Legislative Gauntlet Slides Legislative Gauntlet
Is the American lawmaking process a filter or a failure?
7th-8th Grade Civics
The 90% Death Rate
"90% of bills die in committee."
Is this a failure of government, or a success of filtering out bad ideas?
Be prepared to defend your stance!
How Laws Are Made
Watch & Analyze
Embedded media
"Only around 5% of bills introduced in Congress become laws. It is a long, difficult process."
Look For:
The role of Committees
The "Exact Same Version" rule
Filibusters in the Senate
Key Statistic:
90% Die in Committee
Essential Terms
Committee
Groups of experts who research and edit bills before they reach the floor.
Filibuster
A long speech used in the Senate to delay or block a vote on a bill.
Veto
The President's power to reject a bill passed by Congress.
Override
When Congress passes a bill despite a veto (requires 2/3 majority).
The Committee Filter
Committees act as the gatekeepers of American law. They can edit a bill until it's unrecognizable, or simply refuse to ever bring it up for a vote.
Is it fair?
A handful of people decide what the entire country can vote on.
Is it efficient?
Experts remove impractical or expensive ideas early.
5% Become Law
The Senate Halt
What is a Filibuster?
A tactic where a Senator gives an endless speech to block a vote. To stop it, you need 60 votes (Cloture).
Why use it?
It protects the minority party from being ignored by the majority.
"If you can't beat them, keep talking."
Socratic Seminar
20 Minutes
Guidelines for Discussion:
Listen to understand, not just to respond.
Refer to specific facts from the video.
Ask questions of your peers.
Grab your Discussion Cards!
We will use these prompts to guide our conversation.
Journal Reflection
"If you could remove one step from the process to make it faster, which would it be? Or would you keep it exactly the same? Why?"
You have 10 minutes to complete your entry.
Gridlock Gamble Cards Gridlock Gamble
Socratic Seminar Discussion Cards
CIVICS 7-8
Instructions: Use these cards to guide your Socratic Seminar. Each student should select one prompt to lead or use as a starting point for their contribution. Support your claims with evidence from the "How Laws Are Made" video.
PROMPT 01
"Should one individual Senator be allowed to stop a vote with a filibuster?"
Consider: Majority rule vs. minority protection.
PROMPT 02
"Is it fair that a small committee can kill a bill before the whole Congress even gets to see it?"
Consider: Expert review vs. representation.
PROMPT 03
"The video says it's good that laws are hard to pass. Do you agree that 'hard' equals 'quality'?"
Consider: Speed of change vs. stability of laws.
PROMPT 04
"If 90% of bills die in committee, are the ideas of the citizens who suggested them being ignored?"
Consider: The role of citizens and Step 1 of the process.
PROMPT 05
"Is a 5% success rate for bills a sign of a 'healthy' filter or a 'broken' system?"
Consider: Practicality vs. the need for progress.
PROMPT 06
"What would happen to the United States if we made it twice as easy to pass a new law?"
Consider: Unintended consequences and the Executive Branch.
Cut along dashed lines for individual use
Lawmaker Ledger Journal Lawmaker Ledger
Legislative Reflection Journal
Name:
Date:
The Path of a Bill
01 Idea
02 Sponsor
03 Introduction
04 Committee
05 Debate
06 Vote/Filibuster
07 President
The Efficiency Challenge
If you could remove one step from the legislative process to make it faster, which would it be? Or would you keep it exactly the same? Why?
Response Space Minimum 5-7 Sentences
Identify Step
Explain Change
Defend Fairness
Legislative Gauntlet Teacher Guide Teacher Resource
Legislative Gauntlet
Evaluating Efficiency and Fairness in Lawmaking
Duration 50 Minutes
Learning Objective
Students will evaluate the efficiency and fairness of the legislative process, specifically focusing on the filibuster and committee power.
Standards Alignment
• Analyze the structure and functions of the Legislative Branch.
• Evaluate how public policy is made through the legislative process.
Materials Needed
Legislative Gauntlet Slides
Video: "How Laws Are Made"
Gridlock Gamble Cards
Lawmaker Ledger Journal
Lesson Pacing
5 MIN
Warm-up: The 90% Hurdle
Write "90% of bills die in committee" on the board. Facilitate a brief discussion on whether this is a filter (success) or a failure.
10 MIN
Video & Direct Instruction
Watch the video. Focus on the "Death of a Bill" segments (committees at 5:17, statistics at 5:53, and filibuster at 6:11).
20 MIN
Main Activity: Socratic Seminar
Distribute Gridlock Gamble Cards . Students sit in a circle. Use the prompts to drive a peer-to-peer evaluation of legislative hurdles.
10 MIN
Reflection: Lawmaker Ledger
Students complete the journal entry. Encourage them to consider the trade-off between speed and deliberation.
EXT.
Extension: The Filibuster Debate
Stage a formal debate on whether the Senate should remove the filibuster rule entirely.
Socratic Seminar Facilitation
• Step Back: Let students lead. Only intervene if the conversation stalls or becomes uncivil.
• Evidence Check: If a student makes a claim, ask: "Where did we see that in the video/process?"
• The "Wait" Rule: Encourage 3 seconds of silence after a person speaks before the next person starts.
Critical Thinking Prompts
• "Does a law have more authority if it was harder to pass?"
• "If the majority of the country wants a law, should 41 Senators be able to stop it?"
• "What happens if we remove the filter and 100% of bills go to a vote?"
