Elections 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 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 Join the Campaign to Teach 2020! https://www.morningsidecenter.org/news/join-campaign-teach-2020 <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--title--article.html.twig x field--node--title.html.twig * field--node--article.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>Join the Campaign to Teach 2020!</span> <!-- END OUTPUT from 'core/modules/node/templates/field--node--title.html.twig' --> <!-- THEME DEBUG --> <!-- THEME HOOK: 'field' --> <!-- FILE NAME SUGGESTIONS: * field--node--uid--article.html.twig x field--node--uid.html.twig * field--node--article.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--article.html.twig x field--node--created.html.twig * field--node--article.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="2019-07-02T12:54:18-04:00" title="Tuesday, July 2, 2019 - 12:54">July 2, 2019</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, 02 Jul 2019 16:54:18 +0000 Sara Carrero 1336 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org https://www.morningsidecenter.org/news/join-campaign-teach-2020#comments Can the Problem of Gerrymandering Be Ended? https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/can-problem-gerrymandering-be-ended <!-- 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 the Problem of Gerrymandering Be Ended?</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:</h4> <p>In the United States, we believe that each person has one vote and that each vote counts equally among all other votes. However, gerrymandering—the practice of drawing district lines for a political advantage—ensures that not all votes contribute equally to election outcomes. Particularly in the past decade, advanced computing and data gathering has turned the art of manipulating district borders into a science. And using this science, a particular party can be all but guaranteed a win on election day in a given area.&nbsp;</p> <p>Advocates for fairer elections argue that gerrymandering harms democracy in the United States in three ways: it decreases the value of some people’s votes while over-valuing other people’s votes, it cuts down on the number of competitive elections, and it decreases the incentive for politicians to compromise, thereby increasing partisanship and gridlock.</p> <p>This lesson consists of two readings. The first reading explains what gerrymandering is and why it is a problem for democracy in the United States. The second reading looks at recent attempts to combat gerrymandering, particularly court challenges in California, Wisconsin, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Questions for discussion follow each reading.<br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><br> <br> Reading One:<br> What Is Gerrymandering and Why Is it a Problem?</h4> <p><br> In the United States, we believe that we each person has one vote and that each vote counts equally among all other votes. However, gerrymandering—the practice of drawing district lines for a political advantage—ensures &nbsp;that not all votes contribute equally to election outcomes. Particularly in the past decade, advanced computing and data gathering has turned the art of manipulating district borders into a science. And using this science, a particular party can be all but guaranteed a win on election day in a given area.&nbsp;</p> <p>If a state or city’s population consistently votes 60 percent for one party over another, you might expect that the majority of elected officials in that area would be from the leading party. However, through gerrymandering, district boundaries can be drawn in such a way that the minority party wins a greater number of seats.</p> <p>As mathematics professor and author Jordan Ellenberg <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/06/opinion/sunday/computers-gerrymandering-wisconsin.html">wrote</a> in a New York Times article published in October 6, 2017, “About as many Democrats live in Wisconsin as Republicans do. But you wouldn’t know it from the Wisconsin State Assembly, where Republicans hold 65 percent of the seats, a bigger majority than Republican legislators enjoy in conservative states like Texas and Kentucky.”</p> <p>One might think that a district for a U.S. congressperson, for example, should follow already established geographical lines—such as the borders of a county or a division created by a river. However, gerrymandered district lines can be elaborately contorted so as to include more people likely to vote for one party and less for another.</p> <p>The following diagram, from the Washington Post, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/05/15/americas-most-gerrymandered-congressional-districts/?utm_term=.791a84d91fd4">shows</a> some of the most extreme examples of congressional district gerrymandering across the country. In each example, the districts jump across established geographical lines and end up taking bizarre shapes that serve no purpose other than to increase partisan advantage.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><img alt="Gerrymandered districts" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="8235db08-81a9-4613-8953-b7ec2ce58f28" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Gerrymandered%20districts_0.jpg" width="1164" height="788" loading="lazy"></p> <p>[<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/05/15/americas-most-gerrymandered-congressional-districts/?utm_term=.791a84d91fd4">https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/05/15/americas-most-gerrymandered-congressional-districts/?utm_term=.791a84d91fd4</a>]</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Gerrymandering is hardly a new problem. Politicians have engaged in it for hundreds of years. Political scientist Brian Klaas <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/democracy-post/wp/2017/02/10/gerrymandering-is-the-biggest-obstacle-to-genuine-democracy-in-the-united-states-so-why-is-no-one-protesting/?utm_term=.2e5af43bdbc5">described</a> the term’s history in a February 10, 2017, article in the Washington Post:</p> <blockquote> <p>The word ‘gerrymander’ comes from an 1812 political cartoon drawn to parody Massachusetts Governor Elbridge Gerry’s re-drawn senate districts. The cartoon depicts one of the bizarrely shaped districts in the contorted form of a fork-tongued salamander. Since 1812, gerrymandering has been increasingly used as a tool to divide and distort the electorate. More often than not, state legislatures are tasked with drawing district maps, allowing the electoral foxes to draw and defend their henhouse districts.</p> </blockquote> <p>Controversy around gerrymandering often comes down to three main issues. Fair elections advocates argue that gerrymandering: 1) decreases the value of some people’s votes while over-valuing other people’s votes; 2) cuts down on the number of competitive elections; and 3) decreases incentive for politicians to compromise.</p> <p>As Klaas further argues, gerrymandering has resulted in uncompetitive elections across much of the country:</p> <blockquote> <p>Last year [in 2016], only 17 seats out of 435 races were decided by a margin of 5 percent or less. Just 33 seats in total were decided by a margin of 10 percent or less. In other words, more than 9 out of 10 House races were landslides where the campaign was a foregone conclusion before ballots were even cast. In 2016, there were no truly competitive Congressional races in 42 of the 50 states.</p> </blockquote> <p>While gerrymandering has long existed, evolving technology has dramatically changed how the practice affects elections. High-powered computers and access to demographic and voting data records allow politicians to predict how small changes to districting lines might alter electoral outcomes. As Ellenberg argues in the New York Times:</p> <blockquote> <p>Gerrymandering used to be an art, but advanced computation has made it a science. Wisconsin’s Republican legislators, after their victory in the census year of 2010, tried out map after map, tweak after tweak. They ran each potential map through computer algorithms that tested its performance in a wide range of political climates. The map they adopted is precisely engineered to assure Republican control in all but the most extreme circumstances.</p> <p>In a gerrymandered map, you concentrate opposing voters in a few districts where you lose big, and win the rest by modest margins.... A new paper by a team of scientists at Duke paints a startling picture of the way the Wisconsin district map protects Republicans from risk…. To gain control of the State Assembly, the authors estimate, Wisconsin Democrats would have to beat Republicans by 8 to 10 points, a margin rarely achieved in statewide elections by either party in this evenly split state. As a mathematician, I’m impressed. As a Wisconsin voter, I feel a little ill.<br> &nbsp;</p> </blockquote> <p>As gerrymandering has grown ever more sophisticated, opponents of the practice have stepped up their efforts to challenge it. This has resulted in a number of cases that are now working their way through the courts.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>For Discussion<br> &nbsp;</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?