About Us
Congress: The Context
SUBJECTS
U.S. Government, Civics, U.S. History
GRADE LEVEL
9-12
OBJECTIVES
Making Congress Work Through Leadership is based on statements by former House Republican Leader Robert H. Michel drawn from the archival holdings of The Dirksen Congressional Center about the nature of leading in Congress. The general purpose of this unit is to introduce students to the leadership styles practiced by different leaders in Congress. This will help them understand such concepts as majority and minority roles in legislatures; the nature of deliberation, negotiation, and compromise; the context that shapes legislative leadership; and, the work of Congress more generally.
LESSON PLAN
List the current leaders of the U.S. House and Senate. Which political party controls the House? the Senate? Identify all the people named in the leadership statements. Compile biographical information for Michel, Gingrich, Hastert, and Dirksen. Define such terms as political party, Republican conference, paradigm. List the constitutional provisions that shape the opportunities for, and limitations upon, leadership in Congress. Create a leadership roster for the current Congress.
Compare the statements of the four leaders and classify them as either confrontational or compromising leaders. What examples can you find in these statements to illustrate either a confrontational or compromising approach to leadership? Describe the conditions under which a confrontational style of leadership would be more effective than a compromising style. Using examples from the statements, illustrate the obstacles congressional leaders face. Create a table placing leaders in table cells. Divide into groups and locate statements; share results as a class.
Select a local leadership setting, such as a city council, county board, or student council, and determine which of the four leadership statements would best describe the setting. Select a news story about a pending congressional debate or action and identify the leadership style best suited for the situation. Create a scrapbook from local press coverage supporting your conclusion.
How would the leadership style of a leader of the minority political party compare or contrast with the leadership style of a majority party leader? Identify leaders whom you know personally and classify them as confrontational or compromising leaders. Robert Michel compares his task to that of a baseball manager. How accurate is that? What evidence do these leaders provide in their statements of the obstacles they face? How does the nature of congressional leadership reflect certain constitutional principles such as shared and limited powers, or how does the Constitution create the context for congressional leadership? Select a congressional leader from history and compare his situation with that of a current leader.
What are the personal qualities one must have to be a leader in the style of Robert H. Michel? If you were a member of Congress and felt very strongly about a matter, which leader would you follow and why? What would you predict of infer from Dennis Hastert's statement about his approach to resolving differences with member of the other political party? After looking at classified ads for employment in your newspaper, compose a classified ad for a congressional leader. Prepare a press release in which you proclaim your leadership intentions for a school office, team, or group.
Select one leader whose style you support and justify your position. What do you think about the quality of leadership in Congress today? What is the most important quality for a congressional leader to have? Prepare a score sheet in which you identify what it takes to be a successful leader; apply it to leaders in various settings.
RESOURCES
Information posted throughout the CongressLink site
CREDIT
Frank H. Mackaman
fmackaman@dirksencenter.org
