Help

Thank you for your interest in the Youth Leadership Initiative. If you have any questions about our organization, our resources, or need help with a YLI program or lesson plan, please email us at ylihelp@virginia.edu or call toll free 1.866.514.8389. We are glad to help!

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Homeland security? The death penalty? Immigration? Education? At YLI we believe that young Americans do care about the issues facing their generation and their nation. We also know that it is often hard to know what to do to make a difference.

Project Vote Smart is your resource to start making changes in your town, state, and nation. Use the links below to find your representatives in national and state government, to learn tools for effectively communicating with them, to read about the issues currently facing Congress, and much more.

What's Happening in Congress?

See the weekly schedule for both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Choose a State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Penssylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconisn Wyoming

Information on Government Officials

Find out who your representatives are and how to contact them – everyone from your U.S. Senator to your state's governor and your representatives in the state legislature.

YLI's Guide to Writing to an Elected Official

Want to make sure politicians know what you think about the issues? Use our guide to help write a letter to you elected official.

Search Campaign Finance Information

Interested in finding out how candidates raise money to run for office? Find information on the donations to candidates from individuals, corporations, and political action committees (PACs).

What do you want to know about YLI? Look here for commonly asked questions and find out how YLI can help you and your students get in the game.

Democracy. It’s up to you.

All educators are eligible to participate in the Youth Leadership Initiative. YLI programs are appropriate for K-12, curriculum supervisors, administrators, education professors, home school instructors, program coordinators and student teachers. Just Sign Up online today! By signing up, educators receive a username and password that allows full access to the YLI website.

There is never a charge to use any of the YLI programs or resources.  YLI is committed to keeping our services FREE.  There is no catch- just Sign Up to use all of the great lesson plans, simulations and programs FREE of charge.

Anyone can be involved in YLI programming.

Students - recommend YLI to your teachers!  Ask them to Sign Up on the website and ask to participate in programs such as the Mock Election and E-Congress.

Candidates/Elected Representatives - Visit schools and ask teachers to participate in YLI programming.  Use YLI lesson plans to enhance classroom interactions.

Community members - Register your organization with YLI to use our resources to enhance your leadership program.  Suggest that local schools use YLI with their students.

Foundations and corporations that admire the work of YLI may sponsor a program, a simulation or lesson plan.  They may also consider funding the cost of YLI programming for a specific amount of time.  Visit our Contribute page for more information about the UVA Center for Politics and the Youth Leadership Initiative.

YLI is grateful for the funding it has received from the U.S. Department of Education, the Commonwealth of Virginia, foundations, and many generous individuals. Visit our Contribute page to join YLI in its effort to increase civic engagement in America and beyond.

No.  All you need to participate in the mock election is to be registered with YLI.  Only one teacher per school need be registered for all students to participate.

YLI has instituted teacher codes in an effort to make our mock election more flexible in accordance with requests from educators.  YLI is proud to offer the Mock Election anytime program that requires students to identify you with the code, thus allowing you to make an election any time on any subject you like.  In order to receive the correct ballot students just need to enter the teacher code when prompted during the voting process.

The My Mock Election and My E-Congress features will allow you to use these quality programs with your students during the entire school year.  Supporting lesson plans and materials guide you in using these programs to run classroom simulations.

Don’t see what you need?  Please email the YLI team, ylihelp@virginia.edu or call us toll-free at 1.866.514.8389.  We are here Monday through Friday 8am-5pm EST.  We love speaking with our educators so don’t hesitate to call.

If you have forgotten your username and/or password, you can click HERE. Entering your email address and clicking Submit will immediately send a replacement CASE SENSITIVE password that you may use. BE SURE TO TYPE THE NEW PASSWORD AS OPPOSED TO COPYING AND PASTING IT INTO THE FIELD. Upon logging in you can change your password by hitting the "Account" link from the Dashboard page.

All lesson plans, other text, images, logos and information contained on this web site are the intellectual property of University of Virginia Center for Politics unless otherwise registered and are protected under the U.S. Copyright Act 17 U.S.C. 101-810. Copyright gives the owner exclusive right to reproduce, distribute, perform, display, or license a given work. Whether or not a web site includes a statement about copyright, the U.S. Copyright Act provides protection for such works, and they may not be used or reproduced without permission.

The design, pictures, and logos used on this site may not be copied and used or posted by any other person or entity. This includes but is not limited to the home page, all secondary web pages, and news pages. Links may be directed to these pages, but images and logos may not be copied and/or posted for any reason.

The privacy of all our participating teachers and students is very important to us!

Teacher registration information is for identification and verification purposes by the YLI staff only. Registration information submitted by teachers is used only to provide program materials and updates to participants. Names, numerical sequences, and other identifiers of individual teachers and students will always remain private. This information is not distributed to third parties or sold by the University of Virginia, the Center for Politics or the Youth Leadership Initiative.

Further, the Youth Leadership Initiative does not require that teachers use names, either last or first, to identify students participating in YLI programs such as e-Congress and the Mock Election. Such information — whether it is a number, name or combination of numbers and/or letters — is gathered solely to aid teachers in the keeping of accurate records and is not retained by YLI from year to year.

Index page for the YLI interactive prototypes.

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Background

Throughout the nation's history, political leaders have looked to our schools and to our young people as a source of inspiration for the continued success and health of our nation. That is why the Center for Politics, a nonpartisan unit of the University of Virginia, created the national Youth Leadership Initiative.

The Youth Leadership Initiative (YLI) provides civic education classroom resources to teachers absolutely FREE OF CHARGE. There is no catch.

YLI is a national civic education program designed to involve students in the American electoral and policymaking process. To achieve this goal, YLI offers technology-based civic education resources that foster long-term civic engagement.

Services

Educators can sign up today, free of charge. Upon signing up, educators will receive password access to the course units under the YLI Lesson Plan section, as well as free classroom resources and e-mail updates. Look under "Why Sign Up?" for additional information.

If you are a student, community member, parent, or organization, see how you can bring the Youth Leadership Initiative to your school!

Partners

YLI is excited to partner with like-minded organizations such as:

• American Bar Association
• National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS)
• World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)
• Public Agenda
• League of Women Voters
• Close Up Foundation

Thank you for strengthening America's democracy with the Youth Leadership Initiative!

The Youth Leadership Initiative's civic education resources are FREE to educators, including K-12 teachers, curriculum supervisors, school system administrators, homeschoolers, and student teachers.

Why Sign Up?

YLI jump-starts a lifetime of civic engagement for the next generation by creating innovative technology-based projects that bring the American democratic process to life in your classroom. As a non-profit, non-partisan organization, the Center for Politics is dedicated to the idea that government works better when politics work better, and that politics works better when citizens are informed and active participants. We believe this process begins with our nation's youngest citizens!

YLI, a program of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, develops FREE education resources designed to assist civics teachers, and encourage students to participate in the political process. Signup to access these programs:

Visit the newly released First Freedom Wall!

About YLI

About us - Learn about the Youth Leadership Initiative FAQ - Get answers to your Frequently Asked Questions News - Get the latest News on YLI and CFP Staff - Meet the staff and read their bios Contact Us - Feel free to get in touch with us About CFP - Learn about the Center for Politics Help - Need Help? Let us know

• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use
• Contact Us
• 1-866-514-8389

Copyright 2020, The University of Virginia Center for Politics, Youth Leadership Initiative

With Support From:

• America's Mock Election
• Civics Renewal Network
• Discovery Network
• National Assoc. of Secretaries of State
• League of Women Voters
• Close Up

YLI Learning Programs

First Freedom Wall - Express your opinion

Lesson Plans - Complete teacher-developed curriculum

Mock Election - Vote online for real candidates

E-Congress - Interactive online legislative simulation

Democracy Corps - Our complete service learning program

Check out YLI’s resources and activities!

With the touch of a button, students leap into the world of politics through the civic education resources of the Youth Leadership Initiative. YLI jump-starts a lifetime of civic engagement for the next generation by creating innovative technology-based projects that bring the American democratic process to life in your classroom.

Follow the instructions on each screen in order to cast your vote.

Thanks for voting!

The National Election is created by the staff at YLI and in 2023 runs from October 20-November 3. Races include gubernatorial elections in Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi and referenda taken from YLI's Talking Turkey lesson plan series. Voting in the National Election means that you will receive results for your classroom, school and your state.

There are two great ways to participate- our interactive National E-Congress session that runs from January through March and our My E-Congress that allows you to use our technology to run a classroom simulation at any point during the school year.

Pottsville Area High School in Pottsville, Pennsylvania had a fantastic article published in their local paper about their experience with the National E-Congress. Check it out!

National E-Congress

• Students work through five different phases (introduction, research, writing, committee, amendment, and house floor) to learn about the workings of Congress
• The 2024 National E-Congress will take place from January 4 through March 28.
• Each phase of the bill creation process is broken down into manageable segments.
• Teacher Instructions, calendar and supporting lesson plans make E-Congress easy for teachers to implement.
• The committee and amendment phases allows classrooms to debate and compromise on bills before sending them to the house floor.
• Bills that pass the Committee and Amendment phases move on to the House Floor and are voted on by students from around the nation.
• Participation in the National E-Congress, as with all YLI programs, is FREE to registered educators.  Sign up now to gain access to all YLI resources.

My E-Congress

• Allows you to run an E-Congress session at any time during the school year
• Has accompanying lesson plans that demonstrate how to adapt our E-Congress technology for use in your classroom
• Is the same as the National E-Congress except that you do not interact with other schools

Get in the game by writing and passing your own original piece of legislation!  Student legislators from across the nation participate each year in the National E-Congress analyzing over thousands of pieces of original legislation.

Please email (ylihelp@virginia.edu) or call toll-free (1.866.514.8389) with questions about using E-Congress with your students.

YLI's E-Congress allows students to simulate the role of a representative in the United States Congress, by researching and drafting legislation, debating it in legislative committees and voting. YLI now has two versions of E-Congress.

• The 2024 National E-Congress joins your students with thousands of others across the country and takes place from January 4 until March 28. International classrooms are also encouraged to participate.
• Those unable to participate in the National E-Congress due to time constraints may create their own My E-Congress at any time. The only difference is there is no interaction or voting between schools. See the My E-Congress User's Guide in the downloads below.

The E-Congress Demo gives you the opportunity to view the program prior to having your students participate in the actual program. It highlights all five phases of E-Congress and helps you to prepare for the incredible learning experience that is the YLI E-Congress. Click here to view the E-Congress Demo.

Pottsville Area High School in Pottsville, Pennsylvania had a fantastic article published in their local paper about their experience with the National E-Congress. Check it out!

E-CONGRESS RESOURCES:

• National E-Congress Teacher Instructions
• National E-Congress Calendar
• Rubric for Teachers
• Letter Writing Guide
• Phase 1 Study Guide
• Phase 2 Research Guide
• Bill Review Guide
• Certificate for Passed Bills
• My E-Congress Teacher Instructions (Not for National E-Congress teachers)

Rigorous teacher-developed course units cover all aspects of civic education from voting to service learning to the legislative process and more! Many lesson plans include PowerPoint presentations. Elementary resources include a resources guide, morning meeting lesson plans, mini-modules and a dramatic reading of the Constitutional Convention. Sign up now to access all of YLI’s FREE lesson plan resources.

How It Works

Any lesson plan or resource found on the website may be used at the discretion of a participating teacher. All materials herein remain the copy-written intellectual property of the UVA Center for Politics’ Youth Leadership Initiative. Once registered- login and navigate to the lesson plans page for a complete list of lesson plans and resources. Download what you need and get started.

The YLI Democracy Corps answers students’ questions about why we have a democracy and what responsibilities citizens have in being a part of it. Students then move quickly from the blackboard to the blacktop as they interact with local political leaders, grass-root organizations and citizens to deliberate solutions to real problems and influence public policy.

What is Democracy Corps?

Democracy Corps is a service learning program that can easily be infused into your civics education program.  It takes what you do in the classroom and empowers students to use that information out in the real world.  The program teaches about the responsibilities of citizenship and then uses the skills of democracy- discussion, debate and compromise- to allow students the opportunity to create real changes to their communities. By discussing relevant political problems, deliberating solutions and proposing action students are more likely to be civically active as adults.  Salient research shows that students who discuss politics in class are 91 percent more likely to express interest in issues facing the nation, join a group to solve problems, contact an elected official, volunteer in the community, or work for a political party.

Democracy Corps builds on the rich experiences of Service Learning programs by placing the needs of charitable organizations in the context of government and civics-related issues.  As Ken Stroupe,  Chief of Staff for the Center for Politics, has said, “During the fleeting moment when students are taking an active interest in the needs of their community, it is negligent to miss the opportunity to also connect them with the larger world of government and public policy.”

Consisting of lesson plans, worksheets and skill development exercises, Democracy Corps has everything a teacher needs to implement a successful service learning project.  Scheduling options within the program make it convenient for teachers with varying schedules and demands.  As with all YLI programs, Democracy Corps is available FREE of charge to registered educators.  Sign Up now.