</li> </ol> <ol start="2"> <li>According to the reading, what is gerrymandering, and what are its impacts on the U.S. political process?</li> </ol> <ol start="3"> <li>According to the reading, why is gerrymandering a more serious problem now than in the past?</li> </ol> <ol start="4"> <li>Fair elections advocates make three main arguments about why gerrymandering is harmful. Do any of those stand out to you as important? Can you think of other arguments for or against gerrymandering?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Has your congressional district been gerrymandered? If so, in whose interest were the lines drawn? If you don’t know, how might you find out?</li> </ol> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Reading Two:<br> Challenging Gerrymandering in Court</h4> <p><br> As gerrymandering has become more mathematically sophisticated, fair elections advocates are challenging the practice in both state and federal courts. Recent cases in California, Wisconsin, Maryland, and Pennsylvania against partisan gerrymandering have contributed to wave of highly partisan gerrymandered maps being overturned across the country.</p> <p>In a February 22, 2018, article for the Los Angeles Times, the newspaper’s editorial board <a href="http://www.latimes.com/opinion/editorials/la-ed-gerrymandering-courts-20180222-story.html">described</a> court cases against gerrymandering in several states:</p> <blockquote> <p>The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decide two gerrymandering cases within the next few months. The court already aided the cause of reform with a 2015 ruling upholding the right of states to entrust the drawing of congressional district lines to independent commissions, as California does. But the cases before the court this term provide an opportunity for the justices to go dramatically further and rule that some gerrymanders are so extreme that they violate the U.S. Constitution.</p> <p>The first case, which was argued last October, involves a Republican-friendly map for the Wisconsin Assembly. The second, which will be argued March 28, focuses on a map fashioned by Democrats that allowed their party to capture a historically Republican seat in Maryland's House delegation.</p> <p>Looming over both cases is a 1986 Supreme Court decision holding that partisan gerrymandering could violate the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause if it intentionally and effectively discriminated against an identifiable political group, such as members of a political party....<br> &nbsp;</p> </blockquote> <p>Lower courts have cited both the 14th and the 1st Amendment to the Constitution in upholding challenges to gerrymandered maps. As the Los Angeles Times further notes:</p> <blockquote> <p>In striking down the Wisconsin map, a three-judge federal court said that the U.S. Constitution was violated if a redistricting plan is "intended to place a severe impediment on the effectiveness of the votes of individual citizens on the basis of their political affiliation," has that effect, and "cannot be justified on other, legitimate legislative grounds." The judges relied not only on the Equal Protection Clause but also the free-speech protections of the 1st Amendment.</p> <p>The 1st Amendment is at the center of an argument for lawyers challenging the Maryland map, which was designed by Democrats to eliminate a GOP-friendly seat long held by Republican Rep. Roscoe Bartlett. In their petition to the Supreme Court, the lawyers representing Republican voters argue that "citizens enjoy a 1st Amendment right not to be burdened or penalized for their voting history, their association with a political party or their expression of political views."<br> &nbsp;</p> </blockquote> <p>In Pennsylvania, fair election advocates have based their case against a highly gerrymandered districting map on the state constitution. As law professor David S. Cohen <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/pennsylvania-court-rejects-congressional-gerrymandering-w515788">wrote</a> in a January 23, 2018 in Rolling Stone:</p> <blockquote> <p>Yesterday, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court gave a big boost to [the effort to reduce partisan gerrymandering] by ruling the state's congressional map was unconstitutionally gerrymandered. Better yet, the ruling should be final and unreviewable by the U.S. Supreme Court.</p> <p>This was one of the most closely watched gerrymandering cases in the country. In every election since the state map was redrawn by Republicans in 2011, Republicans have won the same 13 of the state's 18 congressional districts, despite Pennsylvania voting for President Obama in 2012 by over 5 percent and only barely favoring President Trump in 2016 by less than 1 percent.</p> <p>The basic argument in the case is this: a state that is so evenly split (if not slightly favoring Democrats) can only have a congressional delegation so strongly Republican if the districts were gerrymandered in a way to intentionally diminish Democratic voices.</p> <p>Yesterday, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court agreed, ordering the legislature to re-draw the districts in a fair manner….<br> &nbsp;</p> </blockquote> <p>What makes this case so important is that it was decided by a state supreme court on the basis of state constitutional law. Why's this important? Because when a state supreme court makes a decision on the basis of its own state's law, the U.S. Supreme Court doesn't review the case. It's as if a different country's court system decided a case under that country's law. The U.S. Supreme Court would have no say. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court made this clear yesterday saying explicitly that it reached its conclusion on the "sole basis" of the state constitution.</p> <p>Projections based on past voting records suggest that the Pennsylvania’s new districts, drawn by the court since its initial ruling, could result in more contested elections and dramatically swing the political balance of the state in coming elections.</p> <p>While the court’s decision in the redrawing of the Pennsylvania districts is a significant step towards more fair elections in the state, gerrymandering remains a significant problem. Political scientists warn that, if the Supreme Court reverses the lower court ruling in the case concerning Wisconsin’s political maps, we could witness a new wave of highly partisan gerrymandering when states draw new districts in 2020.<br> <br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>For Discussion<br> &nbsp;</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?</li> </ol> <ol start="2"> <li>As the reading notes, some court challenges to gerrymandering are based on the 14th Amendment, which states that the U.S. government may not “deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” What do you think of this argument? Do you think a given group living in a gerrymandered district might not be receiving equal protection under the law?</li> </ol> <ol start="3"> <li>Another approach is to argue against gerrymandering using the 1st Amendment, which states that Congress shall make no law “abridging the freedom of speech.” Would you consider gerrymandering a violation of free speech? Why or why not? Do you think this is a stronger or a weaker argument than using the 14th Amendment?</li> </ol> <ol start="4"> <li>Some opponents of gerrymandering are concerned that the practice is used to give one party the advantage over another. However, others are concerned that there are simply too many “safe” seats for politicians and too few elections that are truly contested. In a state that was divided evenly between supporters of two parties, do you think it would be fair if there were one “safe” seat that each party was heavily favored to win? Or do you think it would be preferable to have two districts with roughly the same numbers of supporters from each party, so that both elections were more hotly contested? What would be some of the pros and cons of each system?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>How might everyday residents who are concerned about gerrymandering in their district (or anywhere) effectively advocate for their views?</li> </ol> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><em>—Research assistance provided by Ryan Leitner.</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="2018-03-15T15:22:52-04:00" title="Thursday, March 15, 2018 - 15:22">March 15, 2018</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, 15 Mar 2018 19:22:52 +0000 Laura McClure 1170 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Dog-Whistle Politics: Talking About Race Without Talking About Race https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/dog-whistle-politics-talking-about-race-without-talking-about-race <!-- 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>Dog-Whistle Politics: Talking About Race Without Talking About Race</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"><h3><br> To the Teacher:</h3> <p>Since the victories of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, politicians in the United States have generally avoided making explicitly racist appeals to voters. Instead, they have sometimes used coded words and phrases — so-called "dog whistles" — that aim to speak to biases of race, religion, or ethnicity without saying so outright. Both Democrats and Republicans have been accused of using dog whistles. In the current political climate, some commentators argue that racist attitudes are not even hidden anymore, but rather are again becoming more explicit.