Presidents, Pardons and Power

Join us on a digital expedition into the inner workings of the presidency, including presidential powers and responsibilities. We recommend enjoying with a big ol’ bowl of President Obama’s Chili.

LITTLE: Presidents are powerful, but what exactly can they do? Vetoes and executive orders and pardons, all explained in this short video.

MIDDLE: Not a single snack, but a whole bunch of teensy bites about U.S. Presidents up to 2008, available in Spanish and English.

BIGGER: Presidents, from their elections to their actions while in office, take up a lot of brain space for American voters – but do we even need one? Follow this video through a fun little thought experiment about eliminating the presidency completely!

THINKALONG: Something to Consider – Article II, Section 2 of the United States Constitution grants the president the power to grant pardons “for offense against the United States, except in cases of impeachment,” and U.S. presidents since George Washington have exercised this power to varying degrees. Those who have been pardoned and how those decisions are made can be controversial, and some critics are calling for reforms to limit the abuse of this power. Is the presidential pardon an important tool to correct injustices and ease tensions, or is it an unfair opportunity to show favoritism? Is the presidential pardon too powerful?

EDUCATORS: Thursday, July 1, 2021 at 3:00 pm, join a free, live training webinar with Thinkalong. Find out how easy it is to introduce media literacy concepts to your learners, whether in-class or remote learning. REGISTER HERE»

PBS Presents the Tools for Anti-Racist Teaching Series
This four-part series investigates the ways in which racism, mental health, history, and education intersect, and discusses how media and media literacy can be used as tools to deepen our understanding, turn knowledge into action, and create immediate, positive change in the fight against anti-Black racism in education. REGISTER HERE»