YLI has the ability to create National Topics for the digital First Freedom Wall. Students who respond to these topics will be in touch with their peers across the nation. Topics will be updated on a regular basis to keep conversations relevant. All comments in the National and Anytime First Freedom Wall must be approved by the teacher to reinforce the skills of civil discourse when using social media.

Already signed-up with YLI? Log in and click on the First Freedom Wall link on the Dashboard page, and get started!

Features of the First Freedom Wall include:

• The ability for teachers to post comments and questions that promote critical thinking
• Comments can be shared with students across the country
• National Posts created by YLI that are designed to spur national discourse on current issues in American politics
• The Talking Turkey series of lesson plans that provide strategies for the discussion of controversial topics in the
• classroom
• Teachers monitor student comments in order to stress the importance of civil discourse.
• A Classroom Contract for Controversial Topics
• Resources on Media Literacy

Get your students in the game with the digital First Freedom Wall!

The digital First Freedom Wall is the product of a collaboration between the Youth Leadership Initiative and American Evolution in order to commemorate the beginnings of self-government at Jamestown, VA in 1619. Modeled after the Freedom Monument in downtown Charlottesville, VA this online version allows students to comment on current political issues, share ideas for public policy, and use civility in an effort to strengthen our democracy.

What is the First Freedom Wall and how does it work?

YLI has the ability to create National Topics for the digital First Freedom Wall. Students who respond to these topics will be in touch with their peers across the nation. Topics will be updated on a regular basis to keep conversations relevant. All comments in the National and Anytime First Freedom Wall must be approved by the teacher to reinforce the skills of civil discourse when using social media.

Features of the First Freedom Wall include:

• The ability for teachers to post comments and questions that promote critical thinking
• Comments can be shared with students across the country
• National Posts created by YLI that are designed to spur national discourse on current issues in American politics
• The Talking Turkey series of lesson plans that provide strategies for the discussion of controversial topics in the
• classroom
• Teachers monitor student comments in order to stress the importance of civil discourse.
• A Classroom Contract for Controversial Topics
• Resources on Media Literacy

Get your students in the game with the digital First Freedom Wall. Teachers, log in and click the First Freedom Wall link on the Dashboard page to get started!

YLI has the ability to create National Topics for the digital First Freedom Wall. Students who respond to these topics will be in touch with their peers across the nation. Topics will be updated on a regular basis to keep conversations relevant. All comments in the National and Anytime First Freedom Wall must be approved by the teacher to reinforce the skills of civil discourse when using social media.

Already signed-up with YLI? Log in and click on the First Freedom Wall link on the Dashboard page, and get started!

Features of the First Freedom Wall include:

• The ability for teachers to post comments and questions that promote critical thinking
• Comments can be shared with students across the country
• National Posts created by YLI that are designed to spur national discourse on current issues in American politics
• The Talking Turkey series of lesson plans that provide strategies for the discussion of controversial topics in the
• classroom
• Teachers monitor student comments in order to stress the importance of civil discourse.
• A Classroom Contract for Controversial Topics
• Resources on Media Literacy

Get your students in the game with the digital First Freedom Wall!

YLI has the ability to create National Topics for the digital First Freedom Wall. Students who respond to these topics will be in touch with their peers across the nation. Topics will be updated on a regular basis to keep conversations relevant. All comments in the National and Anytime First Freedom Wall must be approved by the teacher to reinforce the skills of civil discourse when using social media.

Already signed-up with YLI? Log in and click on the First Freedom Wall link on the Dashboard page, and get started!

Features of the First Freedom Wall include:

• The ability for teachers to post comments and questions that promote critical thinking
• Comments can be shared with students across the country
• National Posts created by YLI that are designed to spur national discourse on current issues in American politics
• The Talking Turkey series of lesson plans that provide strategies for the discussion of controversial topics in the
• classroom
• Teachers monitor student comments in order to stress the importance of civil discourse.
• A Classroom Contract for Controversial Topics
• Resources on Media Literacy

Get your students in the game with the digital First Freedom Wall!

More Resources for You and Your Students

Sometimes the hardest part of teaching is finding credible resources for your students. The Youth Leadership Initiative is proud to recommend the following resources for use with your civics program. Each of the organizations listed below is dedicated to providing FREE civics education materials to supplement your classroom activities.

University of Virginia Center for Politics

The Center for Politics, a nonpartisan unit of the University of Virginia, seeks to promote the value of politics and the importance of civic engagement. Government works better when politics works better, and politics works better when citizens are informed and involved participants. Learn More: www.centerforpolitics.org

Larry J. Sabato's Crystall Ball

A comprehensive website run by the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball features detailed and frequently updated analysis for elections across the country. The Crystal Ball keeps tabs on presidential elections, along with every Senate and gubernatorial race, as well as the tightest campaigns for the House. The Crystal Ball is a free public service meant to appeal to political junkies and interested voters alike.

Project Vote Smart

Feel connected to your elected officials by using Project Vote Smart. Project Vote Smart is your resource to start making changes in your town, state, and nation. Use their links to find your representatives in national and state government , to learn tools for effectively communicating with them, to read about the issues currently facing Congress, and much, much more. Learn More: http://www.vote-smart.org

Related Civics Links Homeland security? The death penalty? Immigration? Education? At YLI we believe that young Americans do care about the issues facing their generation and their nation. We also know that it is often hard to know what to do to make a difference. Learn More

YLI is dedicated to making the lives of teachers easier. To that end we have collected a list of links that will be helpful to you in your classroom. The following list of links are non-partisan and provide access to resources that compliment those provided by YLI. Don't see a favorite here? Email us at ylihelp@virginia.edu, and let us know so that we can share it with all YLI teachers.

«BACK

Bill of Rights Institute

Budget Hero: Federal Budget simulation

C-Span in the Classroom

Center for Civic Education

Center for the Constitution at James Madison’s Montpelier

Close-Up Foundation

Facing Up to Our Nation’s Finances

Fascinating Learning Factory

Frederick Douglass Family Foundation

League of Women Voters

Library of Congress

Living Room Candidate

National Association of Secretaries of State

Rock the Vote

Vote iQ

VoteSane

We the People

Get in the game by spreading the word about YLI!

You know YLI has the best civics resources and programs for your students but do your colleagues? Help promote civic education by telling your friends, peers and neighbors about all that YLI does to promote lifelong civic engagement.

Spread the word about YLI

Know a school, teacher or organization that would benefit from the Youth Leadership Initiative’s comprehensive civics resources? Use this link to put them in touch with YLI and recommend that they register to have access to all that YLI has to offer. Coming Soon!

What’s your ideology? Find out here!

Democrat? Republican? Liberal? Conservative? Don’t know where you fit on the political ideology spectrum? Find out by using YLI’s online Political Ideology Survey then use that information to connect with similar-minded legislators and elected officials using Project Vote Smart’s database. Coming Soon!

Donate to YLI

Help to support the Youth Leadership Initiative in its mission to improve civic engagement through quality civics education by making a financial contribution. Donate now

E-Congress is a simulation of the law-making process in the United States Congress. Over the course of this simulation, you will take on the role of a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, one of the two houses of Congress. You and your classmates have five phases to complete in E-Congress.

You are now beginning Phase I. During this phase you will learn more about the structure of Congress, the job of a Member of Congress, and the process of making laws. In later phases, you will conduct research on an issue that interests you, write a bill to submit to E-Congress, and review and vote on bills from other E-Congress students around the country.

Congratulations, Representative CURRENT_USER.LAST_NAME! You have successfully completed your participation in E-Congress.

Congratulations, Representative CURRENT_USER.LAST_NAME. You have successfully completed the Introduction Phase of E-Congress. You may proceed to the Research Phase.

Both the House of Representatives and the Senate are organized into committees. Committees are especially important in the House of Representatives because of its size.

Standing committees are permanent committees that continue from one Congress to the next. In the 118th Congress, the House has twenty standing committees, each with an average of thirty-nine Members. Together, they have a total of 97 subcommittees that collectively act as the eyes, ears, and hands of the House.

Committees consider issues roughly parallel to those of the departments in the president's Cabinet. For example, there are committees on agriculture, education, the judiciary, veterans affairs, transportation, and commerce.

The Speaker of the House presides over the House of Representatives and is the only officer of the House specifically mentioned in the Constitution. Other House leadership roles also are determined by membership in the majority or minority party. Party members also elect a majority leader and a minority leader, who both work closely with the speaker.

Each party also elects a whip, who is responsible for persuading Members to support their own party's position on issues. Whips serve as communication links, distributing information about the party's position on issues from leaders to Members and alerting leaders to the concerns of party members.

Click here to view a list of House leaders and to visit their websites.

The majority party in the House of Representatives is the Republican Party making the Democratic Party the minority party. The 118th Congress currently includes 212 Democratic (including 3 Delegates) and 222 Republican (including 1 delegate and the Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico) Members in the House with one seat vacant. The 2022 elections resulted in the Democratic Party gaining one senate seat (including three independents who caucus with the Democrats) which gave them a 51 to 49 majority over the Republican Party.

The House of Representatives has 435 Members. Every state has at least one Member. California has the most Members, with 53. How many Members represent your state in the House of Representatives? To check, click here and click on the Member Information tab and then use the second drop down menu.

Members of the House of Representatives are elected for two-year terms. Each term has two sessions that begin in January and last one year. The second session of the 118th Congress will begin on January 3, 2024.

Because it is so large, the House of Representatives has a complex structure and many rules. Leadership roles are especially important and are largely determined by political party. Traditionally, the most powerful leaders are members of the majority party - the party with the greatest number of Members elected to a particular session of Congress.

The United States Congress is the legislative, or law-making, branch of government created by Article I of the Constitution. Congress consists of two separate groups or houses - the Senate and the House of Representatives. This two-house organization is called a bicameral legislature. Each state is represented in the Senate by two senators, regardless of the state's population. The number of representatives each state sends to the House of Representatives, in contrast, is determined by that state's population. E-Congress is based on the House of Representatives.

Click here to learn more about the House of Representatives.

When you have finished Phase I, you should be able to answer the following questions:

• 1) What is the structure of Congress?
• 2) What are the responsibilities of Members of Congress?
• 3) How does Congress make laws?

Click here to view and print out the Phase I Study Guide. Your teacher may have already provided a copy to you. This will help you keep track of all of the information in this phase. Your teacher may be collecting this.

Members of Congress are elected to write and pass laws representing the views of their constituents. A constituent is a person who is represented by a specific elected official. For example, Eric Adams is the mayor of New York City, so his constituents are the residents of New York City. Every American is a constituent of President of the United States. If you are a representative in the House, you need to support bills that are popular with your constituents. Otherwise, they will be unlikely to vote for you in the future!

This can be more complicated than it seems. Some political scientists feel that representatives have a duty to represent the whole nation, not just their own district, and the best way to do that is to listen to the opinions of their constituents and then use their own best judgment to make final decisions. Members of Congress also have to consider how laws they propose will be viewed by members of their political party. Members who do not vote with their party may find it difficult to get assigned to the committees that interest them.

Which political party do you belong to, Representative CURRENT_USER.LAST_NAME?

Many factors contribute to a person's choice of political party. Research indicates that the strongest factors are family and community influences. The platforms and positions of the two major parties can also have an influence, but these can change and evolve over time. For that reason, it is helpful to examine contemporary issues to be sure that your party preference matches your political ideology, or personal beliefs about government.

At this point students will take a political ideology survey.

Representatives must do office work, be present for votes and hearings, and attend meetings and events in Washington; they also need to be visible and available to their constituents at home. In addition to all the work of holding office, members of Congress also face the time-consuming demands of campaigning and fundraising. Keeping up with all these demands requires a supporting staff of people doing research and handling requests for assistance from individual constituents.

Congress is older, better educated, more white, more male, and richer than the rest of the United States. In the 118th Congress there are:

• 60 African-Americans,
• 49 Hispanic-Americans,
• 20 Members of Asian ancestry,
• 6 Native Americans, Alaskan Native, or Pacific Islander.
• The total number of women in Congress is 153. There are 25 in the Senate and 128 in the House, three of whom are non-voting delegates from Washington, DC, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Does it make a difference if a representative or senator is male or female, African-American or Latino or Caucasian, young or old, gay or straight? Can a man represent the interests of women as well as a woman can? Can a rich woman represent the interests of the poor? Are veterans more sensitive to veterans' issues? Visit the Congressional Research Service for more demographic information of the 117th Congress.

The Constitution specifically gives to Congress its most important power - the authority to make laws. This law-making power is shared by both houses. No bill (proposed law) can become law without the consent of both houses.

Suggestions for bills - be they about education, violence against women, trade with China, gun control or foreign aid - can come from the president, executive agencies, committee staffs, interest groups, or even private individuals. Only Members of the House or Senate, however, can submit a bill to Congress. Every law passed by Congress starts out as a bill, but most bills never become laws. Of the approximately 10,000 or so bills introduced during any session of Congress, fewer than 5 percent are made into law.

