Bernie sanders https://www.morningsidecenter.org/ en About Those Conventions... https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/about-those-conventions <!-- 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>About Those Conventions...</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>To the teacher:<br> &nbsp;</h4> <p>This political season has generated extraordinary attention to the actual process by which presidential candidates are chosen.&nbsp; The made-for-the-media candidacy of Donald Trump and the unexpected popularity of Bernie Sanders contributed to a high level of interest for everyone--but especially among young people.</p> <p>Both the Democratic and Republican nomination processes underwent widespread examination and criticism as anti-establishment forces fought for control of their respective parties. Republicans made several last-ditch efforts to thwart the nomination of Donald Trump--the clear winner of the party's primary contest. In the Democratic Party, the role of unelected superdelegates and the Democratic National Committee’s favoritism toward Hillary Clinton led to anger among Sanders supporters.</p> <p>Leading up to the conventions, many questions were raised:</p> <ul> <li>Who makes the rules and can they be changed?</li> <li>Is it possible for someone other than the winner of the primaries to win the nomination? What would have to happen?</li> <li>Are superdelegates anti-democratic? Should they be eliminated?</li> <li>Should the party platforms reflect the views of the nominee?</li> <li>Will the factions unite sufficiently to win the election?</li> <li>Is either party facing an actual split?</li> </ul> <p>The goal of this lesson is to clarify the role of the conventions in the election process so that &nbsp;students can better understand the political maneuvering&nbsp; underneath the headlines and appreciate the historic nature of the 2016 election.<br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><br> <br> A Brief Quiz<br> &nbsp;</h4> <p>Ask students if they watched the Republican and Democratic conventions this summer. &nbsp;What’s one word they would use to describe the Republican convention July 18-20?&nbsp; How about the Democratic convention&nbsp; a week later?</p> <p>Ask them to take this brief quiz on the convention of &nbsp;"conventions."</p> <p>1. How are candidates nominated for the presidency by the two major political parties?<br> a) now it's by email<br> b) by delegates elected at state primaries and caucuses<br> c) a survey mailed to all eligible voters</p> <p>2. What happens at the national conventions?<br> a) speeches by former elected officials<br> b) official nomination process<br> c) the candidates' spouses and children talk about him/her<br> d) the Pope addresses the nation<br> e) average Americans with compelling stories praise the candidate</p> <p>3. What is a party platform?<br> a) a stage for speakers<br> b) where the important party leaders sit<br> c) the Party's policy positions<br> d) the Democrats' or Republicans' computer environment<br> e) not applicable</p> <p>4. What do Reince Priebus and Debbie Wasserman Schultz have in common?<br> a) They both won Oscars for Best Supporting Actor or Actress<br> b) They both ran for their party's nomination and lost<br> c) They were both fired by Donald Trump on "The Apprentice"<br> d) They were leaders of their party</p> <p>5. Which word or words do not belong with the phrase "Party Establishment"<br> a) Feel the Bern<br> b) super PACs<br> c) super delegates<br> d) "invisible primary"<br> e) RNC</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><br> Student Reading 1:<br> About Conventions</h4> <p><br> Have the students read the following descriptions of the broad history and anatomy of the major party conventions.</p> <p><strong>What are the conventions for?</strong></p> <p>Political conventions are large meetings held by political parties to choose candidates to run for office. National conventions are held every four years to determine the parties' candidates for president. Both the major parties—Democratic and Republican—and the smaller third parties hold conventions in the months preceding the presidential elections. Though the outcome of the convention is almost always decided before the convention actually begins, the level of unity, the political positions adopted by the party, and the speakers and speeches on display to the nation sometimes make the conventions an important piece of the election process.</p> <p><strong>How did they begin?</strong></p> <p>The first national nominating conventions were held for the 1832 presidential elections. Before then, caucuses of party leaders—usually members of Congress—met privately and decided the candidates. Though the conventions brought a more open nominating process, the decisions were still being made by a small number of party leaders. Delegates were mostly chosen by party bosses and maintained their loyalty on the basis of patronage--government jobs in return for the right vote. By the late 1800s states began to institute party primaries, which gave voters the power to decide the party nominees. But it was still possible as late as 1968 to win the nomination without entering a single primary. Since then, delegates to both major parties are chosen in state primaries and caucuses, and the conventions merely make the nominations official.</p> <p><strong>What is a smoke-filled room?</strong></p> <p>In 1920, the Republican Party met in Chicago to decide their presidential nominee. Among the leading candidates, none could win a majority of the delegates. After four unsuccessful ballots, the convention adjourned and delegates met overnight in several private meetings to try and break the deadlock. At 5am, reporter Kirke Simpson filed a story which stated "Harding of Ohio was chosen by a group of men in a smoke-filled room early today as Republican candidate for President." Senator Warren G. Harding won the nomination and went on to win the election. "Smoke-filled room" went on to mean a group of influential power brokers meeting in secret to make important political decisions. (Warren G. Harding usually appears on lists of the worst presidents in history.)</p> <p><strong>How do they work?</strong></p> <p>Each party determines their own rules for how the convention operates. The national party assigns a specific number of delegates to each state—based on the population of the state and the size/winning power of the state's party membership. Each state party has its own set of rules for how the delegates are chosen.</p> <p>The conventions are four days, with the daytime agenda devoted to meetings, rallies, and speeches and entertainment from lesser-known figures. Evenings are given to nationally known speakers and celebrities—always with an eye toward the television audience.&nbsp; The formal nomination is decided by a state-by-state roll call vote. The presidential and vice-presidential nominees give their acceptance speeches on the last evening.</p> <p>During the course of the convention, committees meet to hammer out the party's official positions on national issues. (The individual issues are called "planks," and the set of political positions is called the party "platform.") In both parties, these meetings tend to be contentious affairs, with party factions arguing for different priorities and wording.</p> <p><strong>The national committees</strong></p> <p>The parties are governed by a national committee comprised of hundreds of party leaders from across the country. The national committees promote their party's candidates and political positions, raise money, and establish rules for the nominating primaries and caucuses. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Republican National Committee (RNC) represent the "establishment," both in the parties and in the nation as a whole. They generally locate themselves somewhere in the center of the party's ideological spectrum, are resistant to radical change, and control access to the big money contributors.</p> <p>The Democratic National Committee is made up of the chairs and vice-chairs of all the state committees, all Democratic governors and elected members of Congress, some former high officials, &nbsp;and others elected by state committees and appointed by the chair—almost 450 people in all. The DNC is supposed to remain neutral in the nominating process according to DNC rules:</p> <p class="rteindent1">"The Chairperson shall be responsible for ensuring that the national officers and staff of the Democratic National Committee maintain impartiality and even-handedness during the Democratic Party Presidential nominating process."</p> <p><strong>This year’s DNC controversy ...</strong></p> <p>During the current electoral season, Bernie Sanders ran a presidential campaign that was explicitly anti-establishment. One of the obstacles his outsider initiative faced was the early endorsement of Hillary Clinton by the Party's "superdelegates." Superdelegates are the 716 members of the nominating convention who gain their voting status through their relationship to the Democratic Party rather than through votes in the primaries and caucuses. The system of superdelegates was introduced after the 1972 election for just such an occasion—to prevent the party from nominating the "wrong" person. &nbsp;Whereas convention delegates&nbsp; who earn admittance to the convention through their state's primary results are pledged to support their candidate, the "super" delegates may vote for any candidate. All members of the DNC are superdelegates.