Kulturraumstudien USA, Homework for November 16th

 For homework, please prepare the following:

- as part of your notes for the year, I recommend printing a list of the US presidents as well as a map of the United States (with major cities, rivers, and mountain ranges) for reference

- read pp. 153-157 from These Truths and answer the following questions:

1. Who were the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists?

2. How did John Adams and Thomas Jefferson differ in their views towards the role of government?

3. What was the Constitutional Crisis?

4. What "balance" was John Adams concerned about and how did Thomas Jefferson differ in his opinion?

5. Explain how the Electoral College came to be established. 

- have a look at the diagram featured on this page which summarizes the checks and balances of the three branches of US government (the executive, judicial, and legislative branches): https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38881119

Answers to some student questions:

1. Does the vice president have to be born in the United States (just like the president has to be, a stipulation which is outlined in Article 2, Section 1, Clause 5 of the US Constitution)? 

Yes, by nature of the fact that the vice president assumes the office of president should the incumbent (meaning active) president be incapacitated. 

2. If the president dies, who assumes his/her position? 

The presidential line of succession is enshrined in Article 2, Section 1, Clause 6 of the US Constitution. Should the president be incapacitated the line proceeds as follows: 

Vice President, Speaker of the House, Senate president pro temporae, Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Defense, Attorney General (continuing with other members of the Cabinet)

Some interesting links: 

National Archives: https://museum.archives.gov/

Smithsonian Museums main site: https://www.si.edu/museums