Better late than never… Friday, September 17 was Constitution Day, if you missed it, take a moment to read this excellent post by two American educators living abroad, Marina Mecl and Gladys Cagle Pieniazek. As Marina and Gladys point out, Consitution Day is a good time to read through this historic and vibrant document which is the embodiment of the founding fathers vision for our country. Given today’s political climate and the lack of civil public discourse on public policy, it’s also important to remember that this historic consensus was reached only after much heated debate and compromise.
All posts tagged Presidency
Obama-Biden Citizen’s Briefing Book
Tapping the power of the Internet in another step towards good government, openness and inclusiveness, the Obama-Biden Administration is offering citizens an unprecedented opportunity to provide input into policy. The Citizen’s Briefing Book allows individuals to share their ideas “on any issue facing the new administration, then rate or comment on other ideas. The best rated ideas will be gathered into a Citizen’s Briefing Book to be delivered to President Obama after he is sworn in.”
Take a look and get involved.
18 in ’08
If you’re under 25 and you’re apathetic about voting in the 2008 Presidential Election or if you’re having trouble getting your teenager interested in voting this year, check out 18 in ’08. David D. Burstein, a 19 year-old college student, has produced and directed this nonpartisan documentary aimed at getting 17-24 year-olds to vote. The two year long project features interviews with politicians, political activists, media, students, and pop culture icons. The site states:
18 in ‘08 explains what is at stake for youth in the 2008 election, how decisions made in Washington today will affect young people for years to come, the issues and ideas that engage our generation, what turns us off, why are we so cynical about politics, the role of new media in engaging young voters, and candidates who have inspired youth.
Check out the trailer here. If you haven’t registered to vote yet, go to Overseas Vote Foundation and you can complete the regsitration process in about 10 minutes.
CNN’s delegate counter game
Americans abroad looking to pass some time while waiting for the results of the Democratic presidential primaries in Texas and Ohio, and even those who wish to track the largely decided race for the Republican nomination, should check out CNN’s delegate counter game. A simple set of slide rules let you measure the effects of various outcomes on the delegate tallies of the candidates in the states that have yet to have their say in the selection of the major party presidential candidates.
Election 2008
CNN’s Election Center 2008 offers a great overview of the 2008 Presidential race.
To keep abreast of the candidates positions on the issues, check out Project Vote Smart.
