Election reform https://www.morningsidecenter.org/ en Should We Lower the Voting Age To 16—Or Raise It To 25? https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/should-we-lower-voting-age-16-or-raise-it-25 <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Should We Lower the Voting Age To 16—Or Raise It To 25?</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p><strong>To the Teacher</strong></p><p>New York Congresswoman Grace Meng <a href="https://meng.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/meng-reintroduces-legislation-to-lower-the-voting-age-in-america-to-16-0#:~:text=%22As%20countries%20around%20the%20world,to%2018%2Dyear%2Dolds">reintroduced</a> legislation to lower the federal voting age to 16. But tech entrepreneur and Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2023/05/12/vivek-ramaswamy-voting-age-25/">argues</a> that the voting age should be raised to 25 so young people assign “greater value to the act” of voting.&nbsp;</p><p>In this lesson, students explore the history of political debates around the minimum age for voter eligibility and discuss contemporary arguments for raising or lowering the voting age.&nbsp;</p><p><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/element5-digital-2i7Dn2uMEQE-unsplash.jpg" data-entity-uuid="30f77e4c-2398-4330-a89d-237c252ce7b9" data-entity-type="file" alt="I voted stickers" width="4016" height="2608" loading="lazy"></p><p><em>Photo by </em><a href="https://unsplash.com/@element5digital?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText"><em>Element5 Digital</em></a><em> on </em><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/2i7Dn2uMEQE?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText"><em>Unsplash</em></a></p><hr><h2>Reading One:&nbsp;<br>How Did the Voting Age Become What It Is Today?</h2><p><br>The question of whether to lower the federal voting age in the United States <a href="https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/news/26th-amendment">became</a> a heated topic of debate during World War II. At the time, the voting age and draft age were both 21. When President Roosevelt decided to lower the draft age to 18 to increase the size of the army, advocates of lowering the voting age pushed for a corresponding change. If 18-year-olds were old enough to die for their country, the argument went, they were old enough to have a formal voice in America’s political system.</p><p>However, it was not until protests against the Vietnam War emerged in the late 1960s that the movement to lower the voting age gained greater political traction. Writing for Smithsonian Magazine in 2020, journalist Manisha Claire <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-young-activists-got-18-year-olds-right-vote-record-time-180976261/">described</a> the obstacles faced by the youth vote movement from the 1940s on, and how advocates eventually overcame them:&nbsp;</p><blockquote><p>One obstacle [was].... how American culture viewed teens and those in their early 20s, says Rebecca de Schweinitz, a history professor at Brigham Young University working on a book about youth suffrage. Most youth advocates, she says, were adult social reformers focused on creating greater access to secondary education, regulating child labor and providing services like welfare to young people. These reformers did not “talk about young people as independent agents,” who could handle the demands of adulthood, says de Schweinitz. “They talked and thought about them as people who needed to be cared for.”</p><p>Youth themselves were also not enthusiastic about gaining the right to vote. Polls, such as one covered in the Atlanta Constitution, showed 53 percent of American high school students opposed the proposal in 1943....</p><p>The idea simmered on the political backburner throughout the next two decades. In his 1954 State of the Union Address, President Dwight D. Eisenhower spoke in favor of lowering the voting age….In 1963, President John F. Kennedy created the President’s Commission on Registration and Voting Participation to help counter the U.S.’s low voter turnout in comparison to other Western countries like Denmark (at 85.5 percent) and Italy (at 92 percent). The commission recommended solutions such as expanding voter registration dates, abolishing poll taxes, making mail-in absentee voting easier and that “voting by persons 18 years of age should be considered by the states….”</p><p>At the same time, teenagers, who represented the earliest members of the large Baby Boomer generation, heavily involved themselves in political movements like the push for civil rights, campus free speech and women’s liberation. These flashpoints stood front and center in the public consciousness, showcasing the growing power of youth in directing the nation’s cultural conversations….</p><p>[By] 1968, according to a Gallup poll, two-thirds of Americans agreed that “persons 18, 19, and 20 years old should be permitted to vote.”.... Youth suffrage became a unifying cause for diverse political interests, including the NAACP, Young Democrats and Young Republicans. Some groups had lobbied for the cause on their own, but in 1969, the activists seized on the rising tide of youth power in all areas of civil rights and brought their cause to Congress.<br>&nbsp;</p><p>[<a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-young-activists-got-18-year-olds-right-vote-record-time-180976261/">https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-young-activists-got-18-year-olds-right-vote-record-time-180976261/</a>]</p></blockquote><p>After several states including Georgia, Kentucky, Alaska and Hawaii lowered the voting age in response to public pressure, the Supreme Court decided in Oregon v. Mitchell that changes in the voting age could only be made at the federal level. The House and Senate responded by introducing the 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in March of 1971. The amendment reached a two-thirds majority on July 1, 1971, officially lowering the federal voting age to 18 and giving the franchise to more than 10 million young people.</p><p>In the decades that have passed since, the lowering of the voting age has had significant impacts on our society. Youth voter organization Rock the Vote <a href="https://www.rockthevote.org/explainers/the-26th-amendment-and-the-youth-vote/">describes</a> a variety of these impacts on their website:&nbsp;</p><blockquote><p>[F]ive decades after the ratification of the 26th Amendment, the United States has experienced unprecedented levels of youth voter turnout in recent elections. In the 2018 midterm elections, young people turned out to vote at the highest midterm levels since the ratification of the 26th Amendment. And, youth voter turnout in 2020 reached “one of the highest youth participation rates in decades.”</p><p>Similarly, just as the passage of the 26th Amendment was led by a movement of youth activists, the recent youth vote is often pointed to as a result of increasing youth activism around a host of issues that disproportionately impact young people. In the leadup to the 2020 federal election, racism and police brutality dominated youth-led activism, and young people have also built powerful advocacy movements around issues including climate change and gun violence.</p><p>In a recent post-election survey, the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) found that “more than three-quarters of young people believe that they have the power and responsibility to change the country and that this work goes beyond elections.” Such a high level of youth political participation — which only begins with electoral politics — would not be possible without the important baseline of voting rights granted by the 26th Amendment.<br>&nbsp;</p><p>[<a href="https://www.rockthevote.org/explainers/the-26th-amendment-and-the-youth-vote/">https://www.rockthevote.org/explainers/the-26th-amendment-and-the-youth-vote/</a>]</p></blockquote><p>Despite the advances made to enfranchise young people in the 26th Amendment, America’s youth continue to face significant hurdles to participation in our electoral system. Inaccessible polling locations and hours, lack of access to transportation, restrictive identification policies, and the impact of mass incarceration are all barriers that can make voting inaccessible for young people. Therefore, work to enable full participation of voters of all ages continues.