there were no details on what role the Qatar forces would take.

The Americans, working with the British, French and others, flew a wider array of missions than the day before, when Navy cruise missile barrages were their main weapons. They deployed B-2 stealth bombers, F-16 and F-15 fighter jets and Harrier attack jets flown by the Marine Corps striking at Libyan ground forces, air defenses and airfields. Navy electronic warplanes, EA-18G Growlers, jammed Libyan radar and communications. British pilots flew many of the bombing missions, and French, British and American planes all conducted ground attacks near Benghazi, American commanders said.

Admiral Gortney said that allied strikes against Colonel Qaddafi’s forces had been “very effective.” But he warned that coalition forces had not hit Libyan mobile surface-to-air missile batteries and that shoulder-launched missiles, called Man-Portable Air-Defense Systems, or Manpads, also remained. “There are quite a few of those out there,” he said.

Near Misurata, the last major Western city held by the rebels, B-2 bombers destroyed aircraft shelters at an airfield, the admiral said. And a rebel spokesman within the besieged city, giving his name as Muhammad, said allied airstrikes had destroyed a military convoy coming to reinforce the troops encircling the city. But he said that Saturday night’s strikes had done little to stop the Qaddafi forces from shelling the city and its port, blowing up two power stations. A rebel who said he was a doctor said seven had died and the city was without water or power.

Still, he remained confident that the new help could help turn the momentum toward his fighters. “If the international community takes care of the supply lines,” he said, “I assurre you that we can take care of whatever is inside of Misurata.”

“Tripoli will rise up,” he predicted. “If they see his power bases crumbling I am sure they will rise up. We want the international community to go all the way to bomb this bloody dictator into submission.”

Earlier Sunday, Colonel Qaddafi delivered a fresh and defiant tirade against the allied military action, pledging retaliation and saying his forces would fight a long war to victory.

He was speaking in a telephone call to state television, which, apparently for security reasons, did not disclose his whereabouts. The Libyan leader has not been seen in public since the United States and European countries began their strikes. “We will fight you if you continue your attacks on us,” Mr. Qaddafi said. “Those who are on the land will win the battle,” he declared, warning without explanation that “oil will not be left to the United States, France and Britain.”

Libyan officials and state television have said that dozens of Libyan civilians were killed in the air attacks. But an Indonesian newscaster, Andini Effendi, reported Sunday that she was able to visit two Tripoli hospitals after the airstrikes early on Sunday and found no influx of casualties, only empty ambulances. State television did not show any scenes of destruction, and Libyan officials declined to show any to visiting journalists either.

Instead, they promised Sunday to bring foreign journalists to a funeral for civilians killed in the attacks. But the funeral turned out to be more of a pro-Qaddafi political rally, and the true number of dead remained a mystery.

On the way to the funeral a bus full of journalists was parked waiting for about 25 minutes near a waterfront cemetery, until the arrival of several truckloads of hundreds of Qaddafi supporters waving green flags and wearing green headscarves. Then, when journalists entered the cemetery amid gunfire in the air and pro-Qaddafi chants, they found three freshly covered graves and 24 empty cinderblock holes.

One of the recent burials was said to have died of causes unrelated to the attacks. Another was said to belong to a 3-month-old baby girl, Siham Atabeeb, who was said to have been killed when a bomb hit her home. But neither of her parents nor any siblings were there, and people who said they were more distant relatives told conflicting stories about whether her mother was also wounded and whether she had any siblings.

People around the other fresh grave also said they were relatives, but people gave conflicting descriptions of the deceased — he was 25 or 29; he was killed in his home, driving by a military base, or walking in a neighborhood near the Qaddafi compound; he was a taxi driver, unemployed, or in some other profession.

David D. Kirkpatrick reported from Tripoli, Libya, and Elisabeth Bumiller from Washington. Reporting was contributed by Kareem Fahim from Benghazi, Libya, Eric Schmitt and Thom Shanker from Washington, and Steven Erlanger from Paris.

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ACTIVITY:
Copy this into a Word document. Complete it by answering the questions. Print this out and bring it with you to class on Tuesday.

March 21, 2011, 3:32 am

Allied Air Assault in Libya (ACTIVITY)

By KATHERINE SCHULTEN

Anja Niedringhaus/Associated Press Libyans celebrated atop a wrecked vehicle belonging to loyalist forces on the outskirts of Benghazi. Go to related article »

6 Q’s About the News

Use the photo and related article to answer basic news questions

WHO is Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi?

WHERE on the world map is Libya?

WHEN did American and European forces begin a barrage of Colonel Qaddafi’s forces in Libya?

WHAT are the goals of these attacks?
WHAT have been the results for the rebel forces so far?
WHAT is a a no-fly zone?

WHY has the United States hesitated to intervene in this conflict with military force? (This article, published just after the allies opened air assault, can help answer this question.)

HOW do you feel about the allied campaign?

Week 15 Links

Use this guide: Fact/Question/Response Handout - Use these sources: Map: “Interactive Map of How the Protests Unfolded in Libya” Timeline:“Timeline of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi” Videos: Times videos on Libya Pictures: Slide show: “Scenes from Libya” (with captions) Pictures: Slide show: “Battle for Libya” (with captions) Protests:“Middle East Protests: A Country by Country Look” (includes a Libya module) Updates: Updates on Libya from The Lede (these posts contain numerous videos from other news sources)

Speaker Boehner on the Budget.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/forum/2011-04-11-column11_ST1_N.htm