[ABCDE] VOLUME 4, ISSUE 4 Executive Decisions BY RIC FELD—ASSOCIATED PRESS President George W. Bush, left, former presidents Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter walk from the William J. Clinton Presidential Center to the podium during opening ceremonies in Little Rock, Ark., in November 2004. Not pictured is President Gerald Ford, who did not attend. INSIDE Meet the Cabinet Attorney White House Presidential 8 9 General’s Role 10 Families 14 Duty December 29, 2004 © 2004 THE WASHINGTON POST COMPANY VOLUME 4, ISSUE 4 An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program Executive Decisions Meet the Cabinet Lesson: Introduce students to The Washington Post capitalizes http://www.whitehouse.gov/ the executive branch through Cabinet in references to the execu- government/cabinet.html the president’s nomination of tive branch of the U.S. government President Bush’s Cabinet his chief advisers, the role of or a state government. Lowercase Biographical information for each the Cabinet and the influence is used in references to the cabinets Cabinet member. Link provided to each of the Attorney General. of foreign governments. Associated Secretary’s departmental Web site. Level: Middle to high Press style dictates that executive Subjects: Government, branch always be in lowercase. http://www.washingtonpost. civics, history The Washington Post uses com/wp-dyn/politics/ Related Activity: Language arts lowercase in reference to the Politics position and uppercase for the Select a profile under “The Bush National, state and local elections specific federal department: Administration.” Scroll for links lend themselves to a look at the to Post current and archived requirements, process and impact “Her [Condoleezza Rice] confirma- of elections. This is the fourth of tion as secretary of state would be a articles and commentary. five online guides that focus on the first for a black woman, and it would broad question: Whose vote really mean an unquestioned Bush loyalist http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/ counts? In this guide, we examine would be dispatched to run a critical infousa/politics/execbran.htm the executive branch of government. department that the White House Executive Branch Thomas Jefferson called the had come to view with suspicion. Links to informative sites about the presidency a “splendid misery.” It ... Powell was considered a hero executive branch of U.S. government was a “bully pulpit” to Theodore to the State Department bureau- Roosevelt. The Smithsonian cracy because he won increases in http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/govern- Institution encapsulates it in funding and personnel.” (Nov. 16) ment/national/cabinet.html their “Glorious Burden” exhibi- The President’s Cabinet tion. Some Chief Executives are “In background and temperament, An introduction to the Cabinet remembered as great; others have Alberto R. Gonzales, President for children provided by the U.S. faded into obscurity. President Bush’s choice to be attorney general, Government Printing Office Lyndon Johnson, experienced and could hardly be more different wry, stated, “The presidency has from John D. Ashcroft. The current http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/ made every man who occupied it, officeholder, from Missouri, is the Office of the Attorney General no matter how small, bigger than son and grandson of Assemblies Reports, speeches and docu- he was; and no matter how big, of God ministers; Gonzales, 49, mentation of the office not big enough for its demands.” was reared in a Roman Catholic In order to become informed Mexican American family in http://www.future.state.gov/ participants in a democracy, Texas by parents who had been Future Diplomats students should learn about the migrant farmworkers.” (Nov. 11) State Department site introduces women and men who make deci- sions concerning their lives. Although The Post and Associated students to diplomacy and foreign The president of the United Press agree that Attorney General affairs. Includes world geography, States and the Cabinet that he should be capitalized only in use country and career information. appoints are such people. before the name of the officeholder, this guide will use the accepted style http://www.pbs.org/newshour/ Capitalize It or Not? manual capitalization in the titles extra/teachers/lessonplans/social- You may wish to introduce of high-ranking officials: Attorney studies/confirm_cabinet.html students to these uses of capi- General and Secretary of State. Choosing the Right Person for the Job talization. After covering the A PBS lesson that reviews the system styles, have students find of checks and balances and introduces examples in the newspaper. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 the federal confirmation process 2 December 29, 2004 VOLUME 4, ISSUE 4 An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 Cabinet member to the class. The Executive The president nominates his Review the Roles choices to fill Cabinet positions. http://www.loc.gov/global/ Three departments and an Discuss how someone becomes a executive/fed.html Attorney General composed the president’s nominee. The Senate Official U.S. Executive Branch Web Sites Cabinet of the Washington admin- must confirm each individual. Do The Library of Congress provides links istration. In 2004, the Cabinet is Cabinet members owe their chief to the main executive branch sites. composed of the vice president and allegiance to the president, the the heads of 15 executive depart- department they head, the American ments. Begin with the Web sites citizens, the international commu- http://www.whitehouse.gov/ listed in “Meet the Cabinet” and nity? Students might discuss or The White House The Washington Post A section, debate whether the Senate should Activities of the president, issues, including The Federal Page, to have the authority to approve speeches and radio address tran- review the responsibilities of each advisers to the president. How does scripts (in English and Spanish). member of the Cabinet. Have this requirement exemplify the Just for fun, check out “Barney” for students compile a summary of each system of checks and balances? photos and life at the White House. department, highlighting its area of oversight, recent projects and Get an Outlook challenges facing the next leader. In “Tight Little Cabinet,” Pulitzer http://www.archives.gov/presiden- Prize-winning political correspon- tial_libraries/addresses/addresses.html Meet the Cabinet dent David S. Broder evaluates Presidential Libraries Give students “Cabinets of the selections President Bush has National Archives and Records President George W. Bush” (or ask made for his second-term Cabinet. Administration provides links to the students to list the 15 executive This commentary may be used 11 Presidential Libraries and the departments and their leaders). to introduce students to the new Nixon Presidential Materials Staff. Use Which names do they recognize? leaders, to illustrate how Broder “Resources” to link to the online libraries. Direct students to “Politics” at www. incorporates his knowledge of washingtonpost.com/politics. each individual into his essay, Under “The Bush Administration,” and to model the importance of http://www.americanhistory. they will find information about order when writing about more si.edu/presidency/5b_frame.html many of the current officeholders than one person in an essay. The American Presidency: and nominees. In the fourth column, Vocabulary that you might A Glorious Burden students are to name the individual cover before reading the Broder The Smithsonian provides grade- who will hold each position in piece include: advocacy, antago- level lesson plans and resources to the second Bush administration. nized, continuity, discretionary, study the presidency. Includes “Life Have students title the column. encapsulated, feisty, fiasco, and Death in the White House” and Teachers could also clip pictures nonchalance, patronizing, pedes- of the first and second Bush admin- trian, Prodigal and pummeled. “Communicating the Presidency.” istration Cabinet members from Does Broder acknowledge The Post and other news publi- the talent of future Cabinet http://bensguide.gpo.gov/9-12/govern- cations. Number and post them members? Who would Broder ment/national/executive.html around the classroom. How many of not want as a member of the Ben’s Guide to the U.S. these faces do students recognize? Cabinet? Does he give sufficient Government for Kids Who can they accurately name reasons for his evaluations? How “Executive Branch” is divided into K-2, and identify by department? Why has he grouped individuals and 3-5, 6-8, 9-12 to provide age-appropriate are some more easily identified? ordered the ideas of his essay? activities and a section for parents Teachers might also collect copies of The Federal Page profiles of Create Your Cabinet and teachers. Whether looking for the each nominee. Divide students At the beginning of a presidential ABC’s of Government or the order of into 15 teams to read profiles, find succession, take time to explore this articles about and introduce each CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 U.S. Government Printing Office site. 3 December 29, 2004 VOLUME 4, ISSUE 4 An Integrated Curriculum For The Washington Post Newspaper In Education Program CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 and John Warner for Defense. If Read About It teachers wish to cross time dimen- term, the president selects the indi- sions to create the “Dream Team Barnes, Peter W. and Cheryl. viduals whom he wants as members of a Cabinet,” might John Muir, Woodrow, the White House Mouse of his Cabinet. If a president is Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Woodrow G. Washingtail and his family re-elected, Cabinet secretaries may Nader be nominated for Interior? move into the White House after his remain or resign and be replaced. When giving this assignment inauguration as president of the United Give students “Cabinets of President discuss the importance of vetting George W. Bush.” Ask students, nominees. The recent nomination of Mice of America. Through illustrations individually or in groups, to nomi- Bernard B.