</p><p><br><strong>For Discussion:</strong></p><ol><li>How much of the material in this reading was new to you, and how much was already familiar? Do you have any questions about what you read? What personal connections, thoughts, or feelings did you have about what you read?<br>&nbsp;</li><li>According to the reading, what were some of the barriers activists faced to lowering the voting age to 18? What were some of the reasons the movement was successful? Do you think 18-year-olds should have a voice in the political system? What about 16-year-olds?<br>&nbsp;</li><li>The reading mentions that adult youth advocates in the 1940s often saw young people as people to care for and not independent people that could handle the demands of adulthood. Based on your own experiences, do you think this attitude toward young people has changed?<br>&nbsp;</li><li>Apart from voting, what are other ways you think young people’s voices are heard by adults making decisions? Are there any ways you think the voices of young people are silenced or not heard by the adults governing this country?<br>&nbsp;</li><li>What lessons do you think activists pushing to lower the voting age today could take from the fight to win the 26th Amendment?<br>&nbsp;</li><li>The reading lists several obstacles that may continue hindering youth from participating in our democracy today. Which of these barriers do you think is most significant? What might be done to address them?</li></ol><p>&nbsp;</p><hr><h2>Reading Two:&nbsp;<br>Should We Lower the Voting Age To 16—Or Raise It To 25?</h2><p>Should 16-year-olds be allowed to vote? Many advocates and some elected officials think so. In January of this year, New York Congresswoman Grace Meng <a href="https://meng.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/meng-reintroduces-legislation-to-lower-the-voting-age-in-america-to-16-0#:~:text=%22As%20countries%20around%20the%20world,to%2018%2Dyear%2Dolds">reintroduced</a> legislation to lower the federal voting age to 16. Representative Meng argues that 16- and 17-year-olds, who have the right to drive and work, and who are required to pay federal taxes on their wages, should have the right to formally participate in our democracy as well.</p><p>In an April 2023 article for Texas Public Radio, journalist David Martin Davies <a href="https://www.tpr.org/podcast/the-source/2023-04-13/the-youth-vote-in-america-its-history-and-future">described</a> the current debate over this issue:&nbsp;</p><blockquote><p>One of the arguments for lowering the voting age to 16 is that it would increase the political engagement and participation of young people. Supporters argue that young people are often passionate and have a stake in many of the issues that affect their lives, such as education, healthcare, and the environment. By giving them the right to vote, it would give them a voice and a way to influence policy decisions.</p><p>On the other hand, opponents of lowering the voting age argue that 16-year-olds may not have the necessary life experience or maturity to make informed decisions. They also argue that many 16-year-olds are still in high school and may be influenced by their parents or teachers, which could lead to uninformed or coerced voting.</p><p>The proposal to lower the voting age is not being embraced by the conservative establishment because generally, younger voters in the United States tend to vote more liberal than older voters. This is reflected in the voting patterns of various age groups in recent elections.</p><p>For example, in the 2020 presidential election, data from exit polls showed that voters between the ages of 18 and 29 supported the Democratic candidate, Joe Biden, over the Republican incumbent, Donald Trump, by a margin of 61% to 36%. In contrast, voters aged 65 and older supported Trump over Biden by a margin of 52% to 47%.</p><p>Similarly, in the 2018 midterm elections, voters under the age of 30 favored Democratic candidates by a margin of 67% to 32%, while voters aged 65 and older favored Republican candidates by a margin of 51% to 47%.&nbsp;</p><p>[<a href="https://www.tpr.org/podcast/the-source/2023-04-13/the-youth-vote-in-america-its-history-and-future">https://www.tpr.org/podcast/the-source/2023-04-13/the-youth-vote-in-america-its-history-and-future</a>]</p></blockquote><p>While advocates for lowering the voting age enjoy some support in Congress, other politicians are trying to push the voting age higher. Tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, a millennial running in the Republican presidential primary, would be the youngest president ever elected. Ramaswamy has <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2023/05/12/vivek-ramaswamy-voting-age-25/">argued</a> on the campaign trail that the voting age should be raised to 25. He contends that those in the 18-to-25-year age range who want to vote should first be required to pass a civics test, similar to the tests currently taken during the naturalization process for new citizens. Under his plan, only members of the military and first responders such as police or firefighters would be allowed to vote at 18 without first passing a test.</p><p>Ramaswamy believes that such requirements would cause 18-to-25-year-olds to assign “greater value to the act” of voting. In contrast, critics <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2023/05/12/vivek-ramaswamy-voting-age-25/">have compared</a> his proposal to the discriminatory testing requirements under Jim Crow laws. In a May 2023 article for the Washington Post, reporter Dylan Wells <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2023/05/12/vivek-ramaswamy-voting-age-25/">outlined</a> these critiques, including from members of Ramaswamy’s own party:&nbsp;</p><blockquote><p>“If Republicans take action to disqualify 18-to-24-year-olds from voting, they’ll push Gen Z further away from the GOP and risk losing an entire generation of voters who won’t soon forget the party that disenfranchised them,” said Courtney Hope Britt, the national chairman of the College Republican National Committee.</p><p>“If the concern is that 18-year-olds don’t have adequate civics knowledge, then we need to address that issue and provide better civics education,” she added.</p><p>A Washington Post analysis of the census turnout survey found 26 percent of 18-to-29-year-olds voted in the 2022 midterm election, though in 2020 a record high 53 percent of eligible voters under age 30 cast ballots….</p><p>Andrea Hailey, the CEO of nonpartisan Vote.org, called [Ramaswamy’s] proposal “nothing more than demographic gerrymandering” and “a sad attempt to shape the electorate rather than letting the American people shape our government…”</p><p>“It is absolutely outrageous that it’s even being proposed to disenfranchise literally millions of young Americans, and it is not lost, I think on a lot of young people that this also happens to be the most diverse generation in American history,” said Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez, the executive director of NextGen America, a liberal group focused on young voters. “This is an explicit attempt to hold on to power by any means and block young people who reject the Republican Party almost wholesale from voting.”&nbsp;</p><p>[<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2023/05/12/vivek-ramaswamy-voting-age-25/">https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2023/05/12/vivek-ramaswamy-voting-age-25/</a>]</p></blockquote><p>The discussion of whether to raise or lower the voting age could have significant consequences, impacting not only the total voter turnout but the results of elections as well. Although casting ballots in elections is not the only way to make your voice heard in our society, a lot is at stake when it comes to decisions about who is allowed to vote.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>For Discussion:</strong></p><ol><li>How much of the material in this reading was new to you, and how much was already familiar? Do you have any questions about what you read? What personal connections, thoughts, or feelings did you have about what you read?<br>&nbsp;</li><li>According to the reading, what are some of the arguments in favor of lowering the voting age today? What did you think of these arguments?<br>&nbsp;</li><li>What do you think about Vivek Ramaswamy’s position that young people need more civics education to be able to vote responsibly? Is this a real problem? If so, how should it be addressed?