</p> <p>This lesson will consider the history of "dog-whistle" politics, and it will ask whether the current campaign season marks a break from past practices. The first student reading below examines the history of dog whistle politics in the United States. The second reading considers statements from the presidential campaign and asks whether they cross the line from dog-whistle politics to overt prejudice. Questions for discussion follow each reading.<br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Reading 1<br> Dog Whistles: How Politicians Speak in Code</h3> <p><br> Since the victories of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, politicians have generally avoided making explicitly racist appeals to voters. Instead, they have sometimes used coded words and phrases — so-called "dog whistles" — that aim to speak to biases of race, religion, or ethnicity without saying so outright. Both Democrats and Republicans have been accused of using dog whistles.</p> <p>Some people argue that the use of dog whistles is an inherent part of politics and does not necessarily imply prejudice. They highlight how the careful selection of phrases and gestures send subtle signals to different audiences. In this vein, journalist Nia-Malika Henderson noted in a March 3, 2009, article for <em><a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2009/03/blacks-whites-hear-obama-differently-019538">Politico</a> </em>that President Obama could be seen as using targeted language to appeal to the black community. Henderson wrote:</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">On his pre-inaugural visit to Ben’s Chili Bowl, a landmark for Washington’s African-American community, President Barack Obama was asked by a cashier if he wanted his change back.&nbsp;<br> <br> "Nah, we straight," Obama replied.&nbsp;<br> <br> The phrase was so subtle some listeners missed it. The reporter on pool duty quoted Obama as saying, "No, we’re straight."</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">But many other listeners did not miss it. A video of the exchange became an Internet hit, and there was a clear moment of recognition among many blacks, who got a kick out of their Harvard-educated president sounding, as one commenter wrote on a hip-hop site, "mad cool."&nbsp;</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">On matters of racial identity, many observers in the African-American community say he benefits from what's known as "dog-whistle politics." His language, mannerisms and symbols resonate deeply with his black supporters, even as the references largely sail over the heads of white audiences....</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">Dog-whistle politics was hardly invented by Obama. One of its most deft practitioners lately was President George W. Bush. He regularly borrowed the language of evangelical Christianity and the anti-abortion movement to signal he was simpatico with their beliefs, even as he often avoided obvious displays of support that might turn off middle-of-the-road voters.</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">"The code words matter, how you dress matters, how you speak matters; it’s all subliminal messaging, and all politicians use it," said Michael Fauntroy, an assistant professor of public policy at George Mason University, who specializes in&nbsp;race and American politics.&nbsp;"Ronald Reagan used to talk about making America the shining city on a hill, which is about America as divinely inspired, and it has a deep vein in the evangelical conservative movement. It goes on all the time, and there are so many circumstances when only the target people get the message."<br> &nbsp;</p> <p>"Dog whistles" sometimes serve as a means of making racist appeals in subtle ways. As historian Robert Brent Toplin wrote in a December 10, 2015, article for <a href="http://historynewsnetwork.org/article/161448">HistoryNewsNetwork.com</a>:</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">Richard Nixon won the 1968 presidential election by promoting a "Southern Strategy." That, too, was an example of dog-whistle politics. The Republican candidate blamed many of America’s problems on blacks, but not through specific language. H.R. Haldeman, Nixon’s close adviser, said "The key is to devise a system that recognizes this while not appearing to." Rather than refer directly to blacks, Nixon promised "law and order" and respect for "states’ rights."</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">Many elements factored in Ronald Reagan’s presidential victories; indirect references to race were only part of the mix. Reagan defended his positions on principle, not prejudice. He had opposed the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, arguing against federal intervention in states’ affairs. Reagan launched his 1980 campaign for the White House near Philadelphia, Mississippi, the place where three civil rights workers had been slain years before. During his visits around the United States, Reagan spoke often about an exploitative "welfare queen" in Chicago, and listeners understood that the lady was a black woman. Reagan convinced many white Democrats, including southerners, to abandon their party and register as Republicans.</p> <p>As law professor Ian Hanley-Lopez argued during an January 14, 2014, appearance on <a href="http://www.democracynow.org/2014/1/14/dog_whistle_politics_how_politicians_use"><em>Democracy Now</em>,</a> such dog-whistle racism is becoming an increasingly large part of conservative political strategy. Hanley-Lopez states:</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">Politics now is occurring in coded terms, like a dog whistle. On one level, we hear clearly there’s a sense of racial agitation; on another level, plausible deniability—people can insist nothing about race at all. And so, classic examples: Reagan and welfare queens, or Newt Gingrich saying Obama is a "food stamp president." Now, on one level, that’s triggering racial sentiment, triggering racial anxiety. On another, of course, Newt Gingrich can turn around and say, "I didn’t mention race. I just said food stamps." In fact, he can go further and say, "It’s a fact," as if there isn’t a sort of a racial undertone there....</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">They’re using these sort of coded appeals to say to people two things: One, the biggest threat in your life is not concentrated wealth, it’s minorities; and two, government coddles minorities, and all these government assistance programs, it’s all about giveaways to minorities—oppose them—government is taking your taxes and giving it to undeserving minorities. So when we think about why it is that so many people would—in the midst of an economic crisis, would vote to slash taxes for the rich, to favor deregulation and to slash social services, partly—in fact, I’d say primarily—they’re doing so because of the sort of racial narrative employed with dog whistle politics....</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">[W]e’re not saying that race has entered politics recently; we’re saying racism has been central to American politics for centuries, but it has changed form. After the civil rights movement, you couldn’t use open slurs... It’s political suicide now for any politician to use an open racial slur, so that the new public racism is coded. It always operates on two levels—on one level, triggering racial anxiety; on another, allowing plausible deniability.<br> &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 "dog whistle politics"?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Although all politicians use some type of coded and targeted language, there is a more disturbing history of using dog whistles as a way to invoke racist ideas. What are some examples of this?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Have you heard "dog whistle" phrases in your own life? What have some of these phrases been? Who do you think they were meant to appeal to?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Journalist Nia-Malika Henderson provides examples of presidents Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan using targeted language to convey identification with specific communities, such as the black community or evangelical conservatives. How is this use of targeted rhetoric different than the use of racist dog whistles? Why might some dog whistles be okay and others be hurtful and prejudiced?<br> <br> &nbsp;</li> </ol> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3>Reading 2:<br> Has the 2016 Campaign Gone Beyond Dog-Whistling?