After a Member introduces a bill and it is given a number (for example, HR 238), it must survive two basic stages to be approved by the House of Representatives. The first takes place when the Speaker of the House refers the bill to the committee that works on that issue. The committee refers the bill to one of its subcommittees, which researches the bill and holds hearings on it. Subcommittee hearings provide opportunities for those on both sides of the issue to voice their opinions. If the subcommittee votes in favor of the bill, the full committee votes and either rejects the bill or sends it to the House floor. Most bills never make it past this stage. The second stage takes place with all members of the House, on the House floor. There, the bill is debated and members offer changes, or amendments. Finally, the full House votes on the bill.

Even if a bill is approved by a majority of the Members of the House of Representatives, it still must be approved by the Members of the Senate AND by the president - not an easy process. The 117th Congress (January 2021- January 2023) considered 17,806 pieces of legislation. Of these, just 329 became laws and 760 were passed resolutions (GovTrack.us).

Before you move on to the Research Phase, please take a short quiz on what you've learned so far. At this point students will take the Introduction Quiz.

The Youth Leadership Initiative's E-Congress is an interactive on-line simulation that helps students understand the complexities of the legislative process, as an innovative resource for classroom teachers. Participation in YLI E‑Congress is open and free to middle and high school civics teachers. Throughout the simulation, students play the part of a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. To be successful, they must research contemporary issues, draft original legislation, debate its merits during committee sessions, and work to move their bill to the House floor. In contrast to traditional mock congresses, students use innovative technology throughout the simulation to interact with their legislators and to connect with their peers around the country.

You are now beginning Phase II of E-Congress. During this phase you will research one of the many issues facing our country. Once you select a topic for your research, you will:

• compare and contrast the opinions of major and minor political parties on this issue
• identify interest groups on both sides of the issue
• write a letter to a member of Congress expressing your own opinion on the issue
• identify current legislation and constitutional issues related to your topic
• research current government spending in your area of interest

Click here to view a virtual tour of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Click here to view and print out the Phase II Research Guide. This will help you keep track of all of the information you gather on your topic. Your teacher may be collecting this.

In this phase of E-Congress, you will work on actually writing your own proposed law, or bill. The information you gather in this phase will help ensure you write a bill that will appeal to members of E-Congress from around the country.

Choose a topic for your bill from the list below. By clicking on the different topics, you can view web resources and political cartoons that will help you with your research. Use the information you find here to complete the Phase II Research Guide.

• Civil Liberties and Constitutional Issues - Civil liberties are freedoms protected by the Constitution. Examples are the freedoms of speech, religion, and the press and freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. If you are interested in current issues like religious exemptions or freedom of speech on public school campuses, this is the topic for you. This topic also includes intellectual property.
• Civil Rights - Civil rights are those rights that belong to all citizens regardless of race, gender, age, or national origin. They relate to freedom from unequal treatment. If you want to address the voting age, the rights of the disabled, LGBTQ rights, or affirmative action, this is the topic you should select.
• Criminal Justice - This topic is for those interested in the death penalty, penalties for crimes, victims' rights, and juvenile justice.
• Economy - The economy is usually the most influential issue for voters in presidential elections, so if you have a great idea for tax reform or a solution for inflation, this is the topic you should research.
• Education - Students can tell politicians a lot about education! This is the topic to pick if you want to address standardized testing, teacher training and salaries, school start times, college scholarships, or vocational training.
• Environment and Energy - Do you believe we need to do a better job of protecting the natural world, or do you think Americans focus enough or too much time and money on environmental regulations? If you want to learn more about natural resources, energy, land use and property rights, or animal habitats and welfare, choose this topic.
• Foreign Policy - How should the United States create and maintain relationships with other countries? Should we partner with the United Nations and other international organizations, work directly with other countries to solve problems, or should we take action independent of others?
• Gun Control - How much freedom should Americans have when it comes to purchasing and using guns? This topic is the source of a lot of controversy in our society. Research gun control and propose a solution of your own.
• Health and Safety - Many people suffer illness, injury, or even death because of sometimes-preventable risks, from unsafe driving to unhealthy habits. What do you propose to improve the health of Americans? What role, if any, do you think the government should have in health care?
• Immigration- Whether our families moved here 200 years ago or 10 years ago, almost every American arrived through immigration. How open or restricted should the United States be towards immigration?
• National Defense - How would you protect the United States from terrorists and others who wish to do us harm? Select this topic to learn more about what our government is doing as well as the alternatives some people have proposed.
• Reproductive and Personal Rights - This topic includes controversial issues such as abortion, stem cell research, cloning, and assisted suicide. Note: In past years E-Legislators have submitted a large number of bills on abortion. Because there are so many, these bills may be less likely to be reviewed by other students in the Committee Phase.
• Social Programs - Our government has a variety of social, cultural, and scientific goals - from tackling poverty and urban sprawl to establishing museums and exploring space. What programs would you like to see established, or what existing programs do you think need an update?
• Values and American Society - This topic is a catch all for values related subjects: issues of faith and religion, family, conduct between sexes, censorship, etc.

Civil Liberties and Constitutional Issues - Resources

Scott Stantis

Dana Summers

www.caglecartoons.com

Civil Liberties and Constitutional Issues - Web Resources

Text of the Bill of Rights.

American Civil Liberties Union. Issues briefs, reports, news links, case histories, activism opportunities.

Alliance For Justice. Nationally-based coalition dedicated to ensuring access to justice, strengthening the public interest community and fostering the next generation of advocates.

Justice Department site on the USA PATRIOT Act.

Defending Rights and Dissent. Works to strengthen participatory democracy by protecting the right to political expression.

Freedom Forum. The Freedom Forum is a nonpartisan 501(c)(3) foundation dedicated to fostering First Amendment freedoms for all.

Association of Research Libraries' Copyright and Intellectual Property page. Legislation, resources, links.

American Constitution Society. An organization promoting equality and access to justice for all individuals of U.S. society. ACS demonstrates a progressive vision of the law on issues such as privacy, freedom of speech, immigration, and international human rights.

Institute for Free Speech. Promotes and defends the First Amendment rights to freely speak, assemble, publish, and petition the government .

Center for Constitutional Rights. Organization to protect and advance civil rights given by Constitution and Human Rights Declarations. Includes news on legal decisions concerning civil liberties and human rights as well as analysis of anti-terrorism legislation.

Major Political Parties

Republican National Committee

Republican Party platform

Democratic National Committee

Democratic Party platform.

Third Parties

Green Party of the United States

Green Party platform

Libertarian Party

Libertarian Party platform

Politics1.com. For information on other third parties, use the Politics1.com Directory of American Political Parties.

Government / Politics Links:

The U.S. Government's Official Web Portal.

Congress.org. A service of Capitol Advantage, a private, nonpartisan company that specializes in facilitating civic participation.

CNN.com "Inside Politics"

Political Information.com. A targeted, nonpartisan search engine just for politics and policy.

Public Agenda. A nonpartisan opinion research organization.

Civil Rights - Resources

Victor Varnado

Jim Morin

Jeff Parker

B. Deutsch

Civil Rights - Web Resources

U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Links to recent news and reports, mission statement and powers of the commission.

Civil Rights.org. Site founded by the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and the LCCR Education Fund. News, opinions, suggestions for activism, issues, links. Supports affirmative action.

Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. News, issues, case archive. Supports individual rights in education, opposes campus speech codes and race and gender preferences.

American Civil Rights Institute. Links, articles, legislation info. Opposes race and gender preferences.

Center for Individual Rights. Articles, annual reports, cases, links to other organizations. Conservative group promoting individual rights and free expression.

U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. Description of Civil Rights Division, frequently asked questions, speeches and press releases, cases and briefs.

U.S. Dept. of Education Office for Civil Rights. Overview of the law as it relates to education, questions and answers, regulations, links to Civil Rights offices of other departments.

U.S. Government Legal Disability Rights. Ensuring equal opportunity and protection for those with disabilities. Provides information about the Americans with Disabilities Act and other civil rights laws pertaining to those with disabilities and their families.

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Articles, news, links, activism. Supports minority rights.

Feminist Majority Foundation. Research and information regarding the rights and equality of women in America.

Major Political Parties

Republican National Committee

Republican Party platform

Democratic National Committee

Democratic Party platform.

Third Parties

Green Party of the United States

Green Party platform

Libertarian Party

Libertarian Party platform

Politics1.com. For information on other third parties, use the Politics1.com Directory of American Political Parties.

Government / Politics Links:

The U.S. Government's Official Web Portal.

Congress.org. A service of Capitol Advantage, a private, nonpartisan company that specializes in facilitating civic participation.

CNN.com "Inside Politics"

Political Information.com. A targeted, nonpartisan search engine just for politics and policy.

Public Agenda. A nonpartisan opinion research organization.

Criminal Justice - Resources

Dave Granlund

Rob Rogers

www.caglecartoons.com

Jeff Parker

Criminal Justice - Web Resources

U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs. Research and statistics, links to subordinate and related offices.

Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice. Articles, links, student section. Promotes alternatives to incarceration.

Justice for All. Links and resources. Favors tougher sentencing for criminals.

Death Penalty Information Center. News, statistics, issues, research, links to anti-death penalty sites.

Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics. Data tables from more than 100 sources about various aspects of criminal justice.

Families Against Mandatory Minimums. Articles, links, news, activism. Opposes mandatory minimum sentencing laws.

BestColleges.com's Criminal Justice Resources. Oodles of information for those interested in this subject.

American Civil Liberties Union. Articles, news, links. Liberal view of the criminal justice system.

American Bar Association. Mission to improve the criminal justice system and serve its members professionally.

Major Political Parties

Republican National Committee

Republican Party platform

Democratic National Committee

Democratic Party platform

Third Parties

Green Party of the United States

Green Party platform

Libertarian Party

Libertarian Party platform

Politics1.com. For information on other third parties, use the Politics1.com Directory of American Political Parties.

Government / Politics Links:

The U.S. Government's Official Web Portal.

Congress.org. A service of Capitol Advantage, a private, nonpartisan company that specializes in facilitating civic participation.

CNN.com "Inside Politics"

Political Information.com. A targeted, nonpartisan search engine just for politics and policy.

Public Agenda. A nonpartisan opinion research organization.

Economy - Resources

Lisa Benson

Jerry Holbert

Nick Anderson

A. F. Branco

Economy - Web Resources

U.S. Department of Commerce. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

National Bureau of Economic Research. Articles, data, links to economics resources.

FreedomWorks. Issues, articles, suggestions for activism. Supports lower taxes.

Center for Economic and Policy Research. Links, opinions, information. Opposes Bush economic plan.

Foundation for Economic Education. Opinions, articles, links, resources. Emphasizes free market economics.

Economic Policy Institute. Data, issues, links. Emphasizes concern for living standards of working people.

U.S. Department of State International Information Programs. "An Outline of the U.S. Economy" by Christopher Conte and Albert R. Karr.

The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research. Articles, links, research. Conservative think tank.

Center for American Progress. Articles, links, research. Liberal think tank.

Major Political Parties

Republican National Committee

Republican Party platform

Democratic National Committee

Democratic Party platform.

Third Parties

Green Party of the United States

Green Party platform

Libertarian Party

Libertarian Party platform

Politics1.com. For information on other third parties, use the Politics1.com Directory of American Political Parties.

Government / Politics Links:

The U.S. Government's Official Web Portal.

Congress.org. A service of Capitol Advantage, a private, nonpartisan company that specializes in facilitating civic participation.

CNN.com "Inside Politics"

Political Information.com. A targeted, nonpartisan search engine just for politics and policy.

Public Agenda. A nonpartisan opinion research organization.

Education - Resources

Bill Bramhall

Signe Wilkinson

Jeff Koterba

Education - Web Resources

U.S. Department of Education. News, program descriptions, policy links and more.

Education Commission of the States. Current policy information, issues, news, links.

National Education Association. Issues, news, legislative action center. Emphasizes public school education.

Center for Education Reform. News, issues, resources, suggestions for activism. Supports charters, vouchers, higher standards for schools.

American Council on Education. News, reports, links. Emphasizes diversity, accessibility, and internationalization in higher education.

School Choices. Articles, research, activism. Supports school choice.

Anti-Defamation League. Articles, research, activism. Opposes school voucher programs.

Major Political Parties

Republican National Committee

Republican Party platform

Democratic National Committee

Democratic Party platform.

Third Parties

Green Party of the United States

Green Party platform

Libertarian Party

Libertarian Party platform

Politics1.com. For information on other third parties, use the Politics1.com Directory of American Political Parties.

Government / Politics Links:

The U.S. Government's Official Web Portal.

Congress.org. A service of Capitol Advantage, a private, nonpartisan company that specializes in facilitating civic participation.

CNN.com "Inside Politics"

Political Information.com. A targeted, nonpartisan search engine just for politics and policy.

Public Agenda. A nonpartisan opinion research organization.

Environment and Energy - Resources

Mike Smith

Joel Pett

Paresh Nath

Dana Summers

Environment and Energy - Web Resources

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Information on environmental topics, EPA news, current and pending laws & regulations, student resources.

Natural Resources Defense Council. News, issues, information, suggestions for activism. Emphasizes preserving natural places and strengthening environmental protections.

Property and Environment Research Center. Articles, issues, anecdotes, educational resources. Emphasizes market solutions to environmental problems.

Nature Conservancy. An international nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the diversity of life on Earth.