<br>&nbsp;</li><li>If voters under 25 were required to pass a civics test in order to participate in our democracy, what do you think the impacts would be on our political system? Conversely, what do you think the impact would be if the voting age were lowered to 16?<br>&nbsp;</li><li>After considering different viewpoints on this issue, do you think the federal voting age should be raised, that it should be lowered, or that it should stay the same? Explain your position.</li></ol><p>&nbsp;</p><hr><p><em>—Research assistance provided by Sophia Zaia</em></p><p>&nbsp;</p></div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>Sara Carrero</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2023-09-16T09:57:37-04:00" title="Saturday, September 16, 2023 - 09:57">September 16, 2023</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Sat, 16 Sep 2023 13:57:37 +0000 Sara Carrero 1773 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Can Washington, DC Finally Become a State? https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/can-washington-dc-finally-become-state <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span> Can Washington, DC Finally Become a State?</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p class="Normal1"><br> <strong>To The Teacher</strong></p> <p><br> The debate over possible statehood for Washington, DC stretches back more than a century, and this issue has recently gained increased political momentum. Currently, the District of Columbia is not a state, and its population of 700,000 people do not have full voting rights and have no representation in the U.S. Senate. For many residents, DC statehood represents a basic civil rights issue.</p> <p>In April 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives <a href="https://www.washingtonian.com/2021/04/22/dc-statehood-bill-hr-51-has-passed-in-the-house/">passed</a> a bill to address this, called H.R. 51, which would make Washington, DC the country’s 51st state. However, the bill still faces steep hurdles in the Senate.</p> <p>This lesson consists of two readings that consider the current debate over DC statehood. The first reading showcases the moral and political arguments offered by supporters and opponents of statehood. The second reading looks at more practical issues, considering what it would take for a DC statehood proposal to become law and for its residents to gain full political representation. Questions for discussion follow each reading.<br> &nbsp;</p> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'filter_caption' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/filter/templates/filter-caption.html.twig' --> <figure role="group"> <img alt="DC Statehood" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="50a3c9dd-c4d2-43cf-94a7-db85a3f9f615" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/DC%20Statehood.jpg" width="800" height="600" loading="lazy"> <figcaption><em>Photo:&nbsp;Michelle Kinsey Bruns</em></figcaption> </figure> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/filter/templates/filter-caption.html.twig' --> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3><strong>Reading One<br> The Logic of Statehood for Washington, DC</strong></h3> <p><br> The debate over possible statehood for Washington, DC stretches back more than a century, and this issue has recently gained increased political momentum. Currently, the District of Columbia is not a state, and its population of 700,000 people do not have full voting rights and have no representation in the U.S. Senate. Making the district into a state would give its population two senators and much greater autonomy over local governance. For many residents, DC statehood represents a basic civil rights issue.</p> <p>The issue of statehood was hardly up for discussion for most of the 19th century, despite the efforts of a few outspoken advocates such as A.E. Redstone, a labor leader who proposed turning the district into the state of Columbia in 1893.</p> <p>Since then, DC has gained some greater autonomy. Over time residents have won the right to elect their own mayor and city council, although Congress has oversight power over local laws. DC residents can also vote for the U.S. President. Currently, the district has one non-voting delegate in the House of Representatives, who can participate in committees but cannot vote on final legislation.</p> <p>Recently, the debate has been reignited. Supporters of statehood argue that it is a matter of fair representation and democracy. They point out that the district has a larger population than two existing states, Wyoming and Vermont. Opponents counter that DC statehood would violate the U.S. constitution, that it would defy the intentions of the nation’s founders, and that it would be too complicated to implement.</p> <p>The major arguments of the movement for DC statehood were <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/may/03/washington-dc-statehood-51-stars">captured</a> in a May 2021 article by Joan E. Greve, a politics reporter writing for The Guardian. Greve wrote:</p> <blockquote> <p>For statehood advocates, this moment feels like an opportunity to correct a 200-year-old injustice. The District’s population of 700,000 is more than that of Wyoming and Vermont, and DC residents pay more in federal taxes than their counterparts in 22 states, yet they do not have congressional representation. Perhaps even more infuriating for statehood supporters is the fact that DC laws are subject to congressional review, meaning lawmakers from around the country have an effective veto on local proposals.</p> <p>The issue of race is also front and center, given that DC’s citizens are predominantly people of color and their full rights as Americans are being curtailed mostly by Republicans in the Senate, who skew heavily white.</p> <p>DC residents themselves largely support statehood. In 2016, the District held a referendum on the issue, and 86 percent of voters backed statehood.</p> <p>“This fight is the most pressing voting rights fight and the most pressing civil rights fight of our lifetime,” said Jamal Holtz, a leader of 51 for 51, which advocates for statehood. “We should not be okay with American citizens not having voter representation.”</p> <p>The lack of representation for DC residents has been the subject of international condemnation. The United Nations human rights committee has repeatedly said DC’s current political status is a human rights violation that flies in the face of America’s international treaty obligations.<br> <br> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/may/03/washington-dc-statehood-51-stars">https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/may/03/washington-dc-statehood-51-stars</a></p> </blockquote> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Opponents of DC statehood offer a variety of arguments. Some decry the district’s small population, although DC is home to more people than some existing states. Others, such as Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA) have <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/22/politics/fact-check-jody-hice-car-dealerships-dc-statehood/index.html">argued</a> that the district should not be a state because “DC would be the only state without an airport, without a car dealership, without a capital city, without a landfill.” In March 2021, the editors of the National Review <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/03/d-c-statehood-is-an-idea-whose-time-should-never-come/">put forward</a> some additional points against DC statehood, writing:<br> &nbsp;</p> <blockquote> <p>Even if the DC statehood effort had a reasonable chance of passage... such an amendment would undermine stable federal governance in a number of ways. First it would put the seat of the national government under the controlling authority of a potentially hostile government. In Federalist No. 43, James Madison warned that without federal control of the capital, “the public authority might be insulted and its proceedings interrupted with impunity.”</p> <p>Only once has a Republican presidential candidate, Richard Nixon in 1972, broken the 20 percent threshold in DC Not a single city council member is a Republican. The seat of national power was intentionally created as an independent entity to avoid having Congress and the president rely on, or answer to, the governor of a state.