Kids Voting Usa 9-12 Classroom Activities

KIDS VOTING USA 9-12 CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EDUCATOR’S GUIDE OVERVIEW SCOPE AND SEQUENCE INDEX TO ACTIVITIES BY SKILL AND DISCIPLINE

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES ELECTIONS AND THE VOTING EXPERIENCE AMERICAN DEMOCRACY AND CITIZENSHIP SUFFRAGE AND THE RIGHT TO VOTE ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES APPENDIX GLOSSARY BIBLIOGRAPHY LOCAL INFORMATION

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The Kids Voting USA name and logo and all related trademarks, trade names, and other intellectual property are the property of Kids Voting USA and cannot be used without its express prior written permission. 9–12 EDUCATOR’S GUIDE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

AN OVERVIEW ...... 2

SCOPE AND SEQUENCE ...... 6

INDEX TO ACTIVITIES BY SKILL ...... 8

INDEX TO ACTIVITIES BY DISCIPLINE ...... 10

INDEX TO ACTIVITIES BY ADDITIONAL CATEGORIES ...... 11

THE TEACHER AND THE TOWN ...... 12

AN OVERVIEW

WHAT IS KIDS VOTING USA? Kids Voting USA (KVUSA) is a national nonprofit organization working to secure the future of democracy by preparing young people to be educated, engaged voters. KVUSA operates through a national network of community-based affiliates that partner with schools and election officials. The program offers students in kindergarten through high school a wide range of opportunities for civic learning. It is the combination of classroom instruction, family dialogue, and an authentic voting experience throughout a young person’s formative years that makes Kids Voting USA a powerful strategy for achieving long-term change in voting behavior.

DESCRIPTION OF KIDS VOTING USA CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES Kids Voting USA offers two resources for the classroom, one for primary school educators, Kids Voting USA Classroom Activities: K-8, and one for secondary school educators, Kids Voting USA Classroom Activities: 9-12. The information in this guide pertains to the Kids Voting USA Classroom Activities: 9-12 resource. Kids Voting USA Classroom Activities: 9-12 is designed to facilitate secondary school teachers in addressing civic learning objectives, especially those that relate to voting and elections. The resource is comprised of engaging activities that foster group discussion and the use of critical thinking skills. The goals of Kids Voting USA classroom activities are for students to: Cultivate information-gathering and decision-making skills Develop higher-order thinking skills Develop empathy towards others Gain a knowledge and appreciation of suffrage, democracy, citizenship, and elections Understand and participate in the direct voting process The activities are designed to emphasize self-discovery in a cooperative setting. This is effective because: Students master and retain knowledge and concepts better and develop problem-solving skills, creativity, verbal skills, and empathy — all of which are important for voters Group problem-solving provides a model of democracy In sum, Kids Voting USA’s resource for primary school educators, Kids Voting USA Classroom Activities: 9-12, is designed to train students to live as thoughtful, active citizens in a democracy.

HOW ARE THE ACTIVITIES ORGANIZED? Within Kids Voting USA Classroom Activities: 9-12, activities are organized by four themes: Elections and the Voting Experience American Democracy and Citizenship Suffrage and the Right to Vote Active Citizenship To learn more about each theme, please refer to the “Scope and Sequence” section of this guide. Each theme has its own organization and consists of the following sections: 1. Introduction to Theme: a short description of the theme that includes the theme’s main learning objectives 2. General Activities: a collection of activities, organized by main concepts, that address specific civic learning objectives within the theme 3. Overarching Questions: lists of questions, organized by main concepts, that you can use to prepare for or to revisit an objective students have mastered 4. Literature Connection Activity: an activity that aligns a piece of literature with a civic learning objective 5. Culminating Activity: an activity that is a meaningful summarization of the theme’s main learning objectives Activities are marked by grade level, theme, and name. The time needed to complete an activity is specified under the name of the activity. Activities generally have the same format across themes and theme components: 1. Objective: a short and specific learning goal 2. Materials: a list of resources necessary for the activity 3. Get Ready: instructions for you to prepare the activity 4. Instructions: instructions for you to carry out the activity 5. Discussion Questions: questions you can use to evaluate students’ attainment of the objective 6. More!: item(s) the class may undertake to further explore the objective 7. Vote Quote: an inspiring quote that relates to the activity A final feature of Kids Voting USA Classroom Activities: 9-12 is the Additional Resources section. This section is comprised of the Appendix, Glossary, and Bibliography.

HOW DO I USE THE ACTIVITIES? Kids Voting USA Classroom Activities: 9-12 allows for great flexibility of use as multiple teachers can use the same theme in a variety of ways. Some teachers may use only a few activities at a specific time of the year, such as before an election. Others may thoroughly investigate a theme with their class over a longer period of time; these teachers may incorporate many activities, including literature connection and culminating activities, into their short- and long-term plans. This resource takes into account that every class and year is different, though there are multiple things you may want to consider in any given year: The Elections and the Voting Experience theme is integral to the Kids Voting USA program. Make sure that you and your students investigate this theme prior to any elections. Consider investigating the American Democracy and Citizenship theme in preparation for teaching about elections and voting. This will provide an invaluable context. Investigate the Suffrage and the Right to Vote theme with your class to enhance your students’ appreciation of voting, elections, and democracy. Consider using this theme during February, African-American History Month, or March, Women’s History Month. Take advantage of the Active Citizenship theme at any point in the school year to underscore to your students that being a proactive citizen is not limited to voting. It will be helpful for you to treat the themes as menus, not recipes: You should pick and choose what works for your classroom as opposed to following a prescribed formula. Take a look at each theme, consider where the activities fit into your plans, and make modifications where you deem them necessary. (Take advantage of the indexes and other tools included in this guide to help individualize the Kids Voting experience for your class.) If you are concerned about finding time for these activities, just remember that Kids Voting USA activities are not an add-on to an already very busy day. The learning involved is required learning as outlined in the National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies and your State Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. (To see how our activities align to the national standards, go to the “In the Classroom” section of our Web site, www.kidsvotingusa.org, and click on Educator’s Guide. For state standard correlation, check with your local Kids Voting USA affiliate.)

ADDITIONAL NOTES ON THE ACTIVITIES It is important to note that while Kids Voting USA Classroom Activities: 9-12 is designed to address civic learning objectives, many of the activities reinforce the work teachers are doing with their students in regard to language arts and math. Moreover, Kids Voting USA activities often make connections to service. Kids Voting USA places high value on activities that bridge the classroom to the community. (To find activities that incorporate language arts, math, and/or service-learning, refer to the indexes in this guide.)

Some final things to be aware of are supplemental activities that can be found on the Kids Voting USA Web site. (To access them, go to the “In the Classroom” section of www.kidsvotingusa.org and select Supplemental Activities.) They include: 1. Family activities 2. Spanish-language activities

HOW DO I ACCESS THE ACTIVITIES? Your local Kids Voting USA affiliate will make the classroom activities available to you in one of a few ways. You may receive a CD version of Kids Voting USA Classroom Activities: 9-12. You may alternatively receive some or all of the themes as a hard copy. A final way to access the activities, which is important in the case that you do not have a CD version or a complete hard copy, is to access the activities through the Kids Voting USA Web site. Just log onto the Kids Voting USA Web site at www.kidsvotingusa.org and click “In The Classroom.”

WHAT IF I NEED HELP? Each school should have a coordinator who works directly with the Kids Voting USA affiliate staff in your area. If a coordinator is not available, call your local Kids Voting USA affiliate. The number is listed on the Kids Voting Web page at www.kidsvotingusa.org or in your telephone directory.

WHAT IF KIDS VOTING USA NEEDS MY HELP? We do! Please send us your ideas, your photographs, your stories of success, your challenges and concerns, and your comments. We use your ideas as we continue to revise the activities. Our address is: Kids Voting USA Superstition Office Plaza 3933 S. McClintock Dr., Suite 505 Tempe, AZ 85282

Use the following sections of this guide to familiarize yourself with the four themes and to locate activities by skill, discipline, and additional categories.

SCOPE AND SEQUENCE:

THEME: ELECTIONS AND THE VOTING EXPERIENCE Description: The intent of this theme is to educate students about elections, from gaining an appreciation of the power of voting to studying the candidates and issues to understanding the registration process and participating in an election. The theme’s activities fall under four concepts:

CONCEPT OBJECTIVE My Vote Gives Me Power Students internalize the power of the vote by examining its impact on their lives

I Study the Candidates and Issues Students examine the mechanics of political discussion and the value of differing ideas in a democracy

I Register and Vote Students identify their precincts, register, and vote at the polls

I Continue to Make a Difference Students become involved in ongoing political processes

THEME: AMERICAN DEMOCRACY AND CITIZENSHIP Description: The intent of this theme is to provide an understanding of and a context for American democracy and citizenship, from the rights and responsibilities of students in their local, state, and national communities to the world beyond. The theme’s activities fall under four concepts:

CONCEPT OBJECTIVE What is Democracy? Students internalize the meaning of democracy as a process for individuals and societies

Democracy in America Students learn about the democratic experience and the impact of American democracy

A Citizen’s Rights Students explore citizen rights and the responsibilities of being a member of a and Responsibilities democracy

Democracy in the World Students compare and contrast American democracy to democracies around the world

THEME: SUFFRAGE AND THE RIGHT TO VOTE Description: The intent of this theme is for students to understand what suffrage is and how and when it was granted to different populations over the course of American history. The theme’s activities fall under three concepts:

CONCEPT OBJECTIVE What is Suffrage? Students examine the concept and practice of suffrage, the right to vote

Expanding the Right to Vote Students learn about the history and expansion of voting rights

Suffrage Today Students analyze and evaluate the state of suffrage in present day America

THEME: ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP Description: The intent of this theme is for students to learn how to evaluate information and to intelligently form, communicate, and act on the decisions they make. The theme’s activities fall under four concepts:

CONCEPT OBJECTIVE Gathering and Weighing Information Students learn how to become critical consumers and informed decision-makers

Communicating Your Position Students learn to effectively communicate to classmates and the greater community

Working Together Students learn to plan and execute various projects using the power of group collaboration

Having an Impact Students seek to influence public policy through civic discussion and political activism

INDEX TO ACTIVITIES BY SKILL

TO LOCATE THE LISTED ACTIVITIES BY THEME, USE THE FOLLOWING ABBREVIATIONS: EVE = Elections and the Voting Experience ADC = American Democracy and Citizenship SRV = Suffrage and the Right to Vote AC = Active Citizenship

SKILL ACTIVITIES Decision Making Selling The Candidates (EVE); Literature Connection Activity: Presidential Leadership (EVE); Supreme Court Voting Rights Cases (SRV); In The News: Fact Or Fiction? (AC); Debate The Issue (AC); Literature Connection Activity: Teen Power Politics (AC); Culminating Activity: Service-learning Action Plan (AC); Public Agenda (AC); Voting Simulation (EVE); Helping An Organization (AC); Save Your Rights (ADC); My Turn: Targeting A Problem For Teens (AC)

Media Savvy Selling The Candidates (EVE); Culminating Activity: Candidates’ Night (EVE); In The News: Fact Or Fiction? (AC); Public Agenda (AC); Letter To The Editor (AC); Political Cartoons (AC); Campaign Issue (EVE)

Gathering Build Your Voter IQ (EVE); Exit Polling (EVE); Nelson Mandela Votes In The Election Of 1994 Information (SRV); Public Agenda (AC); Choosing An Issue (AC); Debate The Issue (AC); Letter To The Editor (AC); My Turn: Targeting A Problem For Teens (AC); Campaign Issue (EVE); Helping An Organization (AC); It’s Party Time (ADC); Voting And Local Government (EVE); Literature Connection Activity: Presidential Leadership (EVE); Experiencing America (ADC); Voter Survey (ADC); Global Neighbors (ADC); Literature Connection Activity: Common Sense (ADC); Culminating Activity: Act From The Heart (ADC); Supreme Court Voting Rights Cases (SRV); In The Right (SRV); Voting Rights Act Of 1965 (SRV); The Power Of One (SRV); Voicing Your Opinion (AC); Creative Expressions (AC); Literature Connection Activity: Teen Power Politics (AC); Culminating Activity: Service-learning Action Plan (AC)

Self-Discipline Campaign Issue (EVE); Registration Simulation (EVE); An Hour Or Two (EVE); Voter Survey (ADC); Global Neighbors (ADC); Choosing An Issue (ADC); My Turn: Targeting A Problem For Teens (AC); Helping An Organization (AC); Culminating Activity: Service-learning Action Plan (AC)

Civic-Mindedness Election Judge Trainees (EVE); An Hour Or Two (EVE); Registering New Voters (EVE); Assisting People With Disabilities (EVE); Culminating Activity: Candidates’ Night (EVE); Voter Survey (ADC); Register Your Opinion (ADC); Culminating Activity: Act From The Heart (ADC); Voicing Your Opinion (AC); Helping An Organization (AC); Literature Connection Activity: Teen Power Politics (AC); Culminating Activity: Service-learning Action Plan (AC)

SKILL ACTIVITIES Cooperation Leader Or Politician (EVE); Selling The Candidates (EVE); Build Your Voter IQ (EVE); Exit Polling (EVE); Literature Connection Activity: Presidential Leadership (EVE); Culminating Activity: Candidates’ Night (EVE); Experiencing America (ADC); Literature Connection Activity: Common Sense (ADC); Supreme Court Voting Rights Cases (SRV); In the Right (SRV); We The Women (SRV); The Power Of One (SRV); Literature Connection Activity: Voting And The Spirit Of American Democracy (SRV); Culminating Activity: A Game Of Cards (SRV); Public Agenda (AC); The Election Of 1800 (AC); Voicing Your Opinion (AC); Political Cartoons (AC); Koosh Ball Catch (AC); Creative Expressions (AC); Teaching An Elementary Lesson (AC); Literature Connection Activity: Teen Power Politics (AC); Culminating Activity: Service-learning Action Plan (AC)

Knowledge of Election Judge Trainees (EVE); Voting And Local Government (EVE); Build Your Voter IQ (EVE); Institutions Voting Simulation (EVE); Democracy: What Is It Really? (ADC); Democracy As A Sport (ADC); It’s Party Time (ADC); Athenian Democracy (ADC); Literature Connection Activity: Common Sense (ADC); Supreme Court Voting Rights Cases (SRV); Literature Connection Activity: Voting And The Spirit Of American Democracy (SRV); Culminating Activity: A Game Of Cards (SRV)

Knowledge of Campaign Issue (EVE); An Hour Or Two (EVE); Experiencing America (ADC); Culminating Social Issues Activity: Act From The Heart (ADC); Supreme Court Voting Rights Cases (SRV); In The Right (SRV); 1965 Alabama Literacy Test (SRV); We The Women (SRV); Voting Rights Act Of 1965 (SRV); Nelson Mandela Votes In The Election Of 1994 (SRV); Stop That Teenager Before He Votes (SRV); The Power Of One (SRV); Literature Connection Activity: Voting And The Spirit Of American Democracy (SRV); Culminating Activity: A Game Of Cards (SRV); In The News: Fact Or Fiction? (AC); Public Agenda (AC); Choosing An Issue (AC); Debate The Issue (AC); Voicing Your Opinion (AC); Letter To The Editor (AC); Political Cartoons (AC); Creative Expressions (AC); My Turn: Targeting A Problem For Teens (AC); Helping An Organization (AC); Literature Connection Activity: Teen Power Politics (AC); Culminating Activity: Service-learning Action Plan (AC)

