Exploration

1. Go to the White House site (http://www.whitehouse.gov). What is the history of the White House? What imprint has each First Lady left onto the White House? Include specific facts about the White House and the different rooms found inside the building.
2. What is the mission and objectives of the Center for the Study of the Presidency (CSP), (http://www.thepresidency.org)? Write a 3-4 page review of any of the publications available on their website.
3. List the fourteen Cabinet departments, by year of its establishment using the FirstGov website (http://www.FirstGov.gov). List the Secretaries of each Cabinet, the duties and functions for each department, the number of employees, their latest budget, and what services to each provide for the American government. Which ones are more relevant, and which would you eliminate from government? Explain the reasons for your answer.
4. Go to the American Presidents website (http://www.americanpresidents.org/). Write a brief political biography of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, and one other of your choice. What were their challenges as presidents? What were their triumphs and defeats? What is their legacy for future presidents?
5. There are currently ten Presidential Libraries. Using the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) website (http://www.nara.gov/nara/president/overview.html), describe the history and purpose of the Presidential Library system. Visit the websites for each of the libraries and write a review of what each library offers to the American public.

Then, select the link to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library. Much of the information at the library has been digitized and is available for research online. Read the document and answer the following questions:

• Where is the library located?
• When did the original building open?
• Select the link to FDR’s papers. Most of the papers are now searchable from the Internet. For the first time, researchers don’t have to travel to examine them. How useful do you think it is to digitize presidential library materials and make them available on the Internet?
• Select the link to the "Safe Files," secret documents that were locked inside FDR’s white house safe. Follow the links through until you can view an actual document. Summarize the document.

6. Further information on the Presidents can be found at the University of North Carolina’s sunsite. Go to http://sunsite.unc.edu/lia/president/ to link to this information, select the link to "Presidents" in the right-hand column, and then select the link to "Specific Presidents" in the Presidents Resource section.

• Scroll down and select a president. List the biographical sites available for the selected president.
• List the geographic sites available for the selected president.
• List the speech websites available for the selected president.

7. The first link to follow to obtain information about the presidency is the White House website. Go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/index.html and you will be in a "virtual" White House, with information on the President & Vice President, an interactive Citizens’ Handbook, links to commonly requested federal services, and even a virtual library where you can search White House documents, listen to speeches and look at photographs.

Select the link to "White House History and Tours:" in the left-hand column. On the next page select the link to "The Presidents of the United States". On the next page select a link to any president in the left-hand column (Washington through Arthur).

• Which President did you select?
• List the years of his presidency.
• Who was the First Lady?
• Read the biography, and briefly summarize the President’s years before he was elected.

8. Go to the PBS "American Experience/The Presidents" site (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/presidents/indexjs.html) and be sure to hit the "No Frames" version link in the middle of the page (this will facilitate printing of material). Then hit the "Intro Page" link that will lead you to an explanation of The American Experience broadcasts on the presidency. Go back to the main page and click-on the "Presidential Record" link. Then choose George Bush’s presidency (with the five accompanying sub-links) and answer the following:

• Under "Snap Shot," what factor damaged Bush’s chances for reelection?
• Under "The Era," what key events occurred during the Bush presidency?
• Under "Domestic Policy," what were Bush’s successes and failures?
• Under "Foreign Affairs," what evidence exists that Bush was comfortable and effective"?
• Under "Presidential Politics," how did Bush paint his opponent, Michael Dukakis?

Now go back to the original site and hit "Featured Presidents." Then click on "John Fitzgerald Kennedy" and his "Early Career" sub-link. Read through that section, and then go back to the remaining sub-links, i.e., "Presidential Politics," "Domestic Policy," "Foreign Affairs," "Legacy," and "Days of Decision."

• In outline form, delineate the key points found in each of the six links under JFK.
• After reading this material, do you believe John F. Kennedy was an effective president? Why or why not?