AIMS
The aim of this gate is for you to understand our current Cabinet departments and their role in doing the work of the executive branch. In addition, you might explore some of the agencies or commissions that exist under the umbrella of the executive branch.
The tradition of the "Cabinet" dates back to the beginnings of the Presidency itself. Established in Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, the Cabinet's role is to advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of each member's respective office. Many members of the Cabinet are the heads of executive branch departments (of which there are 15), such as the Departments of: State; Defense; Commerce; Education; Health and Human Services; and several more. Their title is Secretary (example: Secretary of Agriculture), except in the case of the Justice Department (headed up by the Attorney General), and they are appointed by the President (and confirmed by the Senate) to direct the executive bureaucracies (see DEFINITIONS below), which are made up of career civil servants (government workers who work in that department, usually regardless of whether or not a Republican or Democrat is in the White House). Each department, agency or commission has responsibility (and, in many cases, authority) over certain areas (and the sometimes overlap in unclear ways).
The iCivics game "Executive Command" will help you to learn at least some of the areas of responsibility for some of the government departments, agencies and commissions.
The tradition of the "Cabinet" dates back to the beginnings of the Presidency itself. Established in Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution, the Cabinet's role is to advise the President on any subject he may require relating to the duties of each member's respective office. Many members of the Cabinet are the heads of executive branch departments (of which there are 15), such as the Departments of: State; Defense; Commerce; Education; Health and Human Services; and several more. Their title is Secretary (example: Secretary of Agriculture), except in the case of the Justice Department (headed up by the Attorney General), and they are appointed by the President (and confirmed by the Senate) to direct the executive bureaucracies (see DEFINITIONS below), which are made up of career civil servants (government workers who work in that department, usually regardless of whether or not a Republican or Democrat is in the White House). Each department, agency or commission has responsibility (and, in many cases, authority) over certain areas (and the sometimes overlap in unclear ways).
The iCivics game "Executive Command" will help you to learn at least some of the areas of responsibility for some of the government departments, agencies and commissions.
FIRST STEP: GATE 8A ASSIGNMENT
What is the Cabinet and what do executive Departments do?
Using Sources A, B, and C, create a "playing" guide to help you succeed in the iCivics game "Executive Command."
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OPEN THIS WORD DOC IN GOOGLE DOCS: Important: Under "File," click "Save as a Google Doc" before beginning work. When finished, submit the assignment to JupiterEd by logging in to Jupiter, then clicking the "Grades" tab. Find the name of the assignment for the gate you have completed and click on it. You can then upload your assignment with the "Google Drive" option.
IF YOU'RE WORKING ON A MAC OR WINDOWS PC . . . this assignment will download as a Word document. You can complete the assignment in Word (or in Pages app), but you MUST EXPORT it to PDF and then upload the PDF version to JupiterEd. Thank you.
SOURCE A:
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SOURCE B:
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SOURCE C:
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DEFINITIONSExecutive Departments: the primary units of the executive branch, they administer and enforce the laws and regulations of the United States federal government
Secretary: a government official in charge of an executive department. Cabinet: part of the executive branch of the U.S. government that normally acts as an advisory body to the President of the United States (usually includes the 15 secretaries appointed to lead the departments, along with other advisers selected by the President). Attorney General: the chief law enforcement officer in the United States and the head of the Department of Justice Bureaucracy: an organization of government made up of many departments and divisions that are administered by unelected employees Bureaucrat: a member of a bureaucracy Delegate (verb): to give a task or responsibility to another person |
BONUS:
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STEP 2: GATE 8B ASSIGNMENT
Play the iCivics game "Executive Command"
Before you play . . .
Game Background: As you learned in Gate 6, the President has many responsibilities. How can one person do all this? One "trick" a President has is to delegate jobs. He or she assigns, or turns over, much of the day-to-day work to others. A good business leader, a principal of a school, or the editor of a newspaper does this, too. They pick qualified people to do certain work, expect them to do their best and then report back on what they have accomplished. The top person, such as the President, will probably make the final decisions. But he or she can't possibly do all the day-to-day work.
The President of the United States delegates much work to the Cabinet. Many Cabinet members are the head of an executive department of the government. Each of these executive departments is responsible for administering and enforcing federal laws around a particular issue (education, energy, Homeland Security, etc.). In other words, Cabinet secretaries are more than just advisers; they are also administrators of large bureaucracies. The President meets with his/her Cabinet frequently to hear their reports and their suggestions. Acting on the orders of the President, these department heads oversee the implementation of laws passed by Congress. The Cabinet doesn't have the authority to write laws, only to execute laws passed by the legislative branch.
Your turn to delegate: In the iCIvics "Executive Command" game, you take on the role of President and will need to delegate tasks to the different executive departments run by your Cabinet members.
ASSIGNMENT: Play the game, take a screenshot of the end game result, and send it to the JupiterEd assignment for Gate 8B. Use the playing guide you created in 8A to help you win.
The President of the United States delegates much work to the Cabinet. Many Cabinet members are the head of an executive department of the government. Each of these executive departments is responsible for administering and enforcing federal laws around a particular issue (education, energy, Homeland Security, etc.). In other words, Cabinet secretaries are more than just advisers; they are also administrators of large bureaucracies. The President meets with his/her Cabinet frequently to hear their reports and their suggestions. Acting on the orders of the President, these department heads oversee the implementation of laws passed by Congress. The Cabinet doesn't have the authority to write laws, only to execute laws passed by the legislative branch.
Your turn to delegate: In the iCIvics "Executive Command" game, you take on the role of President and will need to delegate tasks to the different executive departments run by your Cabinet members.
ASSIGNMENT: Play the game, take a screenshot of the end game result, and send it to the JupiterEd assignment for Gate 8B. Use the playing guide you created in 8A to help you win.
DEFINITIONS
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STEP 3: GATE 8C ASSIGNMENT
Investigate - with a partner - ONE of the departments or agencies from "Executive Command" in more depth, creating a Google Slides overview (no more than 2 slides total); check with your teacher to make sure the department or agency is still available for this assignment
Investigate - with a partner - ONE of the departments from "Executive Command" in more depth, creating a Google Slides overview (no more than 2 slides total); check with your teacher to make sure the department is still available for this assignment.
Your slides should include: - Name of department head - Year department was created - A description of the responsibilities of the department - Important agencies that are a part of the department - A headline and link to a recent new story which shows the department in action. This should come from the past year. Include a brief summary of the story. Departments: - Department of Defense - Department of State - Department of the Treasury - Department of Justice (not in game) - Department of Health and Human Services - Department of Education - Department of Energy - Department of Homeland Security |
BONUS VIDEO:
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LAST STEP: GATE 8D ASSIGNMENT
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FIRST: Go to the Quizlet set by clicking on the image at right
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FOURTH: When finished, show the screen to your teacher for credit. If you're working from home, take a screenshot and save it to your Google Drive. Show the teacher next time you're in class.