Reason Foundation. News, opinions, links. Supports private conservation and non-regulatory approaches to environmental issues.

Animal Welfare Information Center. A service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Library. Links, news, publications, resources.

Center for Renewable Energy and Sustainable Technology. News, resources, discussion groups. Supports transition to renewable energy sources.

Sierra Club. Links, news, articles, resources. Promotes protection of the environment.

Major Political Parties

Republican National Committee

Republican Party platform

Democratic National Committee

Democratic Party platform.

Third Parties

Green Party of the United States

Green Party platform

Libertarian Party

Libertarian Party platform

Politics1.com. For information on other third parties, use the Politics1.com Directory of American Political Parties.

Government / Politics Links:

The U.S. Government's Official Web Portal.

Congress.org. A service of Capitol Advantage, a private, nonpartisan company that specializes in facilitating civic participation.

CNN.com "Inside Politics"

Political Information.com. A targeted, nonpartisan search engine just for politics and policy.

Public Agenda. A nonpartisan opinion research organization.

Foreign Policy - Resources

Steve Greenberg

Signe Wilkinson

Steve Benson

Foreign Policy - Web Resources

Foreign Policy Association. News, articles, resource library, student corner. Emphasizes educating citizens about foreign policy issues.

U.S. Department of State – Issues and Press.. Current U.S. policy, related bureaus and government offices, archives, links, additional resources.

U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Legislation, hearings, membership, links.

Foreign Policy In Focus. News, articles, issues, links. Supports citizen initiatives, progressive policies.

Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Foreign Policy Research Institute.

Cato Institute. Articles, links, resources. Libertarian think tank.

The American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research. Articles, links, resources. Conservative think tank.

Brookings Institute. Articles, links, research. Nonpartisan think tank with Conservative leanings.

Center for American Progress. Articles, links, research. Nonpartisan think tank with Liberal leanings.

Major Political Parties

Republican National Committee

Republican Party platform

Democratic National Committee

Democratic Party platform.

Third Parties

Green Party of the United States

Green Party platform

Libertarian Party

Libertarian Party platform

Politics1.com. For information on other third parties, use the Politics1.com Directory of American Political Parties.

Government / Politics Links:

The U.S. Government's Official Web Portal.

Congress.org. A service of Capitol Advantage, a private, nonpartisan company that specializes in facilitating civic participation.

CNN.com "Inside Politics"

Political Information.com. A targeted, nonpartisan search engine just for politics and policy.

Public Agenda. A nonpartisan opinion research organization.

Gun Rights and Responsibilities - Resources

Mike Thompson

William Warren

R. J. Matson

Rob Smith Jr.

Gun Rights and Responsibilities - Web Resources

Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – U.S. Department of Justice. Information, laws and regulations, links.

National Rifle Association. Links to issues, legislation, suggestions for activism. Supports gun ownership rights.

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. Links to legislation, press, legal action. Supports gun control legislation.

Gun Control Network. Statistics, articles, links. Supports gun control initiatives.

Cato Institute. Articles and links. Supports limited government and individual liberty.

Major Political Parties

Republican National Committee

Republican Party platform

Democratic National Committee

Democratic Party platform

Third Parties

Green Party of the United States

Green Party platform

Libertarian Party

Libertarian Party platform

Politics1.com. For information on other third parties, use the Politics1.com Directory of American Political Parties.

Government / Politics Links:

The U.S. Government's Official Web Portal.

Congress.org. A service of Capitol Advantage, a private, nonpartisan company that specializes in facilitating civic participation.

CNN.com "Inside Politics"

Political Information.com. A targeted, nonpartisan search engine just for politics and policy.

Public Agenda. A nonpartisan opinion research organization.

Health and Safety - Resources

Rick McKee

Matt Davies

Bill Whitehead

Dana Summers

Health and Safety - Web Resources

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC is the nation's health protection agency, working to protect America from health and safety threats, both foreign and domestic.

National Institutes of Health. NIH seeks fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability.

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. An agency of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. News, information, research findings, links to other HHS agencies and departments.

Alliance for Health Reform. Articles, links, resources. Supports affordable health care for all Americans.

Americans for Free Choice in Medicine. Information, opinions, links. Favors medical savings accounts and free-market health care solutions.

National Transportation Safety Board. Data, links, suggestions for increased safety in various forms of transportation.

National Substance Abuse Web Index. A service of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Links and resources.

Major Political Parties

Republican National Committee

Republican Party platform

Democratic National Committee

Democratic Party platform.

Third Parties

Green Party of the United States

Green Party platform

Libertarian Party

Libertarian Party platform

Politics1.com. For information on other third parties, use the Politics1.com Directory of American Political Parties.

Government / Politics Links:

The U.S. Government's Official Web Portal.

Congress.org. A service of Capitol Advantage, a private, nonpartisan company that specializes in facilitating civic participation.

CNN.com "Inside Politics"

Political Information.com. A targeted, nonpartisan search engine just for politics and policy.

Public Agenda. A nonpartisan opinion research organization.

Immigration - Resources

Steve Sack

Bob Gorrell

Signe Wilkinson

Mike Luckovich

Immigration - Web Resources

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Bureau.

Center for Immigration Studies. Research, articles, history, statistics, more. Favors supporting immigrants while limiting total immigration.

The National Immigration Forum. News, links, resources. Favors a broadly welcoming immigration policy.

National Immigration Law Center. Research, articles, publications. Mission to promote rights and opportunities for immigrants.

Major Political Parties

Republican National Committee

Republican Party platform

Democratic National Committee

Democratic Party platform.

Third Parties

Green Party of the United States

Green Party platform

Libertarian Party

Libertarian Party platform

Politics1.com. For information on other third parties, use the Politics1.com Directory of American Political Parties.

Government / Politics Links:

The U.S. Government's Official Web Portal.

Congress.org. A service of Capitol Advantage, a private, nonpartisan company that specializes in facilitating civic participation.

CNN.com "Inside Politics"

Political Information.com. A targeted, nonpartisan search engine just for politics and policy.

Public Agenda. A nonpartisan opinion research organization.

National Defense - Resources

Dana Summers

Kip Lyall

Matt Davies

National Defense - Web Resources

U.S. Department of Defense. News, issues, speeches, information about DoD, links to departments.

Project on Government Oversight. Articles, issues, links. Emphasizes independent monitoring of defense spending and strategies.

Center for Security Policy. Articles, information, links. Favors strong American military.

Council for a Livable World. Articles, links, suggestions for activism. Supports reduction of military spending.

Project on Defense Alternatives. Articles and links. Emphasizes peacekeeping and conflict prevention.

Missile Defense Agency. Articles, issues, links. Devoted to making ballistic missile defense a reality.

Major Political Parties

Republican National Committee

Republican Party platform

Democratic National Committee

Democratic Party platform.

Third Parties

Green Party of the United States

Green Party platform

Libertarian Party

Libertarian Party platform

Politics1.com. For information on other third parties, use the Politics1.com Directory of American Political Parties.

Government / Politics Links:

The U.S. Government's Official Web Portal.

Congress.org. A service of Capitol Advantage, a private, nonpartisan company that specializes in facilitating civic participation.

CNN.com "Inside Politics"

Political Information.com. A targeted, nonpartisan search engine just for politics and policy.

Public Agenda. A nonpartisan opinion research organization.

Reproductive and Personal Rights - Resources

Gary Trudeau

Gary Varvel

Malcolm Mayes

Steve Kelley

Reproductive and Personal Rights - Web Resources

Life Issues Institute. Site includes links and medical information. Emphasizes education as a way to serve the needs of the pro-life movement.

National Abortion Rights Action League Pro-Choice America. Issues and suggestions for activism.

American Life League. A pro-life information resource.

National Abortion Federation. Abortion-positive medical guides, personal stories, information.

The Coalition of Americans for Research Ethics. News and information. Favors stem cell research; does not support use of embryonic stem cells.

Ethics in Medicine web site from the University of Washington School of Medicine. Examines ethical questions of doctor-assisted suicide from several viewpoints.

Anti-euthanasia web site. Contains a large collection of medical and legal articles, links to other organizations, and international perspectives.

American Association for the Advancement of Science. Supports innovative basic and clinical research in the emerging and critical area of stem cell therapy.

Major Political Parties

Republican National Committee

Republican Party platform

Democratic National Committee

Democratic Party platform

Third Parties

Green Party of the United States

Green Party platform

Libertarian Party

Libertarian Party platform

Politics1.com. For information on other third parties, use the Politics1.com Directory of American Political Parties.

Government / Politics Links:

The U.S. Government's Official Web Portal.

Congress.org. A service of Capitol Advantage, a private, nonpartisan company that specializes in facilitating civic participation.

CNN.com "Inside Politics"

Political Information.com. A targeted, nonpartisan search engine just for politics and policy.

Public Agenda. A nonpartisan opinion research organization.

Social Programs - Resources

Scott Stantis

Jen Sorensen

Phil Hands

Michael Ramirez

Social Programs - Web Resources

A-Z Index of U.S. Government Departments and Agencies.

Social Security Administration.

Medicare.

American Public Human Services Association. Links, publications, news, additional resources. Emphasizes general development of human services.

American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research. Research, links, news, publications. Conservative think tank devoted to "limited government, private enterprise, vital cultural and political institutions, and a strong foreign policy and national defense."

The Urban Institute. Research, links, issues, additional resources. No stated ideological position.

Major Political Parties

Republican National Committee

Republican Party platform

Democratic National Committee

Democratic Party platform.

Third Parties

Green Party of the United States

Green Party platform

Libertarian Party

Libertarian Party platform

Politics1.com. For information on other third parties, use the Politics1.com Directory of American Political Parties.

Government / Politics Links:

The U.S. Government's Official Web Portal.

Congress.org. A service of Capitol Advantage, a private, nonpartisan company that specializes in facilitating civic participation.

CNN.com "Inside Politics"

Political Information.com. A targeted, nonpartisan search engine just for politics and policy.

Public Agenda. A nonpartisan opinion research organization.

Values and American Society - Resources

Steve Sack

Monte Wolverton

Steve Sack

Walt Handelsman

Values and American Society - Web Resources

American Family Association. Articles, issues, resources, suggestions for activism. Promotes traditional Christian moral values.

Center for Family Policy and Practice. Links, resources, publications. Emphasizes public policy to support low-income parents as a means of aiding children.

Becket Fund for Religious Liberty. The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. that describes itself as "a non-profit, public interest law firm defending the freedom of religion of people of all faiths."

Unmarried Equality. Resources, links, statistics. Supports diverse family arrangements and nontraditional partnerships.

Family Research Council. Issues, publications, pending legislation, activism. Emphasizes marriage and Judeo-Christian ethics.

Human Rights Campaign. Articles, links, resources, activism. Supports gay/lesbian/transgender rights.

Center for Adoption Policy. Provides research, analysis, advice and education to practitioners and the public about current legislation.

Center for Child and Family Policy. Their mission is to solve problems facing children in contemporary society by bringing together scholars from many disciplines with policy makers and practitioners.

The Urban Institute. A non-partisan think tank on social policy.

Major Political Parties

Republican National Committee.

Republican Party platform.

Democratic National Committee.

Democratic Party platform.

Third Parties

Green Party of the United States.

Green Party platform.

Libertarian Party.

Libertarian Party platform.

Politics1.com. For information on other third parties, use the Politics1.com Directory of American Political Parties.

Government / Politics Links:

The U.S. Government's Official Web Portal.

Congress.org. A service of Capitol Advantage, a private, nonpartisan company that specializes in facilitating civic participation.

CNN.com "Inside Politics"

Political Information.com. A targeted, nonpartisan search engine just for politics and policy.

Public Agenda. A nonpartisan opinion research organization.

By now you should have completed Page One of the Phase II Research Guide. The next step is to begin thinking about how you will use this information to write a bill to submit to E-Congress.

How will you address this issue in writing a bill of your own? For example, if you selected the environment as your topic, you probably realize that you could write several bills; pollution in our waterways, research into alternative sources of energy, drilling for oil in Alaska, and endangered plants and animals are just a few.

Like you, Members of Congress face this decision every day when attempting to write legislation. Factors for you to consider when selecting a bill to write are listed below, along with student sample legislation from earlier sessions of E-Congress.

Identify National Issues
Your bill will get the most support from students in other parts of the country when they feel that it matters to them, too.

Student Sample: One E-Legislator from Maryland wrote an excellent bill that created more funding to clean up the Chesapeake Bay. Unfortunately, it did not pass because students from states other than Maryland, Virginia, and Delaware did not see it as important.

Needs of Your Constituents
Remember that a constituent is a person who is represented by a specific elected official. In E-Congress, your constituents are your fellow E-Legislators, students from schools all over the country.

Student Sample: One E-Legislator authored a bill to increase the minimum wage because he knew his peers (constituents) were interested in earning more money in the part-time jobs they held after school.

Personal Interest or Expertise
Many Members of Congress write legislation based on an area where they have specific knowledge or interest. For example, Representative Jack Quinn (R-NY), a former teacher, co-sponsored a bill to prevent bullying in schools.