Communication Voting And Local Government (EVE); Leader Or Politician? (EVE); An Hour Or Two (EVE); Skills Registering New Voters (EVE); Assisting People With Disabilities (EVE); Exit Polling (EVE); Literature Connection Activity: Presidential Leadership (EVE); Culminating Activity: Candidates’ Night (EVE); Democracy: What Is It Really? (ADC); Experiencing America (ADC); Voter Survey (ADC); Register Your Opinion (ADC); Save Your Rights (ADC); Global Neighbors (ADC); Literature Connection Activity: Common Sense (ADC); Supreme Court Voting Rights Cases (SRV); We The Women (SRV); Voting Rights Act Of 1965 (SRV); Stop That Teenager Before He Votes (SRV); The Power Of One (SRV); Literature Connection Activity: Voting And The Spirit Of American Democracy (SRV); Culminating Activity: A Game Of Cards (SRV); In The News: Fact Or Fiction? (AC); Public Agenda (AC); Choosing An Issue (AC); Debate The Issue (AC); The Election Of 1800 (AC); Voicing Your Opinion (AC); Letter To The Editor (AC); Koosh Ball Catch (AC); Teaching An Elementary Lesson (AC); Culminating Activity: Service-learning Action Plan (AC)

INDEX TO ACTIVITIES BY DISCIPLINE

DISCIPLINE ACTIVITIES Reading Campaign Issue (EVE); Literature Connection Activity: Presidential Leadership (EVE); Democracy: What Is It Really? (ADC); Register Your Opinion (ADC); Athenian Democracy (ADC); Literature Connection Activity: Common Sense (ADC); Culminating Activity: Act From The Heart (ADC); Supreme Court Voting Rights Cases (SRV); In The Right (SRV); We The Women (SRV); Voting Rights Act Of 1965 (SRV); Nelson Mandela Votes In The Election Of 1994 (SRV); Stop That Teenager Before He Votes (SRV); Literature Connection Activity: Voting And The Spirit Of American Democracy (SRV); In The News: Fact Or Fiction? (AC); Public Agenda (AC); Choosing An Issue (AC); The Election Of 1800 (AC); Voicing Your Opinion (AC); Letter To The Editor (AC); My Turn: Targeting A Problem For Teens (AC); Literature Connection Activity: Teen Power Politics (AC)

Writing Voting And Local Government (EVE); Campaign Issue (EVE); Registering New Voters (EVE); Literature Connection Activity: Presidential Leadership (EVE); Democracy As A Sport (ADC); Registering Your Opinion (ADC); Global Neighbors (ADC); Supreme Court Voting Rights Cases (SRV); In The Right (SRV); Stop That Teenager Before He Votes (SRV); Literature Connection Activity: Voting And The Spirit Of American Democracy (SRV); In The News: Fact Or Fiction? (AC); Choosing An Issue (AC); The Election Of 1800 (AC); Voicing Your Opinion (AC); Letter To The Editor (AC); My Turn: Targeting A Problem For Teens (AC); Teaching An Elementary Lesson (AC); Literature Connection Activity: Teen Power Politics (AC)

Math Voting And Local Government (EVE); Exit Polling (EVE)

INDEX TO ACTIVITIES BY ADDITIONAL CATEGORIES

CATEGORY ACTIVITIES Service-learning Election Judge Trainees (EVE); An Hour Or Two (EVE); Registering New Voters (EVE); Assisting People With Disabilities (EVE); Exit Polling (EVE); Culminating Activity: Candidates’ Night; Culminating Activity: Act From The Heart (ADC); Voicing Your Opinion (AC); Helping An Organization (AC); Literature Connection Activity: Teen Power Politics (AC); Culminating Activity: Service-learning Action Plan (AC)

Local Elections Election Judge Trainees (EVE); Voting And Local Government (EVE); Exit Polling (EVE); Culminating Activity: Candidates’ Night (EVE); Political Cartoons (AC)

THE TEACHER AND THE TOWN

A unique and wonderful aspect of Kids Voting USA is that it ties the classroom, the home, and the town together. However, there are some important preplanning considerations to keep in mind while you forge these links as a classroom teacher:

1. PROTECT THE NONPARTISAN CHARACTER OF YOUR SCHOOLS AND THE KIDS VOTING USA PROGRAM. Some sample scenarios: When you invite candidates to speak on your campus, invite all candidates for the office to participate. If a candidate cannot attend, ask that some representative of the campaign speak instead, or request a position statement to use with the students. Do not hand out campaign literature to students. Students may be assigned to gather information about candidates and issues; campaign literature may be a part of this assignment. Allow students to gather and disseminate all information, including literature. Your role should be as a guide or facilitator. Direct discussion and assure that all sides are represented equally.

2. BE SENSITIVE TO PARENTS/GUARDIANS WHO ARE UNABLE OR UNWILLING TO VOTE. There may be family members of students who are unable or unwilling to participate in the vote due to religion, illegal status in this country, fear of elections due to experience in other countries, criminal records, etc. Please be sensitive to these issues, encouraging the involvement of everyone and providing support in appropriate situations, but never forcing or overextending the invitation.

3. KEEP PARENTS/GUARDIANS “IN THE LOOP.” Communicate with parents regarding the Kids Voting USA program. Some possibilities include sending home a letter about the program (samples of parent letters can be found on our Web site, www.kidsvotingusa.org; just go to the “In the Classroom” section and select Educator’s Guide) or involving families in suitable Kids Voting USA classroom activities.

4. BE CREATIVE! BRING THE COMMUNITY IN OFTEN. Invite candidates to observe and then address the school’s Student Government election assembly. Hold a Candidate Forum on the cable TV local access channel, where kids pose questions to local candidates. Have students shadow candidates and/or elected officials for a day and report back to the class. Everyone benefits when the community is involved!

“The only title in our democracy superior to that of President is the title of citizen.” – Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis

9–12 ELECTIONS AND THE VOTING EXPERIENCE

INTRODUCTION TO THEME The intent of this theme is to educate students about elections, from gaining an appreciation of the power of voting to studying the candidates and issues to understanding the registration process and participating in an election. The theme’s activities fall under four main learning objectives: • Students will develop an appreciation for the power and influence of voting. • Students will learn how to study the candidates and issues relevant to an election. • Students will understand what is involved in the registration and voting process. • Students will learn how to stay involved with civic affairs after an election.

GENERAL ACTIVITIES CONCEPT 1: MY VOTE GIVES ME POWER Election Judge Trainees ...... 2 Voting And Local Government ...... 4 CONCEPT 2: I STUDY THE CANDIDATES AND ISSUES Campaign Issue ...... 5 Leader Or Politician? ...... 6 Selling The Candidates ...... 8 CONCEPT 3: I REGISTER AND VOTE Build Your Voter IQ ...... 10 Registration Simulation ...... 12 Voting Simulation ...... 15 CONCEPT 4: I CONTINUE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE An Hour Or Two ...... 17 Registering New Voters ...... 18 Assisting People With Disabilities ...... 19 Exit Polling ...... 20 OVERARCHING QUESTIONS Questions for Concept 1: My Vote Gives Me Power ...... 22 Questions for Concept 2: I Study the Candidates and Issues ...... 22 Questions for Concept 3: I Register and Vote ...... 22 Questions for Concept 4: I Continue to Make a Difference ...... 22 LITERATURE CONNECTION ACTIVITY Presidential Leadership edited by James Taranto and Leonard Leo ...... 23 CULMINATING ACTIVITY Candidates’ Night ...... 25

ELECTION JUDGE TRAINEES (Time varies)

OBJECTIVE Some of the duties of election judge trainees Students learn the significance of voting as could include: they assist at the polls during an election. Helping regular adult election judges with opening and closing the polls MATERIALS Being responsible for all election materials A local phone book Ensuring that only qualified voters are permitted to vote and that each qualified GET READY voter is permitted to vote only once Contact your local elections or voter information Distributing ballots, ensuring that all office. Invite someone to come and speak to votes are cast in secret the class about the election process and the Helping voters who require assistance importance of voting. Maintaining order in the voting place Talk with the entity in your area responsible throughout the day for elections about the possibility of involving Obtaining the results after the polls your students as election officials with are closed responsibilities, election judge trainees. Certifying the precinct election results See “Elections” in the Appendix. If serving as judge trainees is not feasible because of state election laws or other restric- INSTRUCTIONS tions, an alternative volunteer opportunity Invite your guest speaker to talk with your might incorporate a range of more modest class about the election process. activities including: helping set up equipment The next day in class, have students discuss at the polling places, answering phones, getting which part of the election process presented by refreshments for poll workers, welcoming voters, the guest speaker they are most interested in. handing out ballots, providing translation Since poll workers are getting older and seeking services, providing assistance for those with volunteers is sometimes challenging, there is special needs, assisting in counting ballots, enthusiasm in some locations for involving and packing up equipment and supplies. youth in this capacity. Let your class know After completing the service activity, ask about the possibility of them serving as an actual students to discuss or write about their election official. (Be sure to clear permission experiences as poll workers. for this activity with your school principal.)

ELECTION JUDGE TRAINEES (continued)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS # Why is voting so important? # How and why does the election process work # How has the voting process changed over time? the way it does? # How do election laws or the voting process # What contributions do poll workers make to differ from state to state? the election process? # What are some of the challenges that have # Was your service activity hard to do? Fun? disenfranchised voters (e.g. poll taxes, butterfly # What did you learn about voting and elections ballots)? from your experience? # How do you think the voting process can be improved?

VOTING AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT (Time varies)

OBJECTIVE Next, have students e-mail someone from each Students research the individuals, groups, and group or committee to find out how voting committees that make up their local city plays a role in the functioning of the group. government and determine what part voting Do the groups use voting to make decisions? plays in how local government operates. How often? About what types of topics? After students receive replies to their messages, MATERIALS ask them to reflect on and discuss the role Local phone book; access to the Internet of voting in local government groups and committees. GET READY Have your students continue their research Find some Internet sites that would connect and write a report about a government group students to the people/entities that make up or committee explaining how voting is impor- their local government. tant to the functioning of that group/committee.

INSTRUCTIONS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Using a phone book and/or the Internet, have # Do many groups in our local government students develop a list of the individuals, groups, make decisions by voting? Which ones? and committees that make up their local # Are there any groups that do not use voting? government. For each person/entity, students How do those groups make decisions? should gather the following information, if # What would happen to local government needed by contacting someone at City Hall: groups if there were no elections for members? Name of individual position, group # How do certain government committees use or committee voting at meetings? Contact information (name, phone number and/or e-mail address) List whether individuals in this group are appointed, elected, or hired Pooling their information, students can construct a flow chart to determine how voting contributes to the makeup of the local government.

CAMPAIGN ISSUE (Time varies)

OBJECTIVE campaign literature, contacting the candidates’ Students write papers describing several campaign offices, or interviewing the candidates candidates’ positions on selected campaign in person or via e-mail. issues. Students should then develop their own position on the issue and decide which candidate’s MATERIALS views are most aligned with their own. Newspapers; library access; local phone book; Have students write a paper summarizing Internet access their research. Each student should include the following: GET READY An overview of the issue locally, Arrange a time for your class to meet with the nationally, and historically school’s librarian so they can learn how to A summary of several candidates’ views effectively/efficiently research their candidate. on this issue Organize a list of the current candidates for The student’s position on the issue with the students to choose from. a rationale for why he/she has chosen this perspective INSTRUCTIONS Actions the student could take to Have your students read newspapers and watch influence candidates’ views on this issue the news to determine the issues of central concern in an upcoming local election. They DISCUSSION QUESTIONS could also contact campaign offices to get can- # What made you choose your campaign issue? didates’ views on the issues of greatest concern. # What did you learn about the issue that Each student should choose one issue to interested you the most? Why? address. This should be an issue the student # Which candidate’s position did you agree with cares about and that is relevant for youth. the most? Why? The next task is to collect information on # How are you going to stay involved in the this issue from a variety of sources (books, issue after the election? newspapers, journals, Web sites). Students could work individually, in pairs, or in small MORE! groups as they research an issue. Students can develop, publish, and distribute a Next, have your students research the candi- print or electronic newsletter that includes dates’ positions on the issue. Each student can information about each candidate running for focus on the candidates running for one elected office, including their positions on the key issues. position. They can find the candidates’ positions from news articles, Web sites,

LEADER OR POLITICIAN? (30-40 minutes)

OBJECTIVE When the Venn diagrams are completed, ask Students construct ideal qualities for political the groups to choose a political leader of the leadership to evaluate the qualities of past past who embodies the overlap in their leaders and current candidates. diagram. Ask the groups to explain how that leader possessed all of the overlapping qualities MATERIALS of their diagram. Brainstorming List handout Invite the groups to share their diagrams with the class. GET READY Duplicate a copy of the handout for each student. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Divide students into groups of three or four. # Were the adjectives for “politician” similar to those of the “leader”? Why or why not? INSTRUCTIONS # How can we encourage more of the “best and Ask your students to use their Brainstorming brightest” Americans to go into politics? List handouts to individually brainstorm # Out of all the qualities a politician and leader adjectives that come to mind when thinking of must have, which are the most important? the word “politician.” Then ask your students # Which of our past leaders would you elect to do the same for the word “leader.” today if he/she were still alive? Why? When the individual lists are completed, ask the groups to fill out the Venn diagram on the VOTE QUOTE handout together, using all the students’ “When I was a boy I was told that anybody adjectives as well as adding any others the could become President. I’m beginning to students can come up with as a group. Say, believe it.” – Clarence Darrow The place where the two circles overlap should show qualities that an outstanding political leader needs. Examples might be “voter popularity” or “eloquent speaking ability” as well as “creativity” or “integrity.”

1. Write down the words that come to mind when you think of the word “politician.”

2. Write down the words that come to mind when you think of the word “leader.”

POLITICIAN LEADER

SELLING THE CANDIDATES (45 minutes)

OBJECTIVE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Students analyze candidates’ television # Which seemed to be the most prevalent advertisements to identify techniques of fallacies? Techniques of persuasion? persuasion and fallacies of logic. Why might these predominate in politics? # In political commercials, which of the tech- MATERIALS niques of persuasion seem best justified? Why? If possible obtain The Classics of Political TV # Why is media purchase, especially in the form Advertising (video); Selling The Candidates of television commercials, so critical to handout candidates today?

GET READY MORE! If you do not have a collection of political TV Groups can find a product commercial which commercials, have students tape some and parallels the techniques and fallacies they bring them to class. discovered in a political commercial. Duplicate the Selling The Candidates handout (Example: the landmark 1964 advertisement for each student. by Lyndon Johnson and most mouthwash commercials. Both persuade with generalities, INSTRUCTIONS and sell to customers by arousing strong If possible screen and discuss the landmark emotions.) The end product could be a poster. 1964 ad by Lyndon Johnson (assailing Barry Goldwater) where a small girl counted petals on a daisy as a mushroom cloud appeared behind her. This is a classic example that appeals to emotion, convincing viewers to form an opinion by arousing fear. Give groups a few minutes to decide which techniques of persuasion were used in the ad, whether the commercial contained any of the logical fallacies, what they were, and why they matched examples on their handouts. Show several political commercials and have your students consider the items listed above for each ad.

