Month: August 2022

DID YOU KNOW?

John Shallus, a clerk for the Pennsylvania General Assembly, physically wrote the Constitution down on parchment paper. The Convention paid him $30 for his services, which is worth about $800 today.

In the list of signatories, the word Pennsylvania is missing an “n.” In Article 1 Section 10, there’s an errant apostrophe attached to what should be its. There are spellings such as defence or labour and even “chuse” for choose.

Which position has the longest term of office in the federal government, aside from federal judges? According to the Constitution, the Comptroller General of the United States and the Assistant Comptroller General have the longest tenure at 15 years each. (See: Art. I, sec. 8, cl. 18; Art. I. sec. 9, cl. 7; and Art. II, sec. 2, cl. 2).

Probably the single best online tool ECU students can be familiar with is Degree Works, which makes navigating your degree – what classes to take, etc. – simple!

See: https://politicalscience.ecu.edu/wp-content/pv-uploads/sites/119/2019/07/DegreeWorks-ProTips-004.pdf

Follow Us: @ecupolsci

Dr. Baumgartner’s review essay of political humor and its effects was recently published by the online Oxford Bibliographies.

“Developed cooperatively with scholars and librarians worldwide, Oxford Bibliographies offers exclusive, authoritative research guides. Combining the best features of an annotated bibliography and a high-level encyclopedia, this cutting-edge resource directs researchers to the best available scholarship across a wide variety of subjects.”

A link to the essay is here: https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199756223/obo-9780199756223-0350.xml?rskey=Rt3rNM&result=217.

Best of luck, new students, returning students – all – in the coming semester!

All of us in the Dept. of Political Science hope you have a happy, successful, fruitful semester!

Join us for ECU’s 2nd Annual Constitution Bee in the Black Box Theater (student center), Friday, Sept. 16, 2022. Students from John Paul II High School will be facing off against ECU students.

Participate as an individual, sign up with a 3-4 person team, or just come and watch!

Nothing to say – simply a classic! Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJ-a2KeyCAY.

The brief and one-sided Spanish-American War comes to an end when Spain formally agrees to a peace protocol on U.S. terms: the cession of Cuba, Puerto Rico and Manila in the Philippines to the United States pending a final peace treaty.

From History.com. Read more: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/armistice-ends-the-spanish-american-war

Here are 9 curious facts you may not be aware of regarding the Constitution:

1. The U.S. Constitution is the shortest national constitution in the world at 4,400 words.
2. Over 11,000 amendments to the Constitution have been proposed, only 27 have been ratified.
3. Benjamin Franklin was the oldest signer of the constitution at 81. He died at age 84.
4. George Washington initially proposed a ‘day of thanks’ or Thanksgiving Day as a way to honor the Constitution.
5. While drafting, the Constitution included a clause that would abolish slavery 20 years after its implementation.
6. Only 12 of the 13 colonies were present during the drafting of the Constitution. Rhode Island did not want to participate and was the last to sign on May 29, 1790.
7. Independence Hall, where the Constitution was signed, is also where the Declaration of Independence and Articles of Confederation were signed several years earlier.
8. The iconic first words of the Constitution, ‘We the people of the United States,’ originally listed each individual state from north to south instead of ‘the United States.’
9. Gouverneur Morris, a delegate from Pennsylvania is usually credited as the ‘Penman of the Constitution.’ Actually, a man named Jacob Shallus – assistant clerk of the Pennsylvania State Assembly – penned most of the document.

From https://ivn.us/2014/09/17/little-known-facts-about-the-us-constitution-for-constitution-day/