NVTC TechPAC Endorses Bob McDonnell for Virginia Governor HERNDON, VA, October 1, 2009 - The Northern Virginia Technology Council TechPAC (NVTC TechPAC), the Northern Virginia technology community's political action committee, today endorsed Bob McDonnell for Governor of Virginia. In a concurrent announcement, TechPAC endorsed Delegate Steve Shannon for Attorney General of Virginia. The TechPAC Board of Trustees voted to endorse Bob McDonnell following a thorough review of each candidate's voting records on issues of importance to Northern Virginia's technology community and face-to-face interviews with each candidate. During the interview process, technology business leaders discussed with each candidate their campaign platforms and proposals, voting records, and positions on the issues in NVTC's technology business agenda. "While the NVTC TechPAC Board of Trustees has a great deal of respect for Creigh Deeds and his commitment to Virginia, the Trustees determined that Bob McDonnell is a strong leader with specific proposals to ensure Virginia remains a competitive and innovative global technology center," said Dendy Young, TechPAC Chairman and Chairman and CEO of McLean Capital, LLC. "McDonnell has a consistent history of working closely with our technology industry and will build on his record of developing and supporting Virginia's technology initiatives and on his long-term commitment to business development in the Commonwealth." While the TechPAC endorsement is based on NVTC's technology policy agenda, it is important to note that both candidates fell short on transportation. The TechPAC Board felt strongly that neither candidate presented a plan that would adequately and permanently address our transportation funding crisis. The next governor must solve our critical transportation needs through a realistic and bipartisan solution. About NVTC TechPAC Launched by NVTC in 2001, NVTC TechPAC is governed by a 25 member Board of Trustees that includes prominent business leaders representing many of the largest and well known technology businesses in the region as well as the smaller entrepreneurial businesses that help drive Northern Virginia's technology economy. NVTC TechPAC identifies and supports General Assembly candidates throughout the state, as well as those candidates for Governor and Attorney General, whose positions, policies and initiatives best reflect the priorities and interests of Northern Virginia's technology community. NVTC TechPAC endorsement decisions are based on the issues and priorities articulated in the Northern Virginia Technology Council's Policy Agenda. Paid for by the Northern Virginia Technology Council. Authorized by NVTC TechPAC.

http://datapoint.apa.virginia.gov/

Commonwealth of Virginia

2009-10-02

Commonwealth Data Point is an excellent tool for understanding the basic implementation of financial expenditures. Find out budget data, or what was purchased on the state credit card. The website also provides demographic data, such as university enrollment and food stamp use. While browsing the website, you may want to consider how state and local governments implement policy decisions. What changes could you make to policy or spending practices?

