What you will learn• How the Federal Government in the USA

is Structured

• How a bill becomes a law in the USA

• How the Separations of Powers operates in US government

• Values of the Political Parties in the USA

• About some current Political issues in The USA

STANDARD GRADE USASimulate the Separation of powers in Washington DC

You need 4 groups (25 pupils)

• House of Representatives x 12

• Senate x 6

• Supreme Court x 3

• President/Executive x 4

• Ask pupils some left/right wing questions to split them into Republicans or democrats.

Are you Republican or Democrat• Write ‘Yes’ if you agree with the statement, and

‘No’ if you don’t.1. As a major world power, the USA should get

involved in any conflict that threatens world peace.

2. All American families should be guaranteed a minimum annual income.

3. America should spend less money on defence and spend more money on education and welfare.

4. It should be made more difficult for Americans to own and carry guns.

5. The government should put strict limits on how much pollution business and industry produces.

Are you Republican or Democrat

6. America should give less money in aid to other countries.

7. If extreme weather conditions damage farmers’ crops, the government should pay their losses.

8. Pupils from poor, inner city neighbourhoods should be bused to richer areas in order to have an equal education.

9. The tax system should be changed so that people who have more money pay more taxes.

10. Wiretapping and eavesdropping should be used to help arrest organised criminals.

Are you Republican or Democrat11. The United States has an obligation to stop

aggression in the world.

12. Citizens who have experienced unfair treatment in the past e.g. blacks, should be given preferential treatment in getting jobs in order to ‘catch up.’

13. The USA should have stricter law enforcement in order to prevent crime.

14. The Constitutional right to silence is vital to the justice system.

15. Big businesses should pay more taxes so that individuals pay lower taxes.

Are you Republican or Democrat

1. Yes – R, No – D

2. Yes – D, No – R

3. Yes – D, No –R

4. Yes – D, No – R

5. Yes – D, No – R

6. Yes – R, No – D

7. Yes – D, No – R

8.Yes – D, No – R9.Yes – D, No – R10.Yes – D, No – R11.Yes – R, No – D12.Yes – D, No – R13.Yes – R, No – D14.Yes – D, No – R15.Yes – D, No - R

Congresslegislator: votes on bills to make new laws

Two houses: Senate & House of Representatives

New laws: over half of elected politicians have to agree

Power: can over rule President with 2/3rds vote against him

SenatePart of Congress – 100 Senators (2 per state)

legislator: votes on bills to make new laws

New laws: over half of elected politicians have to agree

Power: can over rule President with 2/3rds vote against him

House of Representatives

Part of Congress – 435 Representatives

legislator: votes on bills to make new laws

New laws: over half of elected politicians have to agree

Power: can over rule President with 2/3rds vote against him

ExecutiveGovernment of the USA

Run by the President

Puts existing laws and new laws into practice

Can VETO bill passed by Congress (stop them becoming law)

Supreme Court

9 Judges

Decides if new laws are constitutional (go against the rules of the constitution)

Bill One – Give more free health care

• Obama is President (Democrat) the Democrats run both parts of Congress.

• People in the USA normally believe that all have equal opportunity to do well, therefore people should look after themselves and not rely on the government to care for them

• Democrats normally agree with this and that the Government should help the poor.

• Republicans normally disagree with this and think that people should look after themselves.

• Politicians in the USA do not have to follow what the Party leaders tell them to do.

Bill Two – Allow Stem Cell research

• Bush is President (Republican) but the Democrats run both parts of Congress.

• Stem cell research is the growing of a foetus artificially to extract cells from it to try and help cure diseases.

• Democrats normally agree with this.

• Republicans normally disagree with this research.

• Politicians in the USA do not have to follow what the Party leaders tell them to do.

Bill Three – ban carrying handguns

• Obama is President (Democrat) the Democrats run both parts of Congress.

• People in the USA seem undecided on this issue many, they do believe in personal responsibility and that if you break the law punishments are normally harsh

• Democrats normally agree with this

• Republicans normally disagree with this

• Politicians in the USA do not have to follow what the Party leaders tell them to do.

Simulation instructionsYou need 4 groups (25 pupils)• HoR x 12 (select a speaker – female Nancy Pelosi )• Senate x 6 (select a speaker)• Supreme Court x 3 • President/Executive x 4 (choose a Bush and an Obama)• Ask pupils some left/right wing questions to split them into Republicans or

democrats.• Create groups that give the congress a majority of Democrats • Print of this power point so groups can identify the visual pictures of each part of

federal Government and their powers – you can run through the ppt on screen to give instructions and define SOP.

• Discuss each bill, click pics for links to you tube clips, get groups to discuss each bill asking democrats and republicans to take the appropriate view (some pupils may wish to be bi-partisan)

• Get speakers of congress to introduce bill one and vote on them both should pass if you have enough democrats

• Obama will not veto own bill and SC likely not to object• Introduce bill two – congress likely to pass – Executive will veto – congress may

overrule – SC may find unconstitutional (against human rights/ethics)• Introduce bill three – congress may pass – Obama likely not to veto – SC should

state it is unconstitutional (if doing this with Higher they should point out that to change the constitution it requires a 2/3rds vote from congress and support from state governments too – point this out afterwards to classes)