1 Watch the Video and Complete the Information About the Screenshots

3rd grade US presidential election 2016

1 Watch the video and complete the information about the screenshots.

1.1 How does the US presidential election work?

primaries: . ______The first states to vote are: . ______. ______conventions: ______election: ______inauguration: ______

1.2 What / who do you see?

Republicans Democrats

______

1.3 Explain the screen print.

______

1.4 Browse the Internet to find out what ‘Super Tuesday’ is. ______

1.5 Complete the missing words.

There are a lot of Republicans … (competing in the election) (1), like (1) ______billionaire businessman D Trump. Party members will c… their b… (vote) (2) in early 2016. New Hampshire has a more typical election, voters go into a … … (cubicle (2) ______where people can vote) (3). ______The winner of the primary will be the candidate in the 2016 … (election) (3) (4). Each state is worth a number of … (5)college votes, based on population. Both Republicans and Democrats hold … (official meetings) (6) in the (4) ______summer, at which they announce their presidential candidate. Presidential candidates have to elect a … (companion) (7) to be their vice-president. (5) ______The election is often decided in swing states, where the population often change their party … (loyalty) (8). The candidate who wins holds a … (9). (6) ______In the third week of January the new president is … (10) in.

(7) ______

(8) ______(9) ______(10) ______1.6 Extra: watch the video ‘Electing the US President in plain English’. Afterwards recap in your own words using the screenshots as cues.

popular vote < > individual states most state-wide votes

more influence > more people congressional districts based on population

candidate who wins the voting in a state number of electors = number of districts in a > wins electors state + number of US senators = always 2

win the majority of 538 = 270 electors > president-elect is sworn in as the next president become the president-elect

Transcript

Every 4 years, Americans who are 18 or older have a big responsibility. Our votes decide who becomes the president of the United States. Unfortunately, the US election system isn't that simple. It's easy to imagine every US citizen's vote being counted together on Election Day. But this is not the case.

US elections are not decided by the total or popular vote, but individual states. Let me explain. It starts with your vote. On Election Day, you’ll vote for president and their vice- president. You get one choice. Then, all the votes in your state are counted. The candidate with the most state-wide votes becomes the candidate your state supports for president. This happens across the country until each state has selected their candidate. We end up with most of the 50 states and the District of Columbia voting to support 1 candidate each. But there's a problem.

We can't elect a president by just counting up the choices of these states. US states are different. Consider this. California has about 36 million people, Kansas has less than 3 million. We need a way for California's choice to have more influence on the election because the state has more people. The question becomes - how do we make sure each state has the right amount of influence on the election?

Well, we need a way to account for the population of each state. As an example, let's consider my home state of North Carolina. Like every state, it is divided up into congressional districts that are based on population. North Carolina has 13 districts, California has 53 and Kansas has 4. When it comes to a state's influence on the election, the number of districts matters most. More population = more districts = more influence.

The influence a state has in the election is measured by the number of "electors". This number comes from the number of districts in a state plus the number of US senators - which is always 2. North Carolina has 15 electors, while California has 55. When a candidate wins the voting in a state, they win that state’s number of electors. That's why big, populous states can be so important to candidates. Their electors add up quickly. And the number of electors is what really matters.

Here’s why. If you add up the electors of all 50 states and the District of Columbia, there are 538 in total. The candidate’s goal on Election Day is to win the majority of 538 – or 270 electors. Once a candidate wins enough states to reach the 270 majority, they have won the election and become the president-elect.

So, let's recap. Your vote helps your state choose a single candidate. That candidate receives all the electors from your state. The candidate who can win enough states to reach 270 total electors wins the national election and becomes the president-elect. Then, on the following January 20th, the president-elect is sworn in as the next president of the United States. It all starts with your vote. Make it count! 2 Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump are both running for president.

2.1 Watch Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton’s campaign ads and complete the grid.

Donald Trump Hillary Clinton main message ______

______target group ______

______

______topics tackled in ad ______

______

______2.2 Get to know the two candidates better. Watch both profiles. a Who Is Donald Trump? Fill in the gaps with the following formal words. The synonyms in brackets may help you. platform (policy) – revenue (profits) – amassed (collected) – rhetoric (speeches) mogul (powerful businessman) – real estate (property) – disputed (questioned) vehemently (strongly) – unconventional (unusual) – pageants (shows) financially (economically) – indulged in (abused) – maintain (keep)