vadatapoint.jpg

Liz Moore

George Mason University

‘‘TITLE I—IMPROVING THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF THE DISADVANTAGED ‘‘SEC. 1001. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE. ‘‘The purpose of this title is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards and state academic assess- ments. This purpose can be accomplished by— ‘‘(1) ensuring that high-quality academic assessments, accountability systems, teacher preparation and training, cur- riculum, and instructional materials are aligned with chal- lenging State academic standards so that students, teachers, H. R. 1—16 parents, and administrators can measure progress against common expectations for student academic achievement; ‘‘(2) meeting the educational needs of low-achieving chil- dren in our Nation’s highest-poverty schools, limited English proficient children, migratory children, children with disabil- ities, Indian children, neglected or delinquent children, and young children in need of reading assistance; ‘‘(3) closing the achievement gap between high- and low- performing children, especially the achievement gaps between minority and nonminority students, and between disadvantaged children and their more advantaged peers; ‘‘(4) holding schools, local educational agencies, and States accountable for improving the academic achievement of all stu- dents, and identifying and turning around low-performing schools that have failed to provide a high-quality education to their students, while providing alternatives to students in such schools to enable the students to receive a high-quality education; ‘‘(5) distributing and targeting resources sufficiently to make a difference to local educational agencies and schools where needs are greatest; ‘‘(6) improving and strengthening accountability, teaching, and learning by using State assessment systems designed to ensure that students are meeting challenging State academic achievement and content standards and increasing achievement overall, but especially for the disadvantaged; ‘‘(7) providing greater decisionmaking authority and flexi- bility to schools and teachers in exchange for greater responsi- bility for student performance; ‘‘(8) providing children an enriched and accelerated edu- cational program, including the use of schoolwide programs or additional services that increase the amount and quality of instructional time; ‘‘(9) promoting schoolwide reform and ensuring the access of children to effective, scientifically based instructional strate- gies and challenging academic content; ‘‘(10) significantly elevating the quality of instruction by providing staff in participating schools with substantial opportunities for professional development; ‘‘(11) coordinating services under all parts of this title with each other, with other educational services, and, to the extent feasible, with other agencies providing services to youth, chil- dren, and families; and ‘‘(12) affording parents substantial and meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children. ... ‘‘PART A—IMPROVING BASIC PROGRAMS OP- ERATED BY LOCAL EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES ‘‘Subpart 1—Basic Program Requirements ‘‘SEC. 1111. STATE PLANS. ‘‘(a) PLANS REQUIRED.— ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For any State desiring to receive a grant under this part, the State educational agency shall submit to the Secretary a plan, developed by the State educational agency, in consultation with local educational agencies, teachers, principals, pupil services personnel, administrators (including administrators of programs described in other parts of this title), other staff, and parents, that satisfies the require- ments of this section and that is coordinated with other pro- grams under this Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Edu- cation Act, the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Edu- cation Act of 1998, the Head Start Act, the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, and the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. ‘‘(2) CONSOLIDATED PLAN.—A State plan submitted under paragraph (1) may be submitted as part of a consolidated plan under section 9302. ‘‘(b) ACADEMIC STANDARDS, ACADEMIC ASSESSMENTS, AND ACCOUNTABILITY.— ‘‘(1) CHALLENGING ACADEMIC STANDARDS.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Each State plan shall demonstrate that the State has adopted challenging academic content standards and challenging student academic achievement H. R. 1—21 standards that will be used by the State, its local edu- cational agencies, and its schools to carry out this part, except that a State shall not be required to submit such standards to the Secretary. ... ‘‘(3) ACADEMIC ASSESSMENTS.— ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Each State plan shall demonstrate that the State educational agency, in consultation with local educational agencies, has implemented a set of high- quality, yearly student academic assessments that include, at a minimum, academic assessments in mathematics, reading or language arts, and science that will be used as the primary means of determining the yearly perform- ance of the State and of each local educational agency and school in the State in enabling all children to meet the State’s challenging student academic achievement standards, except that no State shall be required to meet the requirements of this part relating to science assess- ments until the beginning of the 2007–2008 school year. ‘‘(B) USE OF ASSESSMENTS.—Each State educational agency may incorporate the data from the assessments under this paragraph into a State-developed longitudinal data system that links student test scores, length of enroll- ment, and graduation records over time. ‘‘(C) REQUIREMENTS.—Such assessments shall— H. R. 1—26 ‘‘(i) be the same academic assessments used to measure the achievement of all children; ‘‘(ii) be aligned with the State’s challenging aca- demic content and student academic achievement standards, and provide coherent information about stu- dent attainment of such standards; ‘‘(iii) be used for purposes for which such assess- ments are valid and reliable, and be consistent with relevant, nationally recognized professional and tech- nical standards; ‘‘(iv) be used only if the State educational agency provides to the Secretary evidence from the test pub- lisher or other relevant sources that the assessments used are of adequate technical quality for each purpose required under this Act and are consistent with the requirements of this section, and such evidence is made public by the Secretary upon request; ‘‘(v)(I) except as otherwise provided for grades 3 through 8 under clause vii, measure the proficiency of students in, at a minimum, mathematics and reading or language arts, and be administered not less than once during— ‘‘(aa) grades 3 through 5; ‘‘(bb) grades 6 through 9; and ‘‘(cc) grades 10 through 12; ‘‘(II) beginning not later than school year 2007– 2008, measure the proficiency of all students in science and be administered not less than one time during— ‘‘(aa) grades 3 through 5; ‘‘(bb) grades 6 through 9; and ‘‘(cc) grades 10 through 12; ‘‘(vi) involve multiple up-to-date measures of stu- dent academic achievement, including measures that assess higher-order thinking skills and understanding; ‘‘(vii) beginning not later than school year 2005– 2006, measure the achievement of students against the challenging State academic content and student academic achievement standards in each of grades 3 through 8 in, at a minimum, mathematics, and reading or language arts, except that the Secretary may provide the State 1 additional year if the State demonstrates that exceptional or uncontrollable circumstances, such as a natural disaster or a precipitous and unforeseen decline in the financial resources of the State, pre- vented full implementation of the academic assess- ments by that deadline and that the State will complete implementation within the additional 1-year period; ‘‘(viii) at the discretion of the State, measure the proficiency of students in academic subjects not described in clauses (v), (vi), (vii) in which the State has adopted challenging academic content and aca- demic achievement standards; ‘‘(ix) provide for— ‘‘(I) the participation in such assessments of all students; ‘‘(II) the reasonable adaptations and accom- modations for students with disabilities (as defined H. R. 1—27 under section 602(3) of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) necessary to measure the academic achievement of such students relative to State academic content and State student aca- demic achievement standards; and ‘‘(III) the inclusion of limited English proficient students, who shall be assessed in a valid and reliable manner and provided reasonable accom- modations on assessments administered to such students under this paragraph, including, to the extent practicable, assessments in the language and form most likely to yield accurate data on what such students know and can do in academic content areas, until such students have achieved English language proficiency as determined under paragraph (7); ‘‘(x) notwithstanding subclause (III), the academic assessment (using tests written in English) of reading or language arts of any student who has attended school in the United States (not including Puerto Rico) for three or more consecutive school years, except that if the local educational agency determines, on a case- by-case individual basis, that academic assessments in another language or form would likely yield more accurate and reliable information on what such student knows and can do, the local educational agency may make a determination to assess such student in the appropriate language other than English for a period that does not exceed two additional consecutive years, provided that such student has not yet reached a level of English language proficiency sufficient to yield valid and reliable information on what such student knows and can do on tests (written in English) of reading or language arts; ‘‘(xi) include students who have attended schools in a local educational agency for a full academic year but have not attended a single school for a full aca- demic year, except that the performance of students who have attended more than 1 school in the local educational agency in any academic year shall be used only in determining the progress of the local edu- cational agency; ‘‘(xii) produce individual student interpretive, descriptive, and diagnostic reports, consistent with clause (iii) that allow parents, teachers, and principals to understand and address the specific academic needs of students, and include information regarding achieve- ment on academic assessments aligned with State aca- demic achievement standards, and that are provided to parents, teachers, and principals, as soon as is prac- ticably possible after the assessment is given, in an understandable and uniform format, and to the extent practicable, in a language that parents can understand; ‘‘(xiii) enable results to be disaggregated within each State, local educational agency, and school by gender, by each major racial and ethnic group, by H. R. 1—28 English proficiency status, by migrant status, by stu- dents with disabilities as compared to nondisabled stu- dents, and by economically disadvantaged students as compared to students who are not economically dis- advantaged, except that, in the case of a local edu- cational agency or a school, such disaggregation shall not be required in a case in which the number of students in a category is insufficient to yield statis- tically reliable information or the results would reveal personally identifiable information about an individual student; ‘‘(xiv) be consistent with widely accepted profes- sional testing standards, objectively measure academic achievement, knowledge, and skills, and be tests that do not evaluate or assess personal or family beliefs and attitudes, or publicly disclose personally identifi- able information; and ‘‘(xv) enable itemized score analyses to be produced and reported, consistent with clause (iii), to local edu- cational agencies and schools, so that parents, teachers, principals, and administrators can interpret and address the specific academic needs of students as indicated by the students’ achievement on assessment items.

