Watch the videos below and answer the questions that follow.
GOOD magazine is a collaborative community of individuals, businesses, and nonprofits who produce a magazine and videos, and who organize events that are politically-oriented and progressive. The following video, which was produced by GOOD before the November 2008 election, outlines some the challenges and priorities that the 44th president will face in office.
What the Next President Inherits
GOOD Magazine
Produced October 30, 2008
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| 1a. Do you feel the above video effectively summarizes the challenges faced by President Obama? Why or why not?
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| 1b. How have these challenges changed since 2008? What new challenges have emerged?
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| 1c. Is the political power of the U.S. president strong enough to solve these problems through legislative cooperation with Congress? Or are other organizations, such as non-governmental organizations, foreign governments, or the military, more likely to provide real solutions to these challenges? Explain your answer in terms of the discussion of the presidency in your textbook.
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The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is a satirical news program hosted by Jon Stewart. The show draws its comedy from recent news stories, satirizing political figures, media organizations, and frequently the show itself and its cast members.
My Job
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Comedy Central
First aired October 5, 2006
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| 2a. Although the above video is a satirical portrait of how George W. Bush envisioned his role as president of the United States, it does raise an important issue of how American presidents define themselves once in office. What do you feel is the most important role or task that a president should assume when in office?
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| 2b. Do you feel that President Obama meets your expectations for this role or task? Why or why not?
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In the video that follows, Jon Stewart reviews President Obama’s first year in office and how it is being evaluated by other media outlets.
The First 364 Days 23 Hours
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
January 19, 2010
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| 3a. What point do you think Stewart and correspondent Larry Wilmore are trying to make about evaluating presidencies?
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| 3b. What factors do you think should be taken into account when evaluating the job a president does? Based on these factors, how would you evaluate the job done by the Obama administration to this point in time?
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In this video, two former secretaries of state, James A. Baker III (secretary of state during the George H. W. Bush administration) and Warren Christopher (secretary of state during the Clinton administration) discuss study panel recommendations to replace the War Powers Act.
Panel Calls for New War Powers Legislation
AssociatedPress
July 8, 2008
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| 4a. According to the video and your textbook, what are the problems with the War Powers Act?
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| 4b. The proposed War Powers Consultation Act would require that the president consult with Congress before deploying U.S. troops into "significant armed conflict" (combat operations lasting, or expected to last, more than a week), create the new congressional committee spoken of in the video, and require Congress to vote up or down on significant armed conflicts within 30 days. Do you think this act would be a significant improvement over the existing War Powers Act? Why or why not?
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| 4c. How should Congress and the president share or divide the power to enter armed conflicts?
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