<br> &nbsp;</h3> <p>In the current political climate, a variety of commentators have argued that racist attitudes are not even hidden anymore, but rather are again becoming more explicit. <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jul/22/critics-trump-speech-signals-shift-to-coded-race-l/"><em>Associated Press</em></a> reporters Russell Contreras and Jesse Holland write in a July 22, 2016, article, that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump's rhetoric has pushed the boundaries of dog-whistle politics. They write:</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">During the primaries, Donald Trump threw red-meat rhetoric to supporters, pledging to build a wall on the Mexico border and to ban Muslim immigrants. He even told at least one crowd that he wanted to punch a demonstrator who disrupted an event.</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">Now that he’s the GOP presidential nominee, who needs to appeal to the whole country instead of just Republicans, some observers say he’s turning to code words to gin up racial animosity and fear among America’s white voters.</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">Ian Haney Lopez, author of "Dog Whistle Politics: How Coded Racial Appeals Have Reinvented Racism and Wrecked the Middle Class," went further, saying Trump’s [convention] speech surpassed even the coded racial language of Richard Nixon in 1968.</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">In addition to appealing to whites’ racial anxieties about crime, the celebrity businessman added immigrants to the mix and said refugee families with unknown backgrounds threaten to transform the nation unless drastic measures are taken, Lopez said.</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">"This was a speech that said essentially that the barbarians are at the gate," he said.</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">Samuel LeDoux, a Republican delegate from New Mexico who is Hispanic, said he didn’t hear racial overtones in Trump’s speech.</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">"I think people are reading too much into it," said LeDoux, 24, who agrees with Trump’s call to reduce illegal immigration because it is affecting wages. "He comes from New York, a very diverse city."</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">Trump "didn’t get on stage and issue a bunch of racial epithets," said Emory University political scientist Andra Gillespie, who watched his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention. "We didn’t hear the N-word, and we didn’t hear other words that may offend many people. But just because he didn’t use racial slurs doesn’t mean he didn’t frame issues in a way that people in racial and ethnic groups find problematic."</p> <p>Vincent Hutchings, a&nbsp;University of Michigan political science professor, told&nbsp;<em><a href="http://www.newsweek.com/trump-race-wedge-issue-494601">Newsweek</a></em>&nbsp;that academics have found that "politicians don’t really employ explicit racial terms anymore because it turns people off, it’s not very strategic." But, he says, Trump has gone further than most modern politicians, talking openly of race and ethnicity, labeling Mexican immigrants rapists and proposing a ban on Muslims entering the country. "Since the advent of the civil rights movement, we haven’t seen anything like this," said Hutchings.</p> <p>Trump has <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/25/politics/donald-trump-hillary-clinton-bigot/">defended himself</a> against the charges of racism, declaring that "people who want a secure border are not racists" and that people who "speak out against radical Islam and who warn about refugees are not Islamophobes... They are decent citizens who want to uphold our value as a tolerant society and who want to keep the terrorists the hell out of our country." Trump added that "those who support the police and who want crime reduced and stopped are not prejudiced... They're concerned and loving citizens and parents whose heart breaks every time an innocent child is lost to totally preventable violence."</p> <p>Trump said that "to accuse decent Americans who support this campaign... of being racists, which we’re not" is "the oldest play in the Democratic playbook...When Democratic policies fail, they are left with only this one tired argument. ‘You’re racist. You’re racist...’ It’s a tired, disgusting argument. And it is so totally predictable. They’re failing so badly. It’s the last refuge of the discredited, Democrat politician."</p> <p>Clinton herself has come under fire for her use of the term "super-predators" during&nbsp;a 1996 speech in support of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, which her husband, Bill Clinton, had signed in to law. The fact-checking website <a href="http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/aug/28/reince-priebus/did-hillary-clinton-call-african-american-youth-su/">Politifact</a> notes that while in her speech Clinton did link children and superpredators, "nowhere in the speech does she directly label African-American youth this way." Nevertheless, during the campaign, Black Lives Matter activists urged Clinton to apologize for the statement. The following day, she expressed regret for her choice of words.</p> <p>In an April 29, 2016 op-ed, for the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/01/opinion/campaign-stops/the-upside-to-overt-racism.html">New York Times</a> entitled "The Upside to Overt Racism," journalist Jenee Desmond-Harris argued that the open controversy over race in this campaign may actually make it easier to have discussions about the reality of persistent of racism in American life. Desmond-Harris wrote:</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">In a world where racism and discrimination — both personal and systemic — shape opportunities and can even determine life or death, but are often denied, they’re rarely owned so boldly as they have been during this campaign....</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">At a March rally for Mr. Trump in Louisville, Shiya Nwanguma, a student, says she was called the n-word and other repulsive slurs. Video of the event shows her being pushed and shoved. Another protester there, Chanelle Helm, told Vibe magazine in March: "In my entire life I had never had anyone look at me with such hate. It was like the videos and photos we’ve seen from the Little Rock 9 and other school integration moments from the 1950s and ’60s where the fury was palpable in the eyes of the white women."</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">At a high school basketball game in Indiana earlier this year, CNN reported that students chanted "Build that wall," at an opposing team made up predominantly of Latino players.</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">The expression of racist views in this campaign has been so undeniable that even politicians — notoriously careful and diplomatic — are stating it as fact.</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">"America’s long struggle with racism is far from over, and we are seeing that in this election," Hillary Clinton said at the National Action Network convention in April. She didn’t say racial tension, or community-police relations, or inequality, or issues faced by black and Latino Americans. She said: racism.</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">For once, nobody is pretending that racism is at a frequency so high they can’t make it out. Racism is no longer being treated as a feeling, an allegation, a matter of opinion, or something that can be negated by the announcement of a black friend....</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">When Barack Obama was first elected president in 2008, a question bubbled up: "Is America on its way to being post-racial?" It was always laughably optimistic, but now we have a clearer answer than ever: no.</p> <p style="margin-left:.5in;">... If diversity is going to cause racial anxiety, it’s better to accept that than to lie to ourselves about the inevitability of a harmonious multiracial melting pot. It’s good to know the truth. And Mr. Trump’s supporters seemed to have provided a reality check.<br> &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>Critics of Donald Trump argue that not only has he used dog whistle appeals but has also made overtly racist appeals. But Donald Trump has countered that his stances on immigration and crime are not racist, but an effort by his opponents to divert attention from their failed policies. What do you think?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>In the New York Times, Desmond Harris notes that explicitly racist statements on the campaign trail give us the opportunity to talk more honestly about racism. What do you think about this argument? Is there a positive side to racism coming out into the open?</li> </ol> <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="2016-10-30T13:29:51-04:00" title="Sunday, October 30, 2016 - 13:29">October 30, 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, 30 Oct 2016 17:29:51 +0000 fionta 372 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 Who Are the Libertarians? https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/who-are-libertarians <!-- 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>Who Are the Libertarians?</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><br> Quiz</h4> <p><br> 1. &nbsp;What is Johnson and Weld?</p> <p>a.&nbsp; A manufacturer of health care products.<br> b.&nbsp; A national chain of metal fabricators.<br> c. &nbsp;A presidential ticket.<br> d.