</p> <p>The allegations of bias turned out to be true. Just before the 2016 Convention, the Wikileaks website released documents hacked from the DNC. They revealed that throughout the entire primary season, the DNC was maneuvering to sidetrack the Sanders insurgency. The chair of the Committee, Debbie Wasserman Schultz was forced to resign.</p> <p><strong>And RNC controversy</strong></p> <p>The RNC consists of three representatives from each state party—the chairperson, national committeewoman and national committeeman. The current chair, Reince Priebus, is the longest-serving chair in RNC history. Throughout the 2016 primaries, Priebus performed a delicate balancing act in maintaining impartiality in the face of a candidacy that many in the Republican establishment opposed. In a July 21 piece in Politico, Eli Stokols gives a detailed account of just how difficult it has been for Priebus (and the RNC) to manage its relationship to the Donald Trump campaign and his ultimate decision to support Trump:</p> <p class="rteindent1">But Trump’s unexpected rise last fall presented Priebus with a choice: continue to fight for the vision of the more modern, inclusive GOP he had laid out three years earlier or finish out his third and likely final term as, in the <a href="https://twitter.com/BillKristol/status/753626586348421120" target="_blank">words</a> of Bill Kristol, an "obedient, compliant apparatchik willing to subordinate a grand old party to a new strongman."</p> <p class="rteindent1">Priebus chose to stay to aid and coach a candidate who may undermine the very things he has dedicated his tenure to improving. He has staked his reputation on Trump. To some extent, the tenuous unity visible at the Republican National Convention this week may be due to Priebus’ peacemaking efforts. And Trump’s near total dependence on much of what Priebus has built has made the RNC itself more vital than ever to Republican success in November. But in bending over backward to appease Trump in an effort to make sure the GOP didn’t crack up, the man who worked to strengthen the party has become a symbol of its weakness.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><br> Discussion Questions:</h4> <p><br> 1. There is usually no suspense about who the major party nominees will be, and network television generally broadcasts only a few hours of the nominating conventions. &nbsp;If you were making decisions about broadcast coverage of the conventions, which of the following would you choose? Why?</p> <p style="margin-left:.25in;">a) &nbsp;the acceptance speeches<br> b) &nbsp;celebrity endorsements<br> c) &nbsp;platform committee discussions<br> d) &nbsp;personal endorsements by everyday people<br> e) &nbsp;speeches by elected officials<br> f) &nbsp; brain surgery demonstrations<br> g) &nbsp;speeches by family members of the nominees<br> h) &nbsp;the roll call vote<br> i) &nbsp; singers, comedians and other entertainers<br> j) &nbsp; all of it<br> k) &nbsp;none of it</p> <p>2. The DNC and RNC, which operate as private clubs, decide the rules under which presidential candidates are chosen. Is this good for democracy? Is there a better way?</p> <p>3. Senator Robert LaFollette, who ran for president in 1924, defined voting rights as "the sovereign right that each citizen shall for himself exercise his choice by direct vote, without the intervention or interference of any political agency." &nbsp; What does the quotation mean and how close are presidential nominations to his ideal?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4>Student Reading 2:<br> The 2016 Conventions</h4> <h4><br> Drama at the 2016 Republican Convention</h4> <p>On July 18, 2016, 2472 delegates assembled in Cleveland to begin the Republican Convention. Donald Trump went into the Convention with 300 more delegates than he needed to win the nomination. Despite Trump's apparent winning majority, the Convention began with a high level of drama. Many of the delegates who were not supporters of Trump continued their efforts to block his nomination - or at the very least, to make it difficult for an "outsider" to capture the party in the future. These efforts to change the nominating rules at the Convention were as futile as the "Never Trump" efforts before the Convention.</p> <p>Though the Republican National Committee was supporting the candidate, the Republican establishment was highly divided on how much support to give or, for some, whether to endorse Trump at all. Many of the party's top names refused to endorse Trump or even attend the convention. They object to his anti-Muslim rhetoric, anti-immigrant stances, attacks on the judiciary, attacks on fellow Republicans, erratic statements on foreign policy, intemperate manner, and incoherence generally.</p> <p class="rteindent1">"I don't want to see trickle-down racism."&nbsp;<br> -2012 Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney</p> <p class="rteindent1">"He’s a race-baiting, xenophobic religious bigot. He doesn’t represent my party. He doesn’t represent the values that the men and women who wear the uniform are fighting for."<br> - Senator &nbsp;Lindsey Graham</p> <p class="rteindent1">"If we shrug at public dishonesty ?— ?if we normalize candidates who think that grabbing power makes it OK to say whatever they need to in the short-term ?—? then we will be changed by it."<br> - Sen. Ben Sasse (condemning both Clinton and Trump)</p> <p class="rteindent1">"No. I've got to mow my lawn."<br> - Sen. Jeff Flake on whether he's attending GOP convention.</p> <p class="rteindent1">"Trump’s abrasive, know nothing-like nativist rhetoric has blocked out sober discourse about how to tackle America’s big challenges."<br> -Gov. Jeb Bush</p> <p>With the two living Republican ex-presidents and&nbsp; dozens of elected officials boycotting the convention, and many others offering only tepid support, there were few really big names among the speakers. Perhaps the most illustrious speaker was Trump's nomination rival, Sen. Ted Cruz. But Cruz, incredibly, did not endorse the nominee. Instead, he urged voters to "Stand, and speak, and vote your conscience, vote for candidates up and down the ticket who you trust to defend our freedom and to be faithful to the Constitution." Cruz was booed off the stage.</p> <p>Republican senators, governors and representatives as well as entertainers, business people, religious leaders and members of the Trump family. Some of the speaker highlights include:</p> <ul> <li>Chris Christie: The New Jersey governor led the crowd through a trial of Hillary Clinton for a litany of "crimes," with the audience enthusiastically yelling, "Guilty!" for each charge.<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Ben Carson: Trump’s former rival for the nomination spoke of the connection between Clinton and Lucifer (the Devil).<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Melania Trump (Donald Trump's wife): What was intended to be an important introductory speech by the next First Lady turned into an embarrassing fiasco when it became apparent that parts of the speech were copied virtually word for word from Michelle Obama's 2008 convention speech.<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Paul Ryan (Speaker of the House of Representatives):&nbsp; The speech by the most powerful Republican in the country urged support for the Republican ticket without offering any praise for the Republican nominee.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Republican Platform</strong></p> <p>The fight for the Party position on controversial political issues was not so much a battle between the establishment and Trump, as between moderates and extremists. On nearly every issue, the most conservative stance won out. This was true even when (as in the case of LGBT rights) Donald Trump's own positions were more moderate.</p> <p>Planks in the platform include:</p> <ul> <li>Opting out of all climate change agreements</li> <li>Privatizing the health insurance for older citizens--Medicare</li> <li>No amnesty for undocumented immigrants</li> <li>Building a wall along the entire Mexican border</li> <li>Supporting abstinence-only birth control programs in schools</li> <li>Supporting expansion of the death penalty</li> <li>Eliminating federal student loans</li> <li>Supporting a constitutional amendment outlawing abortion</li> <li>Opposing all campaign finance laws</li> <li>Protecting businesses that want to discriminate against LGBT customers</li> <li>Opposing regulations on the environment and in banking/finance</li> <li>Encouraging the teach of the Bible in public schools</li> <li>Ensuring that "man-made law be consistent with God-given, natural rights"</li> <li>Supporting oil exploration on public lands, fracking and coal ("an abundant, clean,affordable,&nbsp; reliable&nbsp; domestic energy&nbsp; resource")<br> &nbsp;</li> </ul> <hr> <h4><br> Drama at the Democratic Party Convention<br> &nbsp;</h4> <p>The Democratic Convention was held in Philadelphia from July 25-28, 2016. As with the Republican Convention, the final results were clear from the beginning. Hillary Clinton had the support of almost 60% of the delegates.