US HISTORY - GRADE 11 U.S. – Technological Changes and Perceptions of the US Government Monday, May 18 – Friday, May 22

PURPOSE

New Material

Standards addressed in part or in whole: US.6.2, 6.4

• I can discuss political events that led to a mistrust of government. • I can demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between technology, media and American’s perception of government.

REVIEW/WATCH

Monday: Watch the video and answer the provided questions to learn about how Watergate affected American’s trust in government https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/nixon

Tuesday: Watch the videos below and answer the provided video questions to learn more about events that led to mistrust in American government and advances in technology during the Clinton and George W, Bush Presidencies. • https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/a-millennials-guide-to-clinton-scandals-of-the- 90s/2016/06/28/2849814c-38a5-11e6-af02-1df55f0c77ff_video.html (Clinton administration events leading to mistrust in government) • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rboN6F2g-k (advances in technology 5:38-8:05) • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDHkRno_3So (George W. Bush events that led to mistrust in American government)

Wednesday: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-government-and-civics/us-gov-political- participation/us-gov-the-media/v/media-as-a-linkage-institution

PRACTICE

Wednesday: Use the video above to answer the provided questions on American’s perception of government.

DISCUSS

Wednesday: Interview a parent or grandparent about their personal experiences regarding their perception of government (You can conduct interviews with grandparents via phone or video conferencing) Do they have any personal experiences or stories that may help with understanding what you learned this week?

Possible Interview Questions:

• What do you believe is the role of government? • What is your perception of government? Do you trust your government? • Do you remember any events that have changed your perception of government? What were those events • Has your perception of government changed over time or remained relatively the same? • What would it take for you to change your perception of government?

PRODUCT

Friday: Using the RACES graphic organizer, write a brief reflection answering the following prompt: According to the information provided and my knowledge of social studies, How does technology such as social media, the internet, and mass media influence American’s perception of government? Your paragraph should include a claim, evidence and the reasoning behind your claim. (Choice to use CER Graphic Organizer as opposed to RACES)

Screen Free Activity Week 9 Video Questions: How Nixon tested the U.S. government and changed its relationship to the American people

1. Briefly describe the Watergate Break in.

2. How did the Watergate break-in lead to the resignation of Richard Nixon?

3. Why does Pat Buchanan think it is important to look back at Richard Nixon and the Watergate scandal?

4. Why does Beverly Gage think that Nixon was part of a series of things that happened to this country in the late 60’s and 70’s?

5. How did Nixon change the constitutional makeup of the country?

6. Why was Nixon a different kind of Republican?

7. According to Luke Nichter, how did government change because of Richard Nixon? What did he believe were the positives and negatives of his role in this regard?

8. How did Watergate change the American attitudes and expectations of government?

Video Questions: Bill Clinton and George W. Bush

1. What do you believe were the 3 most important scandals during the Clinton Administration?

2. What did Bill Clinton get impeached for?

3. How did computers and the internet transform America?

4. Could Bill Clinton have avoided some of the things that had happened to him or were they inevitable because of the internet?

5. What controversial events occurred during the George W. Bush administration?

6. Do you believe the events that occurred under the Clinton and bush presidencies let to mistrust in government?

Perception of Government Questions

Use the information below and the provided video to answer questions 1-

Background information: The media plays an influential role in how citizens learn about political issues and events. Media coverage also affects the formation of policy agendas by raising awareness of certain topics, which can increase public demand for government action.

Key terms

Term Definition Journalism that focuses on -who is winning or ahead in the polls rather than on “horse race” candidates' policy agenda or debates. journalism

Deep, original investigation on a specific topic, often conducted over a long investigative period of time and sometimes involving the exposure of secret information. journalism

Groups that connect citizens to the government and facilitate turning popular linkage concerns into issues on the government’s policy agenda. institutions

"media as a The media’s role in setting the political agenda by drawing public and gatekeeper" government attention to certain issues.

Key takeaways

Impact on political agenda and participation: — In its “gatekeeper” role, the media has a significant influence on the issues that citizens know and care about, which may drive subsequent government action to address those issues through policy.

Changes in how the media reports news, and how the public consumes it, have also had an impact on politics. For example, the use of investigative journalism to discredit candidates has contributed to decreased public trust in politicians. The rising prominence of the internet and social media as news sources have reduced the extent to which news is curated by professionals, a phenomenon commonly credited with causing a corresponding rise in “fake news.”

“Horse race” journalism — The ups and downs of political contests between candidates are often more dramatic than policy debates, so the media focuses more on the former than the latter. Critics argue that this devalues politics by reducing the importance of policy. Others contend that raising awareness of the contest between candidates can increase transparency and political participation, particularly during parties’ candidate selection process.

Questions:

1. How does political coverage in the media affect citizen perceptions of politics? 2. How does the media influence which issues make it onto policy agendas? 3. To what extent does “horse race” journalism have a positive or negative impact on political efficacy and participation?

Use the graph below to answer questions 4-6

4. What events might have led to rises and falls in trust in government from 1958-2015?

5. Which events produced the most dramatic shifts in trust in government?

6. Which of the following media developments from 1958 to 2017 has most likely contributed to the trend in public trust of the federal government? a. Increased use of investigative and attack journalism to discredit politicians? b. Increased availability of online versions of print newspapers c. Increased consolidation of news outlets into media monopolies d. Increased availability of 24 hour news coverage in cable news networks.