TECHNIQUES OF PERSUASION LOGICAL FALLACIES

1. Plain Folks: emphasizes similarities with the 1. Hasty Generalization: bases a conclusion on average citizen. (“I was born in a two bedroom insufficient evidence, usually a fractional house and walked to school with my brother.”) sampling. (“Somalians don’t want our help — look what they did to an American soldier.”) 2. Bandwagon: encourages the listener to do something because it’s the popular thing to do. 2. False Dilemma: presents only two choices (“More and more of us want new blood in when there are a variety of possibilities. Washington, and we’re voting for Jones.”) (“Choose Smith and you’ll get inflation; choose Jones and the budget will be balanced.”) 3. Name Calling: uses negative labels to stigmatize opponents. (“Michael Dukakis is a 3. Loaded Questions: constructs biased questions card-carrying liberal.”) with predetermined answers. (“When did you abandon your party’s platform on that issue, 4. Testimonial: shows an endorsement by a Senator Smith?”) famous and respected person. (“I’m voting for George Bush,” declared Ronald Reagan.) 4. False Cause: insists on a causal relationship because one event preceded the other. 5. Glittering Generalities: says little specifically, (“As soon as Jones was elected, congressional but conveys emotion. (“John Jones has made corruption was revealed.”) this nation a better place.”) 5. Slippery Slope: claims that one event will 6. Transfer: uses symbolic images to enhance a lead to an uncontrollable chain reaction. candidate’s profile. (Visits to war memorials, (“First they outlaw machine guns, and then scenes with heads of state from other they will take your hunting rifles.”) countries, etc.) 6. Appeal to Emotion: summons fear, anger, or 7. Card Stacking: presents the evidence in a pity to secure agreement with an argument or partial or slanted way. (“The average income position. (“If we don’t fight crime my way, your of Americans has risen every year since the child won’t feel safe walking the streets.”) election of President Jones,” omitting the statistic that the income of all citizens except the top 20% has actually fallen.)

8. Straw Man: sets up an opponent’s weak argument so that it can be knocked down. (“They believe that a 12-year-old child should be able to sue her parents, and they are wrong.”)

BUILD YOUR VOTER IQ (30-40 minutes)

OBJECTIVE As a class, create a composite class form. Students gather, use, and disseminate information The composite Voter Information Quotient about voter registration/voting procedures and Page could be designed by your class and conduct a voter registration drive. duplicated for all participants.

MATERIALS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Telephone directory; newspaper voting guides; # Do most citizens know this information? community guides; Voter Information # Could the government do a better job of Quotient Page handout informing citizens? # How much responsibility belongs to the citizen GET READY when it comes to knowing this information? Divide students into groups of three or four. # Is the Internet making changes in voter Collect one telephone directory for each group information dissemination and procedures? of students as well as any municipal directories, How so? community guides, newspaper voting guides, # What changes to the voting process do you etc. available. predict technology will bring? Copy one Voter Information Quotient Page handout for each student, plus one additional VOTE QUOTE copy per group. “We must be the change we want to see in the world.” – Mohandas Gandhi INSTRUCTIONS Assign the students in each group to divide the Voter Information Quotient Page tasks as they choose. Using the telephone books and brochures, they should record the information needed. If students do not finish, ask them to exchange telephone numbers or e-mail addresses and complete the task for homework. After groups have recorded the information, invite them to share and compare their responses.

1. What are the qualifications to be a voter in your state?

2. Where can you register to vote if you are qualified? (Addresses and telephone numbers)

3. What documentation must you have with you to register? What documentation will you receive when you have registered?

4. When you declare party allegiance or independence in your state, how does this affect your voting in the primary elections?

5. Where would you vote during a state or federal election?

6. Where do you find out when elections are scheduled, and what will be on the ballot? Office: Address: Telephone:

7. Where in your area can you get information about ballot choices? Address Telephone

Democratic Party Headquarters: Republican Party Headquarters: Other parties’ headquarters: League of Women Voters: Public Library:

8. Where will you seek media coverage of electoral issues? (Which political programs on TV? Which newspaper features? etc.)

REGISTRATION SIMULATION (30 minutes)

OBJECTIVE # Why might some people be reluctant to Students simulate registration to become register to vote? familiar with the process. # Are there or have there recently been any changes made in state registration policies? MATERIALS If so, what are they? Voter Registration Application handout; # As of the summer of 1999, the California State Application Instructions handout; Internet Assembly had passed a bill allowing access; a piece of lined paper registration on voting day. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this? GET READY # Could you influence others to register? How? Download the national mail voter registration form and instructions from www.lwv.org/ and MORE! make a copy for each student, or use the copy Go to www.rockthevote.org/ for information on and instruction sheet provided. volunteering to help citizens register. Information is available for organizing a INSTRUCTIONS registration day at school for parents as well as Show your students how to fill out the forms to request forms for stickers, posters, etc. and registration sheet, reminding them that this is only a simulation. Fold a piece of lined paper down the middle and ask your students to sign their names on the left, to use as a registration sheet for the voting simulation activity.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Discuss questions that arise from the activity plus the following: # Why are registration requirements different in each state? Should they be? Or should there be a federal law? # What criteria is essential for voter registration?

Please print in blue or black ink 1 Mr. Last Name First Name Middle Name Circle One Mrs. Miss Jr Sr II III IV Ms. 2 Address (see instructions) – Street (or route or box #) Apt. or Lot # City/Town State Zip Code

3 Address Where You Get Your Mail If Different From Above City/Town State Zip Code

4 Date of Birth 5 Telephone Number (optional)6 ID Number (see item 6 in the instructions for your State)

Month Day Year

Choice of Party (see item 7 in the instructions for your State) Race or Ethnic Group (see item 8 in the 7 8 instructions for your State)

9 I swear/affirm that Please sign your full name (or put your mark) • I am a United States Citizen. • I meet the eligibility requirements of my state and subscribe to any oath required. (see item 9 in the instructions for your State before you sign.) • The information I have provided is true to the best of my knowledge under penalty of perjury. If I have provided false information I may be fined, imprisoned, or (if not a U.S. Date citizen) deported from or refused entry to the United States. Month Day Year

Box 1 – Name • Hispanic Put in this box your full name in this order – Last, First, • Multi-racial Middle. Do not use nicknames or initials. • Native Hawaiian • White, not of Hispanic Origin Box 2 – Home Address • Other Put in this box your home address (legal address). Do not put your mailing address here if it is different from your Box 9 – Signature home address. Do not use post office box or rural route Review the information in item 9 in the instructions without a box number. under your state. Before you sign or make your mark, make sure that: Box 3 – Mailing Address 1. You meet your state’s requirements, and If you get your mail at an address that is different from the 2. You understand all of Box 9. address from Box 2, put your mailing address in this box. Finally, sign your full name or make your mark, and Box 4 – Date of Birth print today’s date in this order – Month, Day, Year. Put in this box your date of birth in this order – Month, Day, Year. Box 10 – Name of Assistant If the applicant is unable to sign, put in this box the Box 5 – Telephone Number name, address, and telephone number (optional) of the Most states ask for your telephone number in case there person who helped you. are questions about your application. However, you do not have to fill in this box. If your STATE INSTRUCTIONS are unavailable, use Box 6 – ID Number the generic instructions. Many states use an ID number for record-keeping purposes. To find out what ID number, if any, you need to put in this 6. ID Number. The last 4 digits of your social security box, see item 6 in the instructions under your state. number and your Indian Census number (if you have one) are requested. Box 7 – Choice of Party In some states, you must register with a party if you want to 7. Choice of Party. You must register with a party if take part in that party’s primary election, caucus, or conven- you want to take part in that party’s primary election, tion. To find out if your state requires this, see item 7 in the caucus, or convention. instructions under your state. If you want to register with a party, print in the box the full name of the party of your 8. Race or Ethnic Group. Leave blank. choice. If you do not want to register with a party, write in 9. Signature. To register you must: “no party” or leave the box blank. Do not write in the word • be a citizen of the United States “independent” if you mean “no party” because this might be • be a resident of this state at least 29 days preceding confused with the name of a political party in your state. the next election Box 8 – Race or Ethnic Group • be 18 years old on or before the next general election A few states ask for your race or ethnic group, in order to • not have been convicted of treason or a felony administer the Federal Voting Rights Act. To find out if (or have had your civil rights restored) your state asks for this information, see item 8 in the • not currently be declared an incapacitated person instructions under your state. If so, put in Box 8 the choice by court of law that best describes you from the list below. (If you were actually registering you would now mail or • American Indian or Alaskan native take your registration to the local voter registration office.) • Asian or Pacific Islander – not Native Hawaiian • Black; not of Hispanic Origin

VOTING SIMULATION (30-40 minutes)

OBJECTIVE Let each student go through the process Students vote in a simulated polling place to of voting. become familiar with the voting process. Instruct the marshal to tally and announce the vote. MATERIALS Implement the vote. Paper for ballots; material for a ballot box and voting booth; Polling Place Diagram handout DISCUSSION QUESTIONS # Who can enter a polling place? GET READY # How would individuals know where to go to Choose an issue that will impact the students vote? If they don’t know, how can they find out? rather quickly. For instance, vote on what to # What makes you an eligible voter? have for homework that night or what topic # Have you voted at the Kids Voting booth the class will study next. before? What was it like? Prepare ballots or determine a way to vote on # Where will you go to cast your Kids Voting blank pieces of paper. vote this election? Prepare a simple ballot box and voting booth. # What are some rules you need to abide by at Arrange the classroom to resemble a polling a polling place? place as shown in the diagram. # What do you think is acceptable behavior for a polling place? INSTRUCTIONS Explain the duties of the precinct workers and assign students to take on their roles. Seat them as shown in the diagram. Give one of the judges the registration sheet derived from the Registration Simulation activity. Give the clerks lined paper to record the voters as they come in. Hand the ballots to the other judge. Seat the marshal by the ballot box. Ask a student to demonstrate by casting the first vote.

At the polls there are usually: one inspector; two judges — one Poll workers have other duties. For Republican, one Democrat; two clerks — one Republican, one instance the marshal makes sure that Democrat; and one marshal. the law is kept. She watches that no one campaigns within 150 feet of the polls As you enter you will generally meet: and she checks to see that everyone in line when the poll closes gets a chance A judge with the register, a list containing the names of 1 to vote. registered voters in the precinct, who will ask your name, find it in the register, and ask you to sign beside it You, the voter, will: Two clerks, one for each party, who will add your name to a 1. Sign in by writing your name in 2 list to witness that you have voted the register 2. Take a ballot from a judge Another judge, who will hand you your ballot, and help you 3. Go to the booth and vote 3 understand how to cast your ballot 4. Return your ballot to the marshal

4 A voting booth

The marshal, who will take your ballot and place it in the 5 ballot box

The inspector, who oversees the polling place and assigns all 6 the workers their duties

AN HOUR OR TWO (20 minutes of class time; service hours)

OBJECTIVE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Students work for a cause or candidate in After students have begun volunteer service, ask the community. them to write the answers to these questions and add them to their journal entries. MATERIALS # Where did you volunteer? Why did you choose An empty bulletin board; index cards this cause? Has your volunteer work reinforced your original opinion? GET READY # What was the most important agenda being Several weeks in advance, prepare a bulletin met by this group? board called “An Hour or Two.” It should high- # Who shares this agenda and who opposes it? light volunteer opportunities in the community. Why? What solutions do you have? You can find this information on the Internet # What tasks did you perform? What were or by contacting local organizations directly. positive (and negative) aspects of the (Students can also bring in information on experience? volunteer organizations, though you should # What might you otherwise have been doing start the bulletin board to give your students during your volunteer hours? an idea of what they are looking for.) # How do you think the community benefited Prepare one index card per student. from your volunteer work? INSTRUCTIONS VOTE QUOTE Once your bulletin board is full of listings, “Any fool can see what’s wrong. But can you send students to the board to shop the see what’s right?” – Winston Churchill opportunities. Ask them to select two volunteer positions that interest them. Ask students to record information about the volunteer openings they selected on the index card, along with the following information: I’m for them because: If I volunteered here, I might do tasks like: Assign students to call both places by an assigned date, decide which place they will volunteer, and arrange for service hours. Add parent permission to a volunteer contract you draw up. Assign students to write brief journal entries regarding activities and thoughts while volunteering.

REGISTERING NEW VOTERS (45 minutes)

OBJECTIVE In addition to giving flyers to those who are Students distribute voter registration not currently registered, students could post information to adults who are not currently their flyers in public locations or mail flyers to registered to vote. relatives and friends in other states. (If flyers are mailed out of state, make sure to MATERIALS check the voter registration guidelines for that A local phone book; a student directory; state and send along the appropriate informa- writing paper; writing utensils. tion in a cover letter to accompany the flyer.) Have students keep track of how many flyers GET READY they distribute as a class. Work with your local Board of Elections or voter registration office on this activity. They may DISCUSSION QUESTIONS have additional ideas about how to seek out # If each of those who received flyers registered those who are not currently registered to vote. and then asked someone else to register to vote, how many new voters would we have? INSTRUCTIONS # Is this an effective way to get people to register? Ask students to brainstorm about how to find Why or why not? adults who are not registered to vote. In general, individuals who are younger or less educated MORE! are less likely to be registered to vote. Students can conduct a voter registration drive Have students seek out high school students at the high school. who are at least 18 years old and/or local college students. Have students prepare flyers to be given to individuals they find who are not currently registered to vote. The flyer could be designed by individual students, small groups, or the class as a whole. The flyer might include any of the following: How to register to vote (include several options) Why it is important to register to vote How your vote can make a difference Statistics about close votes, percentage of voters in certain age groups, etc.

ASSISTING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES (Time varies)

OBJECTIVE either individually or in small groups, develop Students develop and carry out plans to assist a plan to assist people with a specific disability individuals with disabilities in registering to in registering and voting in a local election. vote and voting. Have students collaborate with the voter registration office, local agencies that serve MATERIALS people with disabilities, or the local elections Internet access; a local phone book commission to increase the numbers of people with disabilities who are registered and who GET READY vote. Students could volunteer their time and/or Make arrangements to have a speaker come to make suggestions to the elections commission. the class who works with people with disabilities Where appropriate, individual students who are in the community. completing the service activity can then be If possible, ask the speaker to invite a person paired with a person with a disability to help with a disability to come to the class with them register and/or vote in a local election. him/her to speak. If individuals with disabilities require transportation to the polls, it may be possible INSTRUCTIONS to use school buses with special accommodations There are roughly 43 million Americans with for this purpose. disabilities. Many of these people are adults of After the election, have students who engaged voting age. With support from the Americans with in the direct service with people with disabilities Disabilities Act, the U.S. government has a legal talk about their experiences in class. responsibility to assist individuals with disabilities in living full and productive lives. Have students DISCUSSION QUESTIONS brainstorm the types of disabilities that could # What accommodations are available at your affect how one registers to vote or how one votes. local voter registration office and local polls? Have students research existing services for # Could some types of disabilities deter an people with disabilities in terms of registering individual from registering or voting at all? to vote and voting. # Why is it important for people with disabilities Have students prepare questions in advance to to be able to register and vote? ask your guest speakers about issues, problems, # Did you make a difference with your assistance? and services for people with disabilities related to registering and voting. At a class session after the speakers’ visit, brainstorm as a class how to assist people with disabilities in registering and voting. Have students,

EXIT POLLING (30-40 minutes over two days)

OBJECTIVE Have your students bring their voter responses Students poll voters after they participate in to school. As a class, compile all of the infor- an election. mation into specific graphs (candidate-focused graphs, issue-oriented graphs, fairness of MATERIALS election graphs, etc.). Exit Polling Survey handout; graphing paper Discuss the graphs as a class and try to make or access to a computer graphing program predictions for the outcomes of the election.