Student Sample: Another E-Legislator had a personal interest in the amount of garbage that was being dumped in the ocean. She lived near the coast and was impacted by the pollution, so she proposed a bill to reduce the amount of trash that could be disposed of in open waters.

Political Party Affiliation
Members of Congress often sponsor legislation that is a priority to their political party.

Student Sample: One E-Legislator chose to draft hate crime legislation. He was inspired by personal experience, and he also knew that this issue was an important one to the members of his political party.

Current Priorities
Often, bills in Congress reflect events in the news or trends in society.

Student Sample: One student felt that national security was a priority after the events of September 11, 2001. He proposed that all trains have an armed guard on board to protect the passengers and crew.

Innovative Solution
Feel free to come up with a creative approach to solving a tough problem.

Student Sample: One year a group of students were concerned about the increasing percentage of obesity among America's young people. To combat this, they authored a bill that required school cafeterias to offer fewer high-fat, high-calorie options and increase the number of healthy, fresh foods they served. It was the most successful legislation of the session!

For additional ideas on how your topic is addressed by Members of Congress, you should identify what bills are currently being debated in the House of Representatives and the Senate. You may use one or both of the options below.

Option One: Access National Journal Daily
Each morning Congress is in session, National Journal Daily offers insider news, a comprehensive calendar of the day's events, and exclusive columns on key Congressional decision makers and issues.
We thank the National Journal for providing E-Legislators with unlimited access to National Journal Daily. This service is only available to E-Legislators for a limited time during the E-Congress simulation.

Option Two: Access Congress.gov, the legislative database run by the Library of Congress that allows you to search for bills currently being considered by the 118th Congress those from earlier sessions. You can search all bills on the House floor or search by keyword. Congress.gov is a free database.

Did you know that all laws in the United States must agree with the Constitution? Sometimes Congress passes a law with a conflict, but the law can then be challenged in court. If the Supreme Court decides that a challenged law is unconstitutional, it cannot take effect.

For example, Gregory Johnson was arrested in Texas for burning an American flag in front of Dallas City Hall. He wished to make a statement against the policies of President Reagan. He was convicted under a Texas law which makes flag desecration (vandalizing or dishonoring a flag) a crime. Although many Texans supported this law, the Supreme Court ruled that burning or otherwise desecrating a flag is protected under the First Amendment. The First Amendment protects the freedom of speech, and it was ruled that other forms of expression, such as Mr. Johnson's political statement of burning the flag, are also forms of speech. Because of this ruling, Mr. Johnson was released from prison, and the Texas law that he was convicted under can no longer be used.

Click the link below to find out where a bill you write could run into a conflict with the Constitution. If you think your bill might have a conflict, you can still write it. However, you need to consider that your fellow e-Legislators may be less interested in a bill that could be unconstitutional.

If you want to protect your bill from a Constitutional challenge, consider setting limits on behavior instead of banning it outright. For example, perhaps the Texas flag desecration statute would have been permitted if it simply made flag burning illegal on national holidays, or required a person to get a permit before burning a flag. Also, keep in mind that a potential fight in court will add to the estimated cost of your bill, as you will need to pay for legal fees.

Constitutional Issues

Constitutional Issues - Web Resources

Enter your topic in the search engine of the sites you choose to use. To complete your Research Guide, you should be looking for:

1. The names of important Supreme Court cases on your topic (ex. Brown v. Board of Education)
2. Specific sections of the Constitution that are named in these cases (ex. the due process clause of the 14th Amendment)
3. Whether your bill would pass a challenge in court. Does your bill look like other bills that have been found unconstitutional in the past?

The Oyez Project at Northwestern University - a multimedia archive of Supreme Court decisions.

Legal Information Institute - a non-profit activity of Cornell Law School

Now that you have an idea about the type of bill you will be writing, you should consider corresponding with at least one Member of the House of Representatives. Writing to a Member of Congress is a great way to express your opinion to someone who makes decisions about the issues that matter most to Americans.

Visit Project Vote Smart to find out more about individual Members of Congress, including which Members serve on a particular committee. For example, if you think you might write a bill on foreign policy, it might be a good idea to contact a Member on the House Committee on International Relations. The specific committee member you select is up to you, but you may wish to pick one from your state and/or political party. You may also wish to write to one of the Members of the House whose political ideology is similar to your own.

Click here to download the YLI letter writing guide, which will give you advice on how to write your letter.

The final issue to consider before actually writing your bill is how much your bill will cost. The 2020 federal government budget was $4.789 trillion - that's $4,789,000,000,000 and a 25% increase from 2015! Actual 2020 spending totals due to the pandemic were significantly more. Needless to say, that's a lot of money. The government spends it on lots of things--on programs as large and popular as Social Security, and on activities as small and unknown as repairs to the National Zoo. The COVID-19 vaccine has been distributed to citizen at tax payers expense. Together, these programs are what make up the federal budget. While the budget is written by the president, it must be approved by Congress.

The federal budget is a plan for how the government spends money and for how the government pays for its activities. Each year Congress and the president must decide which programs will be funded and for how much. For example, how much should we spend for unemployment relief, defense, national parks, the FBI, medical research, Medicare, and meat and fish inspection?
(from the Office of Management and Budget, Financial Report of the United States Government.)

Congress and the president also have to determine how much income, or revenue, is available. The majority of the government's revenue comes from different kinds of taxes-for example, individual income taxes provide about half of the federal government's revenue. The rest comes mostly from payroll and corporate taxes. To create a new program, the government normally gets the money either by cutting funds to an existing program OR by raising taxes.

The budget has two large spending categories, mandatory and discretionary. Mandatory spending is required by law on specific programs. After those programs are paid for, the president and Congress may use the remaining money for discretionary spending on programs they choose. Each year, roughly 30 percent of the federal budget is in discretionary spending.

Examples of mandatory and discretionary spending are below.

• The largest federal program is Social Security, which provides benefits to over 69 million retired and disabled workers and their families. It accounts for about 23 percent of all federal spending and is required by law, so it is mandatory.
• Medicare provides health care coverage for over 62 million elderly and disabled Americans. Medicare accounts for an ever-growing share of spending, mostly because the number of Americans over the age of 65 is increasing. Medicare is mandatory.
• Medicaid is also mandatory and provides health care services to over 82 million Americans, including the poor, people with disabilities, and senior citizens in nursing homes. Unlike Medicare, Medicaid is paid for partly by the states.
• National defense discretionary spending was $714 billion in 2020, comprising 49% of discretionary spending.
• Non-defense discretionary spending includes a wide array of programs such as education, training, science, technology, housing, transportation, and foreign aid.

What does this all mean? It means that each year mandatory spending tends to increase because of programs like Social Security and Medicare, while discretionary spending decreases. Members of Congress have less money to spend on programs they choose because they must spend more on programs that are written into law. Remember as you write your bill that the committee that considers it may not pass it if they feel it is too expensive. Based on what you have read, would the bill you plan to write fall into the category of mandatory spending or discretionary spending?

You have finished the Research Phase of E-Congress and should have completed your Research Guide. You are now ready to proceed to the Writing Phase. If you are not able to move forward, please ask your teacher to assign you to a bill number.

Work on Your Bill

Representative CURRENT_USER.LAST_NAME, congratulations on completing the research for your legislation. It is now time to write your bill. Before you proceed, remember what you learned during the Research Phase.

Identify National Issues
Adding a stop sign to a street in Indiana may not get the support of your colleagues in Texas.

Research Your Legislation
Are you suggesting legislation that already exists?
What opposition might your bill face from other members of E-Congress?

Remember the Constitution
Congress cannot pass a law that conflicts with any part of the Constitution.

Measure the Cost of Your Legislation
Offering college scholarships to every graduating senior may be appealing, but where will the money come from?

Click here to view and print out the Bill Review Guide your fellow E-Legislators will use to evaluate your bill during the next phase of E-Congress. To give your bill a better chance of passing successfully through the final two phases of E-Congress, take these guidelines into consideration as you work.

Work on Your Bill

Each E-Legislator, or team of E-Legislators, is responsible for writing one bill. Bills for E-Congress, just like bills in the real Congress, have several parts. You will complete your bill one piece at a time, though at any time you may edit your earlier work.

Your bill must include each of the parts listed below to be accepted by the Speaker of the House and assigned to a Committee for review.
Title
Introduces the bill and catches the attention of other E-Legislators

Sponsors' Names
Identifies the authors of the legislation

Purpose
Explains the goals of your bill

Eligibility
Identifies who will receive the services outlined in your bill

Terms and Benefits
Explains the extent and duration of services provided by the bill

Fiscal Impact
Provides information on the costs of the legislation

Work on Your Bill

When President Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed the Social Security Act, he didn't call it the "Dignity in Old Age Act" or the "Keep Grandma out of the Poorhouse Act." Lately, things have changed: when Republicans took control of Congress in 1995, a new trend of naming bills more creatively emerged. A tax-cutting bill, for example, was named the "American Dream Restoration Act," and the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation bill's name was changed to the "Balanced Budget" bill to garner more favorable attention.

Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) wondered aloud on the House Floor if the immigration bill entitled the "Immigration in the National Interest Act" should be renamed the "Statue of Liberty Was Wrong Act." One representative, in an attempt to promote a bill requiring football, baseball, basketball, and hockey to use instant replays, named his proposal the "What Really Happened Bill" after rejecting his first choice, "It Wasn't a Touchdown, Stupid, Bill." Below are bill titles from recent of National E-Congresses. Click here to view a list of bills currently in Congress. You may need to scroll down on that page as the bills initially are not identified by their given names.

Off the Streets and Into Homes
This is a bill to provide job training and affordable housing expenses for the homeless.

The "New Kids on the Block" Bill
The purpose of this bill is to form a national curriculum for all public schools in the United States.

Don't Suspect, Inspect Nursing Homes
This is a bill to require nursing homes to obtain a federal inspection twice during a four month duration.

To Hack or Not To Hack
This bill prohibits the selling or instruction of hacking programs or software.

Electric Makes More Sense
A bill aimed towards lowering pollution by increasing the sale of electric and hybrid cars.

S.C.R.A.M. (Stem Cell Research to Advance Medicine)
This bill is intended to increase the funding in stem cell research in order to make medical advancements and save lives.

Minimum Wage for Maximum Opportunity
A bill to create a minimum wage for all American companies whether located in the United States or abroad.

Consider the information above as you determine a title for your legislation. When you are ready, click on "Work on Your Bill" at the top of the page to enter the title for your bill. Remember, you may edit this section before submitting your finished bill to your teacher.

Work on Your Bill

The next step is to explain the purpose of your legislation. This is the heart of your bill. The title of your bill should grab the attention of your fellow e-Legislators - now it's time to tell them exactly what the title means.

The purpose does not need to be lengthy, but it should describe the goal(s) of your bill. When other e-Legislators read your purpose statement, they should be able to picture what this bill could do for our country. Read the two examples below. The first is from a Congressional bill; the second is from a student bill in a previous session of E-Congress.

H.R. 1	No Child Left Behind Act of 2002
Purpose	The purpose and intent of this title are to ensure that all children have a fair and equal opportunity to obtain a high-quality education.

H.R. 5251	Give Us Time to Vote Act of 2019
Purpose	To establish federal Election Day as a public holiday for voters to have time to vote.

Work on Your Bill

To get yourself started, describe what you hope to accomplish or the problem you plan to solve. Try to state it in a way that shows your fellow E-Legislators why this issue is important and deserving of their attention. Remember, you will need their support.

Next, describe the steps your bill will take to solve the problem. You don't need to discuss details like exactly who the bill applies to or how much it will cost; those will be included in the next few sections. You do need to mention specific actions that your bill requires, such as creating an agency or program, setting a standard, or instituting a penalty. Below is another example from a previous session of E-Congress. Doesn't the author of this bill make it seem like a good idea?

TITLE: A Bill to Reduce the Emissions of Vehicle Pollutants into the Atmosphere
PURPOSE:
1. To establish new Federal programs and standards to reduce the emissions of vehicle pollutants into the atmosphere.
2. To increase the fuel standards on new vehicles.
3. To promote the development of fuel cells and hybrid vehicles thus reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
4. To impose regulations on newly produced farming equipment in order to reduce air pollution in rural areas.

To help you determine what your purpose might be review the following sample purpose statements from previous E-Congress bills.

TITLE: Quit the Quotas Bill
PURPOSE: A bill to ensure that college entry acceptance is based on test and academic scores, notable achievements and volunteer service, not upon quotas of race and/or gender.

TITLE: Universal Health Coverage
PURPOSE: This bill is intended to provide health care for all American citizens.

TITLE: Improve and Better Our Schools Act
PURPOSE: The purpose of this bill is to provide an equal education for children in poverty-stricken areas by providing funds for essential school supplies.

When you are ready, click on "Work on Your Bill" at the top of the page to write the purpose for your legislation. Remember, you may edit this section before submitting your finished bill to your teacher.

