Constitution Bee- The Bill of Rights Institute

Current Events

Citizen Bee questions in the Current Events category will be based on a number of sources. There are no Study Guide entries for this category. To do well in the Current Events portions of the Bee, be sure to study the following:

Bill of Rights in the News Activities and Current Events and the Constitution Articles listed below
National and world headline news stories from September, 2009 through April, 2010 (such as events in the Middle East and Afghanistan and the world economic crisis)
Newsworthy stories related to the President of the United States
Major actions of Congress since December, 2009
The two U.S. Senators from Kansas
Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court for the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 terms
Major U.S. Supreme Court cases from the 2008-2009 term of the court and upcoming cases from the 2009-2010 term of the Court
Names of the heads of “the big four” Cabinet departments: State, Defense, Justice, and Treasury.
Major stories concerning the “big four” Cabinet departments
Major leaders in both houses of the U.S. Congress

The US Census and Personal Liberty - March 16, 2010
This month’s Current Events and the Constitution focuses on the US Census. With the 2010 census now underway, some have concerns that the questions are too personal or that the federal government should not have access to this information. Do the questions on the 2010 census form exceed Congress’s constitutional mandate to count population every ten years “in such a manner as they shall by law direct”?
Click here to read the full lesson.

Facebook and the First Amendment - March 1, 2010
When high school student Katie Evans was upset with her teacher, she created a Facebook page mocking her teacher, whom she identified by name, as “the worst teacher I've ever met.” She wrote that the page was for “those select students who have had the displeasure of having [the teacher], or simply knowing her and her insane antics: Here is the place to express your feelings of hatred.” Evans took the page down after three days. When the principal learned what she had done, Evans was suspended and removed from Advanced Placement class. She sued the principal, and a judge ruled that her suit could proceed. This month’s Bill of Rights in the News focuses on this issue and Evans’s claim that her punishment violated her First Amendment Rights.
Click here to read the full lesson.

Made in Utah: Firearms and Federalism - February 16, 2010
The Utah legislature recently passed a bill which would exempt firearms made and kept within Utah from federal regulation. The bill is now headed to the Governor, who has expressed concerns about its constitutionality. This current Events and the Constitution eLesson focuses on the Utah bill, the Commerce Clause, and federalism.
Click here to read the full lesson.

Citizens United v. FEC - February 1, 2010
On January 21, 2010, the Supreme Court issued what is certain to become a landmark ruling in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. In a 5-4 ruling, the Court struck down federal limits on what organizations (including non-profit organizations, unions, and for-profit corporations) may say during elections. A ban on direct contributions to candidates was left in place. The majority reasoned that the speech limits violated the First Amendment and chilled political expression. With this ruling, the Court seemed to reverse the trend of the last century, which brought greater limits to corporate political speech and activity.
Click here to read the full lesson.

Health Care Reform and the Separation of Powers - January 19, 2010
This Current Events and the Constitution focuses on the federal health care reform bill, and meetings being held by the President with members of the Senate and House on the pending legislation. It focuses on what the law-making roles of the President and Congress are, and if White House meetings between the President and lawmakers on pending legislation violate the Constitution’s separation of powers. Constitutional principles covered are the powers of the President, how a Bill becomes a Law, and separation of powers.
Click here to read the full lesson.

Full Body Scanners and Privacy - January 5, 2010
On December 25, 2009, Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab allegedly attempted to set off a bomb concealed in his underwear on a flight from Amsterdam to Detroit. President Obama, saying that a "systemic failure has occurred" has called for changes in the way intelligence is distributed among agencies. In addition, the TSA has called for increased use of full-body scanners at airports (currently used in nineteen airports in the US) and has issued new rules which will affect airline passengers. This week’s Bill of Rights in the News focuses on the implications of these developments for the criminal procedure and personal liberty protections in the Bill of Rights.
Click here to read the full lesson.

9/11 and Non-Citizen Civilian Trials - December 7, 2009
Attorney General Eric Holder has determined that indicted September 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammad will be tried in a federal civilian court in New York. Although the trial itself is months away, the decision to try Mohammad in civilian rather than military court has sparked substantial controversy. This week’s Bill of Rights in the News eLesson focuses on the upcoming criminal trial and the questions of whether non-citizens accused of terrorism against the United States should receive the same constitutional protections as citizens accused of criminal acts.
Click here to read the full lesson.

ACORN and Bills of Attainder - November 19, 2009
This Current Events and the Constitution focuses on the September, 2009 Congressional vote to cut off funding for the Association of Community Organizers for Reform Now (ACORN). No one from ACORN has been tried and found guilty and ACORN filed suit against Congress. ACORN argues that cutting off its federal housing, transportation and education funds was unconstitutional because it was a bill of attainder (a piece of legislation targeting one person or group for punishment without a trial). This eLesson looks at Article 1, Section 9 of the Constitution, posing the question as to whether the defunding of ACORN was in fact an unconstitutional bill of attainder.
Click here to read the full lesson.

Medical Marijuana and the 10th Amendment - November 2, 2009
This week’s Bill of Rights in the News eLesson focuses on the Tenth Amendment and the recent Justice Department announcement that federal prosecutors should no longer pursue cases against medical marijuana users who follow state law.
Click here to read the full lesson.

Czars and the Constitution - October 13, 2009
This Current Events and the Constitution focuses on the appointment of so-called "czars" by Presidents including Barack Obama. Can the President appoint individuals to serve as "czars" in his administration without the advice of consent of the Senate? This eLesson looks at this and other constitutional questions surrounding this issue.
Click here to read the full lesson.

Supreme Court Preview -October 5, 2009
This Bill of Rights in the News eLesson focuses on three Bill of Rights-related cases that will be heard by the Supreme Court this upcoming term. These cases involve the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, the incorporation of the Second Amendment, and the Sixth Amendment right to trial by an impartial jury.
Click here to read the full lesson.

The Healthcare Reform Debate - September 14, 2009
Our first Current Events and the Constitution eLesson for the school year focuses on the many constitutional issues surrounding proposals to reform the healthcare system in the United States. For more information about any of the constitutional principles, follow the links in the resources section of each activity to the Bill of Rights Institute’s Study Guide on the Constitution.
Click here to read the full lesson.

"Enhanced Interrogations" - September 8, 2009
The first Bill of Rights in the News for the 2009-2010 school year focuses on the recent announcement by Attorney General Eric Holder that the Justice Department will investigate the actions of the CIA and whether “enhanced interrogations” broke federal laws designed to protect the rights of accused persons. Does the Fifth Amendment protect non-citizens?
Click here to read the full lesson.