7. Horse race journalism is best described as which of the following? a. When the media publishes stories that exploit or exaggerate the news to attract people b. When the media focuses on who is winning an election rather than on policy agendas and debates c. When the media sets the political agenda by drawing public and government attention to certain issues d. When the media does a deep investigation on a specific topic

8. Use the test below to answer the following question:

“If you start from the understanding that important party decisions are made before the voters weigh in, the question 'who’s winning?'—or, alternately, 'who is the party choosing, and which people are making that choice?'—becomes one of the best ways to give ordinary citizens who want to become more active political participants the information they need. (If you’re not a party member, meanwhile, knowing the process by which the party made its choice—rather than just the outcome it arrived at— can still help inform your own political participation.)” -Greg Marx, “In Defense of (the Right Kind of) Horse Race Journalism,” Columbia Journalism Review, September 6, 2011. Regarding the above excerpt, which of the following statements would the author most likely agree with?

a. Horse race journalism is a more effective tool for informing voters and attracting their participation when applied to primary elections instead of general elections b. Journalists should spend more time writing about differences in campaigns as well as predicting winners in tightly contested races a few days before the election c. The right kind of horse race journalism has to do with waiting for voters to make their decision about candidates during the general election campaign based on who is ahead in the race d. The current generation of political reporters do not have the expertise to explain how party insiders are deciding and debating in a political contest

9. Which linkage institution is primarily responsible for keeping the electorate informed about political issues, policymaking, and leadership transitions in government?

a. News media b. Interest groups c. Political parties d. Federal bureaucracy

*Answers and feedback to questions 6-8 can be found at https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-government-and-civics/us-gov-political-participation/us- gov-the-media/e/the-media

RACES Graphic Organizer Writing Prompt/

Question

R Restate • Did you restate the question in (1 or 2 sentences; combine R and A or the your own words, using words in separate) the prompt? Question • Include background, if needed

A Answer • Does your answer to the the question express a main Question idea/claim (a point you are going to prove)?

C Cite • Did you transition from your “A” Evidence (main idea sentence)? • Is there a “For example,”? • Do you have a direct quote to prove your main idea/claim? Or did you paraphrase a fact from the story? • Did you attribute the quote to the speaker or writer? • Do the details in the quote address the question

E Explain • Does it begin with something like: the This ...shows that... Answer • Does it reuse the (A) main idea and key point from (A) to address what you’re proving? (Best if • Does it answer Why?” and/or two “How?” sentence • Does it use some key words from s) the citation? • Does it explain fully, using “because... “? • Did you make sure all parts connect?

S Sum it up This is your conclusion sentence. Does it...

• Begin with a concluding transition followed with a comma? • Use words that restated the prompt? • Include a “because” statement that recaps what you just “proved”?

CER Graphic Organizer

Screen Free Activity Week 9 Federalism • Background: In the early years of our country, leaders had deep disagreements about how power should be balanced between the states and the national government. Because of this, two political parties emerged - one that favored a strong central government and one that distrusted a strong central government and felt most power should reside with the states. Before the Constitution was ratified, these groups were known as the Federalists and Anti- federalists. A federalism system emerged to create a compromise between the two parties. In the United States, federalism is a type of government in which the power is divided between the national government and the states’ governmental units. Although the federal system seems to strike a perfect balance of power between national and local needs, federations still have internal power struggles. Conflicts between national and state governments are common. In the case of the United States, the argument of state vs. federal power was a major underlying factor that led to the CIVIL WAR. (See the 10th Amendment from the Bill of Rights Lesson).

• Federalism Documents o The Tenth Amendment - gives all powers not specifically given to the United States government in the Constitution, to either the states or to the people (See Table below).

Exclusive federal powers Concurrent powers (Shared Exclusive state powers (Reserved (Delegated Powers) Powers) Powers) Coining money Taxation Conducting elections Regulating interstate and foreign commerce Lawmaking and enforcement Establishing local governments Providing for public safety, health, Regulating the mail Chartering banks and corporations welfare Taking land for public use (eminent Declaring war domain) Maintaining militia Raising armies Establishing courts Ratifying Constitutional amendments Conducting foreign affairs Borrowing money Regulating intrastate commerce

Establishing inferior courts

Establishing rules of naturalization o The Supremacy Clause: Before the Constitution, the United States tried another government that was very weak. It wasn’t able to get much done because states could just ignore all the laws it passed—and they did! The Constitution has some very important language to prevent this: This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof… shall be the supreme law of the land. That means federal laws passed by Congress are supreme—they are superior to state laws. The Founders of our country learned from experience that this was necessary in order for the federal government to keep the power the Constitution gives it. o Today’s Federalism Debate: Just as when the nation was born, many people today are concerned about a powerful federal government. They worry that their freedom will be limited if the federal government makes decisions that should be made by local governments. At the same time, others worry that some issues need one decision that applies to everyone. They believe it isn’t fair when some states do more or less to address a problem than other states do.

• Read and interpret the Federalism documents above and reflect on the following questions. o How does federalism support democracy? o What is the role of state government under federalism? o How does federalism keep government closer to the people? o Is state government necessarily more responsive to the people than the federal government? o What is the difference between state and federal power? • Read/Watch news stories to see if there is a connection between the content of the story and the concept of federalism. o If you follow the news, the concept of federalism is being debated. o What role does the federal, state, and local governments have in managing the current health crisis? o Make a list of federalism examples found in the news. • Interview two adults about their knowledge of federalism. o Are they familiar with federalism? If so, ask them to list and explain some examples. If not, explain the concept of federalism. o How do they see federalism working in our society today? Ask them to explain. o Discuss the connections you made between federalism and current events.

• Write an Essay: Using the sources and your knowledge of social studies, write an essay that evaluates whether the state or federal government should have the most power during a time of national crisis. Support your answer with evidence. o Examples of Crises: natural disasters, economic depression, disease, social upheaval, etc… Use the Claims, Evidence, and Reasoning (CER) strategy to provide written answers to the prompt. (Refer to the ELA Screen Free Activities section for guidance).