Constitution of Virginia, 1902


ARTICLE I - BILL OF RIGHTS

ARTICLE II - ELECTIVE FRANCHISE AND QUALIFICATIONS FOR OFFICE

ARTICLE III - DIVISION OF POWERS

ARTICLE IV - LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT

ARTICLE V - EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT

ARTICLE VI - JUDICIARY DEPARTMENT

ARTICLE VII - ORGANIZATION AND GOVERNMENT OF COUNTIES

ARTICLE VIII - ORGANIZATION AND GOVERNMENT OF CITIES AND TOWNS

ARTICLE IX - EDUCATION AND PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

ARTICLE X - AGRICULTURE AND IMMIGRATION

ARTICLE XI - PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS AND PRISONS

ARTICLE XII - CORPORATIONS

ARTICLE XIII - TAXATION AND FINANCE

ARTICLE XIV - MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS - HOMESTEAD AND OTHER

EXEMPTIONS

ARTICLE XV - FUTURE CHANGES IN THE CONSTITUTION


Whereas, pursuant to an act of the General Assembly of Virginia, approved March the fifth, in
the year of our Lord, nineteen hundred, the question, "shall there be a convention to revise the
Constitution and amend the same?" was, submitted, to the electors of the State of Virginia,
qualified to vote for members of the General Assembly, at an election held throughout the
State on the fourth Thursday in May, in the year nineteen hundred, at which election a majority
of the electors so qualified voting at said, election did, decide in favor of a convention for such
purpose; and,

Whereas, the General Assembly at its next session did provide by law for the election of
delegates to such convention, in pursuance whereof the members of this Convention were
elected by the good people of Virginia, to meet in convention for such purpose.