&nbsp; A pair of novelists nominated for the Nobel Prize in literature.<br> e. All of the above.</p> <p><em>Answer: c.</em></p> <p><br> 2. &nbsp;In recent 3-way national polls, which party receives 10-11% of the vote?</p> <p>a. Liberal Party<br> b. Liberation Party<br> c. Libertarian Party<br> d. Librarian Party<br> e. Liberty Party</p> <p><em>Answer: c.</em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><br> Student Reading:</h4> <h4>Gary Johnson, William Weld &amp; the Libertarians</h4> <p><br> <strong>Who are Johnson &amp; Weld?</strong></p> <p>On May 29, 2016, the Libertarian Party chose Gary Johnson and William Weld as their nominees for president and vice president, respectively. Both are former Republican governors. The convention was sharply divided with neither Johnson nor Weld winning the nomination on the first ballot. The Libertarian Party is likely to be the only third party in the 2016 elections that's on the ballot in all 50 states. (The Green Party, by contrast, currently is on the ballot in only 20 states, though ballot access campaigns are underway in additional states.)</p> <p>Johnson started a successful construction company and was governor of New Mexico from 1995-2003. &nbsp;He ran for the Republican nomination for president in 2012, but ended up running on the Libertarian ticket. As governor, Johnson held true to his small government principles, setting records for the number of bills he vetoed (more than the other 49 governors combined). He cut taxes 14 times.</p> <p>Bill Weld was elected to two terms as governor of Massachusetts after serving as U.S. Attorney and head of the Department of Justice Criminal Division. Early in his career, Weld was a friend and colleague of Hillary Rodham (Clinton): Both were on the staff of the Nixon impeachment committee of the House of Representatives. &nbsp;Weld came from a wealthy New England family and famously replied to a reporter's question about where he got his money, "We don’t get money, we have money." Some of his "statist" positions (e.g. pro-choice, and in favor of gun control) made Weld very unpopular among the libertarians at the convention.</p> <p><br> <strong>What are Libertarians?</strong></p> <p>Many of us look at the political spectrum in a linear fashion--with the right wing at one end and the left at the other. From left to right, we pass from socialist, liberal, Democrat, Republican, and then into conservative and right-wing territory. The idea is that where we stand on political issues neatly coincides with where we place ourselves on that left-right spectrum.</p> <p>If you’re on the right, you will be more likely to oppose or want to put limits on:</p> <ul> <li>government regulation</li> <li>taxes&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</li> <li>labor unions</li> <li>drug legalization</li> <li>affirmative action</li> <li>public housing</li> <li>public transportation</li> <li>environmental rules</li> <li>abortion</li> <li>programs to assist poor people</li> <li>minimum wage</li> <li>gay and lesbian protections</li> <li>action to halt global climate change</li> </ul> <p><br> You are likely to support:</p> <ul> <li>business profits</li> <li>corporate rights</li> <li>wars and military spending</li> <li>religious rights</li> <li>private education</li> <li>capital punishment</li> <li>gun rights</li> </ul> <p><br> For the left, simply reverse the above positions.</p> <p>Of course lots of people mix it up a bit: generalizations go only so far. Not all conservatives oppose food stamps and not all liberals support labor unions. But libertarians (especially principled libertarians) <em>really</em> defy easy categorization. They are commonly associated with the far right because they are so extreme in their anti-government stances:</p> <ul> <li>The billionaire Koch brothers, who fund a vast network of conservative and right-wing candidates, university departments, think tanks and other organizations, are libertarians.<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>The Cato Institute (a libertarian policy organization) led the effort to privatize Social Security.<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Some recent headlines from Reason.com (website of the libertarian magazine Reason): <ul> <li>"Federal Programs Keep People Poor"</li> <li>"Slow Economic Growth: It's the Regulations, Stupid!"</li> <li>"Workers Don't Need Government's Help to Earn Higher Wages"<br> &nbsp;</li> </ul> </li> <li>Libertarian congressman and presidential candidate Ron Paul advocated abolishing the U.S. Departments of Energy, Commerce, Interior, Education and Housing and Urban Development.</li> </ul> <p><br> But remember, true libertarians oppose most government programs—especially the federal government. So while they reject government projects that help the poor, many libertarians also oppose government handouts to business (tax breaks, subsidies, low-interest loans, etc.).</p> <p>There are numerous other ways that libertarians confound and contradict the left/right stereotypes:<br> <br> Many libertarians believe:</p> <ul> <li>The United States should exit the United Nations, but should also abolish its CIA.</li> <li>The U.S. should avoid foreign entanglements—wars, for example.</li> <li>Drugs should be legalized.</li> <li>Government shouldn't snoop on its citizens.</li> <li>Laws shouldn't favor heterosexuals.</li> <li>Government shouldn't censor speech.<br> <br> &nbsp;</li> </ul> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>For Discussion<br> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</h4> <p>1. Based on what you know about libertarians, what is the likely libertarian position on the following issues? Why?</p> <ul> <li>Abortion</li> <li>Charter schools</li> <li>Syrian War</li> <li>Help for flood victims</li> <li>Hate speech</li> <li>Same sex marriage</li> <li>Obamacare</li> <li>Gun control</li> <li>Donald Trump</li> <li>Minimum wage</li> <li>Climate change</li> <li>Capital punishment</li> </ul> <p>2. "I do believe that the vast majority of the people in this country are libertarian; they just don't know it yet." &nbsp;-- Gary Johnson. &nbsp;What do you think?</p> <p>3. Some people talk about "left libertarianism" and "right libertarianism." Does this make sense to you? Why or why not?</p> <p>4. Can you think of a graphic representation of the political spectrum which includes not only left, right, liberal and conservative, but libertarian as well?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><br> For Further Research</h4> <p><br> Ask students to do some research: Were they were right about libertarian stances on the issues in question 1?&nbsp;</p> <p>When the class reconvenes, ask student to share what they learned.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><br> Sources</h4> <p><br> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/libertarian-party-never-trump_us_575083f1e4b0eb20fa0d34f3">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/libertarian-party-never-trump_us_575083f1e4b0eb20fa0d34f3</a></p> <p><a href="http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/pay-attention-to-libertarian-gary-johnson-hes-pulling-10-vs-trump-and-clinton/">http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/pay-attention-to-libertarian-gary-johnson-hes-pulling-10-vs-trump-and-clinton/</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.democracynow.org/2016/4/27/why_did_the_former_republican_gov">http://www.democracynow.org/2016/4/27/why_did_the_former_republican_gov</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.lp.org/platform">https://www.lp.org/platform</a></p> <p><a href="http://reason.com/archives/2016/06/02/workers-dont-need-governments-help-to-ea">http://reason.com/archives/2016/06/02/workers-dont-need-governments-help-to-ea</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.ontheissues.org/Libertarian_Party.htm">http://www.ontheissues.org/Libertarian_Party.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="2016-06-05T11:04:42-04:00" title="Sunday, June 5, 2016 - 11:04">June 5, 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, 05 Jun 2016 15:04:42 +0000 fionta 392 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Teachable Instant: Clinton's 'Email-gate' https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/teachable-instant-clintons-email-gate <!-- 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: Clinton&#039;s &#039;Email-gate&#039;</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> <p>Ask students what, if anything, they have heard about the debate over Hillary Clinton’s private email server.</p> <p>Elicit or explain that presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was U.S. Secretary of State for four years. During that time, Clinton used her own personal email server instead of the federal government's email server for her official communications.</p> <p>Since this became news in March 2015, there has been a steady stream of media reports about the legality of Clinton’s email system, possible security breaches and email deletions, a governmental review of her 55,000 emails, Clinton's arguments in her defense, and accusations by political opponents. Public distrust of Hillary Clinton, as measured by opinion polls, has grown steadily.</p> <p>But despite Clinton’s drop in the polls and favorability ratings, 39% of those polled believe that Clinton "did nothing wrong" in using a private email system.