GET READY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Make three copies of the Exit Polling Survey # How was this activity for you? Did most people handout for each pair of students. want to participate? Why do you think some If you don’t have access to a computer graphing people chose not to participate? program, make sure you have graphing paper # Are you able to make any conclusions or available. predictions from the graphs? Like what? # Were there any responses that surprised you? INSTRUCTIONS If so, why? Break your students up into pairs. Give each pair # How many people did the class survey? Do you three copies of the Exit Polling Survey handout. think the class’s results and predictions are an Take a few minutes to discuss the survey with accurate depiction of the greater population? your class, letting them know that they will be Why or why not? asking these questions of voters as they leave the polls. Tell your students to politely ask voters if they would like to participate in the exit poll. (If voters choose not to participate, students should say, “Thank you anyway and have a great Election Day!”) Have your students go to various adult voting polls to survey voters as they leave. Students should only go to the polls with adult super- vision and stand a good distance from the polling place exit.

On a scale of 1-10 (1 being not interested and 10 being extremely interested) how interested were you in this year’s election?

If you don’t mind sharing, please tell me what candidates you voted for?

Were you satisfied with the choice of candidates?

Generally speaking, do you think of yourself as a Republican, a Democrat, an Independent, or something else?

What would you say is the most important issue this election?

Do you ever discuss politics with family or friends? If yes, about how often?

Did anyone from one of the political parties send you mail/call you about the campaign this year? If yes, which party?

How long before the election did you decide that you were going to vote the way you did?

In some countries, people believe their elections are conducted fairly—in others, unfairly. Thinking about the election we just had, would you say it was very fair, somewhat fair, neither fair nor unfair, somewhat unfair, or very unfair?

OVERARCHING QUESTIONS

MY VOTE GIVES ME POWER # What does voting entail? How old do you have to be? Where do you go? What do you do? # What does voting accomplish? # Does voting make a difference? How? # What’s involved in an election? # What is the purpose of an election? # Are there different kinds of elections? If so, what are they? What makes them different? # What power does voting give those who vote? # What is apathy? Why are so many people apathetic when it comes to voting? # What happens when people do not vote?

I STUDY THE CANDIDATES AND ISSUES # What are the qualities of a good candidate? # What tactics and strategies do candidates use to make themselves popular when running for office? # How do candidates hope to portray themselves to the public? # Do you know any candidates in this election? # What are some issues being argued during this election? # What issues are important to you? # Why is it important to study the candidates? # Why is studying the candidates’ stances on issues important? # How can you educate yourself on the candidates and major issues?

I REGISTER AND VOTE # What does it mean to be a ‘registered voter’? # What does registering to vote involve? # What happens if you want to vote and you aren’t registered? # Why is it important to vote? # What do you accomplish when you register and vote? Do you think it makes sense to be 18 and not exercise your right to vote? # Have you ever been to a polling place? What was that like?

I CONTINUE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE # Give some examples of how citizens can make a positive difference in their community. # Does voting make a difference? # What, in addition to voting, can you do to make a difference? # Why do candidates make promises? What sort of promises do they make? # Do all candidates keep their promises once they are elected? # What can you do to make sure that candidates keep their promises when they are elected?

LITERATURE CONNECTION ACTIVITY Presidential Leadership edited by James Taranto and Leonard Leo

OBJECTIVE prominent Americans. Mention that the book Students examine the qualities of effective ranks the presidents from best to worst. Ask, presidents. How can we rank presidents? Can they be ranked by the qualities we listed on the board? MATERIALS Are there other things by which we judge and Presidential Leadership – James Taranto and rank presidents? What are those? Write these Leonard Leo, Editors items on the board under a heading called, “Criteria for a Good President.” GET READY Now ask your students to look at the names Obtain a copy of Presidential Leadership, edited they had written down before. Ask, Do your by James Taranto and Leonard Leo, for your choices from before still hold up? Why or why classroom. (If possible, secure a copy for each not? Does anyone want to change who they group of students.) think the best president is/was? Why do you This activity is most effective when students want to change your choice? are familiar with presidents. If students do not Say, Now that we have examined what makes have a knowledge of presidents, consider a good president and the criteria for judging investigating various presidencies with your presidents, I want you to make a final decision on students before engaging in this activity. who you think is/was the best president in our See “The Office of President” in the Appendix. country’s history. You need to make that decision and be able to defend it against the quali- INSTRUCTIONS ties and criteria listed on the board. Engage your class in a discussion of the Without discussion, have your students write qualities that make a good leader. Make sure to their new choice on a piece of paper. Have ask your students to share the qualities that everyone that names the same president group make an effective president. together. (If any students are alone, have them Write the qualities the students came up with make a second choice based on the current on the board under a heading called, “Good presidential groups.) Presidential Leadership Qualities.” Give your Tell each group that they must work as a team students a few minutes to write down the name to develop their argument. They must also of the president who they think exemplifies the select one or two people who will make the qualities previously discussed. Have a few argument on behalf of the group. students share and explain their choices. Next, familiarize your students with the book, Presidential Leadership. Explain that it is a series of essays on the presidents written by

LITERATURE CONNECTION ACTIVITY (continued)

Tell each group that they must use Presidential DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Leadership as a source in their argument. They # If you did not choose the final selection, could may use it to both support their claims and/or you understand why other students did? Why to explain why other presidents do not meet or why not? the criteria. (Ideally, each group will have its # Did this activity change your thinking as to own copy, but if not try to have multiple the qualities needed of our president. If yes, sources on presidential leadership available.) how so? Provide class time for students to work together # Were there any arguments that you found to prepare their arguments. especially convincing? Which ones? Why were Give each group a specified amount of time they so convincing? to make their argument. Encourage students # How does this activity relate to living in a to take notes on what they hear from the democracy? other groups. Engage the class in a discussion of the presentations, asking if any students were persuaded and why. Have a final vote on the most effective president. Remind students to think in terms of the qualities and criteria listed on the board. (You can mark votes off next to the team names on the board.) Discuss reasons why this president was selected.

CULMINATING ACTIVITY: CANDIDATES’ NIGHT (Time varies)

OBJECTIVE times? The planning committee can decide Students organize a Candidates’ Night at their which of the following work groups are needed high school prior to an election. to prepare Candidates’ Night: Publicity – gets the word out to community MATERIALS members about the event. This could be Access to an auditorium or large room; a large committee to handle designing additional resources as needed flyers, posters, news articles, public service announcements and so forth as well as GET READY distributing flyers or putting up posters Identify the different persons/groups required around the community. for this event. Candidates’ liaison – keeps in touch with Talk to your principal or vice principal to secure each candidate to ensure their participa- a large room/auditorium for this activity. tion, obtain campaign literature for information tables, and fulfills any requests INSTRUCTIONS the candidates may have for the event. Begin planning the Candidates’ Night several Facilities – makes sure there are months in advance of the event. For a microphones, chairs, etc. in the November election, planning should begin appropriate locations. soon after school starts in the fall. One option Information tables – collects written is to design the Candidates’ Night around information and sets up staffing for a issues of concern to youth. table to distribute campaign literature Have your students contact all of the local for all the candidates (including those candidates to see if they can attend the event. who could not attend in person). A successful Candidates’ Night should have Voter registration – gathers the appropriate most of the local candidates in attendance. It is forms and information and sets up also possible that some state-level candidates staffing for a table to register voters. would be willing to come. Make sure that Program – designs and prints a program candidates know you will be inviting to be handed out to those who attend as parents, neighbors, and other adult community they enter the school. Includes a map of members to attend the event; this will likely the school if candidates are going to be increase their interest in participating. located in different classrooms. A student planning committee (or one class) Refreshments – provides simple should develop a general plan for the event. refreshments (e.g. cookies and cider) For example, will candidates take turns speak- for those in attendance. ing from a podium in the auditorium or will Follow-up – writes thank you letters to they be assigned to different classrooms at varied the candidates after the Candidates’ Night.

CULMINATING ACTIVITY: CANDIDATES’ NIGHT (continued)

Consider inviting parents and other community partners to assist with this event through one DISCUSSION QUESTIONS or more of the work groups. # How do you think Candidates’ Night went? At the Candidates’ Night, students should make # What were some of the night’s successes? sure that all tables are staffed, that some students # What would you do differently next time? are assigned to be greeters/program distributors, # Do you think the event was a success for and that each candidate has a student assistant the candidates? to help with any last minute needs. # What kind of feedback have you received? Students should develop and distribute a short Anything positive? Any constructive criticism? evaluation form for those in attendance to complete before they leave the Candidates’ MORE! Night. (Provide examples or instructions for Have your students write articles about the students on how to design an effective event for the school newspaper or local evaluation.) This feedback should be helpful newspapers. for planning similar events in the future. Following Candidates’ Night — now that the students are fully informed on the candidates and issues — have your students participate in your local Kids Voting USA election. If you are not sure who your contact person is for your class’s participation in the election (whether a grade-level chair, school principal, etc.) visit our Web site at www.kidsvotingusa.org and click on “Affiliate Network.” It will give you the contact information for your local Kids Voting USA affiliate.

9–12 AMERICAN DEMOCRACY AND CITIZENSHIP

INTRODUCTION TO THEME The intent of this theme is to provide an understanding of and a context for American democracy and citizenship, from the rights and responsibilities of students in their local, state, and national communities to the world beyond. The theme’s activities fall under four main learning objectives: • Students will understand the principles that make a government democratic. • Students will understand how America fits the model of a democracy. • Students will learn the rights and responsibilities of an American citizen. • Students will learn the context of American democracy within the world.

GENERAL ACTIVITIES CONCEPT 1: WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? Democracy: What Is It Really? ...... 2 Democracy As Sport ...... 6 CONCEPT 2: DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA It’s Party Time ...... 8 Experiencing America ...... 10 CONCEPT 3: A CITIZEN’S RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES Voter Survey ...... 11 Register Your Opinion ...... 12 Save Your Rights ...... 14 CONCEPT 4: DEMOCRACY IN THE WORLD Global Neighbors ...... 17 Athenian Democracy ...... 18 OVERARCHING QUESTIONS Questions for Concept 1: What is Democracy? ...... 22 Questions for Concept 2: Democracy in America ...... 22 Questions for Concept 3: A Citizen’s Rights and Responsibilities ...... 23 Questions for Concept 4: Democracy in the World ...... 23 LITERATURE CONNECTION ACTIVITY Common Sense, Rights of Man, and Other Essential Writings of Thomas Paine ...... 24 CULMINATING ACTIVITY Act From The Heart ...... 25

DEMOCRACY: WHAT IS IT REALLY? (60 minutes over one or two days)

OBJECTIVE In class, discuss the quotes, the time period or Students internalize the meaning of democracy events with which they are associated, and the as a process for both individuals and societies. changing views of democracy they exemplify.

MATERIALS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Democracy: What Is It Really? handout; # What is the linkage between democracy Democracy in U.S. History handout; Internet and voting? How have changes in voting access (optional) requirements modified ideas about the nature of democracy? GET READY # In your opinion, what are the benefits of a Photo copy the Democracy: What Is It Really? democratic system? and Democracy in U.S. History handouts for # After reading “Democracy: What Is It Really?”, each student in your class. do you remember what the four conditions are that need to be present in order for a INSTRUCTIONS democracy to work effectively? Ask your students to read the Democracy: # Do you have any strong opinions on how the What Is It Really? handout. U.S. currently defines “the people” — those Engage the class in a discussion of what they that are sovereign and have the right to vote? think democracy is about. Ask, Does the What would you think if the U.S. extended the definition of democracy change as you consider voting right to resident aliens who pay taxes governments outside of the U.S.? Interested or felons who have been released from prison students could explore the Human Rights and paid their debt to society? Watch Web site to learn more about # Do you believe in penalizing those that are democracies around the world. eligible to vote but don’t utilize this right? (http://www.hrw.org/). Please explain… Have your students read the quotes on the # Is anyone familiar with one of the other 75 Democracy in U.S. History handout. democratic nations? If so, would you like to Tell your students that it is important for them describe any differences or similarities that to understand how the terms “democracy” and nation has with the U.S.? “voting” are linked. Ask each student to choose one or two quotes that best exemplify his or her views on the nature of democracy. Have students discuss or write a short paper about their views on democracy incorporating the quote(s) they have selected.

