Congress

What an exciting time to study Congress! We can observe all the dry facts in the textbook in action. Our legislators are debating several important issues such as Health Care Reform, extension of the Patriot Act, raising the national debt level, continuation of the Estate tax, and confirmation of Obama appointments, among others. They need to make decisions on several of these issues before the Christmas break and they look forward to their holiday just as much as you do.

Sixteen questions about Congress have been posted on this blog. Answer your assigned question for a daily grade by Wednesday, Dec. 2. I will grade your posted answer on the blog.

You will a Congress Report on an assigned member of the Virginia delegation in the national Congress. Instructions for this report are posted below. This is a test grade (100 points) and is due the beginning of the period, Wednesday, Dec. 9.

CONGRESS REPORT

Congressman _________________________ District _____

Prepare a typed report providing the information requested below. Each answer should be numbered to correspond to the question or request for information. The questions should be incorporated in your answers.

Information for 1-5 can be obtained from your Congressman’s website. Randy Forbes is www.house.gov/forbes

1. Provide several paragraphs of biographical information about your congressman including when he was first elected to Congress.

2. Provide the geographic location of the district and any other interesting data on the district.

3. List the Congressman’s committee assignments, leadership roles, and caucus affiliations.

4. Describe and evaluate the types of constituent service available from the congressman.

5. Evaluate the value of the website to constituents.

Information for the next questions about campaign contributions and expenditures will use the following websites:

www.opensecrets.org

www.maplight.org

www.fec.gov

6. What were your candidate’s total receipts? What percent was from outside the district? Outside the state? From individuals? From PAC’s? Compare the amount of money the winner and the challenger received.

7. Discuss the source of the money. Which were the major industries and types of PACS that contributed. Review the list of Top Donors and the Top Metro Areas. Try to explain why your candidate received money from outside the district.

8. The maplight site has a tab for money received near votes. Describe one incident for your candidate.

9. Look at your candidate’s expenditures. Discuss the largest expenditures and any particularly interesting ones. Here are the links to this info:

www.fec.gov
map of U.S.—click on VA
2nd map of U.S.—click on VA again
Choose a district—pick your assigned district
Chart of candidates—pick incumbent—click on his/her name
II. Disbursements—select Operating Expenditures


Information for the last questions about the 2008 election will come from:

www.sbe.virginia.gov

On left, click on Election Information, then Election Results,
For Year of Election, Select 2008, then November 4, 2008 Official Election Results

10. Give the statewide election percentages for Obama/Biden and McCain/ Palin. On the right side of the page click on “Votes by district” and give the election percentages for Obama/Biden and McCain/Palin for your district. Note and discuss any differences.

11. Note the political party of the candidate who won in your district. Did the same party win the presidential vote and the congressional vote? Was the congressional winner the incumbent? Give the percent of the margin of victory of the congressional winner over the challenger. Decide if the district is “safe” or “marginal” for your winner and explain. You may want to review results from previous elections to make this decision.