My Presidential Connection

  I'd like to take a moment to discuss something that I personally hold close to my heart.  For several years, I have held a title that fourteen of our President's have also held.  No, they were not all teachers, although several Presidents did stand at the podium with chalk in hand.  Nor were these Presidents all Pennsylvanians.  I proudly refer to all of these Chief Executives as Brother!
  Fourteen Presidents, from Washington to Ford, were Freemasons.  Freemasonry is a fraternity open to all men 21 years and older who value the basic tenets of the Enlightenment.  Ideas from the Enlightenment inspired our Founding Fathers to create this country, and many Founding Fathers did wear the apron as do I. 
  Notably, George Washington was a Mason.  He became a Mason in my former home of Fredericksburg, Virginia and eventually the Grand Master of the Commonwealth of Virginia. 
  Masons believe in supporting the community and honoring our commitments to our country.  Many Masons serve in the military or serve as police officers, fire fighters, teachers, EMTs, government officials, doctors, lawyers, sanitation workers, and so on!  You will find Masons in every walk of life and at every level of social stratification.  However, in spite of any differences, all Masons are Brothers and are devoted to helping a fellow Mason or his family in times of strife.  No reward or recognition is expected or accepted. 

  In closing, you may notice my lapel pin or tie tack, or the Masonic symbols on my vehicle.  I hope this answers your questions and puts to rest some of the myths floating on the Internet!  If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me before or after school.  So mote it be!

Bro. George Washington as Freemason
Used with permission from Charity Lodge, No. 190

Poll Assignment

  Please participate in the poll on the right-side of the screen.  Then, write a one-paragraph explanation of your decision. 

Test Preparation Tips

  As we complete a full month of school, it is time to dust off the No. 2 pencil and tackle a unit test.  I am certain you all know the content very well and I should know!  I am the one who grades your assignments, answers your questions, and watches as your base of understanding grows each day.  If you are feeling worried about the forthcoming test, here is a set of tips to help you reduce any test anxiety you may be feeling over the coming days:

1. Be sure to get a good night's sleep the night before the test.
• Sleep is so important to your body, especially the neural pathways in your brain.
• You should sleep at least 8-10 hours per night as a teenager!  This supercedes X-Box and Facebook! 
2. Spread your studying out over a few days.
• Pick an "Essential Understanding" each night to review. Spread them out to match the number of days until the test.
3. Maintain a positive attitude!
• You are going to pass this test! I know it, so should you!

For more tips, feel free to ask me in class and/or visit this site:  Test-Taking Tips.

Ben's Guide to American Government

  Are you feeling overwhelmed by lecture notes or class discussions?  Are you looking for another, more straightforward resource about American Government?  If your answer is yes to either question, or if you are just a student in one of my classes, I recommend that your visit Ben's Guide to American Government.  The site is divided into each of the core topics we will visit this year and provides lots of information for each topic.  Ben's Guide does not embellish too much nor does it overstate concepts.  Visit this site write a review on this blog for extra credit!

A Review of Founding Brothers

Founding Brothers:  The Revolutionary Generation, by Joseph Ellis, will be our "RAM Reading Period" book for this marking period.  In this work, Ellis examines the lives of some of the most influential men who helped draft the Constitution of the United States years after the inspired year of 1787.  This book explores the tumultuous and complex political and social relationships between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr and provides insight to Washingtons' Farewell Address and Franklin's attempt to prevent civil war from erupting in Congress!
  The book is short, a mere 258 pages, but each page is filled with fascinating historical facts that will have us re-reading again and again to truly grasp the content.  Personally, I rate this book a complete five out of five stars as it is quite unique in its attempt to visit the complex relationships of those individuals who are held in such high esteem in our history books.  Be prepared to read and discuss!

Image scanned and uploaded from Mr. Seltzer's computer!

What elements of English political heritage affected the American colonies?

  This question arises from your unit outline as an "Essential Understanding."  The reason this question is considered "essential" is due to the overwhelming influence of England (eventually Great Britain) over the colonies on the North American continent.  English political heritage was brought to the colonies on board the very first English ship to land on American shores.  However, approximately 300 years before the English instituted formal colonies in North America, the power of the English crown was limited by the Magna Carta in 1215.  Limiting government was the first step to the American system.
  The American colonists were heavily influenced by English philosophers Thomas Hobbes and John Locke.  The Declaration of Independence is loaded with lines "borrowed" almost verbatim from Hobbes' Leviathan and Locke's Two Treatises on Government.  To begin with, the statement "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" originally read "life, liberty, and property" in the English version.  Defining rights at "unalienable" and declaring that it is the right of citizens to alter or abolish governments should they cease to serve the people comes directly from John Locke!
  This is just a small bit of insight into the English political heritage in the American colonies.  Your assignment for this blog is to create a list of the documents that affected American colonists before, during, and after the Revolution.

Six Reasons the U.S. is NOT a Democracy...

  Many Americans refer to our style of government as a democracy.  This isn't exactly true nor is it exactly false.  Here is a list of the reasons the United States is not a direct democracy:

1. Direct democracies do not protect the rights of the minority.
• In the United States, votes count, but no vote can take away the rights of a group those voting in the minority.
• Can you think of an example of protecting the rights of the minority? 
2.  In a direct democracy, every citizen votes for everything.
• In the United States, we elect representatives to make most government-related decisions for us.
• Can you imagine what it would be like if we all voted on every issue?  What do you know about the electric bill in Congress?  Should we pay it or not?
3. The term democracy is not mentioned in the Declaration of Independence or the U.S. Constitution!
4. No direct democracies have ever existed on the national level.
5. The power of the government is limited by the Constitution, regardless of how Congress or the President votes.
6. Many high-ranking government officials are not elected!
• The nine justices of the U.S. Supreme Court are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
• No one in the military is elected.

  Assignment:  Using materials from class lecture notes and your readings, compile a list of the reasons why the United States is considered to be a democratic government.