Reality TV host and business … (1) Donald Trump is first and foremost a (1) ______… (2) successful business magnate and investor. His start came as a result of his father, Fred Trump, who had already … (3) a real estate fortune (2) ______before his death. Donald Trump has controlled his father’s company since (3) ______the 1970s. He has primarily invested in hotel and casino … (4), and filed for business bankruptcy four times. He is also very well known for naming (4) ______business holdings after himself, including buildings, video games, buffets, magazines, clothing lines, and many others. Trump also owns a large number of golf courses and beauty … (5). (5) ______He has stated that his net worth is around $9 billion, making him the wealthiest candidate in the running, although Forbes says it is closer to $4 billion. His net worth has been … (6) in the past: a 2005 Deutsche Bank (6) ______assessment pegged his worth at around only $800 million at the time. Although Trump has never held public office, he has been very outspoken concerning his political views. His primary … (7) focuses on increasing US (7) ______jobs, and building a wall along the Mexican border, which Mexico would pay for. On social issues he is fairly right leaning. After years of being pro- choice, in 2011 he switched to being pro-life. Additionally, he is against same-sex marriage. Although he supported universal healthcare in 2000, he … (8) opposes Obamacare, calling it a “trillion-ton weight” on the (8) ______economy. Despite claiming to have never … (9) in any drugs or alcohol, he supports full drug legalization as a method of increasing tax … (10) for (9) ______education. ______(10) His foreign policy worldview is largely oil-based, and believes we are drilling too slowly for what he calls America’s “lifeblood”. He is also extremely critical of China’s influence in the United States, and has called for a 25% tax on imports in order to … (11) US jobs. However, many of his (11) ______self-named products are made in China. It should be clear that as a businessman and a showman, Trump’s politics tend to be … (12) (12) ______influenced rather than ideological.

Although Trump has withdrawn from his reality TV show in order to legally be a candidate, there’s no question that he will continue entertaining viewers with his fiery … (13) over the coming months. Money and politics (13) ______go hand in hand in the United States, but billionaires on both sides of the aisle actually share some common interests. b Who Is Hillary Clinton? Fill in the gaps with the following formal words. The synonyms in brackets may help you. appointed (chose) – alleged (suspected) – significant (important) – dodging (avoiding) despite (in spite of) – lapse (gap) – withdrawal (pulling out) – championed (supported) prominence (fame) – resigned (stepped down) – bailout (financial rescue) assuming (taking) – pushed (campaigned) – stint (period)

Hillary Clinton’s recent announcement that she’s running for president surprised nobody, and marked the countdown to the 2016 election. Hillary originally rose to … (1) as President Bill Clinton’s wife, and First Lady (1) ______of both Arkansas and the White House. Besides an embarrassing side-role in her husband’s … (2) affairs, she played a very active part in the Clinton (2) ______administration as an advisor and unofficial diplomat. She also … (3) for healthcare reform, dubbed “Hillarycare” by conservatives, and … (4) the (3) ______rights of minority women. (4) ______

Immediately after her … (5) as the First Lady, Hillary won a seat in the (5) ______New York Senate in 2000. During her time in office she supported military action in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and initially voted in favor of the Patriot Act. However she also voted against two massive tax cuts, and ultimately opposed the 2007 troop surge in Iraq, calling for a slow … (6). (6) ______One of her final acts as Senator was voting for the 2008 bank … (7). (7) ______In 2008, Hillary campaigned to be the Democratic presidential candidate, but lost out to Barack Obama after a heated, and financially record breaking run for both. … (8) competition between the two during (8) ______the campaign, President Obama … (9) Clinton as his Secretary of State for his first term. She continued to champion women’s rights and gay rights as (9) ______global issues. She also played a … (10) role in the US’s actions during the (10) ______Arab Spring, as well as the killing of Osama Bin Laden. However her biggest challenge was following terror attacks on a US embassy in Benghazi, Libya that ended in the deaths of four Americans. Clinton was widely criticized after … (11) responsibility for denying additional security to the embassy (11) ______before the attacks.

In 2012, Hillary … (12) as Secretary of State, as she had been planning to (12) ______since 2010. For the first time since 1979, she became a private citizen. Although, that … (13) in service clearly hasn’t lasted too long. So far she (13) ______has already been criticized in her current campaign for using a private email address during her time as Secretary of State. But we know one thing about Hillary Clinton, she’s been … (14) public controversy for the (14) ______past 36 years, and will be no stranger to the coming fight for the Presidency. 3 The Democratic and Republican party

3.1 Watch the videos and fill in the missing information on the Republican Party a What does the Republican Party stand for?