</p> <p>The release of documents showing the DNC's anti-Sanders bias just before the convention served to further alienate the many Sanders delegates who were already reluctant to support Clinton. The Sanders forces brought their fight to the platform committee, convention floor and to the streets outside the convention. They continued their protests even after Sanders formally endorsed the front-runner. The&nbsp; Sanders supporters clashed with Clinton on many issues, including global trade agreements, climate change, reining in Wall Street, and healthcare.</p> <p>These issues were hard fought in the platform committee. The Sanders delegates did win on some issues:</p> <ul> <li>support for a $15 minimum wage</li> <li>support for a financial transaction tax on Wall St. trades</li> <li>abolition of the death penalty</li> </ul> <p>And lost on others:</p> <ul> <li>the platform will not include opposition to the TPP trade deal (the number one issue for the Sanders campaign)</li> <li>the anti-fracking plank failed</li> <li>no tax on carbon emissions</li> <li>no endorsement of a single payer health plan</li> <li>no mention of the Israeli occupation of Palestine</li> </ul> <p>Bernie Sanders endorsed Clinton on the first night of the convention. It was a move that all his supporters knew was coming, but one that many opposed. The opposition to Hillary Clinton and the anger toward the Party establishment fueled protest throughout the convention—from the chants of "Bernie!, Bernie!" and "No TPP!" to the walkouts, to the demonstrations in the streets outside.</p> <p>The speaker whose talk got the most media attention was Khizr Khan, whose son Humayun was an Army captain killed in Iraq. Khan, a Muslim, delivered a scathing reproach to the Republican nominee and offered Trump a copy of the U.S. Constitution, asking Trump if he'd ever read it. He went on to ask Trump: "Have you ever been to Arlington Cemetery? Go look at the graves of the brave patriots who died defending America — you will see all faiths, genders, and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing. And no one."</p> <p>Donald Trump spent the following week attacking Khan in tweets, speeches, and interviews. In&nbsp; reply to Khan's withering indictment of lack of sacrifices, Trump explained: "I think I’ve made a lot of sacrifices. I work very, very hard. I've created thousands and thousands of jobs, tens of thousands of jobs, built great structures. I've had tremendous success. I think I've done a lot."</p> <p>Other notable speeches at the Democratic convention included:</p> <p>Barack Obama:&nbsp; The president excited the audience with a speech that emphasized optimism for the country, enthusiasm for the candidate and scorn for the Republican candidate.</p> <p>Michelle Obama:&nbsp; In a compelling speech, Obama spoke of the progress the country has made, noting that her own children living in the White House as an example--and praised the nominee as a champion of children everywhere.</p> <p>Bill Clinton: Clinton gave a personal speech, seeking to humanize a candidate whose manner is sometimes perceived as less than personable.</p> <p>Rev. William Barber (leader of the North Carolina NAACP)--Barber gave a fiery speech exhorting people to stand up and join the struggle for social justice. In reaction to forces that are intent on stopping "the heart of our democracy," Rev. Barber said "We are being called, like our mothers and fathers, to be the moral defibrillators of our time."<br> <br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><br> The Vice Presidents</h4> <p><br> Both parties nominated safe, establishment-approved candidates for vice-president. Under pressure from the RNC, Donald Trump agreed to run with Indiana governor Mike Pence. Pence is a stalwart conservative who has served in Congress and as governor. He is best known nationally for his defense of Indiana's law extending legal protection to businesses which choose not to provide service to same-sex weddings.</p> <p>The Democrats nominated Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia. Sen. Kaine, also former governor of Virginia, is a political moderate from a swing state who speaks Spanish fluently. He was not favored by the progressive wing of the Democratic Party because of his support for the TPP trade deal, (anti-labor) "right-to-work" legislation and opposition to strict banking regulation.</p> <h4><br> The Grass Roots</h4> <p><br> Watching a political convention is a passive activity.&nbsp; But what happens at conventions is very much determined by the ongoing activism (or lack of activism) in the years before and after.</p> <p>Trump’s nomination was fueled by anti-establishment forces and grassroots groups on the right. Activist organizing by gun clubs, volunteer border patrols, "pro-life" activist groups, conservative evangelical churches, property rights and general anti-big government groups, and Tea Party organizations around the country largely determined the Republican Party’s anti-immigrant, anti-abortion, pro-gun platform.&nbsp; Perhaps because of Donald Trump’s erratic statements and inconsistent ideology, not all of the grassroots groups have joined the campaign. However, lacking a powerful campaign organization, the Trump campaign will be depending heavily on single issue grassroots groups.</p> <p>The Bernie Sanders campaign too benefited from&nbsp; a movement that to challenge the status quo. The "political revolution" that Sanders championed reflected widespread activism over the past few years by grassroots organizations working to close the ever-widening gap between the super-wealthy and everyone else. Their activism helped give rise to the unprecedented level of support for a candidate who describes himself as a "democratic socialist." Hundreds of local organizations advocating for the homeless, working on environmental justice, national health care and LGBT issues joined the campaign. National organizations like Fight for 15, National Nurses United, Occupy Wall Street, MoveOn, and Peace Action formally endorsed the candidate. In American politics, presidential campaigns provide a convenient vehicle for easy participation in the political process, but it's the grass roots organizations that carry on the fights every day of the year.<br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Discussion&nbsp;</h4> <p><br> 1. Given the party divisions that were apparent at the conventions, what is the future of the Democratic Party if...</p> <p class="rteindent1">a) Hillary Clinton wins by a large margin.</p> <ul class="rteindent1"> <li>&nbsp;Will the Party establishment be in a better position to ignore the progressive/Sanders wing of the Party?</li> <li>&nbsp;Will Sanders supporters create an alternative party?</li> <li>&nbsp;Will Clinton feel free to push a progressive agenda?</li> </ul> <p class="rteindent1">&nbsp;b) Donald Trump wins the election</p> <ul class="rteindent1"> <li>Will the Republican Party establishment begin to build an alternative party?</li> <li>Will large sectors of the Party move to the Democrats?</li> </ul> <p><br> 2. In an <a href="http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/33980-bernie-sanders-and-the-limits-of-electoral-politics">article</a> examining the Sanders political revolution early in the campaign, Michael Corcoran notes the usual sad state of presidential elections:</p> <p class="rteindent1">&nbsp;Organizers work tirelessly year-round in trying to raise consciousness and fight for social justice. But every four years, the country gets consumed and distracted by the presidential election - or what Noam Chomsky&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laMs3iFRP80" target="_blank">calls</a> "a public relations extravaganza that only marginally deals with issues."</p> <p>Do you agree? Will the 2016 electoral campaign be different?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4>&nbsp;</h4> <h4>Activity: &nbsp;Examine the platform</h4> <p><br> Have the class look at the platform comparison&nbsp;available from http://www.votekentucky.us/Dem%20and%20Repub%20Platform%20comparison.pdf (PDF no longer available).</p> <p>Ask students to choose one issue (e.g. abortion, marriage issues, crime and punishment, etc) to examine in detail. Read the relevant sections in the original document.</p> <ul> <li>What does the platform language actually mean?</li> <li>How do the positions differ?</li> <li>Do they call for a specific action or just state a general policy?</li> <li>Do a reality check: Is the plank more of a "wish list" position to appease a faction of the Party, &nbsp; or can the policy be enacted in the real world?</li> <li>Assuming the final platform is a compromise between competing factions of the parties, imagine the starting positions for the Sanders and DNC, and Trump and RNC delegates on the platform committee.</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Sources<br> &nbsp;</h4> <p><a href="https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/9637980/Thompson_Primary.pdf?sequence=2">https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/9637980/Thompson_Primary.pdf?sequence=2</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/25/us/politics/debbie-wasserman-schultz-dnc-wikileaks-emails.html?_r=0">http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/25/us/politics/debbie-wasserman-schultz-dnc-wikileaks-emails.html?