After the class has done a thorough job of describing possible preparations, ask them why all this effort would be made because one person was coming to visit the city.

(They should indicate that the President is the symbol of the nation and, as such, deserves special treatment. They may also indicate that the President is considered by many to be the most powerful person in the world. An opportunity to influence the President's thinking is an important occasion.) Have students brainstorm a list of powers the President has. If necessary, refer to Article II of the Constitution.

Discuss the idea of "separation of powers." Each branch of the government has its own work to do (i.e., the legislature makes the laws, the executive enforces the laws, and the judiciary interprets the law). This is offset by "checks and balances;" each branch has the ability to limit the powers of another branch. Solicit examples of "checks and balances" from each branch and place them in the following table. (An example for each branch is provided.)

Checks and Balances

Executive -  Veto bills  Appoint judges

Legislature - Impeach the President   Impeach judges

Judiciary - Declare actions of the President unconstitutional     Declare laws unconstitutional 

Distribute White House Conference on Philanthropy Worksheet. Explain to the class that many years ago, the president of the United States, Bill Clinton, made a presentation exercising presidential power, "White House Conference on Philanthropy: Gifts to the Future."

Define "philanthropy" as giving and sharing; volunteering; and private individual action intended for the common good.

Go over the questions on the chart with the class so that they will be focused when reviewing the presentation. Show the video. Note: The video is not readily available but the report and transcripts are linked below.

Discuss the worksheet and pay particular attention to the changing examples of philanthropy in today's culture. Explain that large or small foundations set up by many philanthropists are considered part of the independent sector, that is, they are not part of the government, nor are they profit-making. They are often the source of new ideas, ways of doing things and social renewal.

Ask students to come up with ideas of nonprofit, non-governmental organizations in the community that help improve life in some way.

Day Two:

Review the idea of presidential power. Explain to the learners that, after the White House Conference, President Clinton, using his presidential power, made a number of commitments. Discuss these presidential changes with the learners by referring to Follow Up and Results of the White House Conference on Philanthropy: Gifts to the Future (handout) for details.

It is important to note that several of the commitments came about as a result of the president's position as head of the executive branch of government. He has many departments, agencies and committees under his authority which help him carry out his responsibility as Leader of the Nation.

Go over the list of commitments again and list on the board those agencies or other organizations that are directly responsible to the president. (Internal Revenue Service, Council of Economic Advisers, Corporation for National Service and AmeriCorps, and the Department of the Treasury)

Considering that the president has power over dozens of these organizations, what does this say about the ability of the president to direct others to carry out his will?

Because of checks and balances, President Clinton could not describe the follow-up results (shown in handout) as achievements of his administration. That is because many of them depend on cooperation by the Congress to get passed. Go over the list and decide which of the items listed need Congressional approval. What would the president need to do to get his recommendations approved by Congress? (work with the Congress in a spirit of cooperation) Ask students to consider why a Congress might not want to support the president's ideas.