</p> <p>People on all sides of the political spectrum say they believe that open government, or "transparency," is a crucial ingredient for a working democracy.</p> <p class="rteindent1">Transparency promotes accountability and provides information for citizens about what&nbsp;their government is doing. &nbsp;Information maintained by the&nbsp;federal government is a national asset.<br> -- President Barack Obama</p> <p class="rteindent1">But one of the reasons there is a crisis of confidence in this country over the government is because there is not transparency. Without transparency, accountability cannot be carried out.<br> -- Republican Senator Tom Coburn</p> <p class="rteindent1">Openness in government is not a liberal, conservative, Republican, Democrat, Independent, Tea Party or Libertarian issue. The importance of transparency in local, state and federal government should transcend parties and political ideologies. Checks and balances provide few checks and little balance when officials broker deals behind closed doors and conceal documents that contain important information that citizens have the right, and often the need, to know.<br> -- National Freedom of Information Coalition</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Journalists, advocacy groups, historians and other researchers use tools like the Freedom of Information Act to pry information out of government agencies at all levels. There are thousands of examples of new stories that originated with Freedom of Information requests. For example:</p> <ul> <li>the safety hazards of the Ford Pinto</li> <li>the health hazards of Agent Orange to Vietnam War veterans</li> <li>thefts by TSA agents at airports</li> <li>the FBI practice of allowing informants to break the law</li> <li>the Pentagon paying to plant articles in Iraqi media</li> <li>federal loans designed to help businesses recover after 9/11 that went to companies completely unrelated to 9/11 (e.g. a dog boutique in Utah)</li> </ul> <p>Secrecy versus openness in government will continue to be a key issue for our democracy - no matter how Hillary Clinton’s "email-gate" problem is resolved.<br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><br> For discussion:<br> &nbsp;</h4> <ul> <li>One of Hillary Clinton's defenses is that other government officials--including other secretaries of state, like Colin Powell--also used private email accounts. Is this argument persuasive? Why or why not?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Should we allow public officials to decide which of their communications should be public and trust that they are making the right choices?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Is it possible that the email scandal is being blown out of proportion by Clinton's political enemies?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>If Hillary Clinton were to visit your class, what questions would you ask about her private email server?</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><br> Optional assignment<br> &nbsp;</h4> <p>Ask students to go to the National Security Archive website (<a href="http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/nsa/foia/stories.htm">http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/nsa/foia/stories.htm</a>) to view some news items (from 2004-2006) that originated with Freedom of Information Act requests. Ask students to choose one story to research and write two paragraphs on the importance of the news story.<br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Sources</h4> <p><a href="http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-110shrg35801/html/CHRG-110shrg35801.htm">http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-110shrg35801/html/CHRG-110shrg35801.htm</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/19/politics/2016-poll-hillary-clinton-joe-biden-bernie-sanders/index.html">http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/19/politics/2016-poll-hillary-clinton-joe-biden-bernie-sanders/index.html</a></p> <p><a href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/omb/foia_default">https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/omb/foia_default</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.salon.com/2015/06/02/the_shocking_news_about_government_secrecy_that_should_have_every_american_worried/">http://www.salon.com/2015/06/02/the_shocking_news_about_government_secrecy_that_should_have_every_american_worried/</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2015/03/foia-hillary-clinton-email-daniel-metcalfe-116011">http://www.politico.com/story/2015/03/foia-hillary-clinton-email-daniel-metcalfe-116011</a></p> <p><a href="http://foia.blogs.archives.gov/2012/01/27/striking-the-balance-with-third-party-requests/">http://foia.blogs.archives.gov/2012/01/27/striking-the-balance-with-third-party-requests/</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2015/mar/12/hillary-clintons-email-did-she-follow-all-rules/">http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2015/mar/12/hillary-clintons-email-did-she-follow-all-rules/</a></p> <p><a href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/transparency-and-open-government">https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/transparency-and-open-government</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.aclu.org/blog/politics-swirling-around-clinton-email-scandal-obscure-real-problems">https://www.aclu.org/blog/politics-swirling-around-clinton-email-scandal-obscure-real-problems</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.nfoic.org/guest-view-transparency-not-republican-not-democrat">http://www.nfoic.org/guest-view-transparency-not-republican-not-democrat</a></p> <p>&nbsp;<a href="https://freedom.press/blog/2013/03/freedom-information-act-most-powerful-tool-my-reporting-arsenal">https://freedom.press/blog/2013/03/freedom-information-act-most-powerful-tool-my-reporting-arsenal</a></p> <p><a href="http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/nsa/foia/stories.htm">http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/nsa/foia/stories.htm</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/04/us/politics/using-private-email-hillary-clinton-thwarted-record-requests.html?_r=0">http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/04/us/politics/using-private-email-hillary-clinton-thwarted-record-requests.html?_r=0</a></p> <p><a href="http://dailycaller.com/2015/03/03/how-did-the-state-department-respond-to-open-records-requests-for-hillarys-emails/">http://dailycaller.com/2015/03/03/how-did-the-state-department-respond-to-open-records-requests-for-hillarys-emails/</a></p> <p><a href="http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/03/15/opinion/sunday/maureen-dowd-an-open-letter-to-hdr22clintonemailcom.html?referrer=&amp;_r=0">http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/03/15/opinion/sunday/maureen-dowd-an-open-letter-to-hdr22clintonemailcom.html?referrer=&amp;_r=0</a></p> <p><a href="http://qz.com/362594/hillary-clintons-email-and-the-pitfalls-of-transparency-accountability-and-trust/">http://qz.com/362594/hillary-clintons-email-and-the-pitfalls-of-transparency-accountability-and-trust/</a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</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="2015-09-13T16:04:28-04:00" title="Sunday, September 13, 2015 - 16:04">September 13, 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, 13 Sep 2015 20:04:28 +0000 fionta 442 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org Teachable Instant: Automatic Voter Registration https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/teachable-instant-automatic-voter-registration <!-- 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: Automatic Voter Registration</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>Tell students that on June 4, 2015, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton delivered a major speech advocating the expansion of voter access. Among other policy changes, Clinton called for automatic voter registration at age 18. (See <a href="http://www.c-span.org/video/?326400-1/hillary-clinton-remarks-voting-rights">C-Span video</a> of Clinton's full talk at Texas Southern University; her remarks on voting rights begin at about 26 minutes.) &nbsp;</p> <p>Currently, it is up to each individual to take the active step of registering. Only the state of Oregon registers voters automatically, when they get a drivers' license. Though there are constitutional provisions about who is eligible to vote, it is up to the states to decide most of the rules and procedures about voting.<br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><br> Quiz: Voting facts<br> &nbsp;</h4> <p>Have your students take this quiz on voting facts:</p> <p><br> <strong>True or False?</strong></p> <p>1) The minimum age for voting in the United States is 18 years.</p> <p>2) In Montana, voting in state elections is mandatory.</p> <p>3) The states with the highest African-American and Hispanic populations have all enacted voter restrictions since 2008.</p> <p>4) People in prison are prohibited from voting in the U.S.<br> &nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Answers:</strong></p> <p><br> 1) False:&nbsp; It is up to the individual states. 