_r=0</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/07/2016-gop-convention-reince-priebus-donald-trump-214078">http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/07/2016-gop-convention-reince-priebus-donald-trump-214078</a></p> <p><a href="https://prod-static-ngop-pbl.s3.amazonaws.com/media/documents/DRAFT_12_FINAL%5b1%5d-ben_1468872234.pdf">https://prod-static-ngop-pbl.s3.amazonaws.com/media/documents/DRAFT_12_FINAL[1]-ben_1468872234.pdf</a></p> <p>https://www.demconvention.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Democratic-Party-Platform-7.21.16-no-lines.pdf (no longer active)</p> <p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/13/us/politics/republican-convention-issues.html">http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/13/us/politics/republican-convention-issues.html</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/tim-kaine-has-a-troubling-record-on-labor-issues/">https://www.thenation.com/article/tim-kaine-has-a-troubling-record-on-labor-issues/</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/33980-bernie-sanders-and-the-limits-of-electoral-politics">http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/33980-bernie-sanders-and-the-limits-of-electoral-politics</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</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="2016-08-16T09:17:43-04:00" title="Tuesday, August 16, 2016 - 09:17">August 16, 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' --> Tue, 16 Aug 2016 13:17:43 +0000 fionta 385 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Teachable Instant: The Superpowers of Superdelegates https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/teachable-instant-superpowers-superdelegates <!-- 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>Teachable Instant: The Superpowers of Superdelegates</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>Introduction<br> &nbsp;</h4> <p>Ask students to answer this true or false question about how presidential candidates are nominated by their parties:</p> <p class="rteindent1">Each state holds a primary or a caucus, and delegates to the national convention are awarded to candidates based on the vote counts.</p> <p><em>Answer:</em> The statement is true for the Republican Party, but not entirely true for the Democratic Party. &nbsp;That’s because the Democratic Party has "superdelegates."<br> <br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><br> A quiz on superpowers</h4> <p><br> Super delegates have the following powers:</p> <p>a)<strong> flight: </strong>the superdelegates have the power to flit around from one candidate to another at will.</p> <p>b) <strong>mind-reading:</strong>&nbsp; they can read the minds of the citizens of their states who may not have voted</p> <p>c) <strong>invisibility:</strong> the superdelegates lurk unseen in the political process.</p> <p>d)<strong> strength:</strong> their immense strength comes from their numbers - one-sixth of the delegates to the convention.</p> <p>e) <strong>invulnerability:</strong> the superdelegates are accountable to no one.</p> <p>f) energy conversion: by announcing their choice early in the campaign the superdelegates have the power to maximize (or minimize) the momentum of candidates' campaigns</p> <p>g) all of the above</p> <p><br> <em>Answer:</em>&nbsp; g), at least according to critics of the superdelegate system.</p> <p><br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>What are superdelegates?&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;</h4> <p><em>Read or explain the following.</em></p> <p><br> On July 25-28, 2016, some 4,765 delegates will gather in Philadelphia to decide the nominee of the Democratic Party. (These numbers vary slightly according to different sources.) 4,051 of the delegates are chosen by voters in the primaries and caucuses held in each state from February to June. &nbsp;In the Democratic primaries, these delegates are apportioned according to the votes cast (with any candidate receiving at least 15% getting some delegates). Delegates chosen by voters are <em>pledged </em>to vote for their candidate at the convention.</p> <p>But what about the other 717 delegates? These are the superdelegates who are chosen by the party to represent the Democratic "establishment." They include:</p> <ul> <li>all Democratic governors</li> <li>all Democratic senators</li> <li>all Democratic representatives</li> <li>20 past presidents and other distinguished leaders</li> <li>437 members of the Democratic National Committee (the governing body of the Democratic Party). These include state party officials, leaders of party-affiliated organizations and at least a dozen corporate lobbyists</li> </ul> <p>The superdelegates can vote for anyone they choose.</p> <p>While critics have pointed to the problems with superdelegates (including their unaccountability), others defend them as a way to ensure that party leaders have a place at the convention, while still leaving room for grassroots party activists to be elected as delegates.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><br> Superdelegate math quiz<br> &nbsp;</h4> <p><strong>1. </strong>There will be 4,765 delegates to the&nbsp; Democratic Convention. A majority is needed to win the nomination. How many delegates are needed to win the nomination?</p> <p class="rteindent1">a) 4763<br> b) 4762<br> c) 2383<br> d) 2500 (plus all the delegates from Florida)</p> <p class="rteindent1"><em>Answer: </em>c), 2383</p> <p><br> <strong>2.</strong> There are 717 superdelegates. What percentage of the delegates needed to win do the superdelegates represent (if they all voted for the same candidate)?</p> <p class="rteindent1">a) 16.5%<br> b) 50%<br> c) .05%<br> d) 30%<br> e) not enough information to determine</p> <p class="rteindent1"><em>Answer: </em>d), 30%</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Background</h4> <p><br> <em>Ask students to read the information below, aloud or silently.</em></p> <p><br> Where do superdelegates come from? And what impact will they have in 2016?</p> <p>The precise formula for choosing the delegates to both the Democratic and Republican conventions has evolved over the years. The system gets tweaked based on the Party's perception of whether there is too much or too little control given to elected Democrats.&nbsp;</p> <p>After the chaotic convention of 1968, in which Hubert Humphrey won the nomination without having entered a single primary, the rules were changed so that delegates were chosen in an open process. Whereas most states had previously chosen delegates in state conventions composed of party insiders, the reforms led to most states choosing delegates in primaries--giving voters the power to largely determine the party’s candidates.</p> <p>In 1972 however, an anti-Vietnam War candidate not favored by the party establishment, George McGovern, won the nomination, but lost badly in the general election.</p> <p>This defeat and the messy convention of 1980 led to the invention of &nbsp;the superdelegate. The idea was that allowing party stalwarts to serve as unpledged superdelegates would make it more likely that in each election, the candidate perceived to be most electable &nbsp;would gain the nomination and less likely that an outsider would be the party's nominee.</p> <p>Democratic National Committee chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz&nbsp;explained the superdelegate system, in an interview with CNN:</p> <p>Unpledged delegates exist really to make sure that party leaders and elected officials don’t have to be in a position where they are running against grassroots activists [to be convention delegates]. We as a Democratic Party ... want to give every opportunity to grassroots activists and diverse, committed Democrats to be able to participate, attend, and be a delegate at the convention. And so we separate out those unpledged delegates to make sure that there isn’t competition between them.</p> <p>The presence of over 700 delegates unelected by voters could, especially in the event of a closely contested race,&nbsp; deny the nomination to the candidate with the majority of the popular vote in the primaries or even a majority of pledged delegates in the convention. Because this aspect of the nomination process is undemocratic and seems to favor party insiders, &nbsp;many commentators have called for the elimination of the superdelegates.&nbsp; One organization, Democracy for America, is circulating a petition begun by Robert Reich to ask superdelegates to vote according to the wishes of their state's voters.</p> <p class="rteindent1">"I think superdelegates should pledge to support the winner of the popular vote for the Democratic nomination, whoever that may be."<br> <em>- Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor</em></p> <p><br> The current race has moved supporters of presidential candidate Bernie Sanders to question the role of the superdelegates. Sanders’ opponent, Hillary Clinton, has a 45-to-1 superdelegate advantage over Sanders.&nbsp;Many people were surprised to learn that although Sanders won the nation's first primary, in New Hampshire, with over 60% of the vote, Hillary Clinton had more delegates from New Hampshire than Sanders, because she had the support of superdelegates.</p> <p>Clinton has the support of superdelegates in part because she has deep roots in the Democratic Party. Sanders, on the other hand, has long described himself not as a Democrat, but as an independent or democratic socialist - though he has generally voted with Democrats as a member of the House and the Senate.