How big is the Dali, the ship that destroyed Baltimore’s Key Bridge?
Critical Analysis
Find answers to the following questions using the visual above, any links below, your big brain, and your knowledge of American government and politics:
Approximately how many football fields long is the Dali, the ship that broke Baltimore’s Key Bridge?
When fully loaded, the vessel, the Dali, can weigh more than 116,000 tons and carry nearly 10,000 containers of cargo. But in comparison with some of the other ships out there, the Dali is a featherweight. The current largest class of container ships in the world can hold more than twice the number of containers that the Dali can. How long is the biggest container ship in the world?
According to the visual below* what has happened to the size of shipping containers over the past half century?
Seven construction workers and an inspector were on the bridge when it collapsed. Two people were pulled alive from the water shortly after the bridge collapsed. Divers on Wednesday found two victims, officials said. The other four remain missing and are presumed dead. The bridge, a part of Interstate 695 and a critical transportation link on the Eastern Seaboard to one of the largest ports in the country, collapsed, and vessel traffic has since been stopped. Explain whether the federal government should rebuild the Key Bridge.
The Dali has had 27 inspections since 2015, according to a database maintained by Equasis, a public site that promotes maritime safety. An inspection of the ship last year at a port in Chile reported that the vessel had a deficiency related to gauges and thermometers. Describe the liberal and Conservative positions about how tightly shipping should be regulated and how often ships should be inspected?
The National Transportation Safety Board has begun an investigation into the crash. Jennifer Homendy is the agency's chief executive, managing an annual budget of about $129.3 million and more than 411 full-time employees across the country. The NTSB has five Board Members, each nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate to serve 5-year terms. A Member is designated by the President as Chairman and another as Vice Chairman for 2-year terms. The chairmanship requires separate Senate confirmation. How does the NTSB exemplify the concept of checks and balances?
The city of Baltimore, the state of Maryland, and the federal government have all been involved in search and rescue operations at the Key Bridge. Explain how the destruction of the Key Bridge illustrates the concept of federalism.
Marine traffic around the Port of Baltimore is at a standstill after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed Tuesday, an accident that is expected to disrupt shipping and supply chains. Baltimore's port is not the largest in the country, but it handles the highest volume of shipments of cars and light trucks. How do you imagine this disaster will impact you?
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), most commonly known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), (H.R. 3684), is a United States federal statute enacted by the 117th United States Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden on November 15, 2021. The Law will provice over $850 billion in total funding. President Biden is now asking Congress to spend another billion dollars on rebuilding the Key Bridge. Do you think rebuilding infrastructure will be an issue in the 2024 presidential election?
Some 11 billion tons of goods are transported by ship each year - 1.5 tons per person based on the current global population. As of 2019, the total value of the annual world shipping trade had reached more than 14 trillion US Dollars. The main regulatory body of the sea transportation industry is the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a United Nation agency. Some Americans would argue against abiding by regulation from international agencies, others would argue for more international cooperation. Do you believe American shipping should be regulated and overseen by an organization outside of the US?
Write and Discuss
Take ten minutes to write about the question at the top of the page and then discuss with your classmates.
Act on your Learning
Tweet the President at President Biden (@POTUS) / X and let him know what you think he should do about the Key Bridge.
Get Creative
If American infrastructure were a tv show or series, what show would it be?