19 states allow 17-year-olds to vote in party primaries if they will turn 18 before the general election. And Tacoma Park, Maryland, allows 16-year-olds to vote in local elections.<br> &nbsp;</p> <p>2) False: Not only do no states require voting, there are no states that even require people to register to vote.<br> &nbsp;</p> <p>3) Not quite true (but close):&nbsp; According to the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University, 7 of the 11 states with the most African-Americans have new voting restrictions and 9 of the 12 states with the highest Hispanic populations have new restrictions.</p> <p>4) False: Two states (Maine and Vermont) allow prisoners to vote.<br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Background<br> &nbsp;</h4> <p>Share with students some of all of the information below.</p> <p>On March 23, 1971, 18-year-olds were granted the right to vote in the United States. That right was granted by the 26th amendment to the Constitution (ratified in only three months, a record short time). Until then, the voting age had been 21.&nbsp; There was strong pressure to lower the voting age because so many young people were being asked (or forced) to go to war in Vietnam,&nbsp; yet did not have the right to vote.</p> <p>Though Americans can begin voting at 18, mostly they don't. People in the 18-24 age bracket are the least likely to vote of all age categories. Young people are consistently about 30 percent less likely to vote than their grandparents. Even in the 2008 election, in which Barack Obama's campaign generated an unusual level of excitement in young people, only 44 percent of young people voted.</p> <p><br> <strong>Current context</strong></p> <p>The debate over access to voting has become a partisan issue, with the Democratic Party advocating looser rules for voting and the Republican Party successfully advocating tighter restrictions.</p> <p>In the last five years, 22 states (almost all with Republican majority legislatures) have passed laws restricting access to voting. These restrictions include shortening the time allowed for early voting, stricter rules for voter registration drives, eliminating election day registration,&nbsp; and requiring specific kinds of identification for voting. Democrats charge that the restrictions disproportionately affect people of color and young people, groups that tend to vote Democratic. Republicans insist that the tighter rules for voting are necessary to prevent voter fraud, though such fraud is extremely rare.<br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><br> For discussion<br> &nbsp;</h4> <ul> <li>Is greater participation in elections necessarily a good thing? Should the United States (or individual states) take steps to increase participation?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Should legislation on voting rights and access be left&nbsp; to each state or should the rules be national?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>At what age should people be allowed to vote in elections?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>In the countries with the highest rate of voter participation, voting is compulsory. Some <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/22-countries-voting-mandatory/">22 countries</a> require citizens to vote, including Brazil, Mexico, Thailand, and Belgium.&nbsp; Should the United States make voting mandatory?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>What are the pros and cons of automatically registering people to vote when they reach the age of 18?<br> &nbsp;</li> <li>Do you plan to vote once you reach voting age? Why or why not?<br> &nbsp;</li> </ul> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Sources<br> &nbsp;</h4> <p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/hillary-clinton-calls-for-sweeping-expansion-of-voter-registration/2015/06/04/691f210c-0adb-11e5-9e39-0db921c47b93_story.html">http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/hillary-clinton-calls-for-sweeping-expansion-of-voter-registration/2015/06/04/691f210c-0adb-11e5-9e39-0db921c47b93_story.html</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.people-press.org/2015/04/30/a-different-look-at-generations-and-partisanship/">http://www.people-press.org/2015/04/30/a-different-look-at-generations-and-partisanship/</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/09/25/the-gops-millennial-problem-runs-deep/">http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/09/25/the-gops-millennial-problem-runs-deep/</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.brennancenter.org/analysis/state-voting-2014">https://www.census.gov/prod/2014pubs/p20-573.pdf</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.brennancenter.org/analysis/state-voting-2014">http://www.brennancenter.org/analysis/state-voting-2014</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/22-countries-voting-mandatory/">www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/22-countries-voting-mandatory/</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.c-span.org/video/?326400-1/hillary-clinton-remarks-voting-rights">http://www.c-span.org/video/?326400-1/hillary-clinton-remarks-voting-rights</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="2015-06-07T08:02:22-04:00" title="Sunday, June 7, 2015 - 08:02">June 7, 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, 07 Jun 2015 12:02:22 +0000 fionta 455 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org After the 2012 Election: Exit Polls & Demographics https://www.morningsidecenter.org/teachable-moment/lessons/after-2012-election-exit-polls-demographics <!-- 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>After the 2012 Election: Exit Polls &amp; Demographics</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> <h4><strong>Objectives</strong></h4> <ul> <li>Students will be able to name different identity groups.</li> <li>Students will understand what demographic information is and why it is important.</li> <li>Students will examine the exit polls from the 2012 election and draw some conclusions from that data.</li> <li>Students will be able to create a survey with demographic information and analyze it.</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><strong>Class Discussion</strong><br> &nbsp;</h4> <p><strong>Identity Groups</strong></p> <p>Brainstorm a list of different identity groups by asking:&nbsp; What are some groups that you and other people belong to?&nbsp; If these don't come up, give examples like gender, race, age, economic class, and sexual orientation.&nbsp; The list might look like the following:&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>Male</li> <li>Female</li> </ul> <ul> <li>African-American/Black</li> <li>Asian/Pacific Islander</li> <li>Latino/Hispanic</li> <li>Native American</li> <li>White/Caucasian</li> <li>Multiracial/Biracial</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Child</li> <li>Young Adult/Teenager</li> <li>Middle Aged</li> <li>Senior Citizen</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Poor</li> <li>Working Class</li> <li>Middle Class</li> <li>Rich</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Straight</li> <li>Gay/Lesbian</li> <li>Bisexual</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;<br> If you need to define and explain any of these terms, do so by eliciting ideas from the class and clarifying if necessary.&nbsp; Say that there are other identity categories such as religion, ethnicity/nationality, educational background, geography (urban, rural, suburban, small town), family structure, etc.<br> &nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Demographics and the Election</strong></p> <p>Explain to the students that we have some very interesting information about how different identity groups voted in the 2012 presidential election. As we'll &nbsp;see later, &nbsp;President Obama was reelected in part by winning the support of a very high percentage of African-American voters (who often vote for Democrats), as well as a large proportion of Latino voters, Asian-American voters, and voters under age 40.&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;<br> The percentage of American voters who are white has been decreasing steadily over the past few decades (the white vote was 90% of total electorate in 1980, 78% in 2000 and 72% in 2012). These "demographic" changes have come quickly and there is reason to believe they will have a strong and lasting impact on our voting patterns.<br> &nbsp;<br> Ask:&nbsp; Has anyone heard the term "demographic?"&nbsp; What does it mean?&nbsp; Where have you heard the word?&nbsp; &nbsp;Help students understand that the word demographic is&nbsp;a section of the population&nbsp; - such as people of a particular gender, race or ethnicity, age group, &nbsp;income level - or a combination of qualities like these (such as women under 40).&nbsp; Ask students: &nbsp;What demographics would be interesting to look at in terms of the election?<br> &nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Exit Polls</strong></p> <p>Ask:&nbsp; What is an exit poll?&nbsp; If no one knows, ask if they can guess based on the words exit and poll.&nbsp; Explain that an election exit poll is a poll of voters taken immediately after they have exited their voting station.