We, therefore, the people of Virginia, so assembled in Convention through our representatives,
with gratitude to God for His past favors, and invoking His blessings upon, the result of our
deliberations, do ordain and establish the, following revised and amended Constitution for the
government of the Commonwealth:


ARTICLE I

BILL OF RIGHTS.

A DECLARATION OF RIGHTS, made by the representatives of the good people of Virginia
assembled in full and free Convention; which rights do pertain to them and their posterity, as
the Basis and Foundation of Government.

Section 1. That all men are by nature equally free and independent, and have certain inherent
rights of which, when they enter into a state of society, they cannot., by any compact, deprive
or divest their posterity, namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring
and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.

Section 2. That all power is vested in, and, consequently derived. from, the people; that
magistrates are their trustees and servants, and at all times amenable to them.

Section 3. That government is, or ought to be, instituted for the common benefit, protection
and security of the people, nation or community; of all the various modes and forms of
government, that is best,

http://www.ltgov.virginia.gov/

Office of the Lieutenant Governor

2009-04-13

This is the official website of the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. Similar to the official Governor’s website, this website includes news and press releases from the Lieutenant Governor’s office. Another useful section is a history of the office of Lieutenant Governor, which talks about the changing role of the Lieutenant Governor. The position stretches back to colonial times: the King of England appointed a Governor, who then appointed a Lieutenant Governor. Learning about the Governor’s second-in-command helps create a better understanding of how executive power is shared.

Interested in the executive branch in Virginia? Why not check out the Governor’s website as well?

ltnt_gov.jpg

Liz Moore

George Mason University

Legislative History in Virginia


[Resources at the Library of Virginia] [Finding Aids]
[Opinions of the Attorney General] [Law Journals] [Archival Material] [Additional Resources]

Legislative history encompasses the tracking of the history of a bill and the research to analyze the intent of legislators when they submitted, discussed, passed, or rejected a bill. As a result documents such as legislative or executive reports and floor debates preceding the enactment of a bill into law are important to determine legislative intent. Such history becomes crucial when the meaning of a law/statute is challenged in court and clarification is required.

In Virginia, little is available to determine legislative intent compared to other states or to the congressional level. There are no official transcripts of the House and Senate debates or the proceedings of the standing committees.

Documents published by the General Assembly provide the history of bills and the approved/rejected amendments, the actions and votes of the committees, the vote of each house, and the final approved edition of each bill that becomes law. Since 1994, this material is available on the Legislative Information System (LIS) at leg1.state.va.us/ .

Bills that are enacted into law each legislative session become Chapters and constitute the Acts of Assembly for every given year. Each chapter in the Acts of Assembly refers to the Senate or House bill that created it. This information is crucial for further research with the Journals and Calendars.

The Acts of Assembly are codified every year into the Code of Virginia. Every section of the Code of Virginia makes reference to the Chapter or Chapters and year of enactment of that particular law. Look for the information in parenthesis at the end of each section, which states the Chapters that created or amended it. (Code 1950, § 58-27.2; 1970, c. 762; 1973, c.140; 1978, c.654; 1984, c.675)

The reference "Code 1950, § 58-27.2" means that part of the section predates the current Code of Virginia, and it was incorporated in the 1950 version.

Resources at the Library of Virginia

House and Senate Bills, Joint Resolutions, Resolutions.
The various versions of the bills delineate the changes in text and consequently in intent from the time a bill was introduced until it became law. A bill always mentions the section of the code that it will amend. The regular print of the text indicates existing legislation. Text in italics indicates proposal for a new law or amendment to the current law, and text with a line over it "is stricken", signifying deletion. Some resolutions propose studies for impending legislation and indicate some intent.