Learning Extension*
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Amendments
10
- Feb 27, 2024 Ninth Amendment
- Feb 27, 2024 Seventh Amendment
- Feb 19, 2024 Sixth Amendment
- Feb 16, 2024 Fifth Amendment
- Feb 16, 2024 Second Amendment
- Feb 15, 2024 Tenth Amendment
- Feb 12, 2024 Fourth Amendment
- Feb 9, 2024 First Amendment
- Feb 9, 2024 Fourteenth Amendment
- Mar 27, 2019 Eighth Amendment
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Foundational Documents
9
- Mar 19, 2024 Letter From Birmingham Jail
- Mar 19, 2024 Brutus 1
- Mar 19, 2024 Federalist No. 78
- Mar 19, 2024 Federalist No. 70
- Mar 19, 2024 Federalist No. 10
- Oct 12, 2023 Declaration of Independence
- Feb 21, 2019 The United States Constitution
- Feb 4, 2019 Federalist No. 51
- Feb 15, 2018 Articles of Confederation
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Supreme Court Cases
14
- Mar 14, 2024 Shaw v. Reno
- Mar 14, 2024 New York Times v. US
- Mar 14, 2024 Engel v. Vitale
- Mar 14, 2024 Marbury v. Madison
- Mar 14, 2024 McCulloch v. Maryland
- Mar 6, 2024 U.S. v. Lopez
- Mar 6, 2024 Citizens United v. F.E.C.
- Mar 6, 2024 Wisconsin v. Yoder
- Mar 5, 2024 Schenck v. United States
- Apr 2, 2019 Tinker v. Des Moines
- Mar 27, 2019 Gideon v. Wainwright
- Feb 27, 2019 Baker v. Carr
- Feb 22, 2019 Roe v. Wade
- Feb 7, 2019 Brown v. Board of Education
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UNIT 1
32
- Mar 20, 2024 Commerce Clause
- Mar 19, 2024 Bicameralism
- Mar 12, 2024 Connecticut Compromise/Great Compromise
- Mar 12, 2024 New Jersey Plan
- Mar 7, 2024 Interstate Compact
- Mar 6, 2024 Shay’s Rebellion
- Mar 6, 2024 Necessary and Proper Clause
- Mar 5, 2024 Reserved Powers
- Mar 5, 2024 Concurrent Powers
- Mar 4, 2024 Virginia Plan
- Mar 1, 2024 Enumerated Powers
- Mar 1, 2024 Natural Rights
- Feb 27, 2024 Popular Sovereignty
- Feb 27, 2024 Federalism
- Oct 12, 2023 Limited Government
- Feb 16, 2023 Pluralist Democracy
- Aug 30, 2019 Elite democracy
- Aug 30, 2019 Participatory democracy
- Mar 20, 2019 Selective Incorporation
- Mar 18, 2019 Expressed Powers
- Feb 21, 2019 The United States Constitution
- Feb 4, 2019 Federalist No. 51
- Feb 15, 2018 Articles of Confederation
- Feb 9, 2018 Extradition
- Feb 2, 2018 Preemption
- Feb 22, 2017 Eminent Domain
- Feb 21, 2017 Double Jeopardy
- Feb 13, 2017 Autocracy
- Jan 31, 2017 Refugee
- Jan 20, 2017 Impeachment
- Jan 16, 2017 Implied Powers
- Jan 13, 2017 Federal Mandate
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UNIT 2
44
- Mar 20, 2024 Congressional Oversight
- Mar 6, 2024 Redistricting
- Mar 6, 2024 Reapportionment
- Mar 5, 2024 Full Faith and Credit Clause
- Mar 5, 2024 National Supremacy
- Mar 5, 2024 Safe Seats
- Feb 19, 2024 Judicial Review
- Feb 16, 2024 Filibuster
- Feb 19, 2019 Bureaucratic Rule-Making
- Feb 19, 2019 White House Staff
- Jan 31, 2019 Politico
- Feb 20, 2018 Conference Committee
- Feb 19, 2018 Docket
- Feb 16, 2018 Office of Management and Budget
- Feb 8, 2018 Precedent
- Feb 7, 2018 Congressional Budget Office
- Jan 30, 2018 Civil Service