<br> <br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><br> <br> For Discussion<br> &nbsp;</h4> <ol> <li>Agree or disagree? &nbsp;The Democratic National Committee can set up any rules it wants because it's their party.<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Should superdelegates pledge support for whoever wins the popular vote? Why or why not?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Should superdelegates be eliminated? Why or why not? What negative consequences might result from this?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Should the Democratic National Committee be neutral in the race for the nomination?</li> </ol> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Extension Activity:</h4> <p><br> Ask students what they think would have happened if Bernie Sanders had run as an independent. &nbsp;What do they think would have been the pros and cons of such a strategy?</p> <p>Then ask them to research the history of third-party candidacies over the past 50 years, and conduct a follow-up discussion about their findings.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Sources</h4> <p><a href="https://theintercept.com/2016/02/17/voters-be-damned/">https://theintercept.com/2016/02/17/voters-be-damned/</a><br> <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/Pledged_delegates">https://ballotpedia.org/Pledged_delegates</a><br> <a href="http://www.vox.com/2016/2/11/10969120/superdelegates-clinton-sanders-democrats">http://www.vox.com/2016/2/11/10969120/superdelegates-clinton-sanders-democrats</a><br> <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/23/opinions/superdelegates-democratic-party-kohn/">http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/23/opinions/superdelegates-democratic-party-kohn/</a><br> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/03/01/us/politics/ap-us-dem-2016-clinton-delegate-dominance.html?_r=0">http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/03/01/us/politics/ap-us-dem-2016-clinton-delegate-dominance.html?_r=0</a><br> <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/bernie-sanders-superdelegates-democrats-219286">http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/bernie-sanders-superdelegates-democrats-219286</a><br> <a href="http://www.salon.com/2016/02/13/un_democratic_party_dnc_chair_says_superdelegates_ensure_elites_dont_have_to_run_against_grassroots_activists/">http://www.salon.com/2016/02/13/un_democratic_party_dnc_chair_says_superdelegates_ensure_elites_dont_have_to_run_against_grassroots_activists/</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</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="2016-03-13T14:23:34-04:00" title="Sunday, March 13, 2016 - 14:23">March 13, 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, 13 Mar 2016 18:23:34 +0000 fionta 407 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org 2016 election: Who Is the Media Covering, and Not Covering? https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/2016-election-who-media-covering-and-not-covering <!-- 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>2016 election: Who Is the Media Covering, and Not Covering?</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>Quiz<br> &nbsp;</h4> <p>To get the discussion started, give students a quick quiz. &nbsp;</p> <p>Note that Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders have approximately the same level of support, according to recent national polls--about 37 percent each.<br> &nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Question 1: </strong>&nbsp;Which candidate has received more coverage in the media?</p> <p>a) Donald Trump<br> b) Bernie Sanders<br> c) Neither. The coverage has been about equal.</p> <p>Answer: Donald Trump has received more coverage.</p> <p><br> <strong>Question 2:</strong> How much more time did news networks devote to Trump versus Sanders in 2015, according to a study by the progressive media group Media Matters for America?</p> <p>a) .8%<br> b) 20%<br> c) 100%<br> d) 1600%</p> <p>Answer:&nbsp; d). Trump received 1600% more coverage than Sanders.&nbsp;</p> <p>As of December 1, 2016:</p> <ul> <li>Trump received 327 minutes of coverage</li> <li>Hillary Clinton: 113 minutes</li> <li>Jeb Bush: 56 minutes</li> <li>Vice President Joe Biden (who considered running): 56 minutes</li> <li>Ben Carson: 54 minutes</li> <li>Marco Rubio: 22 minutes</li> <li>Bernie Sanders: 20 minutes<br> &nbsp;</li> </ul> <hr> <h4><br> Discussion</h4> <p><br> Ask students the following questions, and record their responses on the board:</p> <ul> <li>Why do you think major media outlets devoted so much more time to reporting on Trump compared with the other candidates, including both Sanders and Clinton?&nbsp;</li> <li>Donald Trump leads the Republican race and has run an unorthodox campaign. He makes comments that are surprising, provocative, and also offensive to many people. People are interested in what he does and says. Does that explain the high level of media coverage for Trump? Should this be a reason for extensive media coverage?</li> </ul> <p>Jeff Weaver, campaign manager for Bernie Sanders, made this comment about the lack of Sanders coverage:</p> <p class="rteindent1">The corporately-owned media may not like Bernie’s anti-establishment views, but for the sake of American democracy they must allow for a fair debate in this presidential campaign.&nbsp; Bernie must receive the same level of coverage on the nightly news as other leading candidates.</p> <p>Ask students:</p> <ul> <li>What does Weaver means when he describes Sanders’ views as "anti-establishment"?&nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>Elicit or explain that Sanders describes himself as a democratic socialist. The word "socialist" has often been used by conservatives to condemn and marginalize politicians they view as too left-wing (including President Obama). &nbsp;Some of Sanders’ policy proposals have been rare in national political discussion:&nbsp; free tuition at public colleges, single-payer health insurance, raising taxes on corporations and wealthy Americans, taxing Wall Street transactions, raising the minimum wage to $15, and requiring employers to provide paid medical leave.</p> <p>Ask students:</p> <ul> <li>Have you heard about these proposals?&nbsp; If you haven’t, why do you think that is?</li> <li>Do you agree with Weaver that Sanders should get the same level of coverage as other candidates?&nbsp; Why or why not?</li> </ul> <p>In most cases, media coverage of the candidates correlates with their popularity by at least one measure: Google searches. DecisionData.org crunched the numbers on searches over time for each candidate and compared those numbers with media coverage over the same time period. &nbsp;They found that in general, media coverage of a candidate and Google searches about that candidate spiked at the same time.</p> <p>However, they also found that sometimes Google searches on a candidate did <em>not </em>correlate with that candidate’s level of media coverage.&nbsp;</p> <p>For example, Marco Rubio was 36% more popular (as measured by the number of Google searches) than Rand Paul.&nbsp; But Rubio received 403% more mentions in the media - meaning that Rand Paul got disproportionately little media coverage.</p> <p>According to DecisionData, Bernie Sanders had many Google searches, yet little coverage.&nbsp; If media coverage reflected the level of interest in Sanders on Google, he would have received over 60,000 more mentions in the media.</p> <p>Ask students:</p> <ul> <li>Is counting Google hits a good way to measure interest in a candidate (or anything else)? Why or why not? Is there a better way?</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Should the media focus more attention on candidates who are doing well in the polls and who are getting lots of Google searches? Why or why not?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Given that many people get their information from the internet, is it irrelevant if traditional&nbsp; news sources, such as network news programs, are biased against certain candidates? How do you (and the voting members of your family) get information about candidates?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Do the media have a responsibility or obligation to cover elections in any particular way -- fair, balanced, informative, in sync with its readership, in sync with its advertisers, etc.?<br> <br> &nbsp;</li> </ul> <hr> <h4><br> For further exploration</h4> <p><br> Ask students to seek out media coverage of the election for the next few days. Ask them to note, for each story:</p> <ul> <li>What is the source? What type of media is it?&nbsp;</li> <li>Which candidate or candidates is the media story focusing on?</li> <li>Which candidates are <em>not </em>mentioned?</li> <li>What is the focus of the coverage?</li> </ul> <p>When the class reconvenes, ask students to share some of their findings. Discuss:</p> <ul> <li>Which candidates seem to be getting the most coverage? Which get the least?</li> <li>What was the focus of coverage?</li> <li>Which media sources (if any) do you think are making good choices about which candidates to cover? Which are not? Why?