DEMOCRACY: WHAT IS IT REALLY? PAGE ONE

Some say democracy means the majority rules. Some say it means freedom while others claim that it means rule by the people. To interpret the word literally we must look back to the ancient Greeks who developed the idea. Linguists often translate “demos” to mean mob, and “kratia” to rule or govern, but do any of us associate democracy with mob rule (mobocracy)? Probably not. The Greeks conceived of democracy in the context of a relatively small City-State, where citizens could express their views directly on a particular issue. In other words the people could govern themselves without relying on elected leaders to decide matters for them. The small scale of Athens, for example, made it possible for this kind of pure democracy to flourish. The United States required a type of democracy which placed responsibility for governing in the hands of elected leaders. We call this representative democracy and it has allowed us to address both practical considerations of governing an extended Republic, comprised of numerous States, and certain theoretical concerns about how to mitigate the potential tyranny that is inherent in majority rule. Representative government doesn’t let ordinary citizens off the hook in terms of public policy. Indeed, the legitimacy of representative government depends on the transfer of power that can only occur in democratic terms as a result of an election. This transfer is essential because the people are believed to hold sovereign power, and only through their collective agreement to be governed can the government be empowered to act on behalf of all citizens. An important, related concept is that we are bound together as citizens by certain core beliefs but beyond these shared beliefs, religious freedom for example—our interests and views can be decidedly different. We use elections to vote for representatives, legislative and executive, who will best represent our interests and views in the process of deciding public policy. In order for democracy to work well at least four additional conditions must be present. First, all citizens must have equal voting power. This does not mean that they are equally influential. Some, because of wealth, education, natural talent, and willingness to participate responsibly, may have more influence on policymakers. At the polls, however, each person may only have one vote. Second, all voters must have equal access to information, competing viewpoints, and the ideas of all of the candidates. Free media and strong educational programs are important in this regard. Third, people must be free to organize with others in order to achieve political goals. Persons acting alone are at a disadvantage when trying to make their views known or change policies. Finally, elections must be decided one way or the other by majorities or at least pluralities. It is also generally thought that majority rule must be constrained by a stated set of minority rights. This responds to the concerns about the possibility of a mobocracy developing. Regular elections help as well because they give the minority a chance to organize and try to become a majority. Democracy is best understood in relation to time, place and circumstances. It is an ongoing social project, one that is still in progress and often seen in different ways by those people who are part of the experiment. As people have changed, so have many of our ideas. One of the major issues in the United States and in other nations as well has been to decide on exactly who “the people” are. We

DEMOCRACY: WHAT IS IT REALLY? PAGE TWO

usually say that “the people”—those who are sovereign and have the right to vote—must be “citizens.” Today most citizens who are over 18 years of age—including men and women of all races and ethnic groups—who meet certain residency requirements and register to vote can do so. It is when they vote that they become sovereign. All of the people who have the right to vote now have not always had it. When the nation was founded only white male property holders could vote. Some states even limited voting to those who belonged to particular churches. Over the years, voting rights accorded by ownership of property, church membership, color of skin, gender, and other limitations have been done away with. Citizenship has remained a requirement, but there are many today who believe that voting rights should be extended to resident aliens who pay taxes. There are those, as well, who believe that felons who have been released from prison have paid their debt to society and should not be kept off of the voting rolls. Some states have made it easier to register to vote. Same-day registration and motor voter registration laws are examples of this trend. At the same time we hear about people who contend that those who do not vote in a certain number of elections should lose their right to vote. Several groups have proposed laws that would force citizens who do not vote to pay a fine or penalty. Others believe that ballots should be printed only in English, which would keep non-English readers from voting. Voting and the right to vote are related to how democratic a nation really is. Today over 75 nations claim to have democratic governments. However, opinions vary on just how democratic they really are. In 2000, 10 nations attended a special conference in Warsaw, Poland, where they initiated an organization known as The Community of Democracies. Among various democratic- related goals the founders stated, “The Community would enable democracies to work together more cohesively, more forcefully and effectively on issues common to democracies.” Their efforts have drawn the attention of another organization called Human Rights Watch, the worldwide defender of people’s basic rights. In a letter to The Community of Democracies, Kenneth Roth, executive director of HRW, laid out several points of concern in relation to the true democratic nature of some of the Community’s members. He asked that the organization not “render its name meaningless” by allowing nations who are democratic in title only to belong. Roth reports that the Russian government is controlling a once free press, that Egypt has arrested a democratic reform agent for criticizing election procedures, and that human rights activists in Tunisia have been unfairly detained and deprived of their basic rights. He summarizes the concerns of HRW by urging “the convening states to consult closely with individuals and organizations independent of the government in these countries of concern to determine whether their participation will advance or hinder the cause of democracy.” (http://www.hrw.org/) So, what is a democracy, really? The famed philosopher of government, John Locke, believed that a government should be based on the will of the people. Who are “the people?” What is your will for your democratic government? It is a question we must all answer for ourselves and yet, in true democratic form, perhaps we need to consider others’ views too.

1. “An honest man can feel no pleasure in the exercise of power over his fellow citizens.” – Thomas Jefferson

2. “…call on Almighty God who rules over the universe to help the American people find liberties and happiness under a government instituted by themselves.” – George Washington

3. “You degrade us and then ask why we are degraded. You shut our mouths and ask why we don’t speak. You close your colleges and seminaries against us and then ask why we don’t know.” – Frederick Douglas

4. “The ballot is stronger than the bullet.” – Abraham Lincoln

5. “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” – Emma Lazarus

6. “We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men and women are created equal… Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of those who suffer from it to refuse allegiance to it, and insist upon the institution of a new government.” – Declaration of Sentiments

7. “History has thrust on our generation an indescribable important destiny — to complete a process of democratization which our nation has developed too slow.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

8. “We propose that he (the President) test the young people of America…let us see what happens if service to democracy is made ground for exemption from the military draft.” – Students for a Democratic Society

9. “I think it should be the popular vote. I think the electoral vote works in most cases, but this one. I think our new Congress should look at that. The popular vote is how a true democracy should work. I’d like to see the end of the Electoral College.” – Jeremy Shankel

10. “I can’t see why people who have been in prison and have served their sentence cannot vote when they get out. We say that they have paid their debt to society, but some states won’t let them vote.” – Anonymous

11. “September 11 is a day that will live in history because once again it proved that democracy and freedom will prevail…We all feel like true New Yorkers today.” – Norway’s Ambassador to the U.S.

DEMOCRACY AS SPORT (45 minutes)

OBJECTIVE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Students internalize the meaning of democracy # What sport did you choose and why? by connecting it to their favorite sport. # How did you use this sport to represent a democracy? MATERIALS # What did you learn about the democratic Democracy As Sport handout system through this activity?

GET READY Copy the Democracy As Sport handout for each of your students.

INSTRUCTIONS Have your students read the Democracy As Sport handout. Have your students write their own analogy comparing their understanding of democracy to a sport of their choice. Make sure your students identify who they are in the game. Have them indicate what democratic roles some of the other athletes are playing. Remind your students that democracy is the process of participation, not the product of it. In other words, it is how the game is played that matters to democracy, not who wins!

“A democracy must ask itself a series of questions. What if we held an election and no one showed up at the polls? What if problems emerged and no one took the initiative to put them on the public agenda? What if everyone simply said ‘let somebody else do it’ and no one did? Abandoning the political arena does not mean that nothing will be done but rather that the agenda and preferences of others will dominate. Politics are controlled by those who take initiative to guide it.

“Democracy is a participatory game of contact and blocking, not a spectator sport. It may be able to survive with some of the population simply cheering from the sidelines or even blissfully unaware that the game is being played. But the number of participants can decline to the degree that democracy exists in name only, since the level of participation declines, so does its representativeness. The fewer the people who get involved, the less likely they are to reflect the concerns of the general population.” – Steven E. Frantzich Citizen Democracy NY: Rowman & Littlefield, 1999.

Directions: Write your own analogy comparing your understanding of democracy to the sport of your choice. Indicate who you are in the game! Indicate what democratic roles some of the other athletes are playing. And remember that democracy is the process of participation, not the product of it. In other words, it is how the game is played that matters to democracy, not who wins!

IT’S PARTY TIME! (60 minutes over two days)

OBJECTIVE For homework, ask students to read the Students use their knowledge of political parties government section of a newspaper and find an to analyze the actions of current political leaders. article about a Democrat or a Republican. Students should bring the article to class and MATERIALS be prepared to give an example of an action the It’s Party Time! handout; Internet access person in the article took, or comments the person made, that demonstrates his/her GET READY political affiliation. Copy the It’s Party Time! handout for each student. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS # What does the Democratic Party stand for? INSTRUCTIONS # What does the Republican Party stand for? Have your students read the It’s Party Time! # Do you think there are important differences handout. in what Republicans and Democrats stand for? Ask your students to use the Internet and other If yes, what are some differences? sources of information to find information about # How many other political parties have you the Republican and Democratic parties. They heard of besides the Democratic an Republican should use this information to fill in the handout. Parties? How many are represented locally? Have your students use the Internet or other sources to research an additional political party of their choice. Your students should use the chart on the handout to describe the party’s history and values. Discuss your students’ findings for the major parties. If possible, invite local representatives of the two major parties to class to explain the views of their party. Discuss the other parties students chose to research.

In the presidential election of 2004, over 100 people announced their candidacy for president of the United States of America. This group of candidates represented at least 20 different political parties, most from the two most popular and powerful political parties, Republican and Democratic. The people in these organizations share in the effort to get laws passed, to support candidates that support their issues, and to organize elections at the local level where we vote. To learn about the differences between the two major parties, research them using the Web site addresses provided in the chart below. List a brief history and the important values or principles of the Republicans and the Democrats in the appropriate columns. In the third column, research one other political party and write there about its history and values.

THE REPUBLICAN PARTY THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY THIRD PARTY:

Research other political Republican Party Web site Democratic Party Web site parties at this Web site: http://www.rnc.org/ http://www.democrats.org/ http://www.vote-smart.org

EXPERIENCING AMERICA (50-60 minutes over several days)

OBJECTIVE Individual group members should start Students conduct research and interview brainstorming adults they want to interview, adults about historical events. including family members. (Note: Students need to make sure their interviewees were MATERIALS alive at the time of their respective event!) Access to the library and/or Internet Your students should next use the interview questions they developed to learn from their GET READY interviewee about what it was like to be an Divide your students into groups of three or four American during the specified period. Students should take the interview responses and INSTRUCTIONS their group research and create a well-thought- Inform your students that they will be out and cohesive essay on the event/topic. researching various events in American Conclude the activity with your students history. Explain that they will then interview sharing aspects of their interviews and essays adults on the topic they were assigned. with the class. Assign each group an event to research: Conservatism and the rise of DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Ronald Reagan # What did you learn about your interviewee’s Nixon’s accomplishments and defeats experience with the event? (Watergate) # What did you learn about the event that you Kennedy and his 1968 assassination did not know before? President Truman and the dropping of # What were you surprised to learn from your the Atomic Bomb interviewee? Brown v. Board of Education – 1954 # How did this assignment impact your World War II understanding of your country? Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal Have the groups do background research on the event they were assigned. The groups should gather research from various sources and then develop 10 interview questions based on the research.

VOTER SURVEY (Time varies)

OBJECTIVE Make sure students keep accurate records of Students survey adults to learn why they vote their survey results. A common form should be or don’t vote. made and copied to ensure this outcome. In small groups, have students compare their MATERIALS survey results. Paper and writing implements (pencils, pens) Compiling all the information from the class, have students develop a profile of the typical GET READY voter from their community. Compare this Arrange for your students to have access to the profile with data from local exit polls (contact Internet, if possible. your local voter registration office) or with national survey data from a Web site. INSTRUCTIONS Have students reflect on what they learned As a class, decide how many adults each from this activity. student will survey — each student should plan to talk to 5-10 adults to provide adequate DISCUSSION QUESTIONS data. Require students to go beyond just their # What percentage of people voted? Does there parents or other relatives and to attempt to seem to be any relationship between any of reach a diverse spectrum of the general voting the demographic information collected and public. (A more time efficient way to collect whether a person voted or not? What are the data might be to use e-mail; some parents most common reasons adults gave for voting? might be willing to provide their children with What reasons did they give for not voting? e-mail addresses of their friends and/or co- # Based on the reasons adults gave for voting workers for this purpose.) and not voting, what are some strategies for Have your students brainstorm possible increasing voter participation? questions to ask on the survey. Be sure that # What other ideas might hold promise for students’ questions are clear and neutral. increasing the number of voters in future Questions might include the following: U.S. elections? Did you vote in the last presidential # Is voting a right, a responsibility, or both? election? If yes, what were your reasons for voting? If no, why did you decide not to vote? Have the class determine what demographic information to collect along with answers to the survey questions. Possibilities include: gender, age, ethnicity, occupation, and education level.

OBJECTIVE handout or from the following Web site: Students explore voter registration and voting http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/voting/hava/hava.html and write letters to the government expressing If your students receive responses to their their own opinions. letters, encourage them to share the responses with the class or to post them in a special MATERIALS location in the classroom. Register Your Opinion handout; access to the Further discussion in class could focus on how Internet (optional) school elections are held. Do the current procedures ensure a valid outcome? How could GET READY the process be improved? Make each of your students a copy of the Register Your Opinion handout. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS # Do current voting procedures ensure a valid INSTRUCTIONS outcome or do you think they are outdated Ask students to read the information on the and hinder the voting turnout? Register Your Opinion handout. # How could the voting process be improved? Read the following to the students: As current # What can you, personally, do to help the or future voters, what suggestions would you voter turnout? have for your representatives to improve the system of voter registration and voting to make MORE! it more appealing or accessible to you? Ask Have your students follow the link on the Rock students to write their responses in class or as the Vote Web site (www.rockthevote.org) to find homework. information on voter registration for each state. In class, discuss your students’ ideas. Brainstorm Have each student choose a state in which he/ a variety of possibilities and encourage students she has a friend or relative of voting age who is to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of not registered to vote. Ask each student to each. This information could be written up in a write a letter to his or her friend or relative in chart on the board. Interested students could another state explaining how to register in that research voting practices in other democratic state. Students should include at least three countries in the world. Which countries have high reasons why everyone should register to vote. voter turnout? Can we learn something from Encourage your students to mail their letters them to increase the voter turnout in the U.S.? and let the class know if they receive a response. Have students individually or in small groups write letters to their representatives explaining their suggestions while utilizing facts from the

On October 29, 2002, President Bush signed the “Help America Vote Act of 2002” into law. The “Help America Vote Act of 2002” (HAVA) is the most comprehensive voting reform effort of the last few decades. Created in the response to issues that arose during the 2000 election, HAVA impacts every part of the voting process, from provisional ballots to voting machines and from poll worker training to voter registration.

The legislation aims to improve the administration of elections in the United States, primarily through three means:

1. Creating a new federal agency to serve as a clearinghouse for election administration information 2. Providing funds to states to improve election administration and replace outdated voting systems 3. Creating minimum standards for states to follow in several key areas of election administration

Election officials, legislators, and advocates in each state are responsible for implementing HAVA. Under HAVA, states must meet the new federal requirements, which include the following criteria:

1. A system that allows voters to review the accuracy of their selections indicated on the voting machine before the ballot is finally cast 2. A means to allow the voter to correct any votes 3. The provision of an audit of the votes cast, or a “permanent paper trail” of the votes cast, which would facilitate a more efficient and reliable recount 4. A means to ensure that voters with disabilities, including voters with visual impairments, will be able to vote independently without third party assistance by providing each polling place with at least one direct recording electronic voting system or other voting system equipped for individuals with disabilities 5. The furnishing of multi-lingual ballots in required election districts 6. A system which produces an error rate that does not exceed the error rate standards established under section 3.2.1 of the voting systems standards issued by the Federal Election Commission 7. Establishment of uniform and non-discriminatory standards as to what constitutes a “vote”

Which aspects of HAVA do you think would significantly improve the U.S. system of voter registration and voting? Which ideas, if any, could potentially limit voting rights? What other ideas do you have that might prove useful?

Adapted from http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/voting/hava/hava.html and http://www.demos.org/page54.cfm.

SAVE YOUR RIGHTS (45 minutes)

OBJECTIVE Record each group’s numerical choices on the Students select the rights most important to blackboard matrix, and total the values in each them and develop a rationale for protecting cell of the matrix. (See Save Your Rights Constitutional guarantees. Scorecard handout.) Review which rights the class deemed most MATERIALS important. Ask the students why they thought Save Your Rights handout; Save Your Rights these rights were especially important. Scorecard handout DISCUSSION QUESTIONS GET READY # Which right had the highest value to this Duplicate one copy of the Save Your Rights class? Would a representative from a group handout, with the 10 rights listed, for each that selected this right give us the group’s student. rationale? (Continue discussing reasons for Copy the chart from the Save Your Rights various choices.) Scorecard handout onto the board. # Which rights were not selected among our top five? Why not? How might your life change if INSTRUCTIONS we lost those rights? Distribute the Save Your Rights handout. Read # What did you learn by making these choices? the top of the handout aloud to your students. # What could happen to these rights if voters Review the 10 Bill of Rights guarantees by do not participate in choosing their leaders giving and asking for examples of what each and lawmakers? right protects. Give each student five minutes to individually MORE! select the five rights that he/she wishes to Examine newspapers, television, magazines, etc., keep, and to prioritize them (5=most valued, to look for examples of these rights being used. 1=least valued). One sentence justifying each choice must be written. For the next 15 minutes, allow students to share their selections in small groups and come to a consensus. Instruct each group to choose a group reporter to announce their selections and justifications.