- Jan 26, 2018 Federal Register
- Jan 19, 2018 Gerrymander
- Jan 18, 2018 Party Caucus
- Jan 16, 2018 Executive Office of the President
- Jan 11, 2018 Gross domestic product (GDP)
- Mar 3, 2017 Regulation
- Feb 24, 2017 Closed Rule
- Feb 23, 2017 Treaty
- Feb 20, 2017 Executive Privilege
- Feb 14, 2017 Logrolling
- Feb 10, 2017 Fiscal Policy
- Feb 8, 2017 Divided Government
- Feb 7, 2017 Rally Point
- Feb 6, 2017 Cabinet
- Feb 2, 2017 Senate Confirmation
- Feb 1, 2017 National Security Council
- Jan 28, 2017 Tariff
- Jan 27, 2017 Chief of Staff
- Jan 23, 2017 Signing Statement
- Jan 20, 2017 Impeachment
- Jan 19, 2017 Rule of Four
- Jan 18, 2017 Pocket Veto
- Jan 17, 2017 Entitlements
- Jan 13, 2017 Federal Mandate
- Jan 10, 2017 Whip
- Dec 22, 2016 Presidential Honeymoon
- Dec 16, 2016 Cloture
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UNIT 3
21
- Mar 13, 2024 Establishment Clause
- Mar 13, 2024 Free Exercise Clause
- Mar 13, 2024 Clear and Present Danger Test
- Mar 13, 2024 Amicus Curiae (friend of the court) Brief
- Feb 9, 2024 Fourteenth Amendment
- Apr 2, 2019 Tinker v. Des Moines
- Mar 27, 2019 Gideon v. Wainwright
- Mar 20, 2019 Selective Incorporation
- Feb 27, 2019 Baker v. Carr
- Feb 22, 2019 Roe v. Wade
- Feb 7, 2019 Brown v. Board of Education
- Jan 29, 2018 Commercial Speech
- Jan 17, 2018 Exclusionary Rule
- Jan 15, 2018 White Primary
- Feb 27, 2017 Fighting Words
- Feb 22, 2017 Eminent Domain
- Feb 21, 2017 Double Jeopardy
- Feb 15, 2017 Plea Bargain
- Feb 3, 2017 Civil Disobedience
- Jan 26, 2017 Mass Movement
- Jan 24, 2017 Jim Crow Laws
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UNIT 4
21
- Mar 20, 2024 Entitlements
- Mar 19, 2024 American Dream
- Mar 19, 2024 Socialism
- Mar 19, 2024 Libertarianism
- Mar 14, 2024 Federal Reserve
- Mar 14, 2024 Sampling Error
- Mar 14, 2024 Exit Polls
- Mar 14, 2024 Public Opinion
- Mar 13, 2024 Conservativism
- Mar 13, 2024 Liberalism
- Mar 13, 2024 Political Ideology
- Mar 12, 2024 Fiscal Policy
- Mar 12, 2024 Monetary Policy
- Mar 12, 2024 Political Efficacy
- Aug 27, 2019 Political Polarization
- Mar 29, 2019 Rule of Law
- Jan 23, 2018 Political Socialization
- Mar 29, 2017 Cross-cutting cleavages
- Mar 9, 2017 Gender Gap
- Mar 1, 2017 Political Culture
- Feb 28, 2017 Ethnocentrism
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UNIT 5
25
- Mar 22, 2024 Bundling
- Mar 22, 2024 Party Convention
- Mar 22, 2024 Name Recognition
- Mar 20, 2024 Term Limits
- Mar 20, 2024 Party Platform
- Mar 12, 2024 Primary election
- Mar 12, 2024 Caucus election
- Mar 12, 2024 PAC
- Mar 12, 2024 Super PAC
- Mar 11, 2024 Midterm Election
- Mar 11, 2024 Bipartisan
- Mar 11, 2024 Lobbyist
- Mar 11, 2024 Single Member District
- Mar 6, 2024 Selective Exposure
- Mar 6, 2024 Linkage Institutions
- Mar 5, 2019 Spoils System
- Jan 22, 2018 Closed Primary
- Jan 19, 2018 Gerrymander
- Mar 13, 2017 Realigning Election
- Mar 10, 2017 Turnout
- Mar 9, 2017 Gender Gap
- Mar 7, 2017 Coattail Effect
- Feb 3, 2017 Civil Disobedience
- Jan 26, 2017 Mass Movement
- Jan 11, 2017 Party Identification