Other
Middle East Institute: Middle Eastern Economies
Economic trends will provide a very important part of the context in which President Obama's policies play out in the remainder of his term until January 2017. The Middle East's economic recovery from the 2008-2010 global economic crisis...
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation(F.B.I)is an independent agency of the U.S. government. This homepage contains a wide variety of information, such as: Your FBI, Contacting the FBI, Major Investigations, Employment, etc.
Other
Federal Judicial Center: What the Federal Courts Do
U.S. government-sponsored site that provides excellent information on the distinction between civil law and criminal law. It is part of a larger website that is dedicated to explaining the workings of the federal judicial system....
Cynthia J. O'Hora
Mrs. O's House: Government Travel and Staffers
Who should pay for politicians traveling before it violates ethical codes of abuse of power? Legislators and their staff were offered and accepted millions of dollars worth of free trips. This lesson explores the ethics of our...
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Tough Issues
Read about the change of plans when delegates to the Philadelphia convention decided to write a new constitution to replace the Articles of Convention. See the ideas delegates had to address concerns of large and small states.
Wikimedia
Wikipedia: Separation of Powers
Discusses what separation of powers is, what it looked like in the past, and how it is interpreted in countries around the world and in the United States.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: A Federalist Stronghold: John Marshall's Supreme Court
John Marshall was the fourth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, but his decisions, especially in Marbury v Madison, set the influence of the Court for the next many decades. Read about Marshall's decisions and why they were so important.
iCivics
I Civics: Nationbuilder in Chief
Students learn about some of the decisions and actions the first presidential administrations took to make sure the United States would be strong enough to last.
Digital History
Digital History: Completing a Final Draft
Read about the committee that produced a final draft of the Constitution to present to the entire Constitutional Convention. Find out what the delegates to the convention kept in the final draft and what they changed.
Tennessee History For Kids
Tennessee History for Kids: Part Four, New Nation and Statehood
This website page includes information regarding how Tennessee became a state beginning with King George III's Proclamation of 1763 and ending with Tennessee becoming a state and moving the capitol to Knoxville.
Digital History
Digital History: Majority Rule vs. Checks and Balances [Pdf]
It is interesting to read how the delegates to the Constitutional Convention thought as they debated important issues such as the checks and balances that should be written into the new Constitution. Read these conversations based on...
Other
Pennsylvania General Assembly
Official site of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the legislative branch of the state government of Pennsylvania. Find a mix of useful resources, including a state-legislator finder, a virtual tour of the capitol building, a guide to...
Other
International Constitutional Law: Bangladesh Index
This site provides background material on Bangladesh's 1996 constitution It also describes the Bangladesh political parties and history of the current government.
Georgetown University
Georgetown University Pdba: Bolivia Cabinet/gabinete
A current list of the governmental leaders of Bolivia who form the Executive Branch of the government. It includes the President/Vice-President and the Ministers names.
US National Archives
Nara: Teaching With Documents: Anti Railroad Propaganda Poster
From the National Archives and Records Administration site, this lesson, focusing on a poster circulated in Philadelphia in 1839 to discourage the coming of the railroad, relates to the struggle to define the powers of the national and...
US Navy
U.s. Military History and National Security
An internet guide to US military history and national security. Includes links to the history of the US armed forces and specific branches as well as information on the different federal organizations involved in national security.
American Bar Association
American Bar Assoc.: Separation of Powers, Connecting the Separate Powers [Pdf]
This lesson involves role-playing to help the students understand the separation of powers. [PDF]
Schools of California Online Resources for Education
Score: The u.s. Constitution Power Grab Game
Politicians like power, but who actually gets to use their powers in different situations? Take this quiz to sort out the checks and balances that are used on the various power plays.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Congress: The Senate and the House of Representatives: Foundational
This resource from Khan Academy provides practice questions over the Senate and the House of Representatives. These practice questions are intended for students taking a high school or college level American Government and Civics...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Understanding the President's Job
What does the President do? Understanding how our democracy works includes understanding how the Executive branch of our government works. Teachers can use this lesson plan to explore with students the job of the President. Academic...
Yale University
Library of Congress: The Federalist Papers, No.41
This is a copy of Federalist Paper No. 41, authored by James Madison, in which he clearly defines the need to identify and restrain the power of the general government and then addresses the need to distribute that power among the branches.
Curated OER
Wikipedia: National Historic Landmarks in Vermont: Vermont Statehouse
The capitol and seat of the state's legislative branch of government.
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: Little Legislatures
This site from the University of Groningen clearly defines the role of committees in the legislative process, as well as a brief historical perspective on congressional committees. Essays, text and biography links related to American...