. national security: an aggressive United States ______stance in terms of foreign policy and more ______enforcement to prevent illegal immigration . free market: less ______. social conservatism: ______values b What are the strongest Republican states?

. The South: Texas, Utah, Mississippi, … . The ______: Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, …

 As you start going North, Republican support starts to ______. c Who votes for the Republican Party?

. white ______. southern whites, the ______, and really any kind of rural whites . ______class whites: even though they tend to be in unions, they also tend to vote for social conservatism . Libertarians, ______Street, the ______crowd

 The more ______you are, the more likely you are to vote Republican.

3.2 Who is who? Write the names of the republican presidents under their photos.

______(2000-2008) ______(1860-1865)

______(1980-1988) ______(1968-1974) 3.3 Watch the videos and fill in the missing information on the Republican Party. a What does the Democratic Party stand for?

. diplomacy: 'globalist' approach, a ______approach to foreign policy . ______rights and liberties . welfare state: government helping people who are ______in the free market b What are the strongest Democratic states?

. the ______: Massachusetts, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, ______(big union state) . the ______: California, Washington, Oregon c Who votes for the Democratic Party?

. ______: ever since The New Deal (= F. D. Roosevelt’s economic recovery plan in the Thirties) . ethnic minorities . minorities in terms of sexual orientations, women, … . academics, economists, journalists, …

 Increasing ______tends to get you to vote more Democrat.

3.4 Who is who? Write the names of the democratic presidents under their photos.

______(1960-1963) ______(1992-2000) ______(2008-2016)

______(1933-1945) ______(1976-1980)

3.5 Watch the video. Then read the transcript to answer the questions below. US Presidential Elections: Do we know everything about Democrats?

Before the twentieth century, Democrats advocated a free, unregulated market and they were even pro-slavery. But today, the Democrats are seen as the party of social support and justice. So, what exactly do Democrats believe ? Well, the modern democratic party traces its roots to progressive President Franklin D. Roosevelt. At the height of the great depression, Roosevelt created social security and other big government programs meant to protect the poor and unemployed. Through government sponsored public works projects, he created jobs and opportunities for those suffering from the stock market crash. Today, the Democrats still believe in the power of the government to provide a just and equal society. Democrats advocate stricter government regulation on big business, and larger participation in the social safety net. In March 2010, President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act into law, thereby increasing access to healthcare via government subsidies, and decreasing the power of private insurers. He has also increased government subsidies for low income families and even rolled out a program providing free internet. The party also champions the middle class and has generally supported the labour movements and unions. They do this by promoting progressive tax plans in which wealthier members of society pay a higher percentage than middle and lower income groups. However, this isn’t always the case. President Obama recently signed the Trans-Pacific Partnership into law, which democratic candidate Bernie Sanders has said will likely undercut US workers. On social issues, the Democrats are often seen as being open to societal change, often helping those who face discrimination and poverty. Although they generally oppose undocumented immigration, they believe that the government should help those who want to immigrate while focusing on deporting dangerous criminals. The Democratic Party considers itself an ally of LGBT causes, citing the president’s support for same sex marriage. In addition, they believe in a proper separation of church and state, along with stricter gun-control laws. While both Republicans and Democrats have advocated for a strong military, Democrats in particular prefer diplomatic cooperation and collaboration over military force. The party platform emphasizes restoring America’s image by restoring a relationship with its allies. (Sharma) a What political stance did the Democratic party take before the twentieth century? ______b Sum up the party’s current key concepts. ______c Discuss President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s influence on the party. ______d Explain how the Democrats continue Roosevelt’s legacy today. ______e What three social measures did President Obama take? ______f What is a ‘progressive tax plan’? ______g What is the party’s position on immigration? ______h Discuss the democratic stance on … . LGBT: ______

. religion: ______

. guns: ______

. international politics: ______3.6 Listening test: watch the video on Republican beliefs and answer the questions. Consult the Strategy Guide: L3 watching a news report / documentary clip #language The Republican Party is also referred to as the GOP, i.e. the Grand Old Party. Another name is Lincoln’s Party. a What is meant by ‘the party of opportunity’? ______b Explain former President Reagan’s quote: ‘I am from the government and I am here to help’ ______c What is the GOP’s main economic belief? ______d What are ‘trickle-down’ economics? ______e How did G.W. Bush apply that theory? ______f Why do Republicans try to repeal Obamacare? ______g Name two conservative views on social issues. ______h What is the party stance on the military? ______