What guarantees in the Bill of Rights are most important to you?

Imagine if our forefathers had not created all 10 rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights. What if they had only created nine rights — which nine would you want kept? Now imagine if there were only eight rights created. Which would you keep? And what if there were only seven rights…six rights…only five rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights? Which could you not give up?

Designate five rights from the Bill of Rights as indispensable. First, decide which rights you will eliminate and then cross them off your list. Organize the remaining five rights from your most essential (5 points) to least essential (1 point).

The following five rights should be saved: Ten of the Guarantees in the Bill of Rights 5 points: Reason:

Freedom of speech

Freedom of the press 4 points: Reason: Freedom of religion

Freedom to assemble 3 points: Right to bear arms Reason: Protection from unreasonable searches and seizures

Protection from self-incrimination 2 points: Reason: Right to a jury trial

Protection from cruel and unusual punishment 1 point: Reason: Access to legal counsel

Groups: 12345678Total

Speech

Press

Religion

Assembly

Arms

Search/seizure

Self-incrimination

Jury trial

Punishment

Counsel

GLOBAL NEIGHBORS (Time varies)

OBJECTIVE Designate a time for students to share what Students contact other students around the they learned from their friends overseas. globe to learn about different democracies. Over a specified period of time, have your students put together profiles on the countries MATERIALS where their pen pals are from. Have your Appropriate letter writing materials: paper, students include information they got directly pens/pencils, envelopes, etc. from their pen pal friends. These profiles should both explain how the countries in question are GET READY similar to and different than America. Arrange for your students to learn about Examine the country profiles as a class. various global democracies by coordinating exchanges between them and students from DISCUSSION QUESTIONS different countries. # What similarities are there between our Write to World Wise Schools government and your pen pal’s government? 1990 K Street N.W. How are the governments different? Washington, D.C. 20526 # What did you especially like about the other for information on pen pal exchanges. country you researched? Are there any things Look for pen pal opportunities on the you did not like? Internet. One site worth visiting is # What did you learn when we examined all the www.stonesoup.com/main2/penpal.html. country profiles? Were there certain things unique to America? INSTRUCTIONS Assign each student to someone roughly their age in a different country. Explain to your students that they will use their letters to participate in a dialogue on democracy. Give your students sample questions they can ask in their letters, such as: How is your country different than America? How are elections run in your country? Who has the right to vote in your country?

ATHENIAN DEMOCRACY (30-40 minutes)

OBJECTIVE Pass out the Athenian Democracy Questions Students learn the basic structure of Athenian handout and have your students complete it government and how it functioned; they compare in pairs. Athenian democracy with American democracy. Lead a follow-up discussion based on the questions from the Athenian Democracy Questions MATERIALS handout. Consider assigning individual roles. Athenian Democracy at Work handout; Proportionally in a class of 30 students: 10 Athenian Democracy Questions handout would be slaves, 10 would be women, 2 would GET READY be metics (resident aliens), 2 would be males Duplicate the Athenian Democracy at Work under 18 and 6 would be males over 18. handout for each student. Duplicate the Athenian Democracy Questions DISCUSSION QUESTIONS # handout for each student. How did Athenians feel about participating in Write the word “democracy” on the board prior their government? # to class. How does this compare to how Americans feel about participating in their government? INSTRUCTIONS # How is our version of democracy different Begin class by asking students to write a from that of Athens? definition for the word “democracy” on a sheet # Which system of government, if any, is more of paper. Allow 1 minute (maximum) to write. democratic? Have a few students read their definitions, then # How would an Athenian of the fifth century explain the Greek roots of the word. In Greek, B.C. criticize our present-day representative demos means “people,” and kratos (cracy) democracy? Of what would he or she approve? means “rule by.” You should also read to your # What was the relationship between slavery students a dictionary definition of democracy. and democracy in ancient Greece? Pass out the Athenian Democracy at Work # Was there a relationship between slavery and handout. the development of democracy in U.S. history? Assign each student a partner and have the pairs silently read the handout. VOTE QUOTE Next, chose students at random to read the “We alone regard a man who takes no interest in Athenian Democracy at Work handout aloud public affairs, not as harmless, but as a useless and in order (10 different students to read character; and if few of us are originators, we items 1 through 10). are all sound judges of a policy. The great Lead a discussion on Athenian democracy, impediment to action is, in our opinion, not drawing connections to American democracy. discussion, but the want of that knowledge (Use the questions listed below.) Consider dividing which is gained by discussion preparatory to the class into two groups during the discussion, action.” – Pericles’ Funeral Speech given in half the class as 21st century Americans and 430 B.C. to honor those Athenian soldiers who the other half as fifth century B.C. Athenians. died in the first year of the Peloponnesian War.

ATHENIAN DEMOCRACY AT WORK PAGE ONE

1. Athenian government in the fifth century B.C. was perhaps the first true democracy. The government was of the people and for the people, like ours, but it was also by the people to a much greater degree than the large representative democracies of modern times. However, the Athenian definition of the “people” was far narrower than ours today, excluding everyone but free adult males. In Athens, all male citizens from the age of 18 were expected by law to participate in the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government. Young men first served two years of military service, then at 20 they had access to the assembly. We rely on elected politicians to run our government for us, but we have a far broader electoral base.

2. To a considerable extent, this direct, participatory democracy was a function of the relatively small size of the population. Athens at that time had approximately 300,000 inhabitants, about 100,000 of whom were unenfranchised slaves and 100,000 of whom were unenfranchised women. About 15,000 to 20,000 inhabitants were metics, or resident aliens. Out of the 100,000 or so males left, perhaps 50,000 or 60,000 were 18 or older. This limitation of political rights makes participation much more feasible than in the mass societies of the 20th century.

3. The supreme political body was the Athenian Assembly. It was open to all free males over 20 whose father was Athenian. In 451 B.C., citizenship was restricted to males over 18 whose father and mother were Athenian. All males falling into these groups were citizens, regardless of income or class, and every male citizen was subject to universal political service as well as universal military training. The Assembly met about 40 times per year at the Pnyx, a natural amphitheater on one of the hills west of the Acropolis. Their main task was to enact legislation. Attendance was normally about 2,000 or 3,000 men, for it was difficult to take four days per month off from work. Mostly craftsmen and artisans attended the assemblies, farmers being too busy and aristocrats seeing it as beneath their station in life. Usually a summons and an agenda had to be posted at least five days before a meeting.

4. Meetings convened at dawn and the sometimes reluctant citizens were swept up from the Agora (marketplace) by slaves holding the ends of a long rope wet with red paint, which would mark their clothes and thus make liable for a fine anyone who lingered or attempted to escape the call of duty. Once in the Pnyx, voting was usually taken by a show of hands. This prevented secrecy and encouraged people to follow group leaders in their choices.

5. In addition to votes on many specific matters, the assembly set aside nine scheduled meetings per year in which members would approve or disapprove of how magistrates were handling their jobs. They would dismiss them for mismanagement of funds, etc. After all normal business was finished, the Assembly voted on the measures initiated by the Council of 500, called the Boule.

ATHENIAN DEMOCRACY AT WORK PAGE TWO

6. The Council of 500 prepared the official agenda for the meetings of the Assembly. The Council was made up of 50 men selected from each of the 10 Attic tribes. These tribes corresponded to local villages or territories and were of different sizes. Council members were chosen by lot from a list of volunteers, all of them being male citizens over 30 years of age. A Council member could serve only two years in his lifetime, and only one year at a time. They were paid for their services, which helped to compensate for lost wages on their jobs. 7. The way in which Council members, jurors, and office holders were chosen is called allotment (lot) or sortition. In the fifth century B.C. this was often done by placing a number of white and black beans in a box equal to the number of candidates who volunteered. The white beans would match the number of offices to be filled and the black beans would match the extra candidates. Each candidate would reach in to the receptacle and pull a bean out, white indicating that he was chosen and black that he was not. This system guaranteed absolute fairness in the selection of council members, jurors or office holders. In the fourth century B.C. much more elaborate voting machines were developed, but they followed the same random principle. 8. The 50 members selected from each tribe acted as a unit in the Council and held the collective presidency (called the Prytany) for the Council for one-tenth of the year. This reduced the amount of time men had to be away from work. The members of the Prytany met every day and in effect administered the government. The Prytany changed 10 times a year and its chairman- ship changed daily. Thus 365 citizens each year would serve as head of state: an adult male, if he lived long enough, would have a good chance of holding the highest office. The Prytany prepared legislation, tried magistrates accused of misdeeds, and inspected cavalry and ships. 9. By rotating the Prytany every tenth of a year, by not allowing anyone to sit on the Council for more than one year and through the system of allotment, no man was in office long enough to entrench himself and to establish a following. However, in reality, the 10 generals representing the 10 tribes could be re-elected year after year and they often were. In addition, they were voted in by ballot, not by the random drawing of beans. They played a continuing role in non-military affairs and established a strong following, becoming the most important Athenian officials. 10. As you can see, the Athenian system of direct democracy was not perfect. Another serious flaw was its extensive reliance on slavery. Many craftsmen, farmers and shopkeepers who participated in the Council and the Assembly had slaves to do their work while they were away running the government. This dependence on slaves allowed free men the time to participate actively in their government and to perform their naval service. Perhaps in this context we should raise the question of whether or not modem representative democracy is more just than the direct democracy of ancient Athens.

Adapted from: Peter Cheoros, Jan Coleman-Knight, Rhoda Himmell and Linda Symcox, The Golden Age of Greece: Imperial Democracy 500-400 B.C., A Unit of Study for Grades 6-12., pages 23-25 (Los Angeles: National Center for History in the Schools at UCLA, 1991).

1. What role did each of the following play in the Athenian system of government?

PURPOSE WHO PARTICIPATED HOW CHOSEN

THE ASSEMBLY

THE BOULE

THE PRYTANY

2. Who got to participate in Athenian democracy?

3. What groups could not participate in the political process?

4. Do you think the groups that could not participate still influenced politics in Athens? If so, how?

5. Who was eligible to vote in ancient Athens?

6. Who is eligible to vote in the U.S. today?

7. What Athenian group(s) would not be able to vote under America’s political system?

8. Identify three kinds of voting (or selection) in Athens. What were the advantages/disadvantages of each?

VOTING / SELECTION SYSTEM ADVANTAGES / DISADVANTAGES

OVERARCHING QUESTIONS

WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? # What does the word “democracy” mean to you? # Who has the power in a democracy? # How are decisions made in a democracy? # How can a person make his/her voice heard in a democracy? # Why is it important that even if a person’s opinion does not follow that of the majority they take a stance and express their point of view? # What other types of governments are there besides democracy? # Do you think you can say that one form of government is better than another? Why or why not? # What are your feelings towards democracy? What are the pros and cons? # As students under the age of 18 (most likely), how can you participate in a democracy? # Do you think that the majority of our society understands democracy? If not, what can you do to help others understand?

DEMOCRACY IN AMERICA # What qualifies America as a democracy? # Who makes the decisions in America? # What do adults do to contribute to our government? # What are some of the benefits our government provides us? # How do you support your country? # What do you think of our government? Do you agree or disagree with the way our country is run? What do you think can be done to improve it? # What qualities do you need to be an effective leader or president? # Do you know people that don’t care about our government? Why would people be apathetic to our government? # Do you think all Americans benefit from our government? If not, who do you think is missing out? # If the majority of Americans think something is right/correct/beneficial, does that mean those that disagree are wrong? # Do you think democracy is the fairest form of government? Why or why not?

OVERARCHING QUESTIONS (continued)

A CITIZEN’S RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES # The constitution guarantees us many rights. Why do you think our forefathers wanted to protect our rights? # What is the Bill of Rights? Why do you think it was created? # What are some of our protected rights? # Are some of our rights more important than others? Why or why not? # What does freedom of speech mean to you? Does freedom of speech give you the right to say whatever you want whenever you want? What are the limitations and why? # What does the word “freedom” mean to you? # Do you think children, teenagers, and young adults have enough rights? Do you think there are certain rights denied to you or children younger than you that you should have? # What are some things you need to do in order to be considered a responsible and active citizen? # What have you done to be a responsible and active citizen?

DEMOCRACY IN THE WORLD # Are all governments in the world the same? What differentiates various forms of government? # Can you think of differences between your lifestyle, here in America, and someone else’s in a different country? Give an example. # Would you consider our government unique? If so, why? # Can you think of a country that has dealt with some of the same struggles and triumphs as America? What are the similarities and what are the differences? # Why do you think America has attracted millions of people over the last 200 years, drawing them away from their native countries? # How do you think the influx of foreign people has shaped our country? # What impact do you think our nation has on the rest of the countries of the world?

LITERATURE CONNECTION ACTIVITY Common Sense, Rights of Man, and Other Essential Writings of Thomas Paine by Thomas Paine

OBJECTIVE (The group that covers “Thoughts on the Students become familiar with the tenets that present state of American affairs” should be are the basis of American democracy. slightly larger as it is a longer section.) Have each group read their section of MATERIALS Common Sense carefully. (This can be Common Sense, Rights of Man, and Other assigned for homework.) Essential Writings of Thomas Paine – Tell each group that they need to think of a Thomas Paine creative way to relate the information in their GET READY section to the rest of the class. Provide class Arrange for students in your class to have time for students to brainstorm ideas. copies of Common Sense by Thomas Paine. (Encourage students to think of all possibilities: video, visual arts, dramatics, etc.) INSTRUCTIONS Inform the groups they need to include in their Provide some background for the reading of presentations the more substantive points Common Sense, including information on Paine makes in the section they were assigned. Thomas Paine and the period in which he lived. The groups should determine these points Read aloud (or have a student read) the short before developing their presentations. introduction. After reading the introduction, Give each group time to prepare their engage your class in a brief discussion, asking, presentations. Who is the “long and violent abuser of power” Have each group present in the order that their that Paine references? What did Paine mean section appears in the book, each presentation when he said, “The cause of America is in a followed by a question period from the class. great measure the cause of all mankind?” After the last presentation, engage the class in What impression does the introduction give a discussion on the complete Common Sense. you of what is to come? (You can use the questions provided.) Inform your students that Common Sense essentially has four parts: DISCUSSION QUESTIONS “Of the origin and design of government # Why do you think Thomas Paine structured in general” Common Sense to have the four sections we “Of monarchy and hereditary succession” discussed? “Thoughts on the present state of # Why do you think Common Sense caused such American affairs” a sensation among Americans? “Of the present ability of America” # Why do you think Thomas Paine named his Ask your students to conjecture what each section work Common Sense? is about. Have your students share their guesses # Do you think Common Sense resonates in our with the class. country today? How so? Next, break your students up into four groups, one group for each section of Common Sense.

