Excerpt from H.R. 627
Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009,
or the Credit CARD Act of 2009

TITLE III : PROTECTION OF YOUNG CONSUMERS

SEC. 301. EXTENSIONS OF CREDIT TO UNDERAGE CONSUMERS.

Section 127(c) of the Truth in Lending Act (15 U.S.C. 1637(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following:

‘(8) APPLICATIONS FROM UNDERAGE CONSUMERS-

‘(A) PROHIBITION ON ISSUANCE- No credit card may be issued to, or open end consumer credit plan established by or on behalf of, a consumer who has not attained the age of 21, unless the consumer has submitted a written application to the card issuer that meets the requirements of subparagraph (B).

‘(B) APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS- An application to open a credit card account by a consumer who has not attained the age of 21 as of the date of submission of the application shall require--

‘(i) the signature of a cosigner, including the parent, legal guardian, spouse, or any other individual who has attained the age of 21 having a means to repay debts incurred by the consumer in connection with the account, indicating joint liability for debts incurred by the consumer in connection with the account before the consumer has attained the age of 21; or

‘(ii) submission by the consumer of financial information, including through an application, indicating an independent means of repaying any obligation arising from the proposed extension of credit in connection with the account.

‘(C) SAFE HARBOR- The Board shall promulgate regulations providing standards that, if met, would satisfy the requirements of subparagraph (B)(ii).’.

SEC. 302. PROTECTION OF YOUNG CONSUMERS FROM PRESCREENED CREDIT OFFERS.

Section 604(c)(1)(B) of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681b(c)(1)(B)) is amended--

(1) in clause (ii), by striking ‘and’ at the end; and

(2) in clause (iii), by striking the period at the end and inserting the following: ‘; and

‘(iv) the consumer report does not contain a date of birth that shows that the consumer has not attained the age of 21, or, if the date of birth on the consumer report shows that the consumer has not attained the age of 21, such consumer consents to the consumer reporting agency to such furnishing.’.

SEC. 303. ISSUANCE OF CREDIT CARDS TO CERTAIN COLLEGE STUDENTS.

Section 127 of the Truth in Lending Act (15 U.S.C. 1637) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

‘(p) Parental Approval Required To Increase Credit Lines for Accounts for Which Parent Is Jointly Liable- No increase may be made in the amount of credit authorized to be extended under a credit card account for which a parent, legal guardian, or spouse of the consumer, or any other individual has assumed joint liability for debts incurred by the consumer in connection with the account before the consumer attains the age of 21, unless that parent, guardian, or spouse approves in writing, and assumes joint liability for, such increase.’.

SEC. 304. PRIVACY PROTECTIONS FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS.

Section 140 of the Truth in Lending Act (15 U.S.C. 1650) is amended by adding at the end the following:

‘(f) Credit Card Protections for College Students-

‘(1) DISCLOSURE REQUIRED- An institution of higher education shall publicly disclose any contract or other agreement made with a card issuer or creditor for the purpose of marketing a credit card.

‘(2) INDUCEMENTS PROHIBITED- No card issuer or creditor may offer to a student at an institution of higher education any tangible item to induce such student to apply for or participate in an open end consumer credit plan offered by such card issuer or creditor, if such offer is made--

‘(A) on the campus of an institution of higher education;

‘(B) near the campus of an institution of higher education, as determined by rule of the Board; or

‘(C) at an event sponsored by or related to an institution of higher education.

‘(3) SENSE OF THE CONGRESS- It is the sense of the Congress that each institution of higher education should consider adopting the following policies relating to credit cards:

‘(A) That any card issuer that markets a credit card on the campus of such institution notify the institution of the location at which such marketing will take place.

‘(B) That the number of locations on the campus of such institution at which the marketing of credit cards takes place be limited.

‘(C) That credit card and debt education and counseling sessions be offered as a regular part of any orientation program for new students of such institution.’.

SEC. 305. COLLEGE CREDIT CARD AGREEMENTS.

(a) In General- Section 127 of the Truth in Lending Act (15 U.S.C. 1637), as otherwise amended by this Act, is amended by adding at the end the following:

‘(r) College Card Agreements-

‘(1) DEFINITIONS- For purposes of this subsection, the following definitions shall apply:

‘(A) COLLEGE AFFINITY CARD- The term ‘college affinity card’ means a credit card issued by a credit card issuer under an open end consumer credit plan in conjunction with an agreement between the issuer and an institution of higher education, or an alumni organization or foundation affiliated with or related to such institution, under which such cards are issued to college students who have an affinity with such institution, organization and--

‘(i) the creditor has agreed to donate a portion of the proceeds of the credit card to the institution, organization, or foundation (including a lump sum or 1-time payment of money for access);

‘(ii) the creditor has agreed to offer discounted terms to the consumer; or

‘(iii) the credit card bears the name, emblem, mascot, or logo of such institution, organization, or foundation, or other words, pictures, or symbols readily identified with such institution, organization, or foundation.

