U.S. Election
What party won the swing election in Wisconsin's Supreme Court justice race during spring 2025 that Elon Musk put millions of dollars into?
Democrats
What 2 types of evidence are strong for supporting an argument (whether pro or con)?
Data and credible opinions.
Which body decides the budget for Montgomery County government?
County Council (or legislative branch)
What 2 groups are the main audiences for civic engagement actions?
Decision authorities, potential allies
What foreign country gets the most amount of U.S. gov aid per year?
Israel
What trend has happened to the party in power over the last 6 or so elections in U.S. national elections?
Party in power lost control of a branch, or reduced its lead.
Name the 3 roles each group needed to hold meetings for your Civic Action Plan project.
Facilitator, notetaker, participants
The action when the executive branch leader blocks a law passed by the legislative branch
Veto
Name 2 actions people took to influence the Frederick County Council vote on zoning around Sugarloaf Mountain.
Testify at gov meeting, petition, close public access, calls and emails.
What political job did Nora alumni Alex Schmidt have in fall 2024?
Manager of get-out-the-vote campaign (canvassing) for Democrats
What happened to all 4 referenda, proposed by the Republican governor in Louisiana, during the vote in spring?
They were voted down.
Why is our stone-age brain not well-matched for this space-age world?
It's too distractable
What issue led the County Council to quickly give 20-year tax breaks to construction companies?
Affordable housing
Oral presentation
Name 1 experience in Jeff's life that helped him get outside himself, and overcome a stone-aged brain.
Travel alone; live in foreign cultures; lead a company; lead trips abroad for students he hadn't met; teach for the first time, etc.
Name 1 country in which an election in 2025 went surprisingly to a liberal party, in large part in opposition to Trump's politics.
UK, Canada, Australia or Romania.
When taking civic action, what are 3 ways to influence decision authorities or allies to help your cause?
Email or call, public demonstration, civil disobedience, testify at a government meeting, etc.
What is the first & last name of the County Council president?
Kate Stewart
Name 2 engagement actions that helped Mt. Pleasant DC residents gain power and more services in their Hispanic neighborhood
Public protest, civic disobedience, making art, leaders speaking in public, testifying at a government meeting.
Name 1 issue that Laura Esquivel, our guest speaker who is a friend of Jeff, worked on in her life.
Hispanic rights, LGBTQ rights, land protection for indigenous communities, etc.
With the state Senate evenly divided in Pennsylvania, what party's candidate this spring won the seat controlled for the last 60 years by a Republican?
Democrat.
What is the one strategy we learned for how to overcome our stone-aged brain?
Get outside yourself (get uncomfortable or take new challenges)
How many members of the County Council represent The Nora School?
What was the main, courageous engagement action used by Rosa Parks to change unjust bus laws in Alabama during the 1960s?
civil disobedience
What job did Ernie Pyle do during WWII that influenced public opinion?
journalist / war correspondent