&nbsp; Many news organizations do polling in the U.S. (for example, CNN and the New York Times). Other organizations focus mainly on polling (such as Gallup or Rasmussen).&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;<br> Exit polls are conducted while the election is going on. In an exit poll, the pollsters ask people who they voted for and questions about who they are.&nbsp; In this way, they can understand how different groups of voters (demographics) voted.&nbsp; For example, exit pollsters can ask you who you voted for and also ask your age.&nbsp; Later, they can look at the information and say that more senior citizens voted for Mitt Romney and more people in their 20s voted for Barack Obama based on exit polls.<br> &nbsp;<br> Ask:&nbsp; Why would this information be interesting and useful?&nbsp; How might it be useful in future elections?<br> &nbsp;<br> Tell the students we are going to look at some of the exit polls from the 2012 presidential election and see what we can learn from them.</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4><strong>Analyzing 2012 Election Exit Polls</strong></h4> <p><strong>1. </strong>Print out a copy of the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2229225/Presidential-election-2012-Record-number-Hispanic-voters-head-polls.html">chart below</a> and if possible, project it onto a smart board or projector for viewing of the whole class.&nbsp;</p> <p>First give a brief overview explaining how the chart works.&nbsp;&nbsp; Explain that on the left side, the gray shading and number next to it shows you what percentage of the total electorate that group represents. For example, 47% of the electorate is male and 53% female.&nbsp; Ask: Were there more women or men voting?&nbsp; How much more?&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;<br> Then explain that on the right side of the chart, the blue represents the percentage of people in that category voting for the Democratic presidential candidate (President Barack Obama) and the red represents the percentage of people voting for the Republican candidate (former Governor Mitt Romney).&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;<br> Have the students read aloud the bottom of the chart, noting that the survey is based on 26,565 total voters and from 350 precincts nationally (a precinct is a geographic area used in voting). The company that conducted the poll is Edison Research.<br> &nbsp;<br> Ask: Why does the polling company survey such a large group of people?&nbsp; Why so many precincts?&nbsp; Explain that they don't have the time or money to poll every single person in the U.S. so they have to get a random sampling that is big and broad enough to give an accurate representation of the American population as a whole.<br> &nbsp;</p> <p><strong>2. </strong>Have students spend 10 minutes looking at the chart and discussing it with a partner.&nbsp; Ask them to share what they found surprising, interesting, and confusing.&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;<br> <strong>3.</strong>&nbsp; In the large group, have students come up with questions about the chart that other students answer. These questions will help determine if students understand the basics of the chart.&nbsp; You can model a question by asking:&nbsp; What percentage of women voted for Romney?&nbsp;Give several students the opportunity to ask&nbsp;questions and others to answer them.<br> &nbsp;<br> <strong>4.&nbsp;</strong> Next, ask students to respond to&nbsp;deeper and analytical questions such as:&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>What do you notice about the chart?</li> <li>What are the differences you notice between Obama's and Romney's supporters?</li> <li>How would you explain the reasons for these differences?</li> <li>Who do you identify with most in the chart, and why?</li> <li>Can you draw any conclusions about how the American people voted this year?</li> </ul> <p><img alt src="/sites/default/files/pictures/exit%20poll(1).jpg" style="width: 634px; height: 868px;"><br> &nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;<br> <strong>5. </strong>The <a href="https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2012/11/mitt-romney-white-voters-the-gop-candidates-race-based-monochromatic-campaign-made-him-a-loser.html">chart below</a> presents the breakdown of voters by race only. &nbsp;Again, hand out the chart to the students and/or project it to the entire class.&nbsp; Explain the chart to the students and ask:&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>Does anything jump out at you?</li> <li>Is there anything that is surprising?&nbsp; Not surprising?</li> <li>What are the key differences between Romney and Obama voters?&nbsp;</li> <li>Why do you think Romney got a much lower percentage of his votes from black, Latino, and Asian voters than President Obama did? &nbsp;</li> <li>The two candidates had different views on many issues.&nbsp; How do you think this influenced each candidate's voter demographics?</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;<img alt src="/sites/default/files/pictures/demographics.jpg" style="width: 568px; height: 300px;"></p> <p>&nbsp;<br> (For a more complex exit poll, see: <a href="http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/results/president/exit-polls" target="_blank">http://elections.nytimes.com/2012/results/president/exit-polls</a>)<br> &nbsp;<br> &nbsp;</p> <hr> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4><strong>Create your own school poll&nbsp;</strong></h4> <p>Tell students that as a class, they are going to create a poll or survey on a topic of interest to them. &nbsp;In addition to the survey, they will also ask demographic questions of the people they survey so they can analyze this information afterwards.<br> &nbsp;<br> <strong>1.&nbsp;</strong> Brainstorm possible questions they could ask students in their school. For simplicity's sake, choose questions with yes/or or multiple choice answers. Possible questions could include:&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>What is your favorite sport?</li> <li>Would you rather go out for lunch or eat in the school cafeteria?</li> <li>How many people are in your immediate family?</li> <li>What is your favorite television channel?</li> <li>Who did you support for president in the 2012 election?</li> <li>Which kind of book do you like best: science fiction, realistic fiction, or nonfiction?</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;<br> <strong>2.</strong> Decide on 2-3 questions.<br> &nbsp;<br> <strong>3. </strong>Discuss the identity questions you will also ask on the survey.&nbsp; For middle school, you might choose the following:&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <ul> <li>Gender: Girl or Boy</li> <li>Grade:&nbsp; 6<sup>th</sup> or 7<sup>th&nbsp; </sup>&nbsp;8<sup>th</sup> grade</li> <li>Race:&nbsp; African-American/Black, Asian/Pacific Islander,&nbsp; Latino/Hispanic, Native American, White/Caucasian, Multiracial/Biracial</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;<br> <strong>4. </strong>Have students create a paper survey that will be completed by students in the school anonymously. It would be best to have as many students as possible take the survey.&nbsp; An alternative is to create an electronic survey with a program like survey monkey (<a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/">www.surveymonkey.com</a>), which will require that you have computers available so everyone can vote.&nbsp; The survey should contain the survey questions as well as the demographic questions so students can analyze the responses later.&nbsp; Include in the survey that you would like people to answer every question.<br> &nbsp;<br> <strong>5. </strong>When all the surveys are completed and collected, have students work in small groups to add up the responses. Help them tally how different demographic groups voted for certain questions.&nbsp; For example, you might be able to see that sixth graders' favorite genre was science fiction and 8<sup>th</sup> graders favorite was realistic fiction.&nbsp;<br> &nbsp;<br> <strong>6. </strong>Have the students create bar graphs or pie charts representing the data generated from the survey.&nbsp; Display these in a Word document or have students draw their results on chart paper so they can display around the school.<br> &nbsp;<br> <strong>7. </strong>Discuss the experience with students. Ask: What did you learn by conducting a survey and collecting demographic information?&nbsp; What was it like to tally up the responses? &nbsp;What was difficult or easy?&nbsp; Why?&nbsp; Did any of the data you collected surprise you?&nbsp; If you had to do it again, what would you change about the survey or the way you asked the questions?</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr> <h4><strong>Closing</strong></h4> <p>&nbsp;<br> Ask students to respond to the question:&nbsp; Do you think studying demographics is important? Why or why not?</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="2012-11-12T15:45:22-05:00" title="Monday, November 12, 2012 - 15:45">November 12, 2012</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' --> Mon, 12 Nov 2012 20:45:22 +0000 fionta 610 at https://www.morningsidecenter.org