Churches

Description

Senator Choate praises churches for running social programs that keep kids in school and off drugs. Bartlet engages this in Oval Office debate, drawing lines between neutral services like soup kitchens and unconstitutional subsidies for discriminatory faith-based operations. Churches position as community providers seeking federal funds amid political tensions.

Event Involvements

Events with structured involvement data

2 events
S4E2 · 20 Hours in America Part II
Church, State and the Missing Secretary

Churches are presented in Choate's argument as frontline social-service providers whose programs keep kids in school and off drugs; they are the human face of the faith-based funding plea and the object of Bartlet's constitutional scrutiny.

Active Representation

Represented through Sen. Choate's anecdotal testimony and examples of programs.

Power Dynamics

Informal moral authority at the community level contrasted with legal limits when interacting with federal funding.

Institutional Impact

Highlights tensions between grassroots service delivery and constitutional constraints, forcing federal policy to balance effectiveness with non-discrimination principles.

Internal Dynamics

Not directly explored in the scene; implied alignment around service delivery rather than explicit political strategy.

Organizational Goals
To secure federal support for their social programs. To be recognized as effective partners in public welfare provision.
Influence Mechanisms
Demonstrated on-the-ground programmatic results. Political pressure via sympathetic senators and constituents.
S4E2 · 20 Hours in America Part II
The President's Small-Scale Rage

Churches are cited as practical providers of social services; their real-world effectiveness is used by Senator Choate to argue for federal support, setting up Bartlet's constitutional counterargument.

Active Representation

Invoked through a senator's constituency-based testimony rather than a formal church representative.

Power Dynamics

Presented as influential at community level but constrained by constitutional rules when federal funds are involved.

Institutional Impact

Raises questions about separation of church and state, illustrating the friction between local efficacy and federal legal limits.

Internal Dynamics

Not depicted; the organization's role is represented through external advocacy.

Organizational Goals
To obtain recognition and possible funding for community programs To be perceived as essential partners in social welfare provision
Influence Mechanisms
Local program success narratives Political constituency pressure exerted via Senators

Related Events

Events mentioning this organization

3 events