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CURRENT EVENT | JANUARY 29, 2014
US History II US History I Civics/Government
President Obama laid out a sweeping agenda in his State of the Union address. He called for a "year of action" on many important government changes. He told Congress he wants to raise the minimum wage, extend unemployment, fix immigration laws and ensure equal pay for women. Listen to this story for a short wrap-up of the one hour speech and then discuss with your class.
The Media's Important Role in the Presidential Election
The 2016 United States presidential election is unlike past elections. Many Americans feel strongly that the candidates on each side are unfit to be president. This controversial election season has left the media to make difficult ethical decisions about how they represent the candidates to the public. In this story, leaders of major news outlets explain their philosophies on what news to report, and whether or not it is OK to favor one candidate over the other in journalism.
Barriers to a Female President
Countries such as Germany, the Philippines, Argentina and Great Britain have elected women leaders, but the United States has never elected a woman president. Sexism and legal discrimination have stopped women from gaining leadership positions for the past 200 years, but things have changed recently. Women have been supporting each other to gain elected positions, and have proven that women are capable leaders. Listen to hear more about the history of women leaders in the United States.
Why Run For President?
The next U.S. President will be elected in November, 2016. But the race is already packed with candidates. There are more than two dozen major candidates who are seeking the job as president. Running for president is difficult and exhausting, so why would so many people want to run? There are many reasons, both legitimate and delusional. Without an incumbent president, a lot of people think they have a chance to win this election. Some candidates hope to bring attention to their message and some to cash in on their new celebrity. Listen to hear about this race and the reasons so many people are running for President this year.
Can a Canadian-Born Politician be President?
The first candidate in the 2016 US presidential race has announced he is running for president. But there could be a major problem with his candidacy. Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz was born in Canada to an American mother and a Cuban father. Cruz was naturalized at birth because his mother is an American citizen. He renounced his dual US-Canadian citizenship in 2013. But the US Constitution says the US president must be a "natural born citizen." Listen to learn more about what the Constitution says on this issue and what the founding fathers were protecting against when they included this requirement in Article 2.