</p> <p>Washington is also the city of the permanent political class — a place of tremendous wealth that is largely reliant on American taxpayers. DC has a higher median income than any state, and its recession-proof suburbs are some of the wealthiest in the country. In many ways, large swaths of Maryland and Virginia already act as the voice of the federal government. That is exactly what the Founders were trying to avoid when they created a federal district….</p> <p>Of course, if Democrats were truly concerned about the lack of representation among Washingtonians, they might be working on ideas that would allow DC residents to become Marylanders or Virginians. Instead, they are intent on creating — or, at the very least, normalizing the idea of — a liberal enclave that would give them two permanent senators. Because the agitation for DC statehood is little more than a cynical play for partisan advantage.</p> <p><a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/03/d-c-statehood-is-an-idea-whose-time-should-never-come/">https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/03/d-c-statehood-is-an-idea-whose-time-should-never-come/</a><br> &nbsp;</p> </blockquote> <p>In response to these charges, Democrats counter that Republicans’ opposition to DC statehood derives not from principle, but simply from the fact that the district’s residents would likely elect two Democratic Senators, something conservatives are loath to allow. They also point out that polling indicates that <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/05/dc-statehood-retrocession-maryland/618788/">majorities</a> in both Maryland and DC favor independent statehood for the district over absorbing its residents into an existing state.</p> <p>While the back-and-forth argument over statehood continues, the existence of 700,000 residents in DC without full voting rights ensures that tensions will persist if the district’s status remains unchanged.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>For Discussion:</strong><br> &nbsp;</p> <ol> <li>How much of the material in this reading was new to you, and how much was already familiar? Do you have any questions about what you read?</li> </ol> <ol start="2"> <li>According to the reading, why are some people in favor of DC statehood?</li> </ol> <ol start="3"> <li>The National Review editors outline a few points in opposition to statehood. Which do you believe are the strongest, and which are weaker?</li> </ol> <ol start="4"> <li>What do you think is the most compelling argument presented in the reading (for either case)? Why?</li> </ol> <ol start="5"> <li>Joan Greve writes that “the issue of race is also front and center” in the statehood debate. What are the reasons for this?</li> </ol> <ol start="6"> <li>How do you think the inclusion of DC as a state might impact the future of the country?</li> </ol> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3><strong>Reading Two<br> Overcoming the Obstacles to Statehood</strong></h3> <p><br> The debate over the status of Washington, DC and the voting rights of its citizens has made headlines this year. In April the U.S. House of Representatives <a href="https://www.washingtonian.com/2021/04/22/dc-statehood-bill-hr-51-has-passed-in-the-house/">passed</a> a bill to address the issue, called H.R. 51, which would make DC the country’s 51st state. However, the bill still faces steep hurdles in the Senate, and it would need to overcome barriers outlined in the U.S. Constitution.</p> <p>The Constitution originally established DC as an enclave that would be controlled by the federal government at the service of the American electorate, and this long served as a decisive argument against statehood. As Jeff Greenfield, a contributing editor for Politico Magazine, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/05/16/washington-dc-statehood-guide-constitutional-workaround-political-obstacles-488349">explained</a> in a May 2021 article:<br> &nbsp;</p> <blockquote> <p>Over the years, DC has been given dollops of political power in the form of its own mayor and City Council. Most significantly, in 1961, the ratification of the 23rd Amendment granted the district votes in the Electoral College, equal to the number accorded the least populous state. But the idea of simply turning the District of Columbia into a state by statute, the way every other new state joined, has often been seen as a constitutional impossibility. Attorneys general ranging ideologically from Robert F. Kennedy to Ed Meese have weighed in on the same side of this argument: Because the federal district was created by the Constitution, only an amendment to the Constitution could turn it into a state; and only an amendment could grant DC votes in the House and Senate. (That latter idea was proposed in 1978 but fell short of state ratification.)</p> <p><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/05/16/washington-dc-statehood-guide-constitutional-workaround-political-obstacles-488349">https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/05/16/washington-dc-statehood-guide-constitutional-workaround-political-obstacles-488349</a></p> </blockquote> <p><br> The current resolution passed by the House of Representatives to make DC a state avoids these Constitutional issues by keeping a small part of the city—including core government buildings—as a separate federal district, while making the bulk of the city into its own state. Enacting this approach would not require a constitutional amendment. However, the legislation would need to pass through the Senate. A vote on the bill would most likely fall along party lines, with Democrats voting in favor and Republicans against. The Senate filibuster, a tactic that can allow senators to prevent a bill from being brought to a vote, would make it impossible to bring the bill to a full vote unless 60 Senators move to do so—a high bar given that the chamber is divided evenly between the two parties.</p> <p>Meagan Flynn and Teddy Amenabar, writers for the Washington Post, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/01/08/washington-dc-statehood-faq/">discussed</a> these political realities in an April 2021 article:<br> &nbsp;</p> <blockquote> <p>Now that Democrats control both chambers of Congress and the White House, advocates of making Washington, DC, the 51st state believe they are on the brink of a historic opportunity….</p> <p>Those opposed to making DC a state have argued that statehood for DC can’t happen without a constitutional amendment. They say the founders intended the entire District to serve as the seat of the federal government, not as a state. But legislation put forth by nonvoting Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) would not eliminate the “seat of government” that the Constitution calls for. Instead, H.R. 51 would shrink the national capital to a small complex of federal buildings, while allowing the rest of the District to become a state….</p> <p>Democrats occupy half the seats in that chamber [the Senate], thanks to the January victories of Jon Ossoff and Raphael G. Warnock of Georgia, both of whom support statehood. That creates a 50-50 split in the Senate among Democrats and Republicans, with Vice President Harris able to cast the tiebreaking vote. She, like Biden, supports statehood.</p> <p>But because of the Senate filibuster — which requires 60 votes rather than 51 for legislation to pass — a simple majority of Democrats in the Senate isn’t good enough to pass statehood; the bill would need the support of at least 10 Senate Republicans as well.</p> <p>Alternatively, the Senate could vote to end the filibuster, meaning that 50 votes in favor of statehood — plus Harris as the tiebreaker — would suffice.</p> <p>A number of senators are pushing various filibuster reform proposals[.]</p> <p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/01/08/washington-dc-statehood-faq/">https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/01/08/washington-dc-statehood-faq/</a><br> &nbsp;</p> </blockquote> <p>Achieving statehood would require popular organizing to force the issue —&nbsp; and perhaps for a sustained period of time.&nbsp;</p> <p>But a growing number of youth advocates are stepping up to the plate. On <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/09/28/916580034/d-c-statehood-is-a-civil-rights-issue-for-young-activists">National Public Radio</a>, a young advocate, Ty Hobson-Powell, said he views DC statehood as a racial justice issue. He believes that racism plays into some politicians' unwillingness to consider statehood. "We are a city of Black and Brown people," he said. "To ignore the racism attached to our lack of statehood would be hard to do." Hobson-Powell took this message to a national audience when he spoke at the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington last August.