Work on Your Bill

Eligibility
This step of the bill-writing process asks you to identify which groups of people will be affected by the bill you propose. This should be the people who will receive a benefit or penalty if your legislation is enacted. For example, one group of students wrote a bill that increased the minimum wage for workers who were drug-free. Read their eligibility section below:

SECTION 3. ELIGIBILITY.
An individual will receive a minimum of $15.00 per hour if he or she
(1) is legally employed at any American business;
(2) has a work permit;
(3) passes a federally regulated drug test at least once a year.

Notice that this eligibility section is very specific. In #1, the authors explain that to be eligible, workers must be legally entitled to work, a provision that would eliminate illegal immigrants and any other undocumented workers. Item #2 includes all workers who are legal immigrants to the United States but not yet citizens. You may have heard this work permit called a green card. Finally, #3 requires that eligible workers pass a drug test at least once a year.

Work on Your Bill

Defining eligibility is a good first step toward thinking about how much your bill will cost, something you will be deciding shortly. The more people your bill affects, the more it is likely to cost. For instance, if your eligibility includes all Americans, it will cost much more than if it only applies to college graduates who would like to become public school teachers as in the example below.

TITLE: Educate Our Teachers Act of 2018
ELIGIBILITY:
An individual may apply if he or she
(1) has a baccalaureate degree in any academic field
(2) is a citizen of the United States
(3) is above the age of 22
(4) uses loan of $15,000 per year for the furthering of their master's degree

Here are some additional examples of eligibility statements from previous sessions of E-Congress. They may be helpful to you as you try to create your own statement of eligibility.

TITLE: Stem Cell Research Testing Bill
PURPOSE: To provide federal funding to volunteers who have agreed to submit to testing the effectiveness of stem cell research on neurodegenerative and celluar diseases.
ELIGIBILITY:
1. Is a legal resident of the United States of America
2. Has a neurodegenerative or celluar disease.
3. Are as yet untreated.

TITLE: Electric makes more sense
PURPOSE: A bill aimed towards lowering pollution by increasing the sale of electric and hybrid cars.
ELIGIBILITY: All individuals who currently hold a US drivers license.

When you are ready, click on "Work on Your Bill" at the top of the page to complete the eligibility section of your bill. Remember, you may edit this section before submitting your finished bill to your teacher.

Work on Your Bill

This section of your bill adds detail to the general information in the Purpose and Eligibility sections of your legislation. You will now need to think about what specific requirements your bill will contain. You may want to consider how many people can be served by your bill or how long the bill will be in effect.

You read a sample piece of legislation from a previous session of E-Congress, entitled "Educate Our Teachers Act of 2018," when writing your eligibility section. This bill provided financial aid for those interested in going to graduate school to become teachers. Teachers could repay their loans by agreeing to work in the public schools for two years after graduation. Read the Terms and Benefits of this same bill below:

TERMS AND BENEFITS

1. Participants will receive loans of up to $15,000 per year ($30,000 over two years) for a term not exceeding two years in order to achieve a master's degree in any field of education;

2. A six-month training institute is required, and after completion participants will be placed at a school;

3. Teacher salary is left to the discretion of the local school board;

4. For the first year the number of participants chosen will not exceed 1,000 people and will increase thereafter according to the success of the program;

5. Participants will be eligible for education awards of $7,500 for each year of service ($15,000 over two years) to be applied to student loans;

6. Transportation and/or living expenses are covered by the program during the six-month institute period and up to two months after placement at a site.

Just like the authors of this bill, you need to be as specific as you can in writing your Terms and Benefits. Other E-Legislators are more likely to support a bill that covers each of the following issues:

• Which Americans would be affected by this bill? All? Only those under 18? Potential immigrants? Anyone with a driver's license?
• What benefits or penalties would this bill create?
• Who will enforce the terms of this bill?
• How long will your bill be in effect? One year? Five?

Work on Your Bill

Two more examples from a previous E-Congress are below. What are their strengths? What are their weaknesses?

Bill Title	Save Your Gas Money Bill
Purpose	To reduce the use of gasoline in automobiles by providing incentives to consumers to buy more fuel efficient vehicles.
Terms and Benefits	1. A 15 percent tax-credit, of the cost of a automobile with at least 40 miles to the gallon will be available for the taxes of the year the vehicle is purchased. 2. A vehicle with at least 50 miles per gallon will receive the same as above except the credit is increased to 20 percent. 3. A vehicle with at least 60 miles per gallon will receive the same as the above except the credit is increased to 25 percent. 4. No credit shall exceed $3,000

Would you support these bills? Why or why not? What improvements would you make?

When you are ready, click on "Work on Your Bill" at the top of the page to work on the terms and benefits section of your bill. Remember, you may edit this section before submitting your finished bill to your teacher.

Work on Your Bill

You are almost finished! The last step in writing a bill is to determine how much it will cost. This is incredibly important for a lot of reasons. Remember that most of the government's money comes from the taxes it collects from each of us. Do you think other E-Legislators will agree that the bill you propose is worth spending their money on?

Find your topic below and click on it to download a budget worksheet for researching and writing your Fiscal Impact Statement. This completed worksheet will help you complete the Fiscal Impact Statement on the next page.

• Civil Liberties and Constitutional Issues
• Civil Rights
• Criminal Justice
• Economy
• Education
• Environment and Energy
• Foreign Policy
• Gun Control
• Health and Safety
• Immigration
• National Defense
• Reproductive and Personal Rights
• Social Programs
• Values and American Society

Work on Your Bill

Fiscal Impact
Now that you have completed the budget worksheet for researching and writing your Fiscal Impact Statement, please click "Work on Your Bill" at the top of the page to input your research into the fiscal impact statement for your bill. Remember that E-Legislators around the country will use this financial information as they evaluate the merits of each bill and set priorities for their committees. Accurate data will help your colleagues make informed decisions during committee sessions and when voting on the House floor.

You may edit this section before submitting your finished bill to your teacher.

Congratulations! Your bill is now finished. You may review your legislation and make changes if necessary. When you are finished, submit it to your teacher.

For those of you participating in the 2024 National E-Congress, your teacher must submit your completed bill to YLI by Sunday, February 11 in order for for the bill to move on to the Committee Phase. Kindly ask your teacher to review your bill for the Committee Phase.

Click here to download the YLI bill review guide.

Professor Larry Sabato at the University of Virginia says, "the work that takes place in the committee and subcommittee rooms of Capitol Hill is critical to the productivity and effectiveness of Congress." As discussed in the Introduction Phase, all bills are debated in at least one committee. Additionally, a subcommittee may choose to hold public hearings on a particular bill. A bill must be approved by a majority of committee members before it can move on to the House Floor.

Remember, in Congress most bills never make it past this step.

Your responsibility as an E-Legislator will now shift from writing legislation to reviewing legislation as a member of a committee. You and your classmates will read bills written by other students around the country. Members of your committee will discuss and evaluate each piece of legislation.

It is not easy for a large group of people to reach agreement. It is even harder when the group is discussing some of the controversial issues that may arise in your committee meetings. Below are a few suggestions from experienced members of Congress about working effectively in a committee.

• Critically review each bill - Before beginning your group discussion, read through each bill. Use the Bill Review Guide provided by your teacher to take notes as you read.
• Communicate your ideas effectively - When discussing each bill with the other members of your committee, keep your comments short and to the point. Use your notes to refer to specifics from the bill you are discussing. Above all, be calm and polite at all times.
• Create alliances - You may want to talk to other members of the committee who share your political ideology. This way you can group together to support bills that interest you.
• Build consensus - Usually the word you might hear when making decisions is compromise. However, compromise implies that each person must give up one thing to gain another. Consensus, on the other hand, is an agreement reached by a whole group. Even if your committee is unable to reach consensus on a bill, you may be able to reach consensus on when it is time to vote or whether to stop discussing a certain issue.

1. Review each bill and take notes before meeting as a committee. Record your thoughts about each bill on your Bill Review Guide.
2. Members should build consensus as they review each bill, choosing from the following legislative actions:
   
   

   Actions	Descriptions
   Approve	This action recognizes the value and quality of the bill and moves it onto the House Floor for all Members of the House. A comment on the general reasoning why the bill was approved must be included either by the teacher or a designated student.
   Return to Author (amend)	This selection supports the legislation, but allows your committee to offer changes or amendments. Your committee must write the amendment you want and then your teacher or a student designated by your teacher will enter it as a comment. Amendments should be specific in nature and not in the form of a question. The author(s) of the bill will review the proposed amendment. If the author(s) accept the amendment, they will edit the bill accordingly, submit it to their teachers who will then reveiw the changes and submit it back to the committee teacher who will approve the bill. The author(s) may choose to submit a counter proposal to the amendment which will follow a similar course back to the committee's teacher. The committee must then discuss the counter proposal. If it is accepted by the committee, the committee then informs their teacher who will approve the bill. If the committee does not agree with the counter proposal, it can have the bill returned again to the author or Reject the bill if it appears that a resolution is unlikely. Keep in mind that any bills in the amendment process that have not been Approved or Rejected by Wednesday, March 15th will not go on to the House Floor.
   Reject	This selection means your committee did not think the bill had significant value or simply did not agree with it. Rejected bills will die in the committee session and do not go on to the House Floor. A comment on the general reasoning why the bill was rejected must be included either by the teacher or a designated student.

3. Your teacher or a student designated by their teacher will enter the overall committee comments about each bill that your committee considers. If a student is selected to enter these comments, the teacher must log in and approve them. The teacher will then vote to Approve, Reject or Amend the author's bill an behalf of the committee.

This is where you will see bills that have been assigned to your committee. Click on the title to read the text and fiscal impact of each bill. You will fill out the Bill Review Guide for each bill and submit it to your teacher.

H.R.VA-432: Fight Fair

Congratulations, Representative CURRENT_USER.LAST_NAME! You have now completed the Committee Phase of E-Congress. Before you proceed to the House Floor phase, you may view the progress of your own legislation below.

Any legislation that receives a Pass Pending Amendment Approval needs to be reviewed and acted upon. If you and your co-sponsors accept the amendment(s), the bill will pass and go on to the House Floor Phase. If you and your co-sponsors reject the amendment(s), the bill will die in Committee Phase.

H.R.VA5251	Give Us Time to Vote Act of 2019
Action Taken:	Undecided
Comments from the Authorization Committee:	We think this is a really good idea for our country.

Once Members of the House of Representatives have completed their committee responsibilities, they then regroup to debate and vote on all legislation that was passed in committee. All of the bills are voted on by each Member on the House Floor.

As an E-Legislator, you have just voted in a committee on the bills that were assigned to you. Your goal now is to evaluate each bill on the House Floor and to cast an individual vote.

NOTE: Even if you have been working with a partner (or partners) to sponsor legislation, you may log in and cast your votes independently on the House Floor.

1. Set priorities. There may be more bills on the House Floor than you have time to consider. That is okay! This actually happens in Congress quite a bit. Members of Congress must decide what issues are most important to them and to their constituents, so you should do the same. Bills will be grouped by topic, so one suggestion is to limit the number of topics on which you will vote.
2. Before voting, read each piece of legislation carefully and evaluate its merits.
3. As an E-Legislator, you may cast a vote for each bill in the House Floor. You can choose from the following legislative actions.
   

   Vote	Description
   Yea	You support the legislation and vote for it to become law.
   Nay	You do not support the legislation.
   Abstain	You choose neither to support nor oppose the legislation.

4. For any bills which you are unable to evaluate, your vote will be recorded as Abstain.

Here students will see each of the 14 E-Congress topics and how many bills are on the House Floor in each topic. They will be able to click on a topic and see the bills in that topic area, and then will be able to vote on each of the bills. They will only be able to vote once on each bill. They should try to vote on as many bills as possible.

The Democracy Corps Teacher Resource Guide is divided into four phases. Information and experiences build on each other as students move through each phase, so it may be confusing for students if they skip sections or complete them out of order. For teachers who have a limited amount of time, there is a Fast Track version.

Phase One: Build a Foundation for Political Participation

This phase introduces students to the concepts of democracy and challenges them to explain when and why citizens should be involved in the political process. Phase One also includes an analysis of community needs and culminates with student selection of their target Democracy Corps issue.

Phase Two: Serve the Community

Phase two broadens student understanding of their target issue through a hands-on community service project. Highlights of this phase include direct contact with community experts in the students’ service learning field and first-hand experiences with the issue they are addressing.

Phase Three: Interact with Political Leaders

Students continue to focus on their target issue, but public interactions move from community experts to political leaders. Student goals are to determine what local or state division of governments addresses their issue, what, if any, policy decisions are currently being considered and how they can participate in the conversation to impact change.

Phase Four: Influence Public Policy

Students compile information gathered during the first three phases in preparation for a political rally or formal presentation to political leaders, civic leaders on a group of their peers. They conclude the project evaluating the effectiveness of their political impact and the value of involvement in our democracy.

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The time required for Democracy Corps will vary based on the needs of students and teacher time constraints. The most effective experiences for students occur when teachers weave the Comprehensive Democracy Corps Plan throughout a nine-month government or civics course. If this amount of time is prohibitive, the project can be completed in an eight-week consecutive block or as quickly as three weeks if teachers choose the Fast Track.