House and Senate Calendars.
The Calendars contain the business of the day for each house. They are published daily when the General Assembly is in session. In the Calendars one can find the following:

*

The bills and resolutions that are discussed each day
*

The status of reported bills
*

The reported bills from committees and the committees’ votes
*

The committees’ and floor line amendments, crucial for determining intent
*

Amendments passed. For amendments passed in the house of origin see the second reading of the bill, amendments passed by the opposite house are found on third reading of the bill
*

The recommendations or veto justifications of the governor

House and Senate Journals.
The Journals incorporate information from the Calendars (which are discarded when the Journals are printed), the final vote, and the minutes of each daily session.

House and Senate Documents.
Contain reports and recommendations by various agencies, committees, and commissions on topics of pending legislation.

Finding Aids

Final Cumulative Index to Bills, Resolutions, Joint Resolutions, and Documents. This index is an important document containing, in addition to the index:

*

A brief
*

bill history report
*

Report of bills sponsored by each legislator
*

Studies and reports to be made to the General Assembly
*

Mandates for each session’s documents
*

A list of the Acts of Assembly arranged by Chapter number

Session Summary.
The bills are organized by subject, according to the titles of the Code of Virginia. First are listed the bills that passed, followed by the bills that failed, with a detailed summary.
The numbers of other identical House or Senate bills are mentioned.

Digest of the Acts of the General Assembly.
A listing of the Acts, by Code section, with a summary of the amended sections.

For House and Senate Documents check:

*

A Cumulative Index to the Numbered Documents of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia, 1918-1976.
*

Topical Studies by the General Assembly of Virginia during the Period 1970-1986.
*

Topical Studies by the General Assembly of Virginia during the Period 1987-1997.

An index to legislative studies (House or Senate Documents) is available on Internet, 1971 to date:
<leg2.state.va.us/dls/h&sdocs.nsf/?Open>
Chronological search options are available.

Newspapers

Newspapers always report on the General Assembly. Occasionally they have long articles on specific bills. Check the Library’s online catalog for specific newspaper titles. The Library has the Richmond Times Dispatch online, 1985-present. The database searchable by keyword.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch maintains a special file of articles during each session of the General Assembly. The Washington Post maintains a similar page during the session.

Opinions of the Attorney General

Opinions of the Attorney General on a given topic may be helpful to determine intent. The Opinions of the Attorney General are also available online, 1996-present.
www.oag.state.va.us/ Click on "Official Opinions"

Law Journals

Law review articles often present analysis and discuss intent of specific laws.
Virginia has the following legal periodicals, which are indexed in the Index to Legal Periodicals:

*

George Mason Law Review
*

University of Richmond Law Review
*

Virginia Law Review
*

Virginia Lawyers Weekly
Washington and Lee Law Review
Online at: <http://www.wlu.edu/~lawrev/>
*

William and Mary Law Review.

Archival Material

*

Enrolled bills for the years 1776- . These original documents are signed by the Speaker of the House, the President of the Senate, and, starting in 1870, by the Governor
*

Executive Papers of the Governors (1776- ). The official correspondence of the governors of the commonwealth.
*

Videorecordings of House sessions for the years 1982- are available. Arrangements can be made to view the tapes.

Additional Resources

The Legislative Draft files.

All bills have a Legislative Draft file created by the Division of Legislative Services. The files contain the bill request, background information justifying the proposal of the bill, copies with the drafting changes, and any correspondence between the drafting attorney and the legislator. These files are in the custody of the Legislative Reference Center (804/786-3591) of the Department of Legislative Services at the General Assembly Building. To view bills that have passed after 1989, the files are available for public viewing at the Legislative Reference Center. For bills that did not pass and/or bills prior to 1989, permission from the chief patron of each bill is required. Additional information on the Legislative Draft files is available from Legislative Reference Center 804-786-3591 or dls.state.va.us/lrc/leghist.htm .

Videorecordings

The House and Senate floor sessions are videorecorded. The tapes are available for viewing or purchase through the Clerk's office of each house. Contact the House or Senate Clerk's office for additional information.

House Clerk’s Office 804-698-1530
Senate Clerk’s Office 804-698-7400

The House Clerk's office has a complete run of the tapes since videorecording began in 1982. The Senate Clerk's office keeps the tapes for six months after the reconvened session. After this period, the tapes are no longer available.