CULMINATING ACTIVITY: ACT FROM THE HEART (Time varies)

OBJECTIVE are teens’ top 10 concerns. List the 10 causes on Students use evidence to emphasize a point, the board and then ask your students if there recognize the relationship between goal, action, are any other issues they would add to this list. and outcomes. They also demonstrate an Have your students divide into groups of four or understanding of democracy as a process. five. Have each group choose from the list the topic most important to them. In class or for MATERIALS homework, have the groups write about their Act From The Heart handout topic; they should state the topic of interest, what they already know about this topic or issue, GET READY and various questions to guide their learning. Make a copy of the Act From The Heart The next day, provide time for your students to handout for each of your students. pursue learning about their chosen topic via library resources, the Internet, calls to INSTRUCTIONS community agencies, and surveys of students Have your students read the Act From The in the school or adults in the community. Heart handout describing how the Clearys Have each group share with the class what worked to increase safety on college campuses. they have learned about their issue. Engage your students in a discussion on the Brainstorm with your students ways they can Clearys’ work (using the discussion questions use the democratic process in order to impact provided). the problems they researched (letter writing to Encourage your students to learn more about local and national office holders, petitioning, the Clearys’ work and Security On Campus by lobbying, etc.). going to http://www.campussafety.org. Give the groups time to develop strategies for Tell your students that they will have the their topics that make use of the democratic opportunity to choose an issue of importance process. Have the groups share their favorite to them and then figure out a way to impact ideas with the class. that subject; they will learn about a problem, Ask the groups to implement one of their ideas just as the Clearys did, and then determine for making a difference. Allow for a specified how they can make a difference. Say the amount of time to pass and then ask your following to the students: A nationwide survey students to share with the class what they have of junior high and high school students found done in respect to the issue/cause they selected. that drunk driving, depression and teen suicide, guns at school, improving schools/ education, discrimination, violence in school, drugs, self-esteem, AIDS, and abuse at home

CULMINATING ACTIVITY: ACT FROM THE HEART (continued)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS # What amendments were made to the law since # What, in the Clearys’ minds, were the needs its first passage? for campus crime disclosure acts. # What were some of the challenges the Clearys # Describe the goals that Connie and Howard had to overcome to get their law passed? Cleary had in mind when organizing their # What does this story tell you about what information service, Security On Campus. people can accomplish in a democracy? # The Clearys’ efforts resulted in a very important # What issue did your group target? What did federal law. What exactly does this law do? you and your group accomplish?

In 1987, the parents of Jeanne Cleary received an out-of- and Campus Security Act. To emphasize its seriousness court settlement from Lehigh University over their lawsuit the federal law would include a penalty limiting federal accusing the school of failing to protect their daughter, who school funding if a university or college violated the act. as a freshman, was raped and murdered in her dorm room Opponents voiced their fear that the government’s one year earlier. Using this money, the grieving parents intervention into higher education institutions would be organized a nonprofit information service called Security too costly, might encourage misunderstanding of statistics On Campus, with the hope of bringing about awareness of and might possibly hurt the reputation of the schools campus violence in the U.S. The Clearys’ research showed involved. In spite of these objections the bill passed that 57 violent acts are committed every day at America’s unanimously in both houses of the U.S. Congress. colleges and universities and that the governing bodies, (sometimes called Boards of Regents), often used their powers When the U.S. Department of Education threatened schools to hide incidents of crimes committed by and against with loss of federal funds if they did not comply with the students. Statistics that indicated that as many as one out new law and open their police records, opponents of the of 10 women become rape victims during their college legislation claimed that such action publicized confidential years, and the fact that 90% of these crimes involve alcohol, education records. They also said that the federal govern- made the Clearys determined to do something. They ment had no right to intrude into state and local matters. decided to find a legal way to force colleges to disclose In an ensuing two-year battle Congress eventually negated crime information in an effort to reduce campus violence. the lobbying effort of the opponents of the law by amending the original bill to declare campus law enforcement records They began their work at the state level, realizing that as unprotected, non-confidential education information. passing a federal law would be especially difficult since it is state laws that deal with most crimes. Colleges are typically Through the year 2000, additional amendments have been state or private institutions that are regulated by the states. attached to The Student Right To Know Bill, broadening By 1988, through fact gathering and lobbying they had their the reporting of sexual assaults, expanding crime categories, first success. The Pennsylvania College and University adding hate crimes to the list, and making available infor- Security Information Act was passed by the legislature in mation concerning sex offender registration on campus. The that state. Ten more states soon followed with similar laws Clearys’ dream, to ensure that their daughter’s life not be requiring colleges to report crime statistics. Those who in vain, has come true and continues to make college life failed to do so were told that they would lose state funding. safer for millions of students across the United States. As each state wrote its own version of the legislation, some Two concerned parents working with friends and allies even adding criminal charges for failure to disclose conducted the research, collected the data, wrote letters to information, it became evident that uniform codes would the editor, appeared before the media, contacted legislators make it easier for the public to understand the data and to first in the state of Pennsylvania, and then in other states put it to use in deciding which schools were safest to attend. and prevailed in getting state laws passed. They learned The Clearys pointed out that a federal law would make it how the judicial system in the United States works and, possible to compare crime rates across state lines. citing the need for consistency, convinced members of the Since it is necessary that proponents of federal legislation Congress of the United States of the validity of their demonstrate the need for state consistency, this fact position. They were confronted by powerful interests such became significant to their efforts at the national level. In as various Boards of Regents, university bureaucracies, addition, the Clearys also pointed out that if a state did and people who dislike federal intervention into state not pass its own information act it could easily become a issues. Their diligence and hard work paid off and demon- haven for violent student offenders. strates how much power individuals in a democracy have.

The Clearys found two U.S. senators willing to introduce into Congress a federal bill called the Student Right to Know

9–12 SUFFRAGE AND THE RIGHT TO VOTE

INTRODUCTION TO THEME The focus of this theme is for students to understand what suffrage is and how and when it was granted to different populations over the course of American History. The theme’s activities fall under three main learning objectives: • Students will understand what suffrage is within the context of American history. • Students will learn the history of America’s minority populations and the right to vote. • Students will understand what advantages and obstacles there are to suffrage in America today.

GENERAL ACTIVITIES CONCEPT 1: WHAT IS SUFFRAGE? Supreme Court Voting Rights Cases ...... 2 In The Right ...... 6 CONCEPT 2: EXPANDING THE RIGHT TO VOTE 1965 Alabama Literacy Test ...... 7 We The Women ...... 12 Voting Rights Act Of 1965 ...... 19 Nelson Mandela Votes In The Election Of 1994 ...... 22 CONCEPT 3: SUFFRAGE TODAY Stop That Teenager Before He Votes ...... 24 The Power Of One ...... 27 OVERARCHING QUESTIONS Questions for Concept 1: What is Suffrage? ...... 30 Questions for Concept 2: Expanding the Right to Vote ...... 30 Questions for Concept 3: Suffrage Today ...... 30

LITERATURE CONNECTION ACTIVITY Voting and the Spirit of American Democracy edited by Donald W. Rogers ...... 31

CULMINATING ACTIVITY A Game Of Cards ...... 32

SUPREME COURT VOTING RIGHTS CASES (45 minutes)

OBJECTIVE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Students study Supreme Court voting rights # How did these voting rights cases impact the decisions to gain a greater appreciation for right to vote? what shapes the right to vote. # In these three cases, did the Court act to extend or to limit the power of an individual’s vote? MATERIALS # In all three of these cases, did the Court act to Dunn v. Blumstein handout; Reynolds v. Sims extend or limit the power of the states to handout; Kramer v. Union Free School District restrict voting? handout # How would you have decided each case? Why should ordinary citizens like you and me GET READY understand the decisions of the Supreme Court? Duplicate copies of Dunn v. Blumstein for a third of your students, copies of Reynolds v. MORE! Sims for the second third, and Kramer v. Union Have a law professor speak with your class Free School District for the last third. about the Supreme Court and voting cases. Divide the class into three sets of “Justices.” Send the speaker this lesson and the handouts ahead of time, so he/she is familiar with the INSTRUCTIONS cases. Follow some Supreme Court cases Review concepts important to the handouts: currently on the docket, through news required residency, apportionment, majority magazines and newspapers. Post articles on a and dissenting opinions in the Supreme Court. bulletin board. Assign one case to each of the three groups and distribute the case handouts. VOTE QUOTE Assign each group to review the facts and “When nothing seems to help, I go and look at a arguments of the case they received. Each stonecutter hammering away at his rock perhaps group should prepare to present these facts a hundred times without so much as a crack and arguments to the class. showing in it. Yet at the hundred and first blow Give group members one of three tasks: a few it will split in two, and I know it was not that group members will give the facts of the case; blow that did it—but all that had gone before.” a few will present the majority opinion; the last – Jacob Riis few will sum up the dissent.

Dunn v. Blumstein, 405 U.S. 330, 92 S.Ct. 995 (1972): class of bona fide state and county residents who have Durational Voting Rights and the Right to Travel recently exercised this constitutionally protected right of travel, and penalize those travelers directly.” Such James Blumstein moved to Tennessee on June 12, laws force a person who wishes to travel and change 1970, to begin working as a law professor at Vanderbilt residences to choose between travel and the basic right University. When he attempted to register to vote on to vote. A state may not do this without a compelling July 1, 1970, the county registrar refused to let him interest using the least restrictive means possible. register because he had not resided in the state or county for the amount of time required by Tennessee Tennessee argued that the durational requirements law. Blumstein challenged this requirement in court. were necessary in order to insure against voter fraud — After exhausting all of his remedies, a three-judge to insure the purity of the ballot box by protecting federal court ruled that this Tennessee law was against fraud through colonization and the inability to unconstitutional because it impermissibly interfered identify persons offering to vote — and to afford some with the right to vote and because the state had created assurance that the voter will be a knowledgeable voter a “suspect” classification penalizing some Tennessee and exercise the right to vote intelligently. Justice residents because of recent interstate movement. The Marshall reasoned that voter fraud is best avoided by United States Supreme Court affirmed the lower court’s requiring that people register to vote 30 days before the decision and held that it is illegal for a state to require election, which Tennessee already required, and that that an individual reside for any length of time in that the additional durational requirements do nothing to particular state, or particular county in that state, in further deter voter fraud. order to exercise their right to vote. He further stated that in light of modern technology, it The Tennessee law required that in order for a person to is relatively simple to check the validity of a person’s vote, “a would-be voter must have been a resident for voter registration, and 30 days is sufficient time to one year in the state and three months in the county.” check. Also, it is impossible for a state to determine The Court struck down the additional durational intelligent and knowledgeable voters simply by duration residence requirements because they violated the Equal of residency; there are always some voters who are Protection Clause and, in effect, penalized those persons more informed than others, regardless of how long who travel from one place to another for jobs or for any they have resided in the state. Because the state failed other reasons. According to the majority, such laws to show a compelling enough interest, Justice Marshall discriminate against new residents as a class because held that the Tennessee law was unconstitutional and they deny them the opportunity to vote altogether. By violated the new resident’s right to vote. denying some citizens the right to vote, the state denied this group of new residents the constitutionally As the lone dissent, Justice Burger reasoned that it is protected right to participate in elections on an equal “no more a denial of equal protection for a state to basis with other citizens in the jurisdiction. require newcomers to be exposed to state and local problems for a reasonable period, such as one year before In rendering the majority opinion for the Court, Justice voting, than it is to require children to wait 18 years Marshall reasoned that the Tennessee legislature did before voting.” It is permissible for the individual state to not have a substantial or compelling reason for draw a line where it wants to regarding who is allowed imposing durational residence requirements. By to vote, because in all cases “some informed and impinging on “a second fundamental right, the right to responsible persons are denied the vote, while others travel, the durational residence laws single out the less informed and less responsible are permitted to vote.”

Reynolds v. Sims, 377 U.S. 533, 84 S.Ct. 1362 must be apportioned on a population basis” because (1964): One Person, One Vote “legislators represent people, not trees or acres. Legislators are elected by voters, not farms or cities or In 1964, the United States Supreme Court decided two economic interests.” If a state’s districting scheme gave major cases which determined that voters of the United unequal weight to the votes of citizens from one area of States had the right of one person to one vote, and that the state over those of another, then those citizens’ a state could not reapportion voting districts so as to right to vote would be unconstitutionally impaired. substantially dilute individual votes. The case which decided this for federal elections was Wesberry v. Sanders, Chief Justice Warren went on to say, “Diluting the 376 U.S. 1, 84 S.Ct. 526 (1964),which stated that Article weight of votes because of place of residence impairs I of the United States Constitution required that, as basic constitutional rights under the 14th Amendment much as possible, one’s vote in a congressional election just as much as invidious discriminations based upon is worth the same as another’s vote. The case which factors such as race or economic status.” Our established this for state elections was Reynolds v. Sims. representative democratic system is based upon the provision that the majority vote will derive from the The Alabama legislature had not reapportioned voting majority population, and that the legislature will be districts since 1901, even though it was required to do elected by the majority of the population through their so every 10 years. This resulted in malapportioned exercise of the right to vote. voting districts where only 25% of the state’s total population resided in districts represented by a Justice Harlan, in his dissenting opinion, stated that majority of the members of the House and Senate. The the 14th Amendment did not restrict the states from Court struck down the Alabama apportionment scheme apportioning their voting districts in any way they based on grounds that it violated the Equal Protection wanted. He feared that the majority opinion gave the Clause of the 14th Amendment. federal courts the unwarranted power to regulate an individual state’s own voting scheme. He believed the Chief Justice Warren reasoned in the majority opinion states themselves should have the sole power to determine that the “Equal Protection Clause requires that the how to apportion voting districts for state elections. seats in both houses of a bicameral state legislature

Kramer v. Union Free School District No. 15, For example, a person who resides in the district with 395 U.S. 621 (1969): Voting Rights Restrictions his parents, pays taxes, and is interested in and affected and “Interested Voters” by the school board decisions, has no vote. However, “an uninterested, unemployed young man” who pays If a state determines that only a select group of voters no taxes but rents in the district, can participate in the will be affected by the outcome of an election on vote. In fact, the law excluded many with distinct and specific issues, the state may limit voting access to direct interest in school meeting decisions, such as “senior those people affected. The New York legislature passed citizens and others living with children or relatives and a law that in certain New York school districts residents parents who neither own nor lease qualifying property who are otherwise eligible to vote in state and federal whose children are too young to attend school or who elections may vote in the school district election only if attend private school.” The classification restrictions they own or lease taxable real property in the district or were not tailored narrowly enough so that the state have children enrolled in local public schools. The could achieve its goal of limiting the vote to those United States Supreme Court found that this type of primarily affected and interested. Because of this, the voting restriction violates the Equal Protection Clause New York law violated the Equal Protection Clause and of the 14th Amendment. was found unconstitutional by a majority of the Court.

Chief Justice Warren, writing the majority opinion, The dissent, led by Justice Stewart, argued that the declared that the New York law limiting the right to New York State Legislature had every right to draw the vote to those two particular classes for school district line at whatever requirements it reasonably believed elections was not necessary to further compelling state should apply. He stated, “So long as the classification is interests when the scheme was reviewed with strict rationally related to a permissible legislative end,” then scrutiny by the Court. While the state may restrict the there has been no denial of equal protection. He went right to vote in some instances to “those primarily on to say that because all of the voters elected the state interested or primarily affected” by the election, the legislature fairly through their participation in the New York law was not sufficiently tailored to the vote, that they in effect agreed to abide by the alleged goal of limiting the vote to those people legislature’s determinations and were not denied the primarily interested in school affairs. right to participate in the representative system.

