William Bahl: TEC 912 Project

Annotated Webliography

1) OnTheIssues.org. (1999-2003). http://www.issues2002.org/default.htm

This website provides comparisons between various candidates.  They describe themselves thus, “Our mission is to provide non-partisan information for voters in the Presidential election, so that votes can be based on issues rather than on personalities and popularity. We get our information daily from newspapers, speeches, press releases, and the Internet it is a labor-intensive process that requires countless volunteer hours.”  This website will prove an invaluable source during the upcoming presidential election.

2) Dzieniszewski, Slawomir. The History Mechanics (2003). http://www.geocities.com/historymech/index.html

This website is very useful as a resource for comparing various systems of government, along with their longevity.  It also contains lengthy connections between systems of government and economics.  This connection between the two will be helpful for assisting students in the process of understanding the interconnected nature of government and economics.

3) Close-Up Foundation. Federalism. (September 9, 2003). http://www.closeup.org/federal.htm

This website provides many valuable links to various issues relating to American Government.  This particular link takes one to a detailed discussion of federalism in the United States.  The history and theoretical architecture of federalism is discussed here in detail.

4) Civics Online. (2000). http://www.civics-online.org/teachers/cases.cfm

This website provides four unique case studies done by teachers at various grade levels that teach students the importance of being active participants in the democratic process of the United States.  All of these activities can be modified as desired by individual instructors.  Case studies allow for a quality investigation into a specific topic or subject area.  They can be sufficiently modified to satisfy curriculum and standards requirements. 

5) National Center for Policy Analysis. (2003). http://www.ncpa.org/newdpd/index.php

This website is useful for the available topics and debates it contains.  There are several links to issues of current political debate.  Students can examine this website to find position statements on issues they may be investigating.  Many of these issues have significant Constitutional ramifications, which makes the site relevant to American Government teachers and students.

6) Findlaw. (1999-2004). http://www.findlaw.com/casecode/constitution

This is a highly credible and useful site for studying the United States Constitution online.  The entire United States Constitution is included on one page.  Each section of the Constitution also includes detailed annotations and hyperlinks to further information.  Students will greatly benefit from having access to this website as they research the Constitution.

7) American Government. http://www.virtualclassroom.net/tvc/gov

No information is provided relating to the author of this website or how often it has been updated.  However, it does contain many useful links to study of American Government and comparative government.  It is useful as a resource for that purpose alone.  Students may also benefit from using it as a study guide while trying to understand basic concepts of the United States Constitution.

8) Public Agenda. Knowing It by Heart. (2004). http://www.publicagenda.com/research/research_reports_details.cfm?list=16

This website contains a detailed, statistically annotated study of contemporary understandings of the United States Constitution.  This study provides an excellent starting off point for more detailed discussion of the basic principles discussed in the United States Constitution.  Teachers may pick and choose which parts of the study they would like to use.  There are also many other studies and public policy issues discussed at this site.  I highly recommend this site to educators.

9) RealClear Politics. (2004 – updated daily). http://www.realclearpolitics.com

For anyone teaching American government, this website is extremely valuable.  It contains various articles from political pundits and political participants.  For example, there is an article published today (July 31, 2004) by Senator Zel Miller regarding the Democratic National Convention in Boston.  The site also contains comprehensive polling data on various political races, as well as public opinion of policy issues.

10) Smithsonian National Museum of American History. A More Perfect Union. (1999-2001). http://americanhistory.si.edu/perfectunion/experience/index.html

Both students and teachers visiting this website will enjoy the ease of use at this website.  This particular link takes viewers to a multimedia presentation of Japanese-American experiences during the Second World War.  The particular focus is on internment.  The information contained on this webpage comes from a highly credible source.  The layout is very easy to navigate.

11) University of Chicago. The Founders’ Constitution. (1987). http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/tocs/toc.html

Much like the Findlaw link provided above, this website provides links to the entire United States Constitution on one webpage.  It also contains detailed hyperlinks to historical writings and opinions that informed the development of the Constitution.  The philosophical foundations for representative government are included for discussion and reflection as well.  This is a highly useful website for both students and teachers.

12) Street Law & The Supreme Court Historical Society. Landmark Supreme Court Cases. (2002). http://www.landmarkcases.org

This website provides a wealth of information on fifteen major Supreme Court Cases that shaped our understanding of the United States Constitution.  Issues of study include such things as States’ Rights, Federalism, Separate but Equal, Voting Rights, and Protections against Unreasonable Search and Seizure.  Specific cases are discussed with varying degrees of detail and complexity.  One of the most useful aspects of this site is that it varies the complexity of the content based upon the sophistication of different grade levels and states of English proficiency.  This is also a very credible online resource.

13) MacNeil/Lehrer Productions. Supreme Court Watch. (2004). http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/law/supreme_court

This site provides contemporary analysis of issues currently being decided upon by the United States Supreme Court.  Included is text of actual testimony by lawyers, as well as questions and statements by Supreme Court Justices.  Some of the cases are even hyperlinked in realaudio.  This is also a highly credible website that is maintained by PBS.

14) The Avalon Project at Yale Law School. Documents in Law, History, and Diplomacy. (1996-2003). http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/avalon.htm

This website provides a comprehensive online library of documents relating to American Government as considered from various perspectives.  One of the most useful tools on this site is a side-by-side comparison chart of various documents, such as the Articles of Confederation.  Researchers are able to examine various drafts of important historical documents, allowing for study of the evolution of these famous writings.  There is also an extensive links page that itself provides access to many other credible links.

15) The Bill of Rights Institute. (2004). http://www.billofrightsinstitute.org

This website provides in depth resources for study of the Bill of Rights and the United States Constitution.  Teachers can even sign up for weekly and monthly lesson plans focusing on some part of the Bill of Rights.  The lesson plans are typically thematic and carry the themes across different Amendments and Articles of the Constitution.  I have used this website in the past and find it to be highly credible.

16) Mount, Steve. The U.S. Constitution Online. (1995-2003). http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html#A2Sec2

This is another version of the United States Constitution online.  It does not contain detailed annotations, but does provide hyperlinks to archaic terms used in the Constitution.  It is also useful as a subject study guide for such things as Checks and Balances, Due Process, Separation of Powers, and Federalism.  In fact, it is probably most useful for this purpose.  This website works will in conjunction with the Findlaw and Founders’ Constitution website as a cross-reference website.