Should the Constitution be interpreted by the Supreme Court as a living, evolving document responsive to the times (Living Constitution, Loose Construction) or should the Supreme Court interpret the Constitution as literally as possible, closely aligned with the text and with what the intentions of the founding fathers were (Strict Construction, Originalism)?

Please leave a comment as a response to this question.

For those of you who want some practice reviewing terms and ideas for the Constitution Test, please click on the Constitution links to the right.

Terms to add to your Nexus:
Judicial Review
Marbury v Madison
Federal District Court
Appellate Court
Supreme Court
Chief Justice
John Roberts
Judicial Restraint
Judicial Activism
Strict Construction
Loose Construction
Originalism
Living Constitution
Jurisdiction
Original Jurisdiction
Appellate Jurisdiction
Writ of Certiorari
Attainder
Corruption of Blood

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.
-John F. Kennedy

Finish your paper tonight. It is due tomorrow. I look forward to reading your wise words and sharp thinking. Remember to proof your paper for clarity of expression. Use transitions and at least one brushstroke.

Add the following words to your Nexus and make index cards for them:

Executive Branch
President (Qualifications)
Electoral College
Executive Privilege
22nd Amendment
War Powers Resolution
Commander in Chief
Cabinet
Bureaucracy
Reprieves and Pardons
Advice and Consent
State of the Union
Take Care Clause
"...treason, bribery, high crimes and misdemeanors."

Remember to look for the article this weekend that you will use to compare to the movie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Once you have located this article, craft one or two paragraphs using quotes from the article's text to illustrate your ideas in response to the question: Is Mr. Smith goes to Washington an accurate reflection of the way our system works?

Abramoff Scandal; Bill Moyers on America.

For those of you who are interested in viewing this whole video, I have posted it here. Veteran journalist Bill Moyers examines the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal in detail in the new PBS documentary, "Capitol Crimes." Moyers untangles thousands of emails, documents and facts to reveal the web of relationships, secret deals and political manipulation that went on between some of the most powerful men in Washington D.C. Moyers says, "The men who came to Washington in the 1980's to lead the conservative revolution wound up running a racket. Abramoff was their outside man, outside the White House, outside the infrastructure but he was very welcome inside the government. [Abramoff had] very good ties with Karl Rove, Ralph Reed, Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform - it was all part of an apparatus that was designed to launder money."

Is Mr. Smith Goes to Washington an accurate portrayal of how our democracy and politics really work? Write an essay in response to this question.

Suggested format
1st paragraph:
Introduction, with the thesis statement as the last sentence.

2nd paragraph: Summary of the Movie
Write a paragraph summary of the movie. Describe the overall message about politics and government that this film conveyed. Use specific references to the film in this summary. A script of the movie is available if you need direct quotes.

3rd paragraph: Example from Current Events
Find an article from a newspaper or other news source which discusses a present day event/ scandal/ “promise” that might serve as evidence to support your answer to the above question. Discuss this event/ scandal/ “promise” using direct quotes from this article with parenthetical citations. Be specific.

4th paragraph: Words of the Constitution
Reread the Preamble to the Constitution. How do these words illuminate and/or act as a counterpoint to your answer? How do these ideals and Jimmy Stewart’s character intersect? Specifically quote the Constitution. As long as you identify the words as coming from the Constitution, there is no need for a parenthetical citation.

5th paragraph:
Conclusion

Use transitions where appropriate, in order to create better flow between each of your paragraphs.

The entire essay will be due on Tuesday. Work on your summary tonight. Remember to use your own words. We will locate resources for current events tomorrow in class.

Start Article II (Executive Branch) and read in The Words We Live By to page 74. Add the following words to your Nexus and set of index cards:
Habeas Corpus
Bill of Attainder
Patents
Copyrights
Enumerated Powers
Inherent Powers
Implied Powers
Commerce Clause

Read pages 46 through 61 in The Words We Live By. This finishes Article I. Yeah!

Add the following terms to your Nexus and remember to list their definitions. Continue making index cards of these terms:
Lame Duck
President Pro Tem
Quorum
Filibuster
Cloture
Conference Committee
Veto
Pocket Veto
Line Item Veto

Read pages 35-47 in The Words We Live By. Look for key words and ideas. Begin to prepare index cards of all the terms. Review these terms each day.

Add the following terms to your Nexus:
Bicameral
Three-Fifths Compromise
Census
Reapportionment
Redistricting
Gerrymandering
Speaker of the House
Impeachment

Akhil Reed Amar - America's Constitution: A Biography

Akhil Reed Amar - professor of Constitutional law at Yale Law School - launches his new book, AMERICA'S CONSTITUTION: A Biography. How democratic was the original Constitution? Was it anti-slavery, pro-slavery, or neutral? Why do we have the Electoral College? Why was 35 chosen as the age of eligibility for President? When was the word "male" added to the text, and why? In each of these instances and countless others, the Constitutional life story is different than it is generally understood - and much more fascinating. AMERICA'S CONSTITUTION: A Biography places the document in a broader legal context, looking at it as an ever unfolding story. Akhil Reed Amar is the second youngest person in the university's history to receive tenure and an endowed chair. His work has been cited by Supreme Court Justices in roughly 20 cases. He lives in Woodbridge, Connecticut with his family. Located on Philadelphia's historic Independence Mall, the National Constitution Center is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing public understanding of the U.S. Constitution and its relevance to Americans' daily lives. For more information, call 215.409.6600 or visit www.constitutioncenter.org.

For Monday, read pages 18 and 23 through 35 in The Words We Live By.

Let me know if the contour drawing really helped with your comprehension.

New words for the Constitution Word Bank I:
Congress
Senate
House of Representatives
Separation of Powers
Checks and Balances


I just added a new link to Barbara Ehrenreich's article on the states that just voted to raise the minimum wage in this last election. Remember Ehrenreich? She's the one who wrote Nickel and Dimed. Let me know what you think.

Read pages 9 through 17 in The Words We Live By. Focus on understanding the terms:
Articles of Confederation
Preamble
Popular Sovereignty
Suffrage

These terms should be added to your Constitution Word Bank I in your Nexus with their definitions.

Ssshhh...Don't tell anyone, but there will be a surprise quiz in class tomorrow. Read your assignment carefully. If anyone would like to review these pages before the surprise quiz, I will be available in the classroom from 7:20am. Two more terms to add to the Word Bank from our class discussion are:
GOP
Incumbent

Watch the constitution in action tonight as the returns come in for this midterm election. Follow any news source and then write a minimum of two paragraphs in your Nexus reflecting on continued developments in this election.

Make sure you begin to write the definitions to the following words in your Nexus. We will be adding words each day so it is important in maintaining your sanity to keep up with reviewing these words.

Constitution Word Bank I:
Establishment Clause
Secular
Lemon Test
Constitution
Referendum

Tonight explore election coverage. You can read the newspaper, watch the news, listen to the radio, investigate Google News, whatever format for news is the most appealing to you. Spend at least one half hour in this exploration, then write a minimum of two paragraphs in your Nexus reflecting, responding to what you have learned. Be specific in your response. There is a link to Google News and to NPR (National Public Radio) listed to the right.

For Monday, read pages 6 through 9 in the "Bill of Rights in Action" Handout. Be prepared to answer the three questions on page 9. Also read pages 127-131, about the First Amendment, in the Words We Live By.