AND
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
NAME: ____________________________
Student number:_____________________
E-mail address_____________________
As we have discussed numerous times a republican form of democracy rests heavily on representation. It will be interesting then to see if your representative in Congress shares your views on some important issues. To find out you first need to determine what in fact are your views on these controversies; then to locate the person in the House who represents your district and determine how he or she voted on these matters. The goals of this assignment is to encourage everyone to take an interest in politics by looking at what members of congress are doing and to become familiar with a few controversial issues.
You need to proceed as follows.
First, print this form so that you can record the information and turn it in for credit.
Take the public opinion poll in part II. (If you don't have an opinion or don't want to state it, just make one up. Since there are no right or wrong answers and since we'll try to keep your responses confidential, your real beliefs aren't important for this assignment.)
As indicated in Part III use the Internet to go to the sources of information that contain data on congressional voting.
Summarize the requested information in the spaces provide below and hand in the project by the assignment by April 30, 2002 at the latest.
The Assignment counts 5 percent or 5 points.
Note: research your member of the House of Representatives, not senator. Don't make a mistake! No credit for senators!
Your name (printed): ___________________________________________
Student number: ________________________________________________
Your home town or current legal place of residence ____________________________________
State: __________
Who is your representative to the U.S. Congress, the House of Representatives?________________________
Use the person from Assignment No. 2.
Here are some issues that have or will face congress. To see how well your representative speaks for you answer these questions. NOTE: all responses will be treated confidentially. But if you don't have an opinion or simply don't want to express one, just choose an alternative at random and pretend like it's yours. Or answer "No opinion" or "Don't know."
1. Would you vote for a law to prevent drilling for oil in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)?
Yes ___________
No ___________
Don't know. ___________
2. Would you support legislation that would authorize $167 billion over ten years for farm price supports, conservation programs, food aid and rural development?
Yes, would have vote for such an authorization. ____________
No, I would not support such an authorization. ___________
No opinion___________
Don't know enough about the issue___________
3. Would you have voted for President's Bush's proposal to cut taxes by $1.6 trillion over 10 years?
Yes, would support this tax cut. ________________
No, would not support this tax cut. _________________
No opinion. ____________
Don' know enough about the issue. __________
4. Vote for a bill that would ban "soft money" donations to national political parties?
Yes, would support this ban. ________________
No, would not support this ban. _________________
No opinion. ____________
Don' know enough about the issue. __________
5. Would you vote for a congressional resolution that would authorize the president to use all necessary and appropriate military force against parties responsible in any way for the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States?
Yes, would support such a resolution. ________________
No, would not support such a resolution. ________________
No opinion. ____________
Don' know enough about the issue. __________
6. Do you favor a "Patients' Bill of Rights" legislation, a bill that would provide federal health care protections, such as access to specialty and emergency room care, and require that health maintenance organizations [HMOs] have an appeals process for patients who are denied care?
Yes, favor a "Patients'Bill of Rights." ________________
No, do not favor this idea. _________________
No opinion. ____________
Don' know enough about the issue. __________
7. Do you support a Constitutional amendment that would prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States.
Yes, I support such an amendment. _________________
No, I do not support such an amendment. _________________
No opinion. _________________
Don't know enough about the issue. _________________
8. Would you favor federal rules that would force businesses to take steps to prevent work-related repetitive stress disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome.
Yes, favor such rules. ________________
No, do not favor such rules. ________________$
No opinion. _________________
Don't know enough about the issue. _________________
9. In general, would you call yourself a liberal, a conservative, or a moderate or are you not interested in politics enough to say?
_____Liberal
_____Moderate
_____Conservative
_____Not interested in politics.
Click here to go to Project Vote Smart (or go to the Internet site http://www.vote-smart.org) to find your representative's voting record. Click on "Candidates, Issues,...". Or wait a couple of seconds until the page switches automatically.
Representative: __________________________________
Party: _________________
Current District: ______________
What is this person's Professional Experience, if any is listed? ______________
What percent of the votes did this person receive in 2000? _____________
What committees is he or she on? (List one or two)
___________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________
Now select "Voting Record". Look at the top right.
Keep in mind that your member may not have voted on all issues.
1. How did your representative vote on ANWR? For _______ or Against_______
2. How did you representative vote the farm bill? For _____ or Against ______
3. Did your representative vote for the Bush tax cut? Yes ________ No __________
4. Did your representative vote to ban soft money? Yes _________ No ____________
5. Did the representative vote to authorize the president to use all necessary and appropriate force against the terrorists responsible for the September 11, 2001 attack? Yes _________ No ____________
6. Did the representative vote a "Patient's Bill of Rights?" Yes ________ No ________
7. Did the representative vote to pass a joint resolution to propose a Constitutional amendment to state that Congress shall have the power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the United States. Yes ________ No _______
Does your representative represent you? Explain.
Optional. Would you say that your representative is a liberal, moderate, or conservative? Explain.
MAKE SURE YOUR NAME IS ON EACH PAGE.
TURN IN BY April 23, 2002.
Work alone!
Go
to American Political System page.
Copyright © 1999 H. T. Reynolds
This page was created by
WebEdit,
January 18, 1999
Revised April 10, 2002