Comprehensive Plan

The Comprehensive Plan involves integrating Democracy Corps lessons into standard government units throughout the school year. Instead of teaching political involvement in isolation, teachers blend textbook information with hands-on Democracy Corps experiences. This approach requires the most planning, but affords students the greatest return since they immediately apply and evaluate the civic concepts they are learning.

Eight-Week Plan

Teachers who choose to complete Democracy Corps in eight weeks may begin at any point in the year and follow the lessons consecutively from the beginning of Phase One through the end of Phase Four. This is an excellent way to familiarize oneself with the material while providing students a full Democracy Corps experience.

Fast Track

The Fast Track provides a road map for completing Democracy Corps in three weeks. The critical lessons in each phase are identified and teachers are encouraged to move through this abbreviated plan chronologically.

Resources

Each phase includes lesson plans, resource materials, rubrics and daily student guides. All of the materials may be modified to meet the needs of diverse learners and student guides feature the following tips.

• Deliberation questions foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Suggestions for differentiated instruction based on learning styles and/or student skill levels.
• Creative ideas to implement interactive technology

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Phase One: Build the Foundation for Political Participation

Students skip lessons that explain the role of a democracy and outline civic responsibilities. Through the lessons listed above, they move directly to assessing needs in their community and selecting one issue to address as their Democracy Corps project.

Phase Two: Serve the Community

(No activity required)

Students do not complete the service learning component of the project. Even though this portion of Democracy Corps offers valuable interactions with experts in the field and compelling first-hand experience, students may move directly to political involvement.

Phase Three: Interact with Political Leaders

Phase Three requires students to apply their citizenship skills as they explore how local government relates to their target issue and as they interact with political leaders though individual interviews or political meetings. During the Fast Track, students eliminate discussions with political leaders who have opposing views and they do not complete YLI E-Congress.

Phase Four: Influence Public Policy

Student requirements for Phase Four are unchanged from the original Democracy Corps plan.

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Webster's formal definition for deliberation is to “consult with another or other in a process of reaching a decision.” This form of decision-making is at the heart of our democratic process, therefore healthy and lively deliberation is encouraged as often as possible throughout the Democracy Corps project.

The deliberation guidelines offered below are designed to give structure to classroom discussions. This list is adapted from the work of Mortimer Adler, author of the Paideia Proposal, who views seminars as a core method of instruction. From our experience, this approach is one way to guarantee an informative and enjoyable experience for student participants. We agree with Mr. Adler in that "there is no educational experience that is more transformational for students than guided dialogue with their peers. (paideia.org)

Guidelines for deliberation are listed below along with a quick-reference guide in the back pocket of the book and a rubric for assessment.

Teachers: Deliberation Guidelines

Students: Deliberation Guidelines

Arrange the room so participants can make eye contact with each other Position yourself on the same level as students during the deliberation. Be familiar with the text assigned to students or discussion questions in order to locate text reference quickly. Refrain from giving personal opinions during the discussion. Encourage student interaction by keeping track of those who have participated, providing opportunities for quiet students, asking follow-up questions and asking students to respond to comments by their peers. Probe students or question further when students make factual errors. Ask for clarification or connections between student ideas. Redirect deliberation if students digress. Review expectations for behavior at the beginning of the deliberation process. Encourage students to be respectful of their peers and avoid monopolizing the conversation. Accept and encourage different points of view. Refrain from providing traditional closure for students by summarizing at the end of the seminar.

Bring a copy of the text or the deliberation questions with you to reference during the discussion. Share your ideas often Be respectful of your peer’s views and opinions by listening AND not criticizing other students for differing responses. When discussing information from a text, support your ideas with references from the text. Ask questions during the seminar that are related to the discussion. Speak in a conversational tone. When speaking to your peers, use their names. Recognize that many times, there are no “right” or “wrong” answers.

Rubric for Class Deliberation

Student Name___________________________________

Criteria	15 Points	10 Points	5 Points	Score
Student is prepared	Student has a copy of questions and is prepared with comments.	Student has a copy of the questions, but is not prepared with responses.	Student does not have a copy of the material and is not prepared to participate.
Student is engaged in discussion	Student listens attentively to his/her peers, responds to their comments, asks questions and shares original ideas throughout the discussion.	Student listens most of the time and offers original ideas during the discussion.	Student rarely participates in the discussion.
Student respects his/her peers	Student does not monopolize conversation, interrupt or offer negative remarks about peers’ opinions.	Student is considerate most of the time, but may monopolize the conversation or interrupt periodically.	Student is disrespectful of peers and critical of opinions that differ from his/her own.
Student shows mastery of the information	Student supports his/her ideas from direct experience, references the text when appropriate and makes unique connections between ideas shared by his/her peers.	Student expresses ideas but does not connect them to experiences, the text or the discussion.	Student is unfamiliar with the text or discussion questions.
Comments				Total:

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Use the following Democracy Corps Lesson Plans to enhance and guide your service learning program.

H.R.VA0432 Fight Fair

Bill #	H.R. VA0432
Sponsors	Burton, Bery, Greene, Sutto of Virginia
Topic	Foreign Policy
Title	Fight Fair
Purpose	To stop the United States from supplying defense/military aid to countries who have violated the human rights of their citizens or citizens of other countries
Eligibility	Any country that is found to be in-line with human rights, the U.S. constitution, the U.N. constitution, and human rights can receive military aid from the United States. Countries that violate the afore mentioned documents will not be eligible for defense aid. Countries that do violate the documents are still eligible for aid of other kinds, be it medical, economic, or what not. This bill has no bearing on non-military aid.
Terms and Benefits	Countries that wish to receive military aid from the United States have to undergo inspections by U.S. agents and U.N. inspectors. Inspectors will look for violations of the U.N. constitution, the Geneva conventions, human rights accords, and actions that are not in line with the spirit of the U.S. Constitution. Countries that were in violation in the past are eligible if and only if they have improved themselves and have passed new inspections. If a country was receiving military aid and that country violates the Geneva conventions or human rights laws or U.N. rules (if said country is in the UN), the U.S. must cease any and all military aid. The benefits of this bill are that countries who violate the human rights of their citizens or citizens of other countries, countries that conduct illegal warfare or acts of violence, or countries that do not follow U.S. or U.N. indicts will not be receiving U.S. aid. The U.S. will have no part in the illegal violence of other nations. We will be morally absolved.
Fiscal Impact	Category Amount Description Equipment $350,000 Office space, computers & supplies for government compliance offices (5 regional) Labor $255,000 Annual salaries for workers Energy Resources $1500 Annual expense for offices Education $2 million Training compliance workers Marketing $2 million Informing all businesses of requirements and informing all employees about their rights. Transportation 0 Not necessary Legal $50 million Interpretation of privacy statute; handling any potential litigation that arises as a result Other 0 Not necessary Total $54,606,500

History of YLI

During the 1998 Congressional elections, national voter turnout was the lowest it had been since 1942. University of Virginia professor Larry Sabato, troubled by the pervasive apathy and cynicism surrounding politics that he saw in the students in his classroom, recognized an opportunity to combat this lack of interest or engagement in government by educating students in kindergarten through 12^th grade about their rights and responsibilities as citizens of the United States.

The Youth Leadership Initiative (YLI) was established in 1999 as a pilot program with 14 schools in the state of Virginia. It now provides public and private schools in all 50 states, D.C., US territories and other schools around the world with a comprehensive program of technology-based civics education resources, housed online through the YLI website. The academic materials combine lesson plans with civic participation activities so that students can experience directly what it means to live in a representative democracy.

Support YLI

If you are an educator and feel your students have benefitted from YLI’s resources and activities or if you are simply an involved citizen and wish to join in our effort to increase the level of civic engagement among all Americans, please consider donating to YLI.  Your tax-deductable contribution of any amount, small or large, will ensure that our resources remain free of charge and accessible to all.

Ways to Give

Contribute by check – make it payable to “UVA Center for Politics” with a note saying that it for the support of YLI and mail to:

Office of Development
University of Virginia Center for Politics
PO Box 400806
Charlottesville, VA 22904

Contribute online – make a secure credit card gift via Visa, MasterCard or American Express.

For more information about supporting or sponsoring YLI, please call the University of Virginia Center for Politics Office of Development at 434-982-5706.

For more information about the Youth Leadership Initiative please call 866.514.8389 or send an email to ylihelp@virginia.edu.

Thank you for supporting the Youth Leadership Initiative!

Click here to view the Center for Politics Staff and Scholars.

Ken Stroupe is the Chief of Staff at the University of Virginia Center for Politics and the Director of the National Youth Leadership Initiative (YLI).

Prior to joining the Center Staff in 1999, Ken served as Vice President of Government Relations for a large East Coast public relations firm and previously for eight years as Press Secretary and Communications Director for former Virginia governor and U.S. Senator George Allen. His career in politics began in 1991 on Capitol Hill as Press Secretary to then-Congressman Allen. In 1993, Stroupe served as the chief spokesman and media coordinator for Allen's 1993 Virginia gubernatorial campaign, and following the election, was appointed by the governor as Communications Director where he supervised all public communications for the Governor's office including media affairs, speech writing, and public outreach.

In 2004 Stroupe was appointed to the Virginia Commission on Civics Education by Governor Mark Warner. He was re-appointed for a second, three-year term in 2008 by Governor Tim Kaine. Among other projects during his tenure on the Commission, Stroupe is working with the Virginia Department of Education to revise and strengthen the state's Standards of Learning in civics and government.

Ken received his Master's Degree in American Government from the University of Virginia and his Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from Bridgewater College. His most recent research, Political Participation: The Missing Link of Civic Education, was funded by grants from CIRCLE and the United States Congress and is available in the publications section of the Center for Politics website.

Meg Heubeck is originally from Baltimore, Maryland. Meg attended Randolph-Macon College in Ashland, Virginia where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. She completed a Masters of Arts program at Towson University and began teaching in 1992. Meg taught world cultures, reading, language arts and art at the middle school level for seven years before spending five years teaching high school economics, government, United States history, and art. She was the chairman of the social studies department at Carver Center for Arts and Technology located in Towson, Maryland.

As Director of Instruction for the Youth Leadership Initiative Meg is responsible for developing curriculum materials that will encourage and develop civic engagement in students. Meg will also assist in aligning these materials with content standards for each of the fifty states.

Daman Irby earned a B.A. in International Affairs with a concentration in Economics and minor in German at The George Washington University in 1997. Upon graduation he studied at the University of Vienna in Austria before working as a researcher at the H. John Heinz III Center in Washington, D.C. Daman joined the University of Virginia Center for Politics in July 2002 and currently serves as the Center's Director of Global Initiatives and the Youth Leadership Initiative's Deputy Director of Instruction. He is working on an MA in Global Studies at Liberty University.

After working closely with YLI for a number of years Daman joined the staff of the program in June 2008 where he focuses on the fiscal and general administration as well as assisting in organizational outreach. As the Center for Politics' Director of Global Initiatives he organizes and implements the Global Perspectives on Democracy program which hosts exchanges, workshops and presentations for international and American participants in the U.S. and abroad focusing on various subjects but anchored in civic engagement and civil discourse.

Daman is civically active and served eight years as an appointed Board Member on the Orange County (Virginia) Economic Development Authority and volunteered on the Gordonsville Bicentennial Committee. He also serves in multiple leadership roles at Blue Run Baptist Church in Somerset, Virginia and is a volunteer leader with the Gordonsville, Va. Cub Scout pack.

Cecily Craighill serves as the director of development for the Center for Politics. She oversees the relationship and engagement program for supporters of the Center and coordinates efforts with the University's central development team to raise funds and steward donors.

Prior to joining the Center in September 2008, Cecily spent nearly seven years at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, most recently as a senior associate director for Alumni Affairs & Annual Giving, where her responsibilities were to manage the Regional Programs team, raise leadership gifts for the Wharton Annual Fund, and work with the Alumni Association Board of Directors and the global alumni clubs network. Cecily's past experience also includes executive search consulting, IT marketing and communications, and independent school administration. She graduated from Davidson College with a B.A. in English and received a master's degree in the humanities from St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland.

Cecily is an active volunteer, serving on the boards of the Koresh Dance Company, an international dance troupe based in Philadelphia, and GirlPower2Cure, a foundation for Rett Syndrome awareness. She has held various leadership roles within her church and alumni organizations.

Julie Strong is the Curriculum Specialist for the University of Virginia Center for Politics Youth Leadership Initiative. Julie is responsible for developing instructional resources for YLI teachers. In addition, Julie serves as a YLI liaison to students and teachers in the Charlottesville, Virginia area.

Julie holds BS and M.Ed. degrees from the University of Virginia. In addition to her part-time position at the Youth Leadership Initiative, Julie works as a social studies teacher at Albemarle High School in Charlottesville, Virginia where she has taught and coached girls basketball since 1990. For the last six years, Julie has served as the AP U.S. Government and Politics teacher and Comparative Politics Seminar instructor, but has also taught American Studies, Practical Law, and Sociology. She is an AP U.S. Government reader for the College Board and a Clinical Instructor for the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia.

