Last week was poignant in that we witnessed several political firsts: for Minnesotans, we saw the first woman, Senator Amy Klobuchar, take the oath of office from U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney (Cheney, a Republican, is the President of the Senate and thereby, has the power to cast a tie-breaking vote in the Democrat-controlled Senate); for the United States, we saw U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi (a Democrat) take the gavel to become the first woman to become Speaker of the House and third in line to the Presidency; finally, we saw both Congressional bodies switch their majorities from the Republican side to the Democrats. We learned that such a change in political fortunes gives the Democrats more Legislative power, but because of the thinness of the majorities and the presidency in Republican hands, getting the agenda of the Democrats passed into legislation will still be a significant challenge for them.

Clearly, these last two years for the George W. Bush Presidency will be characterized by both parties working hard to prevail in the 2008 elections. Will partisanship or partnership characterize the work of the U. S. Government as a lame duck administration tries to build its legacy.

THIS WEEK (8 January - 12 January):

Students have been divided into four teams, each presenting important information about participation in government. Monday has been set aside for each group organizing their presentations among its members.

Group 1 will discuss Political Parties: their development, party organization, and nominating candidates.

Group 2 will discuss Elections and Voting: election campaigns, expanding voting rights, developing a Voter's Handbook, and influences on voting.

Group 3 will discuss Interest Groups and Public Opinion: interest group organization, affecting public policy, shaping public opinion, and measuring public opinion.

Group 4 will discuss The Mass Media: how media impact government, regulating print and broadcast media, and the internet and democracy.