Fiscal Impact Statement

Occasionally bills require a Fiscal Impact Statement. These statements are usually prepared by the Department of Planning and Budget and contain anticipated costs of the proposed legislation.
They are available through the Legislative Reference Center (804/786-3591) or the House or Senate Clerk’s Office.

How to Obtain Copies

Copies of bills, calendars, and the Final Cumulative Index to Bills, Resolutions,Joint Resolutions, and Documents for the current session are available at the Bill room in the Capitol building free of charge on request.
The Roll Call (the floor vote on each bill) and the final edition of each bill or enrolled copy are available from Legislative Information Services at the General Assembly free of charge on request.

Legislative Bill Room 804-786-6984
Legislative Information Services 804-786-3591
Online: Legislative Information System (LIS) at leg1.state.va.us/ (1994-present)

http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.216dbea7c618ef3f8a278110501010a0/

National Governors Association

2009-04-13

The National Governors Association has created a searchable directory of all United States governors. Virginia governors range from Thomas Jefferson to the present administration. The archive provides a basic overview of each governor, information on their family, the dates of their administration, and more. For certain governors, the website also provides a list of external links.

governor_assoc.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

2 days (90-minute civics classes)
1 day (90-minute English or civics class)

SOL Skills
CE.1a
CE.1d
CE.1g

SOL Content
CE.5f

The students will:

1. Describe the function of the Electoral College.
2. Describe the process of the Electoral College, including the role of the Virginia Governor.
3. Defend a position and evaluate the arguments for the debate over the current utility of the Electoral College.

Activities

Prior to the lesson, students should be taught the basics of the Electoral College process.

DAY 1

Activity 1

To review the Electoral College System, show students the video “Electing a President: The Electoral College” on www.howstuffworks.com. To access the video

• go to the website here
• click on History of the Electoral College video
• click on Electing a President: The Electoral College.

Divide student into groups of three. Distribute the Handout #1: Help Governor Kaine! to students and discuss the project overview. Explain to students that they have been hired by the Governor to explain his role in the Electoral College by preparing a brief.

Ask students to divide up the responsibilities for writing the brief among the members in their group. Students should divide the responsibilities according to the rubric requirements.

Activity 2

Explain to the students that they will be analyzing primary sources and finding answers to their policy brief’s questions.

Students will complete a source analysis using Handout #2: Primary Source Analysis and Handout #3: Primary Sources. The second primary source is 18 pages long and an excerpt is included in this lesson as a separate document (Handout #3A: The 2008 Presidential Election). Instead of printing the second source, the teacher might want to allow students to view the source online.

If the teacher desires, results of the source analysis can be discussed as a class to ensure a higher level of analysis.

DAY 2

Activity 1

Remaining in their groups from the previous class, students finish their source analysis.

Activity 2

Students begin drafting the brief, which will also include a Works Cited page. Each student is responsible for preparing his or her own chosen section.

DAY 3

Activity 1

Students will edit the draft of another member’s contribution to the brief.

Activity 2

Each student will write the final draft of their contribution to the brief. The group will put together the entire Electoral College Brief.

Group Discussion

Use the information and questions provided in Handout #4: Group Discussion Questions to facilitate class discussion.

Background Information

Since ratification of the Constitution, the Electoral College has been the method used for electing the President and Vice-President of the United States and is outlined in Article II of the Constitution. Unlike many other aspects of the Constitution, the Electoral College was not the source of much debate. In the Federalist No. 68, Alexander Hamilton said of the discussion, “The mode of appointment of the Chief Magistrate of the United States is almost the only part of the system, of any consequence, which has escaped without severe censure, or which has received the slightest mark of approbation from its opponents.”

The Founding Fathers saw the intellect and opinion of the American people as being too varied to attempt to elect the Chief Executive. In addition, the Founding Fathers were concerned with the Executive Branch gaining too much power for the national government. By using the Electoral College, which gives the states the power to select electors who in turn place votes for the President and Vice President, federalism is sustained.

Today, the Electoral College does not have such consistent support. According to the National Archives, the American public has favored abolishing [the Electoral College] by majorities of 58 percent in 1967; 81 percent in 1968; and 75 percent in 1981. The 2000 Presidential Election brought more attention to the debate when the majority of the popular vote went to Al Gore and the majority of the Electoral College vote went to the winner, George Bush. More than 700 attempts have been made to change or eliminate the Electoral College from the Constitution through bills that propose an amendment to the Constitution; however, none have been successful.