</li> <li>How much of the coverage helps us as citizens make better decisions about which candidates to support?&nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4>Sources</h4> <p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/12/12/bernie-sanders-thinks-he-deserves-more-media-coverage-is-he-right/">https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/12/12/bernie-sanders-thinks-he-deserves-more-media-coverage-is-he-right/</a><br> <a href="http://www.thenation.com/article/the-discourse-suffers-when-trump-gets-23-times-as-much-coverage-as-sanders/">http://www.thenation.com/article/the-discourse-suffers-when-trump-gets-23-times-as-much-coverage-as-sanders/</a><br> <a href="http://decisiondata.org/news/political-media-blackouts-president-2016/">http://decisiondata.org/news/political-media-blackouts-president-2016/</a><br> <a href="http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/12/13/trump-surges-new-polls-underscore-corporate-medias-bernie-blackout">http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/12/13/trump-surges-new-polls-underscore-corporate-medias-bernie-blackout</a><br> <a href="http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2015/1001/Bernie-who-Why-does-TV-media-ignore-Sanders-even-as-he-tops-polls-video">http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2015/1001/Bernie-who-Why-does-TV-media-ignore-Sanders-even-as-he-tops-polls-video</a><br> <a href="http://mediamatters.org/">http://mediamatters.org/</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</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="2016-01-24T10:17:50-05:00" title="Sunday, January 24, 2016 - 10:17">January 24, 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, 24 Jan 2016 15:17:50 +0000 fionta 415 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org A Socialist for President? Sanders' Democratic Socialism https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/socialist-president-sanders-democratic-socialism <!-- 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>A Socialist for President? Sanders&#039; Democratic Socialism</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>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4>To The Teacher:</h4> <p>For the first time in many years, America is having a serious discussion about socialism. Throughout 2015, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has waged an unexpectedly successful race to challenge Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential primaries. Sanders identifies himself as a democratic socialist, and his campaign has tried to educate the public about a set of ideas that are usually relegated to the margins of mainstream political discourse.</p> <p>But what does Sanders mean by "democratic socialism"? &nbsp;And is this political tradition an import from other countries, or does it have roots in American history?</p> <p>This lesson consists of two readings designed to introduce students to the idea of democratic socialism and encourage them to think critically about its history and present-day significance. The first reading provides background on the concept of democratic socialism and considers the unique moment the Sanders campaign has created. The second reading examines the longer history of socialist politics in the United States. Questions for discussion follow each reading.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Student Reading 1:<br> What is Democratic Socialism?</h4> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>For the first time in many years, America is having a discussion about socialism. Throughout 2015, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has waged an unexpectedly successful race to challenge Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential primaries. Sanders identifies himself as a democratic socialist, and his campaign has tried to educate the public about a set of ideas that are usually relegated to the margins of mainstream political discourse.</p> <p>But what does Sanders mean by "democratic socialism"? And is this political tradition an import from other countries, or does it have roots in American history?</p> <p>In an October 27, 2015, article for the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/van-gosse/whats-in-a-name-bernie-sanders_b_8395524.html"><em>Huffington Post</em></a>, historian Van Gosse examines the brand of socialism promoted by Sanders. Gosse also describes how the Sanders campaign has emerged in a worldwide political moment when socialist ideas are enjoying a resurgence. He writes:</p> <p style="margin-left:35.45pt;">It's a fine irony that after years of allegations President Obama was a covert "socialist," we now have the genuine article in Senator Bernard Sanders, and no one knows what to make of his unblushing socialism....</p> <p style="margin-left:35.45pt;">Around the world, socialism remains a potent idea - to be not just "populist" or "anti- corporate," but anti-capitalist, imagining a world where, indeed, society is organized on the principle "from each according to his or her ability" and "to each according to his or her need." A significant fraction of the world's people, especially in Europe's social democracies and Latin America, define themselves as socialists....</p> <p style="margin-left:35.45pt;">The variety of socialism that Bernie Sanders supports is the Scandinavian or Canadian model, in which the government acts on behalf of all of society to guarantee social and human rights: the right to decent health, to education, to employment, to a long life free from worries about old age. Capitalism doesn't just fail to ensure such rights and "social goods," it actively blocks them in its insistence on taking profit anywhere it can.</p> <p style="margin-left:35.45pt;">The senator talks of having a "class analysis," which means analyzing the differences in power and influence between different social classes. If you live in the American fairyland where almost everybody is "middle class," and it's rude to acknowledge the dominance of a permanent monied elite, then such talk is strange. But all societies are organized into classes - those who produce wealth (workers, including the vast numbers in "service industries"), those who control the wealth produced by others (capitalists), in between the professionals and managers who facilitate this process, including university professors, as well as small businesspeople and the self-employed. Obviously, this is a spectrum, not a set of simple categories, but it is the reality we inhabit, and Sanders speaks for the large majority who are neither capitalists nor part of the professional-managerial class. He asserts the capitalist class has claimed the overwhelming preponderance of power in our political system, and that this domination is wrong.<br> &nbsp;</p> <p>The term "socialism" can be confusing to some, as it refers to a political tradition that over time has grown to encompass a wide range of views. In an October 28, 2015, opinion for <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/27/opinions/opinion-roundup-socialism/index.html">CNN.com</a>, historian Lawrence Wittner describes how Sanders’ version of socialism fits within a wider political tradition:</p> <p style="margin-left:35.45pt;">The roots of socialism lie in the desire to foster greater economic and social equality by exercising popular control over the economy. During the 19th century, with the rise of giant corporations owned by individuals of vast wealth, this impulse was strengthened, especially among workers and the poor.</p> <p style="margin-left:35.45pt;">Karl Marx famously advocated that workers should take back the wealth they had produced for the corporate titans that had stolen it from them. In countries where democracy grew in the early 20th century, workers began to form socialist parties: the British Labor Party, the Swedish Social Democratic Party, the French Socialist Party, the Australian Labor Party, the German Social Democratic Party, and many others that, by winning elections, moved their countries toward a combination of democracy, civil liberties, and greater social and economic democracy.</p> <p style="margin-left:35.45pt;">However, in dictatorial societies, such as czarist Russia and authoritarian China, revolutions broke out, resulting in the establishment of communist regimes. The democratic socialist parties sharply rejected these new communist dictatorships, while the communist parties ridiculed the democratic socialist parties.</p> <p style="margin-left:35.45pt;">Bernie Sanders champions the democratic socialist model, which would benefit all people rather than the wealthy few. With economic inequality growing in the United States in recent decades, it's no surprise that he is drawing widespread support.