‘(B) COLLEGE STUDENT CREDIT CARD ACCOUNT- The term ‘college student credit card account’ means a credit card account under an open end consumer credit plan established or maintained for or on behalf of any college student.

‘(C) COLLEGE STUDENT- The term ‘college student’ means an individual who is a full-time or a part-time student attending an institution of higher education.

‘(D) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION- The term ‘institution of higher education’ has the same meaning as in section 101 and 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001 and 1002).

OurDocuments.gov Home Page
www.ourdocuments.gov June 30, 2009
Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Outgoing President John Adams had issued William Marbury a commission as justice of the peace, but the new Secretary of State, James Madison, refused to deliver it. Marbury then sued to obtain it. With his decision in Marbury v. Madison, Chief Justice John Marshall established the principle of judicial review, an important addition to the system of “checks and balances” created to prevent any one branch of the Federal Government from becoming too powerful. The document shown here bears the marks of the Capitol fire of 1898.

“A Law repugnant to the Constitution is void.” With these words written by Chief Justice Marshall, the Supreme Court for the first time declared unconstitutional a law passed by Congress and signed by the President. Nothing in the Constitution gave the Court this specific power. Marshall, however, believed that the Supreme Court should have a role equal to those of the other two branches of government.

When James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay wrote a defense of the Constitution in The Federalist, they explained their judgment that a strong national government must have built-in restraints: “You must first enable government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.” The writers of the Constitution had given the executive and legislative branches powers that would limit each other as well as the judiciary branch. The Constitution gave Congress the power to impeach and remove officials, including judges or the President himself. The President was given the veto power to restrain Congress and the authority to appoint members of the Supreme Court with the advice and consent of the Senate. In this intricate system, the role of the Supreme Court had not been defined. It therefore fell to a strong Chief Justice like Marshall to complete the triangular structure of checks and balances by establishing the principle of judicial review. Although no other law was declared unconstitutional until the Dred Scott decision of 1857, the role of the Supreme Court to invalidate Federal and state laws that are contrary to the Constitution has never been seriously challenged.

“The Constitution of the United States,” said Woodrow Wilson, “was not made to fit us like a strait jacket. In its elasticity lies its chief greatness.” The often-praised wisdom of the authors of the Constitution consisted largely of their restraint. They resisted the temptation to write too many specifics into the basic document. They contented themselves with establishing a framework of government that included safeguards against the abuse of power. When the Marshall decision Marbury v. Madison completed the system of checks and balances, the United States had a government in which laws could be enacted, interpreted and executed to meet challenging circumstances.

(The order bears the marks of the Capitol fire of 1898. )

(Information excerpted from Milestone Documents in the National Archives [Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1995] pp. 23-24.)

http://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.VA.htm

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

2009-04-13

This website offers current information on what’s happening with Virginia’s economy. Don’t let the numbers intimidate you! These statistics can provide a lot of information about everything from the unemployment rate in Virginia to the economy of education. There is also more detailed information about urban centers in Virginia. Using this website requires a little extra work to see what all the numbers mean, but the information is well worth it.

economy_glance.jpg

Liz Moore

George Mason University

http://www.youngbiz.com/biznet_tour/youngbizNet.html

Young Biz

2009-04-13

Using activities such as “Galactic Espionage,” USS Biz Trek teaches players about the possibilities and the pitfalls of starting your own business. In the process of visiting Oprah’s website or estimating cash flow, players can learn both about their own business goals and greater issues such as the economy. USS Biz Trek also has a teacher section, offering tools on how to use these classroom exercises. The estimated time for all of these comprehensive exercises is 30 hours, but they can be shortened or expanded based on individual classroom needs. Or, you can do them on your own!

biz_trek.jpg

Liz Moore

George Mason University

http://www.sba.gov/teens/

U.S. Small Business Administration

2009-04-13

This government-run website is aimed at helping teens create their own small business. Teen Business Link covers everything from brainstorming ideas for a business to legal problems small business owners might face. Have you ever thought about what kind of business you might like to start? It’s also a step in the direction of understanding what issues small businesses (and even large ones) have to deal with every day.

business_link.jpg

Liz Moore

George Mason University

1 day (90-minutes)

Sol Skills GOVT.1a
SOL Content GOVT.16d

The students will:

• Calculate their monthly income after taxes, real estate taxes, and personal property taxes.
• Use resources, such as the internet, to find interest rates on mortgages and car loans.
• Compare and contrast tax rates for urban and rural areas of Virginia.
• Explain why local and state governments tax.