Bill #	HR CA0081
Pass Percentage	69.49%
Topic	National Defense
Title	Stop Loss
Purpose	The purpose of this bill is to end Stop Loss in America. Stop-loss, in the United States military, is the involuntary extension of a service member's active duty service under the enlistment contract in order to retain them beyond their initial end of term of service (ETS) date. This bill will stop our soldiers from having to come back to fight in the war after their period of time is done.
Eligibility	This bill is for all soldiers who have fought in the wars and is done or serve his/her full time of period. This bill includes the soldiers that have to be sent back to the army by the government after serving their period of time serving our nation.
Terms and Benefits	When a soldier in the active army is done with their duty or serving period they can stay home and not have to return back to the army by the government. He/she can stay at home because they have their period of serving time done. The Department of Veteran Affairs will enforce this bill.
Fiscal Impact	Category	Amount	Description
	Equipment	$79,000,000	This will cost for an SU-27 jet line to take soldiers that have been sent to the war and take them back to their home town or local airport. ($19,200.00 per flight national: $250 per person for 30 min. plus a $50 dollar charge for processing fee. +=$300 per person after fees.)
	Labor	$1,000,000	This is for the people (pilots) that have to fly the soldiers to the nearest airport of their town.
	Energy Resources	$1,060,000	This is for the gas prices of the jet lines and the cars/ vehicles that will be provided for the troops to be able to get back home.
	Education	$0
	Marketing	$120,000	This will cost for commercials about stop loss and how to stop "stop loss". We will have 100 runnings at $1,200 each.
	Transportation	$0	Covered in previous sections
	Legal	$0
	Other	$0
	Total	$81,180,000

Bill #	HR VA1376
Pass Percentage	51.05%
Topic	Economy
Title	Get Back on Track Act of 2010
Purpose	The Get Back on Track Act of 2010 aims to increase federal funding for light rail/rapid transit. Metropolitan areas across the country, with a population of 250,000 or more, will receive $200 million from the federal government in order to add additional rail tracks and improve existing rail. Increased funding for rail systems around the country will alleviate traffic congestion by laying down more tracks and help the environment by reducing carbon emissions. Local governments can buy back old rail in order to convert those tracks back to rapid transit. More rapid transit will lessen America's dependence on foreign oil.
Eligibility	Rapid transit systems will be eligible for federal funding. Funding would increase from the average of $50 million per rail system to at least $600 million. Cities that wish to begin construction on a new rapid transit system will receive additional grant of $300 million from the federal government that will go towards the cost of building a new rail and the purchase of rail cars.
Terms and Benefits	Improved infrastructure, energy independence, less traffic. America's investing in new rapid transit systems or improving existing rapid transit systems will provide numerous benefits.
Amendments	Require communities receiving these funds to hold a voter referendum where a majority of 60% would use this system.
Fiscal Impact	Category	Amount	Description
	Equipment	$600,000,000	Equipment includes rail cars, tracks, and materials needed to construct stations.
	Labor	$300,000,000	Labor is needed to lay down tracks, construct stations, and pay people who operate the trains and work at the stations.
	Energy Resources	$0
	Education	$0
	Marketing	$100,000,000	Advertising is necessary to inform the public about America's increase in light rail/rapid transit systems. Inform the public about employment opportunities.
	Transportation	$2,000,000,000	Maintenance of rail cars and extending tracks.
	Legal	$0
	Other	$0
	Total	$3,000,000,000

Bill #	HR MT0211
Pass Percentage	70.14%
Topic	Civil Liberties and Constitutional Issues
Title	Property Protection from Government Greed
Purpose	Similar to California proposition 99, the purpose of this bill is to forbid all levels of government from commandeering a person's private property for reasons of private economic development. This bill would prevent the government from practicing eminent domain on any property merely with the intention of increasing the tax base of the area. This type of legislation is necessary since the United States Supreme Court ruling in Kelo v. New London. In this scenario Susette Kelo was evicted from her home because a large corporation that would foster greater tax revenue was willing to establish a corporation in the area.
Eligibility	All owners of property who are currently, or may find themselves in an eminent domain process with either a local government, a state government, or the national government will benefit from this type of legislation.
Terms and Benefits	Federal District Attorneys will be empowered to regulate state and local governments in dealing with government acquisition of private property. The Federal District Attorneys will also be granted the power to ensure that state and local governments adhere to the policies of this legislation.
Fiscal Impact	Category	Amount	Description
	Equipment	$0
	Labor	$1,000,000	This money is delegated to government workers dealing with the implementation of this bill.
	Energy Resources	$0
	Education	$15,705,000	It will cost approximately $5,000 to educate the planning and zoning offices of each 3141 counties, respectively, in the United States.
	Marketing	$0
	Transportation	$0
	Legal	$1,000,000	This money would be used to provide legal protection for this bill.
	Other	$0
	Total	$17,705,000

Student Instructions for 2023 National Mock Election Voting

From October 20-November 3, 2023:

1. Go to www.youthleadership.net
2. Click on the image in the center of the screen (shown at right)
3. Read the welcome page and click
4. Enter your Teacher Code and click
   Your teacher code is: is_logged_in()) echo($integrationapi->user_info()->{"teacher_code"}); ?>
5. Enter your name.
   • Enter your name or information that is identifies you to your teacher
6. Select your grade level and click
7. Select your U.S. Congressional District and click
8. Make sure you have the correct ballot for your school and then make a selection for each office and/or referendum. Click when finished
9. Wait while your vote is being recorded
10. Click once your vote has been recorded
11. Congratulations, you have completed the YLI 2022 National Mock Election!
12. Results will be posted on the YLI website beginning November 4, 2023!

Get off the bench and into the game of politics with YLI resources and programs. On this page is everything that you need to learn the skills of a democratic citizen such as finding your legislators and elected officials, determining your political ideology and voting in the mock election, and letting your voice be heard.

Getting Started

Get in the Game using YLI Mock Elections!

Join the 2023 YLI National Mock Election!

YLI's 2023 National Mock Election takes place October 20-November3.

The ballot includes gubernatorial races in Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi and referenda from YLI's Talking Turkey lesson plan series for all.

Customize your ballot by adding or removing races or referenda between October 9-19. You could add an election for Mayor or Class President!

Lesson plans supporting the Mock Election are highlighted on YLI's Lesson Plans page.

FREE online teacher resources include downloadable posters, decorations and stickers to generate election excitement in your school.

Flexible voting period. Voting occurs between October 20-November3.

Teachers may choose online or paper ballot voting.

Results for the Mock Election will be available to registered educators beginning November 4.

Scroll down for links to instructions and related resources.

Get in the Game all year long with YLI’s "My Elections" option!

• Run your student government/class elections by using our customized election option.
• Create election experiences for students in semester courses.
• Use YLI's "My Elections" to hold elections and referenda on any topic at any time.
• View My Election Teacher and Student Instructions via the links below and to the right under Instructions and Other Resources.

The YLI Mock Election is an academic exercise. It is not a scientific survey and is not designed to predict the outcome of the general election. The views expressed are those of participating students, not those of the Youth Leadership Initiative or the UVA Center for Politics.

Mock Election Demo

Download Election Toolkit

Generate election excitement in your school with festive decoration downloads! We have everything you need to get your students voting

• Donkey and
  Elephant
  Theme
  .zip (6.9MB)
• “Get in the
  Game”
  Theme.zip (8MB)

Instructions and Other Resources

• National Mock Election Teacher Instructions
• National Mock Election Student Voting Instructions
• Press Release Template
• My Election Teacher Instructions
• My Election Student Instructions
• Need Help? Contact us at ylihelp@virginia.edu or 866.514.8389

<p>The Youth Leadership Initiative and American Evolution have partnered together to create an exciting new strategy for teaching critical thinking, civility, and the discussion of political topics in the classroom.  Both groups worked together to find a way to honor the legacy of self-government and diversity established at the Jamestown colony in 1619.</p> <p>The digital First Freedom Wall was inspired by the Thomas Jefferson Center for Freedom of Expression.  The physical Freedom Monument is a place for citizens to express themselves freely and share their ideas with others.  The digital First Freedom wall allows teachers to post comments, quotes, or headlines onto the website.  Students then logon and leave comments that their fellow studen can see and respond to.  YLI also has the ability to create National Topics to expand the conversation beyond the boundaries of the school. </p> <p>Get your students in the game with the digital First Freedom Wall from YLI and American Evolution!  Let's bring civility and political discourse back to the table. </p>

Follow the instructions on each screen in order to add your comments.

Your voice matters!

In Partnership with the Youth Leadership Initiative

Committed to Democracy, Diversity and Opportunity towards the advancement of increased political education and participation

Share your students' voices with the country!

Use civility to express ideas and opinions!

The freedom of expression as guaranteed by the First Amendment has held a revered place in the heart of Americans and is the thread that binds the fabric of our democracy. American Evolution and the Youth Leadership Initiative have teamed to help bring back the skills of discourse, debate and compromise that found their way to Jamestown in 1619 and are crucial to the functioning of American democracy. The First Freedom Wall emphasizes the skills of media literacy, critical thinking and effective communication.

[spacer height="15px"]

Communicate with students nation-wide with the "National First Freedom Wall"!

The National First Freedom Wall is a place for students to share their opinions about issues YLI believes are important to the understanding of American Democracy at this time in history.

• • • The Wall will be updated regularly to reflect current events providing the opportunity for students to add their thoughts, concerns and ideas to the national discourse.
    • Practice the Rules of Civil Discourse by writing teacher approved comments to the First Freedom Wall.
    • Reflect on media literacy and the use of bias when sharing comments via the First Freedom Wall.
    • Build an appreciation for the diversity of the United States by reading and reflecting on the views of those from different communities.

Practice the skills of democracy with our "Anytime Topics" option!

• • • Set up an independent First Freedom Wall for students in your classes only.
    • Customize your Freedom Wall to reflect issues or topics germane to your curriculum.
    • Assess student understanding by asking them to respond using the First Freedom Wall.
    • Gauge and measure sentiment on political issues while emphasizing respect and civility.

The Freedom walls is an academic exercise. The views expressed are those of participating students, not those of the Youth Leadership Initiative or the UVA Center for Politics. [spacer height="20px"]

         

As high school students graduate and move on to college and the workforce they will need to keep themselves up to date on current events, this however is not always easy. Below we have given you all the tools high school graduates need to obtain the most up to date, non-biased, and accurate news possible.

Home

Each state has different rules on how to register to vote, when you can do so, and where you register. If you simply click on your state below it will take you directly to your states (or provinces) website on how to register.

A

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

C

California

Colorado

Connecticut

D

Delaware

District of Columbia

F

Florida

G

Georgia

Guam

H

Hawaii

I

Idaho*

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

K

Kansas

Kentucky

L

Louisiana

M

Maine*

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan*

Minnesota

Mississippi*

Missouri

Montana*

N

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire*

New Mexico*

New York

North Carolina*

North Dakota

O

Ohio

Oklahoma*

Oregon

P

Pennsylvania

Puerto Rico**

R

Rhode Island

S

South Carolina

South Dakota

T

Tennessee

Texas

U

Utah

V

Vermont

Virginia

W

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming*

  *These states do not have an online voter registration program at this time **Due to Hurricane Maria Puerto Rico's online voter registration program is down

Elections can be confusing, especially depending on where you are registered to vote. Below we've listed and described all the different kinds of major elections, from primaries to conventions we've got it.            

General Elections

   

General elections are the last election conducted to determine who will fulfill the role in question. In most cases a single candidate from each party will be represented on the final ballot.

       

Primary

   

A primary election is conducted to decide who will be the candidate on the general election ballot for a particular party. There are two different types of primaries: open and closed.

       

Closed Primary

   

A closed primary requires a voter to choose to vote in either the Republican primary or the Democratic primary.

       

Open Primary

   

An open primary allows a voter to participate in both the Republican and Democratic primary elections. Those primaries are generally held on separate days.

       

Caucus

 

A caucus is a meeting of party members, it usually taking place on a local scale. Members of a particular political party will choose which candidate they would like to send either to a convention or to run in a general election.

       

Conventions

   

Conventions are usually held on the national level. Representatives from each state, all of the same political party, will come together for several days to determine who should be the candidate for the general election. While conventions are most common for selecting a candidate for president they also exist for choosing gubernatorial and congressional candidates in states such as Michigan and Utah.

Home

The idea of federalism isn't always the easiest to understand. Local, state, and federal governments all have different responsibilities, yet they also all have different limits. Below we've listed some of the main responsibilities of each government. Some may even crossover.

Home

At YLI we realize that it isn't always easy to sort out the "FAKE NEWS", so we've done it for you. Below is a diagram that ranks news sources as a whole in two different ways. Up and down they are ranked on their accuracy and complexity, the farther down the chart they are the less accurate and true their stories. The higher up on the diagram, the more complex the analysis and accurate the source is.

From left to right the stories are ranked based on their inherent political bias, the farther left a news source is the more liberal view it has. While the more to the right a source is the more conservative its view.

Also if you visit our Finding News page you'll find a more detailed description of categories each of the sources below has been put in.

Home

 

There are several different ways as citizens that we can voice our approval or disapproval of government decisions. Below you can choose your own story on how you should participate in voicing those opinions by simply following along.

                   

                                               Home