<br> &nbsp;</p> <p>Conservatives argue that Sanders' brand of socialism, with its emphasis on redistributing wealth through taxes on the rich and on Wall Street, restraining corporate power, and enacting broad social programs, is fiscally irresponsible and discourages innovation and competition. &nbsp;</p> <p>Republican presidential candidates Donald Trump, Bobbie Jindal, and Rand Paul, have jabbed at Sanders for his socialism. Republicans. Trump called Sanders an "admitted socialist. Some people think he’s even worse than that. He’s the next step." &nbsp;However, in the <a href="http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/democrats-are-not-socialists-and-neither-is-bernie-sanders/"><em>American Conservative</em></a> entitled "Democrats are not Socialists, and Neither is Bernie Sanders," Samuel Goldman, professor of political science at George Washington University, argues that Sanders’ version of socialism isn’t really socialism at all:</p> <p style="margin-left:35.45pt;">Historically, the essential&nbsp;feature of socialism is&nbsp;the demand for public ownership or direct government control of major sectors of the economy. A bit more abstractly, socialists have&nbsp;aimed&nbsp;to eliminate considerations of profit from as&nbsp;many areas of life&nbsp;as possible. They&nbsp;used to the describe this goal as "revolution," which didn’t necessarily mean violence.</p> <p style="margin-left:35.45pt;">The modern Democratic Party isn’t about revolution. Since FDR, Democrats have consistently supported regulated competition and redistributive policies that direct private profits toward the&nbsp;relative losers in market exchange. These strategies are better understood&nbsp;as "welfarism" than socialism. ... Most "Socialist" parties in Europe abandoned their revolutionary&nbsp;dreams a long time ago. And the self-declared socialist Bernie Sanders offers a welfarist&nbsp;agenda&nbsp;that’s barely updated from&nbsp;the ’50s. &nbsp;So no, Democrats aren’t socialists.<br> &nbsp;</p> <p>During a May appearance on ABC's <em>This Week</em>, Bernie Sanders was questioned by host George Stephanopoulos about the mainstream viability of his democratic socialist beliefs. "I can hear the Republican attack ad now," began Stephanopoulos, "'He wants America to look more like Scandinavia.'" Sanders replied: "That's right. And what's wrong with that?"</p> <p>In a May 4, 2015, article for <a href="http://mic.com/articles/117334/bernie-sanders-says-the-u-s-could-learn-a-lot-from-scandinavia-here-s-why-he-s-right">Mic.com</a>, politics staff writer Zeeshan Aleem discusses the numerous ways in which the Scandinavian brand of socialism to which Sanders subscribes has produced positive results. Aleem writes that "Scandinavian countries have much higher tax rates and much more robust government involvement in the distribution of services."&nbsp; He then provides "concrete examples of the different quality of life people can expect when their welfare is considered a right rather than something to be earned."&nbsp; These include:</p> <ul> <li>Greater economic equality:&nbsp;While the U.S. is ranked as the second most unequal country in the developed world, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark are among the most equal.&nbsp;</li> <li>Free higher ed:&nbsp;Higher education in Scandinavian countries is either virtually free or free.</li> <li>Minimum wage:&nbsp;In Denmark, fast food workers make the equivalent of about $20 an hour.</li> <li>Cheaper and universal healthcare:&nbsp;Scandinavian countries guarantee coverage for all their citizens, but pay less for it. Sweden spends about half what the U.S. spends on healthcare per person per year.</li> <li>Affordable childcare:&nbsp;In the U.S., a year of daycare costs more than a&nbsp;year's in-state college tuition. Scandinavian countries provide subsidized childcare so that almost everyone can afford it.<br> &nbsp;</li> </ul> <p>Whether or not Sanders is able to secure the Democratic Party nomination, his campaign has fostered a vibrant debate about democratic socialism in the United States.</p> <h4><br> For Discussion:</h4> <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<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Based on the reading, how do you think we should define democratic socialism?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Historian Van Gosse mentions "the American fairyland where almost everybody is 'middle class.'" What does he mean by this? Do you think the concept of the "middle class" is overused in the United States? In what ways is this concept helpful and in what ways might it conceal social realities in our country?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>The reading describes some of the social advances achieved by Scandinavian countries. Do you think these could be implemented in the United States? Why or why not?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>The political tradition of democratic socialism is critical of the type of communism that was implemented in the Soviet Union and China. This split is often overlooked when people talk about socialism in the United States. Why do you think that might be?</li> </ol> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Student Reading 2:<br> Socialism: An American Tradition?</h4> <p><br> Conservatives in the United States have long used the word "socialist" as an insult. Especially since the start of the Cold War in the late 1940s, many mainstream commentators have contended that socialism is simply antithetical to American values.</p> <p>Despite the prevalence of such skeptical attitudes, socialist ideas in the United States go back more than 100 years, and have helped shape many of the policies and rights we take for granted today. In the October 21, 2015, issue of <a href="http://www.thenation.com/article/how-bernie-sanders-should-talk-about-democratic-socialism/"><em>The Nation</em>,</a> historian Eric Foner wrote an open letter to Bernie Sanders urging the Senator to highlight this American tradition of socialism. He suggested to Sanders:</p> <p style="margin-left:35.45pt;">Of course, every politician gives lip service to the idea of enhancing economic opportunity, but you have, rightly, emphasized that to secure this requires the active involvement of the federal government, not simply letting the free market work its supposed magic. Your antecedents include not just FDR’s New Deal but also his Second Bill of Rights of 1944, inspired by the era’s labor movement, which called for the government to guarantee to all Americans the rights to employment, education, medical care, a decent home, and other entitlements that are out of reach for too many today. You could point to A. Philip Randolph’s Freedom Budget of 1967, which asked the federal government to address the deep economic inequalities the civil-rights revolution had left untouched. But beyond these and other examples, the point is that the rights we enjoy today—civil, political, economic, social—are the result of struggles of the past, not gifts from on high. That’s what you mean when you say we need a citizens’ revolution.</p> <p><br> <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/27/opinions/opinion-roundup-socialism/index.html">CNN</a> commentator Van Jones argued in an October 28, 2015, article that Sanders would be better off emphasizing the American roots of his ideas than focusing on models from other countries. Jones wrote:</p> <p style="margin-left:35.45pt;">Right here in the United States, we have Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and the Veterans Administration -- all of which have socialist elements. Socialist ideas inspired much of the labor movement, which brought everyone something called "The Weekend."</p> <p style="margin-left:35.45pt;">Americans hate to admit this. But since the Great Depression, we have not had a true "market economy." We are a mixed economy -- blending (mainly) free market principles with some socialist ideals. Many of our nation's greatest social achievements were once called "socialist" -- including, for example, free public education.</p> <p style="margin-left:35.45pt;">Therefore, Sanders could talk about how his ideals have contributed to America's historical greatness. He could position himself as defending and extending the work of our grandparents -- who tamed Wall Street and softened the edges of industrial capitalism.</p> <p style="margin-left:35.45pt;">His praise of foreign lands gets him dismissed as both alien and red. Bernie Sanders would be better off showing how his ideas are actually "red, white and blue."</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>While not often mentioned in school history textbooks, some key figures in American history considered themselves socialists, including Martin Luther King, Jr.</p> <p>Obery M. Hendricks, Jr., senior fellow at the Opportunity Agenda thinktank, noted in a January 20, 2014 article for the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/obery-m-hendricks-jr-phd/the-uncompromising-anti-capitalism-of-martin-luther-king-jr_b_4629609.html"><em>Huffington Post</em>,</a> that King possessed not only an analysis of racial injustice, but also a class analysis. Hendricks wrote:</p> <p style="margin-left:35.45pt;">In the thousands of speeches and celebrations on the official Martin Luther King holiday since its inception, there is a crucial fact of his life, activism and thought that no major commemoration has ever celebrated: that King was a strong and uncompromising opponent of American capitalism....</p> <p style="margin-left:35.45pt;">How can the inherent structural injustice of capitalism be addressed? For King the answer was democratic socialism. An aide recalled that at a meeting with his SCLC staff in the mid-1960s, King "talked about the fact that he didn't believe that capitalism as it was constructed could meet the needs of poor people, and that what we might need to look at was a kind of socialism, but a democratic form of socialism."