Elections
Students examine some key foreign policy issues in the 2020 Democratic primary, and compare the stances of two contenders, Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders.
Should two small, disproportionately white and rural states be the first two primary states? Students explore the debate, and the pros and cons of the Iowa caucus process.
Do big donors have too much influence in elections? Does the surge of small donors in the 2020 presidential election change the equation? Students explore the changing role of money in politics.
How many candidates is too many? Does our current primary system make for a stronger or weaker democracy? Students explore the question, and consider the pros and cons of an alternative system, ranked choice voting.
Does the U.S. political system live up to the principle of one person, one vote? In this lesson, students explore arguments about whether the Electoral College and the U.S. Senate might hinder the quest for fair, democratic representation.
This lesson invites students to examine reasons why Americans may not vote, both in the past and in the present. Students will gain a deeper understanding of the struggle for voting rights and will explore why the ability to vote means so much to many Americans.
Students learn what gerrymandering is and why it poses a problem for U.S. democracy, and consider recent attempts to combat the practice.
Critics charge that the real goal of a new federal commission to investigate voter fraud is to justify efforts to make it more difficult for people of color to vote. Students learn about and discuss the controversy.
Students discuss key issues in the evolving story over links between the Trump administration and Russia with a short quiz, reading, and discussion.
Questions loom over whether President Donald Trump can avoid conflicts between his business interests and the interest of the people he represents. In two readings and discussion, students consider how past presidents have tried to prevent conflicts of interest, how Trump has addressed this concern...