Conclusion

The Electoral College elects the President, not the citizens. However, the majority of the Electoral College process takes place at the state government level. The Governor is the main administrator for the Electoral College process. He or she and state officials sign the Certificate of Ascertainment and Certificate of Vote.

Differentiation

For classes that require additional support or for whom writing is a challenge, many adaptations can be made. For example, additional time can be given for writing and editing the draft. Also, students can be asked to make a list of “Ten Things a Governor Should Know about the Electoral College” to decrease the amount of writing necessary.

Georgia Leser

Loudoun County Public Schools

Why I Taught These Sources

These sources are designed to give students a general understanding of the concepts involved with tribal self-governance. Inherent limited sovereignty is a notion difficult to grasp, because we seldom think of American citizens being outside of state or municipal law, or subject to regulations not imposed on others. Americans are confused about the rights of American Indians: most don’t realize that Indians weren’t considered citizens until 1924, some think that Indians are required to remain on reservations all their lives, and many believe that Indians don’t pay any federal taxes or that they automatically receive per capita payments from their tribes just for being a member. They don’t understand why only Congress is authorized to negotiate with federally recognized tribes or why non-federally recognized tribes can't access some grants and scholarships. Such misconceptions lead to misunderstandings between communities and perpetuate stereotypes. I hope that by studying these sources, students will gain a more nuanced understanding of the complexities, historic and contemporary, involved with American Indian law and policy development.

How I Introduce These Sources

It is helpful to ask students, before the lesson, to research Virginia Indian government by reading about it on the Department of Education’s “Virginia’s First People" website.. I introduce the sources by first discussing the concept of nationhood. What powers and rights does an independent nation have? What defines its membership: geography, culture, shared history, language? Why are Indian nations considered to have retained “limited” sovereignty, and what are the limitations? For example, if a white man commits murder on an Indian reservation today, would he be judged by a tribal or municipal court? Why do some tribes have casinos and others don’t? What is a domestic dependent nation, and how did tribes come by that designation? Why don’t tribes make treaties today?

Next we discuss state and federal recognition, and the processes through which Indian tribes have obtained these designations. While some states have rigid, specific criteria for state recognition, others have little or no criteria, and some states have no process at all for recognizing a tribe. Some tribes obtained federal recognition through a history of treaties or other federal documentation, while others remain unacknowledged. Some tribes have been recognized and then “terminated” while others have had their acknowledgment revoked by the federal government.

Reading the Sources

The documents on sovereignty and self-determination (Handout #1) explain the concepts of sovereignty and self-determination, on which modern Indian policy and historic treaty-making are based. The 1677 Treaty between Virginia tribes and King Charles II (Handout #2) describes the notion of “domestic dependent nation” without ever using that phrase. Because its language is cumbersome, it might be most helpful to approach the treaty with the following questions: Why do you think the treaty refers to “Indian Kings and Queens”? What are the assumed rights of Indians? What are those of Englishmen? What is the purpose of the “tribute”? Does the treaty seem like a fair agreement to you? Do you think it is still binding on Virginia or on the U.S., and if so, which is the correct government to negotiate with Virginia tribes?

Next I ask students to read the state and federal criteria for recognition (Handout #3) as an exercise in comparing and contrasting. They can research the following questions in groups: What rights does state recognition give to an Indian nation? What are the benefits of federal recognition? Why might a tribal group want state recognition? Are there ways in which federal recognition might not be beneficial to a tribe?

Finally, a summary of the Thomasina E. Jordan Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act of 2009 (H.R. 1385) and articles on its progress (Handout #4) help students to understand how tribes work through existing policy to improve their situations, and how time-consuming that process can be.

Reflections

Studying the complexities of historic and contemporary relations between Virginia Indian, state, and federal authorities illuminates why problems have developed through centuries of subjective decision making, poorly constructed federal policies, and haphazard implementation. Virginia Indian tribes have survived not only wars and diseases but 400 years of policy making that has rarely considered their best interests. Nevertheless, today Virginia Indian leaders are learning to craft and implement their own strategies for changing policies that have the most direct impact on their people. We can expect this trend to continue as more Indian students graduate from universities and law schools, returning to their communities with new skills.

Karenne Wood

Director of the Virginia Indian Heritage Program, Virginia Foundation for the Humanities