</p> <p style="margin-left:35.45pt;">In a 1966 speech to his staff, King explained: "[W]e are saying that something is wrong ... with capitalism.... There must be better distribution of wealth and maybe America must move toward a democratic socialism. Call it what you may, call it democracy, or call it democratic socialism, but there must be a better distribution of wealth within this country for all of God's children."<br> &nbsp;</p> <p>Some Sanders opponents have tried to paint socialism as un-American. However, history shows us that socialism has deep roots in this country's history and has helped shape its institutions.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>For Discussion</h4> <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?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>According to the reading, what are some of the social movements--and some of the political figures associated with them-- that have advocated for socialist ideas? Do you know of others not mentioned here?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>According to the reading, what elements of American public policy could be described as having socialist influences?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>It is commonly argued that socialism is un-American. What are some arguments for and against this position?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Do you think Bernie Sanders is wise to point to Western European countries as models for his brand of socialism, or do you think he should focus more on the American political tradition? Defend your position.</li> </ol> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">&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="2015-11-12T15:12:18-05:00" title="Thursday, November 12, 2015 - 15:12">November 12, 2015</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' --> Thu, 12 Nov 2015 20:12:18 +0000 fionta 430 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Teachable Instant: Latest Presidential Candidates https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/teachable-instant-latest-presidential-candidates <!-- 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>Teachable Instant: Latest Presidential Candidates</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>Introduction</h4> <p>Ask students what news they’ve heard about the 2016 presidential election. Who is running?&nbsp;</p> <p>Tell students that today we’ll take a quick look at the two most recent Democratic and Republican candidates to enter the 2016 presidential race: Senator Bernie Sanders, a Democrat from Vermont, and Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida.</p> <p>Elicit or explain that each of the two major political parties goes through a separate process to choose its candidate for president. These candidates set up committees, raise money, hold debates and engage in party primary elections well before the actual nominating conventions in the summer of 2016. Smaller parties usually skip the primaries and choose their candidates at a national convention.</p> <p>Read the following out loud or print it out and have students read individually.</p> <hr> <h4><br> Bernie Sanders</h4> <p><em>"We can’t continue having a nation in which we have the highest rate of childhood poverty of any major nation on Earth, at the same time as we’re seeing a proliferation of millionaires and billionaires."<br> - Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont) announcing his presidential candidacy on April 30, 2015</em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>On April 30, 2015, Senator Bernie Sanders became the second candidate (joining Hillary Clinton) in the race for the Democratic Party nomination for the presidency. Officially, Bernie Sanders is an independent, but he aligns himself with the Democratic Party in his Senate functions. &nbsp;Sanders defines himself as a "democratic socialist," and much of his political focus has been on improving conditions for poor people and working people. The issues he will campaign on include:</p> <ul> <li> <p>the huge and widening wealth gap in the U.S.</p> </li> <li> <p>the influence of corporations and big money on the political process</p> </li> <li> <p>action to reduce carbon emissions and slow climate change</p> </li> <li> <p>rebuilding the country's infrastructure--roads, bridges, mass transit, water systems, etc.</p> </li> <li> <p>insuring healthcare as a right of all Americans</p> </li> <li> <p>raising the minimum wage</p> </li> <li> <p>making college affordable for everyone<br> &nbsp;</p> </li> </ul> <hr> <h4>Marco Rubio</h4> <p><em>"If we reform our tax code, reduce regulations, control spending, modernize our immigration laws and repeal and replace Obamacare, the American people will create millions of better-paying modern jobs."<br> - Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida), announcing his presidential candidacy on April 13, 2015</em></p> <p><br> On the Republican side, Senator Marco Rubio is the latest candidate announce. He joins Senators Rand Paul and Ted Cruz in the race. While the Democratic race is likely to feature an early favorite (Clinton) and several other candidates who are underdogs, the Republican race might well have six or more candidates with nearly equal popularity.</p> <p>Senator Rubio is popular in his party because of his conservative politics, youthful energy and hard-line positions on foreign policy. As a son of Cuban immigrants, Rubio has used the theme of the "American Dream" to appeal to voters.</p> <p>Key issues for Senator Rubio include:</p> <ul> <li> <p>opposition to President Obama's proposed nuclear weapons agreement with Iran</p> </li> <li> <p>reducing the corporate income tax</p> </li> <li> <p>cutting other taxes, greatly reducing the size of the federal budget</p> </li> <li> <p>the right of states to decide the issue of same-sex marriage</p> </li> <li> <p>banning abortion after 20 weeks</p> </li> <li> <p>repealing Obamacare</p> </li> <li> <p>giving college applicants more information in order to evaluate choices</p> </li> <li> <p>securing the borders against undocumented immigrants, increase enforcement, and requiring undocumented immigrants who have been in the country for at least 10 years to pay a fine, go through a background check, and learn English before gaining citizenship<br> &nbsp;</p> </li> </ul> <hr> <h4><br> For Discussion</h4> <ol> <li> <p>For years liberal politicians have avoided using the word "socialism" for fear of appearing too extreme for many Americans. Does identifying himself as a socialist doom Bernie Sanders' candidacy?</p> </li> <li> <p>Bernie Sanders favors raising the minimum wage and providing free health care to everyone. If you were running his campaign, how would you get low wage workers (who vote in small numbers) to register and vote for him?</p> </li> <li> <p>Senator Rubio is the son of Cuban immigrants and speaks fluent Spanish, but has taken a strict stance on enabling undocumented immigrants to become citizens. Will he be able to draw Latino voters away from the Democratic Party?</p> </li> <li> <p>If the Republican primary race turns out to be a very competitive one, does that help or hurt the Republican candidate in the general election?</p> </li> <li> <p>Which is better - to vote for the candidate you think would make the best decisions, or vote for the one you think is most likely to win?<br> &nbsp;</p> </li> </ol> <hr> <h4>Sources</h4> <p>https://marcorubio.com/category/issues/&nbsp;(no longer active)</p> <p><a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/Marco_Rubio.htm">http://www.ontheissues.org/senate/Marco_Rubio.htm</a></p> <p><a href="http://time.com/3820475/transcript-read-full-text-of-sen-marco-rubios-campaign-launch/">http://time.com/3820475/transcript-read-full-text-of-sen-marco-rubios-campaign-launch/</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.nationalreview.com/article/417778/rubio-there-no-right-illegally-immigrate-joel-gehrke" style="font-size: 12px;">http://www.nationalreview.com/article/417778/rubio-there-no-right-illegally-immigrate-joel-gehrke</a></p> <p><a href="https://taxfoundation.org/presidential-hopeful-marco-rubio-already-has-tax-plan">https://taxfoundation.org/presidential-hopeful-marco-rubio-already-has-tax-plan</a></p> <p><a href="https://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/19/marco-rubio-the-electable-conservative/">https://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/19/marco-rubio-the-electable-conservative/</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/14/us/politics/marco-rubio-2016-presidential-campaign.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/14/us/politics/marco-rubio-2016-presidential-campaign.html</a></p> <p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Sanders">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Sanders</a></p> <p><a href="https://berniesanders.com/issues/">https://berniesanders.com/issues/</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/house/Bernie_Sanders.htm">http://www.ontheissues.org/house/Bernie_Sanders.htm</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>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="2015-05-03T08:23:02-04:00" title="Sunday, May 3, 2015 - 08:23">May 3, 2015</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, 03 May 2015 12:23:02 +0000 fionta 461 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org