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>For Discussion:</strong></p> <ol> <li>How much of the material in this reading was new to you, and how much was already familiar? Do you have any questions about what you read?</li> </ol> <ol start="2"> <li>According to the reading, what are the Constitutional obstacles to DC statehood?</li> </ol> <ol start="3"> <li>What are the ways in which proponents of the bill are working to overcome Constitutional barriers?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>What kind of organizing do you think would be necessary to overcome the barriers to DC statehood?</li> </ol> <ol start="5"> <li>What do you think? Should DC become a state? Explain your reasoning.</li> </ol> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><em>Research assistance provided by Akin Olla.</em></p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>Laura McClure</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2021-06-06T16:22:18-04:00" title="Sunday, June 6, 2021 - 16:22">June 6, 2021</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Sun, 06 Jun 2021 20:22:18 +0000 Laura McClure 1594 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Partisan Redistricting: How Do I Make My Vote Count? https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/partisan-redistricting-how-do-i-make-my-vote-count <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Partisan Redistricting: How Do I Make My Vote Count?</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><p align="center" style="text-align:center">&nbsp;</p> <h3><strong>Day One</strong><br> &nbsp;</h3> <h3><strong>Inquiry Challenge #1</strong><br> &nbsp;</h3> <p>Divide students into dyads. (In Zoom or Google Classroom, send them to breakout rooms in dyads.) Pose the following brain teaser to the class.<br> &nbsp;</p> <p>Solve the following equation (5 minutes).&nbsp; See a pdf of image below&nbsp;<a href="https://www.morningsidecenter.org/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/Challenge%201.pdf">here</a>.</p> <blockquote> <p>A map of my state</p> <p>+ &nbsp;&nbsp;Certified census data for my state<br> +&nbsp; &nbsp;My favorite marker<br> + &nbsp;&nbsp;Lots of patience&nbsp;</p> <p>= &nbsp;&nbsp;???</p> </blockquote> <p><img alt="Challenge 1" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="4dc0ccfb-db52-40c5-abed-982ecfccc961" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Challenge%201_0.jpg" width="960" height="456" loading="lazy"></p> <p>Tell students:</p> <ul> <li>They have five minutes to solve the puzzle.<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>They’re free to quickly conduct research to try to solve the puzzle.<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>They should record their answer in the chat (if using Google Classroom or Zoom).</li> </ul> <p><br> NOTE: If students are struggling to answer the brain teaser, offer hints:</p> <p>Hint: Some of these, when outlined, have peculiar shapes that, at times, cause major outrage and protests.</p> <p>Hint, hint: Some of these are said to be able to determine the power of my vote.</p> <p><br> <strong><em>Answer:</em> </strong>Newly drawn Congressional and legislative districts.</p> <p><br> Once the first team has come up with the correct response, all students will reconvene.</p> <p>Give the whole group&nbsp;a&nbsp;brief overview of Congressional districts and state legislative districts.</p> <ul> <li>There are 435 congressional districts or regions out of which we elect representatives to go to Washington, D.C. These representatives introduce and vote on legislation that impacts everyone in the country.<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>State legislative districts are the regions in our state out of which we elect representatives to serve our state. These representatives introduce and pass laws that impact everyone in the state.<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>U.S. and state legislative districts are determined by a process called “apportionment.”<br> &nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>Next, tell students that we’ll be watching <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-dEYhcR2LY">this 6-minute YouTube video</a> from Citizen Genius that explains the apportionment process.&nbsp; (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-dEYhcR2LY">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-dEYhcR2LY</a>)<br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3><br> <strong>Inquiry Challenge #2</strong></h3> <p><br> Tell students:</p> <p>We just saw a video that showed a map of congressional district lines. (Or,&nbsp;if you don’t show the video: “There are 50 states. We know that each state has both congressional and state legislative districts.”)</p> <p>Ask:&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>Who determines the size and shape of those districts? Who actually draws the lines and &nbsp;determines what cities and towns are included in our voting districts?</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Tell students that we are now going to break into groups of four. (In Google Classroom or Zoom, send students to breakout rooms in groups of four.) Each group will have eight minutes to research the answers to the questions above.<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>At the end of eight minutes, each group will take no more than two minutes to present its findings to the larger classroom.<br> &nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>Once each group has presented their findings, make sure everyone is clear on how different states handle the drawing, redrawing, and creation of Congressional districts and state legislative districts, using the information below.</p> <p>(Also see this <a href="https://www.morningsidecenter.org/sites/default/files/documents-pdfs/Redistricting%20%26%20HR%201%20Info.pdf"><em><strong>pdf version</strong></em></a> of the information below on redistricting and H.R. 1.)<br> &nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Information on Redistricting</strong></p> <p>(Source:&nbsp; <a href="https://apnews.com/article/4d2e2aea7e224549af61699e51c955dd">Associated Press</a>, March 21, 2019)<br> <br> In most places, state lawmakers and governors are responsible for drawing and approving maps for U.S. and state legislative districts following each U.S. Census.</p> <p>There is a census every 10 years. The latest census was in 2020, but it was extended because of the Covid pandemic.</p> <p>A growing number of states are shifting the task of redistricting to independent or bipartisan commissions, or making other changes intended to reduce the likelihood of partisan gerrymandering.</p> <p>Gerrymandering is a term used to name what many believe are unfairly drawn districts that limit the power of the people living in those districts and prevent them from electing the representatives they want because of the way the districts are drawn.</p> <p>The following states use commissions or other nontraditional methods for the current round of redistricting: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, and Washington.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Information on H.R. 1, the For the People Act</strong><br> &nbsp;</p> <p>Next, talk with students about H.R. 1, also called the For the People Act.</p> <p>On March 3, 2021, the House of Representatives passed House Resolution 1, (H.R. 1) the For the People Act, a bill that addresses both the redistricting process and voting, including voting access, integrity in voting, and secure voting. Most say it is unlikely to pass in the Senate, especially given current filibuster rules, which require a 60-vote majority to pass a bill.</p> <p>According to the <a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/researchreports/congress-">Brennan Center for Justice</a>, a non-partisan law and policy institute, “As of February 19,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/state-voting-bills-tracker-2021">more than 253 bills</a>&nbsp;restricting voting access had been… introduced in 43 states, and the number is rising. Already, two of&nbsp;<a href="https://legiscan.com/UT/text/HB0012/2021" target="_blank">these</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ba=SF413&amp;ga=89&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=govdelivery" target="_blank">bills</a>&nbsp;have passed, and many are moving aggressively through state legislatures.”