Teachable Moments: Presidential Pardons

by Mary Ellen Daneels, Civics Instructional Specialist

This past Tuesday, President Trump announced a flurry of presidential pardons and commutations. Illinois residents were particularly interested by the president’s decision to commute Rod Blagojevich’s 14-year prison term, releasing the former governor more than four years early and drawing to a close one of the state’s most notorious corruption cases.

Students in #CivicsInTheMiddle classrooms may have questions about the Blagojevich case and the president’s power to pardon. Here are some resources to help.
What resources are you using to help your students understand presidential pardons? Please comment below. Together, we can prepare ALL students for college, career and civic life.

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