1.0 Overall: 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.
Bloom's Taxonomy: CongressLink lesson plans are built
around Bloom's
taxonomy. The purpose of the taxonomy is to provide a coherent
format for lessons and to make it easier for teachers to design
them according to CongressLink's standards.
2.0 Knowledge: 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.
3.0 Understanding: 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.
4.0 Application: 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.
5.0 Analysis: 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.
6.0 Synthesis: 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.
7.0 Evaluation: 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.