&nbsp;The proposed laws will limit early in-person voting, mail-in voting, and absentee voting. One <a href="https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/mar/09/facebook-%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20posts/georgia-bill-would-%20%20ban-giving-food-water-voters-li/">Georgia law</a>, HB 531, makes it a misdemeanor to deliver food and water to anyone waiting in line to vote.</p> <p>The Brennan Center charges that many of the 253 bills are “discriminatory in design,” and “have the potential to dramatically reduce voting access, especially for Black and brown voters.” They support passage of the For the People Act, which would thwart bills that restrict voter access.</p> <p>Section two of the For the People Act proposes that all states “adopt independent redistricting commissions for purposes of drawing Congressional districts.”</p> <hr> <h3><br> <strong>Videos: A Case Study</strong><br> &nbsp;</h3> <p>After reviewing this information, tell students that we’ll now watch two 2-minute videos from Common Cause on partisan redistricting, also known as gerrymandering.</p> <p>The first video is about the impact of such redistricting &nbsp;on one college campus in North Carolina. The second is footage from a hearing in which a North Carolina legislator justifies the redistricting.</p> <p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01zyvZxY3u8">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01zyvZxY3u8</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBweZMNIm2M" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBweZMNIm2M</a></p> <p>Afterward, discuss students’ responses and reactions to both videos.</p> <hr> <h3><br> <strong>Homework and preparation for Day 2</strong></h3> <p><br> Students will read and annotate the following November 2020 <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/01/republican-north-carolina-sixth-district-gerrymandering">article in the Guardian</a>&nbsp;giving an update on the effort by students at A &amp; T State University to stop government officials from limiting their voting power.&nbsp; (<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/01/republican-north-carolina-sixth-district-gerrymandering">https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/nov/01/republican-north-carolina-sixth-district-gerrymandering</a>)</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Bonus brain teaser: &nbsp;</strong>What do salamanders and gerrymanders have in common?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h3><br> <strong>Day 2</strong><br> &nbsp;</h3> <p>Begin by answering any questions student have from the day before.</p> <p>Discuss students’ answers to the brain teaser and show them a picture of the first recognized <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/where-did-term-gerrymander-come-180964118/">“gerrymander.”</a></p> <p>Next, spend 10-15 minutes in a whole-class discussion of the Guardian article. Question prompts:</p> <ul> <li>Why did the writer conclude that the partisan gerrymandering attempted by officials in 2016 backfired in North Carolina?</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Explain this paragraph: “Smith said he’s already seen impacts from the redistricting. Congressional candidates have been spotted around campus and in the community, something that rarely happened when the area was a surefire Republican stronghold.” What is Smith telling us about politicians?</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Now that you have a greater understanding of how and why certain Congressional districts are drawn, what do you think about the provision in H.R. 1 that requires all states to implement independent commissions to draw and decide on Congressional voting districts?</li> </ul> <p><br> Lastly, ask students to use a government database to look up their own and others’ voting districts here:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/map">https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/map</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p><br> <strong>Vocabulary Word Scaffolding for Students</strong></p> <p>Partisan</p> <p>Bi-partisan</p> <p>Non-partisan</p> <p>Census</p> <p>Certify</p> <p>Representative</p> <p>Electors</p> <p>U.S. territory</p> <hr> <h3>&nbsp;</h3> <h3><strong>Sources</strong><br> &nbsp;</h3> <p><a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/congress-could-change-everything">https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/congress-could-change-everything</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2021/voting-%20%20%20restrictions-republicans-states/">https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2021/voting-&nbsp;&nbsp; restrictions-republicans-states/</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/mar/09/facebook-%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20posts/georgia-bill-would-%20%20ban-giving-food-water-voters-li/">https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/mar/09/facebook-&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; posts/georgia-bill-would-&nbsp; ban-giving-food-water-voters-li/</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/18/opinion/republicans-voting-rights.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/18/opinion/republicans-voting-rights.html</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>Laura McClure</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2021-03-21T10:08:00-04:00" title="Sunday, March 21, 2021 - 10:08">March 21, 2021</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Sun, 21 Mar 2021 14:08:00 +0000 Laura McClure 1563 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Could the U.S. Move Beyond a Two-Party System? https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/could-us-move-beyond-two-party-system <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--title.html.twig * field--string.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <span>Could the U.S. Move Beyond a Two-Party System?</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--body--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--node--body.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--body.html.twig * field--text-with-summary.html.twig x field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field--item"><h4>&nbsp;</h4> <h4>To the Teacher:</h4> <p>This lesson includes two student readings. The first reading looks at possibilities for third parties in the U.S. and why historically it has been difficult for them to gain a foothold. The second reading considers some possible changes to the electoral system that might make it easier for voters to elect politicians who reflect their beliefs, including open primaries and instant runoff voting. Discussion questions and an optional small-group discussion activity follow.</p> <h4>&nbsp;</h4> <hr> <h4><br> <strong>Reading 1:</strong><br> <strong>Why Do We Have a Two-Party System?</strong></h4> <p>Polls show that a high percentage of voters are dissatisfied with their major party choices in the 2016 presidential election (Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton). &nbsp;And yet, as in past years, third parties have struggled to gain a foothold.&nbsp; 2016 third-party presidential candidates include Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson and Green Party nominee Jill Stein.&nbsp;</p> <p>Many other countries have parliamentary systems of government that are more open to third parties than the American system. In the United States, the Constitution structures elections in a way that favors large parties that can garner a majority of the vote in many districts. As journalist Waleed Shahid <a href="http://www.organizingupgrade.com/index.php/strategylabs/2016-elections/item/1042-time-for-a-tea-party-of-the-left-and-why-third-parties-fail-by-waleed-shahid">explains</a>:</p> <p class="rteindent1">The reasons for why we haven’t seen an independent, third party emerge in the United States are not due to any lack of willpower, but are the result of deep structural roadblocks to forming a competitive third party.</p> <p class="rteindent1">Imagine you have 15% of the public on your side: do you stay outside the political system or start your own party? The answer has much less to do with what you want to do, but more to do with what kind of electoral system you find yourself in...