SUBJECTS

U.S. Government, Civics, U.S. History

 GRADE LEVEL

9-12

The Line-Item Veto giving the President the power to veto portions of a bill while approving the remainder became federal law on April 9, 1996. President William Jefferson Clinton used the Line-Item Veto eighty-two (82) times. The city of New York, New York, appealed the Line Item Veto to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court declared the Line-Item Veto unconstitutional on June 25, 1998. Currently, Congress is contemplating a Line-Item Veto amendment to the Constitution. See Frequently Asked Questions and the Time Line.

 LESSON PLAN

In this lesson, students perform a series of activities culminating in a persuasive letter to their Congress Member. Citing evidence from primary sources, students construct a position on the Line-Item Veto Amendment. Students will demonstrate their knowledge, understanding, and mastery of the concepts of checks and balances in their letter.

 Students comprehend basic vocabulary words such as checks and balances, separation of powers, veto, judicial review, and line item veto.

 Students access several sites to analyze primary documents to study issues relating to checks and balances.

 Students explain reasons that the framers of the Constitution wanted a system of checks and balances.

 Students list the various checks and balances on each branch of government as listed in the Constitution.

 Students create a graphic organizer in which they give examples of checks and balances on each branch.

 Students demonstrate how the systems of checks and balances make the branches co-equal.

 Students analyze a political cartoon and list reasons why each of the branches would think they are the most powerful.

 Students interview city government officials to compare the check and balance powers of city government with the federal government.

 Students predict whether the Line Item Veto Amendment will be passed.

 Students write a letter to their Congress Member stating support or opposition to the line-item veto.

 RESOURCES

 U.S. Constitution

 Federalist Paper 47

 Students require access to the Internet to do research, primarily on CongressLink.

Other CongressLink Resources:

 Supreme Court Decision [Clinton v. City of New York]

 Line-Item Veto Amendment

 Line-Item Veto Time Line

 Line-Item Veto Frequently Asked Questions

 CREDIT

Alene Bynum,
Russellville High School
P. O. Box 1660
Russellville, AR 72811

Carol Krup
Poly High School
5450 Victoria Avenue
Riverside, CA 92506

Tom Quinn
Central Bucks East High School
2804 Holicong Road
Doylestown, PA 18901