Activities

Activity 1

Before beginning the activity, teachers will need to record on 5 x 7 index cards the different levels of income for middle class America. Each index card will increase in $1000 increments.Information for the index cards is available on Handout #1: Middle Class Income in the United States. In addition, teachers need to collect new and existing home sales magazines, car sales magazines and/or classified ads from newspapers. You will need a classroom set.

As students enter the classroom, have them select one of the prepared index cards indicating how much money they will earn in a year.

After selecting an index card, have students complete Handout #2: How Much Do I Have to Spend? After completing this handout, students will know how much they have to spend on a house and a car.

Activity 2

Students will be looking for a house and a car they can afford based on their monthly income. They can use newspapers, new and existing homes sales magazines, car sales magazines, and/or the Internet.

After the students choose their house and car, they need to complete Handout #3: Applying for a House and Car Loan.

Activity 3

After students have selected a house and completed the application, they need to complete Handout #4: Taxes We Pay.

To help students complete Handout #4, distribute copies of Handout #5: Tax Rates. Teachers can make this handout specific to their surrounding counties and cities.

If a student cannot afford the monthly payments for their house and car, they need to find another house or car they can afford based on their income.

Students will now see how much of their income is paid in federal, state, and local taxes by completing Handout #6: The Big Picture.

Group Discussion

1. Why do local governments tax?
2. What is the largest tax revenue for local governments in Virginia?
3. How much did your house payment increase as a result of the real estate tax?
4. Do you continue to pay real estate tax after your house is paid off?
5. What is a progressive tax?
6. What do local governments use their tax money for?
7. Why do towns have to pay a town tax and a county tax?
8. What facilities do towns usually share with counties and cities?
9. Why are tax rates different from local government to local government?
10. Who determines the tax rate for a local government?

Background Information

A state government can levy taxes as it chooses. The state legislature decides what taxes the State will levy, and at what rates. It also decides what taxes a local government can levy.

The largest revenue tax for states is the sales tax; 45 out of 50 states charge a general sales tax and all 50 states charge a selective sales tax on gasoline, alcoholic beverages, and cigarettes. The second largest revenue tax for state governments is income tax; 43 out of 50 states levy an individual income tax.

The largest revenue tax for local governments is the property tax. There are two types of property tax: 1) real estate tax; such as land, buildings, and improvements that go with the property and 2) personal property tax on items such as cars, trucks, boats, etc.

The largest expenditure for state governments is education, which represents one-third of a state’s budget. The second largest expenditure is public welfare. States take an active role in promoting the health and welfare of their residents.

Local governments also have expenditures. Primary and secondary education is largely the responsibility of local governments and consumes a large portion of the budget. The second largest expenditure for local governments is police and fire protection.

Conclusion

This activity should give students a better understanding of the state and local taxes they pay. You cannot buy a house or car in a particular county or city and not be able to pay the taxes. Living outside the large city in a rural county may help someone have a bigger house or a more expensive car because the taxes will not be as high. Students should also have a better understanding that a large amount of their pay check is used to pay taxes.

Differentiation

For more advanced students, you can use the websites for purchasing a home and car and determine how much interest they pay on each of their loans. You could discuss why banks charge interest, who determines the interest rate, what makes the rate go up and down. Also, you could calculate how much more interest you pay on a house or car with a longer term as compared to a shorter term and a higher payment.

Linda Long

Roanoke County Public Schools

Why I Taught These Sources

Any student who pays any attention to state or local political issues in Virginia will eventually hear someone complain about Dillon’s Rule because complaining about Dillon’s Rule is ubiquitous in local government circles in Virginia. I once spoke to a high school government class about Dillon’s Rule and before I got a few sentences into my talk a student raised her hand and said “My Dad says Dillon’s Rule is the biggest obstacle to progress we have ever faced.” I seldom hear a positive word spoken about Dillon’s Rule. It conjures up bad images in the mind’s eye: bad constitutional law and unwarranted limits on local government’s ability to make public policy. However, I think while Dillon’s Rule certainly does restrain local government in some significant ways, it is often unfairly blamed as the cause of many problems for which is has played no role at all. I use these sources to make this point and my hope is that students come away with a better understanding of just what role Dillon’s Rule plays in local governance in Virginia.

