A lesson plan for one 80-minute class at the AP level. In it students will identify the main steps in the process of creating and passing legislation:
-Explain the significance of party control and committee work in the Congress in the legislative process
-Identify the role that Congressional leaders such as the House of Representatives and the Senate Majority Leader play in the process of agenda-setting
-Identify the role the President plays in the law-making process
-Explain the reasons why the Founders intended the law-making process to be difficult
The Amendment Process: Ratifying the 19th Amendment
In this activity, students will analyze historical records of Congress and the U.S. government to understand the sequence of steps in the amendment process. Students will study each document and match it to the step in the process that it illustrates.
When put in proper sequence, the documents will show the process by which the 19th Amendment – prohibiting the federal government or states from denying the right to vote on the basis of sex – was added to the Constitution.
Then students will reflect on the process, and the roles that the people, president, Congress and the states play.
The Electoral College Process
In this activity, students will learn the steps in the Electoral College process, from Election Day to Inauguration Day. They will analyze historical primary sources from various Presidential elections, each representing a different step in the process, and arrange them in the correct sequence.
The Judical Nomination Process
What is the nomination process for Supreme Court justices and federal judges? Find out in a multimedia package of educational resources geared to high school students, their teachers, and interested adults. What do judges promise in the judicial oath of office? What is the role of justices and judges? What kinds of information are nominees asked to share during the nomination process? What do judges, themselves, say about what it means to be impartial?
Impeachment Proceedings
The process of impeachment was outlined in the Constitution when it was drafted in 1787. To date, 19 officials, including judges, cabinet members, senators, and presidents, have been impeached and stood trial. The crimes these individuals have been charged with range from perjury to conspiracy to intoxication on the bench. It is important to note that impeachment is not the actual removal from office, but merely the process to remove an official.
The Legislative Process
Nine videos explain each of the common legislative stages, and that the process by which a bill becomes law is rarely predictable.
Constitutional Index – Amendment 5 Federal Due Process Clause
The Constitutional Index breaks down the U.S. Constitution by Section, Amendment, and Clause and contains broader topics and themes. These are used to cross-reference Library resources in an effort to annotate constitutional history.
Article V: The Amendment Process
Article V of the Constitution says how the Constitution can be amended; that is, how provisions can be added to the text of the Constitution. The Constitution is not easy to amend: Only 27 amendments have been added to the Constitution since it was adopted. Discover how the amendment process works in the National Constitution Center’s learning module.
Calcano-Martinez v. INS (2001)
Does the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act violate the due process clause by suspending habeas corpus or limiting access to the courts? This case summary shows how the Supreme Court answered that question in 2001.
Castle Rock v. Gonzales (2005)
Does a court-issued restraining order create a property interest which is protected by the Due Process Clause? This case summary shows how the Supreme Court answered that question in 2005.