</p> <p class="rteindent1">In a proportional representation system, as seen in much of the rest of the world, you get as many seats in parliament as you win a share of votes (i.e. 15% of the votes = 15% of the seats). It might make sense to start your own party to compete with the existing parties.</p> <p><br> The U.S. political system does not allocate Congressional seats proportionally based on each party’s share of the national vote. Rather, we have a "winner-take-all" system that allocates one seat to Congress from each geographic district. In this system, a party that wins 15% of the vote in each district would not secure any representation in Congress at all. Instead, larger parties that gain higher percentages of voters would win all of the seats.&nbsp; The winner-take-all system encourages smaller parties to align themselves with the major parties, which they may see as the only way to have influence.</p> <p>Imagine a scenario in which 15% of the public supports your party. There are also two larger parties -- one has 40% support, and the other has 45%. Under the winner-take-all system, your party will not win anything on its own. But if your party merged with the 40% party, the new, combined party could attract 55% of the vote, and could therefore win the election. Your incentive to work with the larger party is clear.</p> <p>Now imagine a different scenario: Your party has 55% support, while your the opposition has 45%. However, a faction of 15% within your party wants to split away. In this scenario, if the faction forms a third party, it will result in the opposition party winning. This is known as the "spoiler effect."</p> <p>Reform advocate April Thibodeau describes the implications of the spoiler effect in the <a href="http://mainebeacon.com/tired-of-vicious-primaries-support-ranked-choice-voting-and-democratic-reform/"><em>Maine Beacon</em></a><a href="http://mainebeacon.com/tired-of-vicious-primaries-support-ranked-choice-voting-and-democratic-reform/">:</a></p> <p class="rteindent1">[The two major parties remain dominant] because of the "spoiler effect" - when a third party candidate runs, they peel votes away from one side, potentially handing the election to the other side. After such a result, the third party will be under pressure to join with the closest major party, and voters won’t vote for a third party candidate as long as the memory of the last loss still smarts. Eventually voters forget, and will vote for a third party candidate again, only to get burned again.<br> &nbsp;</p> <p>Despite these barriers, hundreds of third parties have formed throughout U.S. history, in part because of voters’ persistent frustration with the two major parties. Economist Bruce Bartlett writes in <a href="https://www.forbes.com/2010/05/13/third-parties-fusion-voting-elections-opinions-columnists-bruce-bartlett.html#510d68355f7a"><em>Forbes</em></a>:</p> <p class="rteindent1">[Barriers haven’t] stopped candidates from occasionally challenging the two-party monopoly, but none has ever made it to the White House. The most successful third-party candidate in history was Theodore Roosevelt in 1912, who got 27.4% of the popular vote and carried six states. The next most successful third-party candidate was Ross Perot in 1992. Although he got 18.9% of the popular vote, he carried no states.</p> <p class="rteindent1">Nevertheless, public opinion polls consistently show that a high percentage of Americans would like to have a third party. A CNN/Opinion Research poll in February [2016] found almost two-thirds of Americans favoring a third party in addition to the Republicans and Democrats.<br> &nbsp;</p> <p>Those who would like to see a greater range of ideological views represented in our political system face a clear challenge: how can they reform the electoral process to allow for viable third parties and allow voters to support third parties without becoming "spoilers"?<br> &nbsp;</p> <h4>For discussion:</h4> <p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; How much of the material in this reading was new to you, and how much was already familiar? Do you have any questions about what you read?</p> <p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; According to the reading, what is the difference between a proportional representation system and a winner-take-all system?</p> <p>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Within the U.S. political system, how are small parties encouraged to join with larger parties? What is the potential downside of a third-party challenge?</p> <p>4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; What do you think? Do you see your views represented by the two major parties? Would you like to see more perspectives represented in elections and in government?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4>&nbsp;</h4> <h4><strong>Reading 2:</strong><br> <strong>How could the system be reformed?</strong></h4> <p><br> Would it be possible to change the U.S. electoral system in ways that might allow more robust third parties or expand the diversity of political viewpoints expressed during elections? Promoters of third parties must confront some significant barriers: Creating a parliamentary system at the national level with pure proportional representation would require significant amendments to the U.S. Constitution and a fundamental restructuring of our legislative process. That’s a tall order.</p> <p>Reform advocates have offered a number of proposals to expand voters’ choices without switching to a full proportional representation system. Some of these reforms could be adopted at state and local levels.&nbsp; In fact, some have already been implemented in localities in various parts of the country.</p> <p><strong>1. &nbsp;Make it easier for candidates to get on the ballot</strong></p> <p>One basic reform would be to change ballot access laws to make it easier for third parties to get their candidates listed on ballots. Currently, candidates are often required to get tens of thousands of signatures to appear on the ballot. The <a href="http://www.gp.org/fix_our_broken_system">Green Party,</a> one of the more prominent U.S. third parties, describes on its website how current ballot access laws hinder third parties:</p> <p class="rteindent1">Our ballot access laws are so bad that even Democrats and Republicans can’t field candidates in quite a few races. However, these laws generally place far more restrictions on third parties.</p> <p class="rteindent1">Very few people are aware of the ballot access problem in the United States. Each state writes its own ballot access laws, even for federal office...</p> <p class="rteindent1">As recently as 1930, no state required more than 14,680 signatures for a new political party to get on the ballot.</p> <p class="rteindent1">Today, some states require huge numbers of signatures and/or votes for third parties to gain ballot access, while other states are much more reasonable. The laws vary enormously, not only in difficulty, but in the types of requirements they include, from state to state. This creates tremendous challenges for a third party trying to present an alternative and build an organization across the whole country.<br> &nbsp;</p> <p>Reducing the number of signatures needed for ballot access and standardizing the requirements across states would ease the burden on third parties.</p> <p>Yet even if parties gain easier ballot access, voters would still be confronted with the "spoiler problem" when considering supporting a third-party candidate.</p> <p><strong>2. &nbsp;Ranked Choice Voting (also called Instant Runoff &nbsp;Voting)&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>One reform that would eliminate spoilers is "ranked-choice voting," also known as "instant-runoff voting." In a July 2016 article, Professor Okla Elliott wrote in <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/campaign/286245-is-it-time-for-ranked-choice-voting-in-national-politics"><em>The Hill </em></a>about the choices we would have in this year’s election under such a system:</p> <p class="rteindent1">We’ve heard that voting third party is throwing your vote away - or worse yet, helping to elect the candidate you disagree with most. So how do we move the conversation forward? How do we make it safe to vote for third-party candidates?