How I Introduce These Sources

I introduce these three sources to the students by first talking about the concept of home rule. I think the most important thing for students to understand when trying to get their heads around Dillon’s Rule is to think about power on a continuum from absolute power to make decisions on one end to absolutely no power to make decisions on the other end. I use my students as an example, asking them to think back to their time in high school. I draw a line across the board and on the left I write “Absolute Power” and on the right I write “Absolutely No Power.”  I ask the students to tell me where they think they would have placed their own decision making authority viz-a-viz their parents when they were in high school. There are always a few outliers, but most students place themselves near the middle right, meaning their power was restricted but they felt like they did have power and authority to make some decisions. We have a brief class discussion about this, and I try to focus the discussion on what kind of decisions they had the authority to make for themselves. They probably couldn’t decide to stay out all Friday night without talking to their parents about it, but they probably could decide which movie they were going to see without talking to their parents about it.

I use this analogy and apply it to local government in Virginia, noting that like their position in high school, local governments also have limitations on their power and authority. With this idea of power on a continuum in mind, I then shift the discussion to the three sources: an overview of Dillon’s Rule from the League of Women Voters of Fairfax County, a chapter on the Dillon Rule from The Albemarle County Land Use Handbook, and a Virginia Supreme Court Ruling.

Reading the Sources

It is very easy to get mired in the minutia of local ordinances, court cases, and laws, so reading the sources takes some care. I have found the best way to read the sources is to give students a list of questions first, and then ask them to read the first source Handout #1: Dillon’s Rule: Good or Bad for Local Governments? with those questions in mind. The list I usually give includes: 1.) In what way does Dillon’s Rule limit local governmental power and authority? 2.) In what way does Dillon’s Rule empower local governmental power and authority? 3.) What is the default position when there is disagreement or uncertainty, and why does this default position frustrate people? In a class discussion I cover the concepts of “expressed power,” “implied power” and “inherent power.” I then go back to the concept of power on a continuum and ask students to generically place local governments somewhere on the continuum between “Absolute Power” and “Absolutely No Power.” The goal of this discussion is to come out the other end with the students understanding that local government power in Virginia exists on the continuum at about the same place on that continuum that many students are in terms of their own power and authority in high school…slightly to the right of center.

I next turn to a case study…since many conflicts involving Dillon’s Rule in recent years have been around land use and planning, I ask students to read Handout #2: Albemarle County Land Use Law Handbook, Chapter 5 and Handout #3: Jacqulyn C. Logan v. City Council of the City of Roanoke. We have a class discussion about the advice provided in the handbook and the decision made by the Virginia Supreme Court. These two readings serve as a case study of Dillon’s Rule in action and how local governments make policy in the context of their very real limitations and their very real powers.

Reflections

Studying Dillon’s Rule is very valuable for several reasons. Virginia is a Dillon’s Rule state and as such there are very real limitations placed upon local government’s power and authority. Students should understand what this means and by understanding this they will have gained a much better idea of the potential difficulties local officials might have in solving problems. However, it is equally important that students understand that Dillon’s Rule does not mean that local governments have no powers. There are powers expressly granted and powers necessarily implied, and it is through these power that local governments are able to solve many (if not most) of the problems that arise. Finally, understanding Dillon’s Rule and the grants and limitations of power it provides to local governments gives students an avenue to understanding how to become engaged in their communities.

Quentin Kidd, Ph.D.

Christopher Newport University

Why I Taught These Resources

Understanding the political process in the United States involves more than understanding elections. For students to actively engage in the political process and promote a healthy democracy, it is important for them to understand the human behavior that crafted it. Understanding the motivations behind congressional redistricting and analyzing its results will allow students to see opportunities for refining the system to better meet the needs of the American people.

This article is a combination of both history and civics as it relates the story of gerrymandering in Virginia to its current practice.Of particular importance is Stroupe’s evidence that the practice of gerrymandering in Virginia has led to lower civic engagement, voter apathy, reduction in two-party competition, polarization, etc. The statistics and anecdotes from Virginia’s history will allow students to draw conclusions and analyze possible solutions to this difficult topic.I also chose this article because of its inclusion of statistical evidence, which students need to master for a variety of subject areas including mathematics. I hope that students will be able to construct a picture of redistricting that indicates a need for reform. Students will be able to use this construct to analyze proposals for reforms as suggested by Mr. Stroupe and in an outside reading by Larry J. Sabato.  

It is dangerous to assert that gerrymandering is wrong. It paints a black-and-white version of democracy that is prevalent today and that seeks to undermine the culture of discourse, debate, and compromise that our founding fathers found so important in creating our democracy. What I hope is that students understand that democracy is a process and that the topic of gerrymandering is one that we should address as citizens in a modern society. What is the role that citizens can play in controlling gerrymandering? This lesson will lead students to discuss and debate the history and practice of gerrymandering in both Virginia and the nation and perhaps arrive at policy solutions for the practice that will help to strengthen citizen engagement.

How I Introduce the Sources

To introduce the topic of gerrymandering it is interesting to ask students to poll a small number of voting adults with the following questions:

• What is your congressional voting district?
• What is your state legislative district?
• State senate district?
• How often do you vote?
• When was the last election you participated in?
• How many times during your voting life has your district changed?

Using this statistical information will allow students to see that while many people know their congressional district, they have a difficult time with their state legislative districts. They may also note that their local districts are more likely to change than their congressional district. It is also highly likely that the respondents last voted in a national election and haven’t always participated in state or local elections. The collection of this data can be referred back to as the discussion of gerrymandering and the Stroupe article progresses.

I would also suggest finding a short reading on the history of gerrymandering that includes the famous 1812 cartoon by Gilbert Stuart, “Better call it a Gerrymander”. As a prior reading assignment, I might have students read from a text or research the term Gerrymander with a graphic organizer asking them to define the term, its history, and how the term is applied today. These assignments will provide students with background knowledge in advance of reading and discussing the terms in the article by Kenneth Stroupe.

Reading the Sources

To begin the reading of the article I would display the following statement from the article to the students:

While one may have some measure of confidence that his or her individual vote is counted in an election, the manner in which voting districts are configured matters a great deal in influencing the outcome of the election.

I would ask students to agree or disagree with the statement and discuss their justifications for their responses. To make the task of reading the entire article  more manageable for students, I would distribute Handout #1: Gerrymandering’s Long History in Virginia: Will This Decade Mark the End? Students will complete the reading of the article by using expert groups which would be assigned a group topic: the practice of gerrymandering, its history in Virginia, the effects on the political process, and possible reform options. Students in each expert group would be responsible for reading the article and identifying the key terms, ideas, and statistics relating to the article. The groups would prepare a summary or presentation (perhaps using PowerPoint or Photo Story) that would highlight each of the topics. While reading the article students would take notes on their topics and highlight questions for each of the expert groups. In addition to the information in the article, expert groups could do additional research on their topic to add to their presentations.

Reflections

After reading the article and listening to the presentations, students should be asked whether or not their reactions to the opening statement had changed. Do they still feel as though a voting district doesn’t affect the outcome of a vote? Students can then be asked to read Reforming the House from the chapter, Creating a Capital Congress, in the book A More Perfect Constitution by Larry J. Sabato. Use this as a jumping off place for a discussion about possible reform. Ask students to brainstorm other ways that the redistricting process might be adapted to fit a diverse and growing population. This should elicit a debate in your classroom about the necessity of the census coming up in 2010, the implications for Virginians, and the role that citizens can play in changing gerrymandering in the future.

Using their knowledge of the redistricting process in Virginia, the history of gerrymandering, and strategies for addressing the negative aspects of the process students should engage with state and local legislators to advocate for a change in redistricting policy. Using YLI’s (Youth Leadership Initiative) Democracy Corps or other service learning models students should write to legislators, invite them to classroom meetings or attend public hearings at the General Assembly. Empowering students to follow through on advocating for change will help to create civic habits for life and lead them to believe that, “Politics is a good thing.”

Kennenth S. Stroupe, Jr., Ph.D., and Margaret Heubeck

University of Virginia Center for Politics

Why I Taught These Sources

Above all, I think students need to learn to be effective monitors of government activity. Being a responsible adult citizen means having the tools to investigate on one’s own the linkages between money, politicians, and policy outcomes.

To me, the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP) is a wonderful place to give students the opportunity to learn about these connections online in a search-friendly and highly accessible format. Knowing how to conduct a study like this can encourage students to learn about the credibility of online information, to get a sense of the sort of information that is available, and to make critical decisions about what sort of information is most valuable for assessing candidates. With this information in hand, citizens can make more informed choices in general elections as well as primaries where candidates are often more difficult to assess because of limited media and public attention. 