</p> <p class="rteindent1">Few Americans have heard of ranked-choice voting, yet there are currently 11 American cities that use [it] to elect their mayor, city council, and other local officials - including major cities such as Berkeley, Cambridge, and Minneapolis. And a variation of ranked choice is used nationwide in Ireland, a small yet relatively densely populated country, and in Australia, one of the largest yet least densely populated nations on Earth.</p> <p class="rteindent1">There are several variations of ranked choice voting, some more complex than others, but the simplest form would have voters rank the candidates #1, #2, #3, and so forth when there are more than two candidates for a single position. For example, left-leaning voters might rank Green Party candidate Jill Stein as #1, Hillary Clinton #2, Gary Johnson #3, and Donald Trump #4.</p> <p class="rteindent1">If Stein does not receive the greatest number of votes, ballots cast for her would automatically shift to Clinton, and then if Clinton doesn’t get the greatest number of votes even with Stein’s votes added in, those initial Stein votes would then shift to Johnson. In this way, Green Party voters do not have to fear helping Trump win the election, yet they also do not have to begrudgingly ignore their deep-seated convictions and outright vote for Clinton.</p> <p class="rteindent1">Renowned economists Partha Dasgupta of the University of Cambridge and Eric S. Maskin of Harvard University concluded in their 2004 <em>Scientific American</em> article that "when more than two choices present themselves, voters should submit a ranking of candidates and that majority rule ... should determine the winner." They likewise conclude that ranked-choice voting offers "an accurate representation of the voters’ wishes" more so than any other voting system.</p> <p><strong>3. &nbsp;Non-partisan Elections</strong></p> <p>Another reform that might loosen the hold of the two-party system is the use of "nonpartisan elections." In these elections, although candidates might identify their party sympathies in their campaign materials, party affiliation doesn’t actually appear on the ballot. St. Francis College President Frank Macchiarola, writing in the <a href="http://www.gothamgazette.com/index.php/about/1839-it-is-time-for-non-partisan-elections-in-nyc"><em>Gotham Gazette</em></a>, made the case for nonpartisan elections:</p> <p class="rteindent1">In more than 80 percent of the nation’s largest cities, mayors are elected through nonpartisan elections — elections in which the candidates do not run on the Democratic or Republican or any other established party line, but as individuals. The cities where there are non-partisan elections include Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Detroit, Denver, and San Francisco. New York City is the exception....</p> <p class="rteindent1">The opportunity for citizens to choose freely and fairly those who represent them is at the core of democracy. Steps toward promoting democracy include encouraging greater participation of voters and a wider range of candidates, increasing the electorate’s knowledge of candidates and issues, and providing resources for those who seek public office. Nonpartisan elections may better complement and support these goals than the current partisan system....</p> <p class="rteindent1">At bottom, the issue is whether we continue to allow a small group of party officials to determine both who gets on the ballot and who can vote in the elections that matter or do we expand opportunity and access. This is not a matter of abstract "good government" principle, but rather a response to the increasing numbers of voters who feel left out of the process as it operates today.<br> &nbsp;</p> <p>Advocates of nonpartisan elections, such as Macchiarola, argue that this system allows a greater range of ideological diversity among candidates and decreases the importance of centralized parties in vetting prospective contenders. However, critics argue that giving voters less information about candidates (by withholding their party affiliation) means that fewer people will vote, and that incumbents with famous names are more likely to be reelected. They also argue that some voters may be inclined to discriminate based on the perceived ethnicity of a candidate’s name, absent other information.</p> <p>All of the above changes - ballot access reform, ranked-choice voting, and nonpartisan elections - could be implemented at the local, state, or federal level. At the same time, achieving any of these reforms at a wide scale would likely require a large amount of organization from potential reformers to overcome entrenched interests within the two parties.<br> &nbsp;</p> <h4>For discussion:</h4> <p>1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; How much of the material in this reading was new to you, and how much was already familiar? Do you have any questions about what you read?</p> <p>2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; According to the reading, what is ranked choice voting? How does this system work?</p> <p>3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Commentators have noted a variety of pros and cons for nonpartisan elections. What are some of the potential benefits? What might be some negatives?</p> <p>4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; What do you think? Which of these reforms might you support?</p> <p>5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Can you think of other ideas that might allow greater diversity of choices in our elections?<br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><br> Optional Small Group Activity<br> &nbsp;</h4> <p>Divide the class into groups of 4-6 students.&nbsp; Give the groups 5 minutes to allow each person in the group time to respond to this question:</p> <ul> <li>Do you think our electoral system should be reformed to allow for a wider range of candidates?&nbsp; Why or why not?&nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>Next, give students 15 minutes to discuss each of the reform proposals (short of adopting a parliamentary system) described in the reading: easier ballot access, ranked-choice voting, and nonpartisan voting. Give students five minutes to consider each of the following questions:</p> <ul> <li>What would be the advantages and disadvantages of each of these reforms? Discuss and review each proposal.</li> <li>Which reform do you think would be the best - if we chose to reform the system at all? Why?</li> <li>How do you think the 2016 presidential election might be different if we enacted this reform?</li> </ul> <p>Give each group an additional 5 minutes to see if they can arrive at a consensus about a reform they support (or they may choose no reform), and to prepare three reasons to support their view, which they will share with the class. If students are unable to arrive at a consensus, ask them to be prepared to share the reasons for their different choices.</p> <p>Reconvene the class and ask groups to share their choices and their reasoning.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>-<em>&nbsp;Research assistance provided by Will Lawrence.</em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> </div> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/field/field.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--uid.html.twig * field--entity-reference.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'username' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> <span>fionta</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/user/templates/username.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--uid.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--created--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--teachable-moment-lesson.html.twig * field--created.html.twig * field.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <span> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'time' --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> <time datetime="2016-09-04T10:05:08-04:00" title="Sunday, September 4, 2016 - 10:05">September 4, 2016</time> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/system/templates/time.html.twig' --> </span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--created.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'links__node' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * links--node.html.twig x links.html.twig --> <!-- BEGIN OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'themes/contrib/bootstrap/templates/system/links.html.twig' --> Sun, 04 Sep 2016 14:05:08 +0000 fionta 384 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org