The official state Board of Elections website offers additional details about specific elections, including county by county and city by city breakdowns, that can help in the discussion of how politicians draw district lines, which is a key factor in determining what sort of candidates are likely to be nominated from each party, or even if a party can find any candidate to run in the district.

How I Introduce These Sources

I introduce the students to the two primary sources after providing students with an introduction to Virginia nomination politics. Key issues to explore with the class before embarking on this case study include the great range of voters within each party in Virginia (e.g., differences in the state Republican party platform and the presentation of a Republican candidate in a swing district like the 42nd-Springfield); the differences in the primary electorates during conventions and primaries; the historically poor turnout during nomination contests in the state; the fears of other party “intruders” voting in party contests in a state without voter registration by party; and the greater Democratic preference for primaries and the Republican preference for conventions. 

The two candidate websites listed here demonstrate how candidates present themselves to appeal to voters in one of the state’s most competitive legislative districts. The Republican presentation in the Springfield case is very different than the Republican presentation of House of Delegate candidates in more conservative areas, and from the Republican Party of Virginia website. To make the same point, I also use an example of a conservative Democrat like Senator Edd Houck of Spotsylvania, who has a more Republican district than most other Democrats. VPAP and the Board of Elections websites can demonstrate the voting patterns in national and state elections in these individual districts and in different jurisdictions within those districts to make some of these comparisons clearer.

Reading the Sources

I teach this case study in a computer lab, where each student has access to his or her own computer and can work individually. I have them complete the “First Time Users Tour” on the VPAP website so they can see what sort of material is out there. I encourage students to search for answers to particular questions (e.g., Who runs the “Dominion Leadership Trust” PAC? What organization was the top recipient of funds from the Democratic Governors Association? Which counties and cities did Brian Moran win in the 2009 Democratic primary for governor, and how many of them voted for a Democratic gubernatorial candidate in the 2005 general election?) This helps students become familiar with the web page. I use the same question and answer approach to introducing students to the Board of Elections website—like “How many votes did Brian Moran win in his brother’s congressional district?”

After they have had some experience with the websites, I then have them look at the primary contests for the House of Delegates or Senate of Virginia in their own communities (if they are residents of competitive districts in Virginia) or in competitive districts that I select for them. You can also use the candidate websites and website data from the 2009 Democratic gubernatorial campaign, which had three viable candidates. For high school audiences, of course, groups of students can be assigned different districts in different parts of the state and can compare the findings in oral reports. I just use a general conversation to illustrate the differences, but written assignments and more formal presentations could be used.

Students seem to really enjoy digging into this material. One of the potential problems, though, is that students can be overwhelmed by all the material available on these sites, including bill sponsorship, registered lobbyists, and a lot of other things that may be useful for more specialized assignments. I have been able to minimize this problem through the use of specific questions like those suggested above, and by watching the students as they conduct these searches (there is also a tendency for some to leave the assignment behind for Facebook).

Reflections

Students who have been exposed to these websites often return on their own time to look up the answers to other questions they have about what is going on in Virginia politics. State government is often less familiar to students than national government, and this case study can help them put together some of the pieces of campaign contributions, lobbyists, lawmakers and policy-making within Virginia. More than a few students have found relatives and parents of friends on the contribution lists. The main value of this unit, to me, is increasing the curiosity of students and giving them the tools to learn about key factors regarding which candidates emerge where in Virginia politics. Students can learn about the composition of the districts (and see gerrymandering in action), and how that line drawing can affect the choices that voters have (or do not have) in primaries and conventions. They see how individualistic campaigning can be, and how individual politicians have to be very careful to tailor their messages to win those voters likely to turn out, even if that means putting forward messages that are quite different from the party’s messages statewide.

Stephen J. Farnsworth, Ph.D.

George Mason University

http://www.vsp.state.va.us/

Virginia State Police

2009-04-08

The Virginia State Police website offers information about police initiatives to improve public safety throughout the Commonwealth. Website visitors can see the ways the public can access these initiatives, including public safety tips and annual vehicle safety inspections. Police are also subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and the website offers directions for requesting information. Overall, the Virginia State Police portal deals with ways the public and public safety officers interact with each other, which is a prime example of government in action.

VA_police.jpg

Liz Moore

George Mason University