IN THE RIGHT (40-50 minutes of class time)

OBJECTIVE right to vote, which meant the regulation of Students become familiar with suffrage and voting lay in the hands of the states. how it has evolved over the years. Divide your students into five groups that will individually tackle questions relating to suffrage. MATERIALS Each group will have to conduct research to Research material for student assignments answer their question and then present their findings to the class. GET READY The five questions are: Since your students will be conducting Why did our founding fathers not research, it is important for them to have define voting rights in the Constitution? different avenues of research available: library Trace the history of African-Americans access, Internet access, etc. and the fight for suffrage from the Before doing the activity, provide background 15th Amendment to the Voting Rights information on suffrage to your class. Inform Act of 1965. your students that suffrage is the civil right Trace the history of women’s struggle for to vote. Explain to them that modern suffrage in the United States. democracies, including the United States, What are the present-day requirements extend that right to almost all adult citizens for suffrage in the United States? What (at least 18 years of age) and this is a condition purpose do these restrictions serve? known as universal suffrage. Suffrage may be considered a right, a Have your students break up into five groups; privilege, or a responsibility. How do each group will tackle a different question. these interpretations differ and with what implications? INSTRUCTIONS Give the groups two or three days to research Ask your students to list the current criteria their question and provide class time for them needed to vote within the United States. Have your to work on their presentations. students brainstorm who was not allowed to vote Have the groups present their research, allowing when the Constitution was created but can today. time for questions and discussion. Listen to student responses and make sure they understand that many United States DISCUSSION QUESTIONS citizens, including African-Americans, Native # What challenges did you face while Americans, and women, were long excluded researching your questions? from the voting process. When the Constitution # Why is learning about suffrage and its history was written, not only was suffrage restricted to important for young citizens of the United States? white males, but it was further limited by reli- # Did anything surprise you while researching gious, property, and taxpaying qualifications. your questions? Students should also know that the U.S. # What conclusions can you draw about suffrage Constitution did not regard or mention the in the United States?

1965 ALABAMA LITERACY TEST (45 minutes)

OBJECTIVE Ask for students to share their thoughts on the Students experience the injustice of voter difficulty and fairness of the exam. (Most will discrimination. comment on how difficult and unfair it was.) Give your students the task of finding primary MATERIALS sources that describe what it was like to 1965 Alabama Literacy Test handout; experience voter injustice before the civil Answers to Alabama Literacy Test handout rights movement. Have your students share the accounts of voter GET READY discrimination they found. Duplicate a 1965 Alabama Literacy Test for each student. Note: this test should be admin- DISCUSSION QUESTIONS istered after students have studied both the # Were you upset when you thought this test Constitution and the obstruction of African- might harm your grade? How would you feel if American voting. (Students should be aware, it robbed you of your right to vote? for instance, that white voters did not have to # Why did Southerners want to keep African- take these tests because of “Grandfather Clauses.”) Americans away from the polls? What were they afraid of? (political power, economics, etc.) INSTRUCTIONS # Nationally, what are the requirements today Say, The U.S. Constitution is so important to for registration and voting in any region of the citizenship that you should know it perfectly United States? without needing previous study time. No textbooks may be consulted. MORE! Pass out the 1965 Alabama Literacy Test and Assign students to write a short story about provide 25 minutes of serious, uninterrupted a character that took a literacy test in the and monitored test time. South and failed it (or passed it). Students will trade papers and score the tests What happened next? as you read each item with its full correct response. VOTE QUOTE Say, You just took the 1965 Alabama Literacy “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice Test to determine whether you were qualified everywhere.” – Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. to vote. If you missed more than seven answers, the registrars would have refused you.

Thanks to Dr. Robert Marlon, University of Redlands, now deceased, who obtained the 1965 Alabama Literacy Test during his involvement with the civil rights movement.

Name______

1. Which of the following is a right guaranteed by 11. To serve as President of the United States, a the Bill of Rights? person must have attained: ____Public Education ____Employment ____25 ____35 ____40 ____45 years ____Voting ____Trial by Jury 12. What words are required by law to be on all coins 2. The federal census of population is taken each five and paper currency of the U.S.? years. ____True ____False ______

3. If a person is indicted for a crime, name two rights 13. The Supreme Court is the chief lawmaking body which he has. of the state. ____True ____False ______14. If a law passed by a state is contrary to provisions 4. A U.S. senator elected at the general election in of the U.S. Constitution, which law prevails? November takes office the following year on what ______date?______15. If a vacancy occurs in the U.S. Senate, the state 5. A President elected at the general election in must hold an election, but meanwhile the place November takes office the following year on what may be filled by a temporary appointment made date?______by______

6. Which definition applies to the word 16. A U.S. senator is elected for a term of ____ years. “amendment?” ____Proposed change, as in a Constitution 17. Appropriation of money for the armed services ____Making of peace between nations at war can be only for a period limited to ____ years. ____A part of the government 18. The chief executive and the administrative offices 7. A person appointed to the U.S. Supreme court is make up the ______branch of government. appointed for a term of______. 19. Who passes laws dealing with piracy? 8. When the Constitution was approved by the ______original colonies, how many states had to ratify it in order for it to be in effect?____ 20. The number of representatives which a state is entitled to have in the House of Representatives is 9. Does enumeration affect the income tax levied on based on ______citizens in various states? ______21. The Constitution protects an individual against 10. Persons opposed to swearing in an oath may say, punishments which are ______instead: (solemnly______) and ______.

1965 ALABAMA LITERACY TEST PAGE 2

22. When a jury has heard and rendered a verdict in 34. “Involuntary servitude” is permitted in the U.S. a case, and the judgment on the verdict has become upon conviction of a crime. ____True ____False final, the defendant cannot again be brought to trial for the same cause. ____True ____False 35. If a state is a party to a case, the Constitution provides that original jurisdiction shall be in 23. Name two levels of government which can levy ______taxes: ______36. Congress passes laws regulating cases which are 24. Communism was the type of government in: included in those over which the U.S. Supreme ____U.S. ____Russia ____England Court has ______jurisdiction.

25. Cases tried before a court of law are two types, 37. Which of the following is a right guaranteed by civil and ______the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution? ____Public Housing ____Education 26. By a majority vote of the members of Congress, ____Voting ____Trial by Jury the Congress can change provisions of the Constitution of the U.S. ____True ____False 38. The Legislatures of the states decide how presidential electors may be chosen. 27. For security, each state has a right to form a ____True ____False ______39. If it were proposed to join Alabama and 28. The electoral vote for President is counted in the Mississippi to form one state, what groups would presence of two bodies. Name them: have to vote approval in order for this to be done? ______40. The Vice President presides over ______29. If no candidate for President receives a majority of the electoral vote, who decides who will become 41. The Constitution limits the size of the District of President?______Columbia to ______

30. Of the original 13 states, the one with the largest 42. The only laws which can be passed to apply to an representation in the first Congress was area in a federal arsenal are those passed by ______provided consent for the purchase of the land is given by the ______31. Of which branch of government is the Speaker of the House a part? 43. In which document or writing is the “Bill of ____Executive ____Legislative ____Judicial Rights” found? ______

32. Capital punishment is the giving of a death 44. Of which branch of government is a Supreme sentence. ____True ____False Court justice a part? ____Executive ____Legislative ____Judicial 33. In case the President is unable to perform the duties of his office, who assumes them? 45. If no person receives a majority of the electoral ______votes, the Vice President is chosen by the Senate. ____True ____False

1965 ALABAMA LITERACY TEST PAGE 3

46. Name two things which the states are forbidden 58. On the impeachment of the chief justice of the to do by the U.S. Constitution. Supreme court of the U.S., who tries the case? ______

47. If election of the President becomes the duty of 59. Money is coined by order of: the U.S. House of Representatives and it fails to act, ____U.S. Congress ____The President’s Cabinet who becomes President and when? ____State Legislatures ______60. Persons elected to cast a state’s vote for U.S. 48. How many votes must a person receive in order President and Vice President are called presidential to become President if the election is decided by the ______U.S. House of Representatives? ______

49. How many states were required to approve the 61. Name one power which is exclusively legislative original Constitution in order for it to be in effect? and is mentioned in one of the parts of the U.S. ______Constitution above. ______

50. Check the offenses which, if you are convicted of 62. If a person flees from justice into another state, who them, disqualify you for voting: has authority to ask for his return? ______Murder ____Issuing worthless checks ____Petty larceny ____Manufacturing whiskey 63. Whose duty is it to keep Congress informed of the state of the union? ______51. The Congress decides in what manner states elect presidential electors. ____True ____False 64. If the two houses of Congress cannot agree on adjournment, who sets the time? 52. Name two of the purposes of the U.S. ______Constitution. ______65. When presidential electors meet to cast ballots for President, must all electors in a state vote for the same 53. Congress is composed of person for President or can they vote for different ______persons if they so choose? ______54. All legislative powers granted in the U.S. Consti- tution may legally be used only by______66. After the presidential electors have voted, to whom do they send the count of their votes? 55. The population census is required to be made ______every ____ years. 67. The power to declare war is vested in ______56. Impeachments of U.S. officials are tried by ______68. Any power and rights not given to the U.S. or prohibited to the states by the U.S. Constitution are 57. If an effort to impeach the President of the U.S. specified as belonging to whom? ______is made, who presides at the trial? ______

1. Trial by Jury only 36. Co-appellate 2. False (every 10 years) 37. Trial by jury 3. Habeas Corpus (immediate presentation 38. True of charges); lawyer; speedy trial 39. Congress and the legislatures of both states 4. January 3 40. the Senate 5. January 20 41. 10 miles square 6. Proposed change, as in a Constitution 42. Congress; state legislatures 7. Life (with good behavior) 43. Constitution 8. Nine 44. Judicial 9. Yes 45. True 10. Affirm 46. Coin money; make treaties 11. 35 47. The Vice President, until the House acts 12. In God We Trust 48. 26 13. False 49. 9 14. U.S. Constitution 50. Murder 15. The governor 51. False 16. Six 52. (Preamble statements) “to form a more perfect 17. Two union, establish justice, insure domestic 18. Executive tranquillity, provide for the common defense, 19. Congress promote the general welfare, and secure the 20. Population (as determined by census) blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.” less untaxed Indians 53. House of Representatives and Senate 21. Cruel and unusual 54. Congress 22. True 55. 10 23. State and local 56. The Senate 24. Russia 57. The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court 25. Criminal 58. The Senate 26. False 59. The U. S. Congress 27. Militia 60. Electors 28. House of Representatives, Senate 61. Pass laws, coin money, declare war 29. House of Representatives 62. The Governor 30. Virginia 63. The President 31. Legislative 64. The President 32. True 65. They can vote for different people. 33. The Vice President 66. Vice President (President of the Senate) 34. True 67. Congress 35. The Supreme Court 68. The states; the people

WE, THE WOMEN (60-90 minutes over one to two days)

OBJECTIVE Each group should designate two people to act Students take the part of women suffragists the roles of the suffragist and the anti-suffragist. and their opponents to understand the need Have the groups rehearse a two-minute scene for legal protection. in which the anti-suffragist presents one or two of his arguments and “Alice Stone MATERIALS Blackwell” or “Jane Addams” responds. Remarks of Orestes A. Brownson handout; Have each group act out its skit in front of Remarks of Abraham L. Kellogg handout; the class. Remarks of Reverend Father Walsh and Repre- After the groups present their scenes, ask the sentative Clark handout; Jane Addams & Alice questions below. Stone Blackwell Respond to the Anti-suffragists Next, review the process of amending the con- handout; Women’s Suffrage Timeline handout stitution (3/4 states ratification). Pass out the Women’s Suffrage Timeline handout and ask GET READY students to highlight the five events they feel Divide the class into groups of four or five. were most crucial in winning the vote for women. Duplicate one anti-suffrage statement passage and one copy of the Jane Addams & Alice DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Stone Blackwell Respond handout for each # One viewpoint common to both suffragists and group. (Note that there are two long and two anti-suffragists was the conviction that women short anti-suffrage statement passages, for would vote differently from men. Was that the groups of varying ability.) Duplicate a Women’s case then? Do they today? What has been the Suffrage Timeline handout for everyone. effect of women’s suffrage on elections and policy decisions? INSTRUCTIONS # What do you think of the anti-suffragists Instruct each group to read its Anti-suffrage arguments? Why do you think people used to Statement passage and the Jane Addams & support the anti-suffragists in great numbers? Alice Stone Blackwell Respond handout. # Could you use the women in your family as Inform the groups that they need to adapt examples of why the anti-suffragists were their Anti-suffrage Statement and one of the wrong? How? responses from the Jane Addams & Alice Stone # Which trends and events in American history Blackwell Respond handout to create a in the late 19th and early 20th centuries dialogue to present to the class. changed the role of women in society? Have the students in each group work together to write a script based on the handouts where a suffragist and an anti-suffragist exchange opinions about women and the right to vote.

WE, THE WOMEN (continued)

MORE! Look up the “woman vote” in a recent election. News magazines often have this reportage. Was gender a factor in the result?

VOTE QUOTE “I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do.” – Helen Keller

The conclusive objection to the political enfranchisement for it nature has specially qualified her. Her proper of women is, that it would weaken and finally break up sphere is home, and her proper function is the care of and destroy the Christian family. The social unit is the the household, to manage a family, to take care of family, not the individual; and the greatest danger to children, and attend to their early training. For this she American society is, that we are rapidly becoming a is endowed with patience, endurance, passive courage, nation of isolated individuals, without family ties or quick sensibilities, a sympathetic nature, and great affections. The family has already been much weakened, executive and administrative ability. She was born to be and is fast disappearing. We have broken away from the a queen in her own household, and to make home old homestead, have lost the restraining and purifying cheerful, bright, and happy. We do not believe women, associations that gathered around it, and live away unless we acknowledge individual exceptions, are fit to from home in hotels and boarding-houses. We are daily have their own head. The most degraded of the savage losing the faith, the virtues, the habits, and the tribes are those in which women rule, and descent is manners without which the family cannot be sustained; reckoned from the mother instead of the father. and when the family goes, the nation goes too, or Revelation asserts, and universal experience proves that ceases to be worth preserving… the man is the head of the woman, and that the woman is for the man, not the man for the woman; and his Extend now to women suffrage and eligibility, give greatest error, as well as the primal curse of society, is them the political right to vote and to be voted for; that he abdicates his headship, and allows himself to be render it feasible for them to enter the arena of governed, we might almost say, deprived of his reason, political strife, to become canvassers in elections and by woman. It was through the seductions of the woman, candidates for office, and what remains of family union herself seduced by the serpent, that man fell, and will soon be dissolved. The wife may espouse one brought sin and all our woe into the world. She has all political party, and the husband another, and it may the qualities that fit her to be a nurse, their early well happen that the husband and wife may be rival instructress, their guardian, their life-long friend; to be candidates for the same office, and one or the other his companion, his comforter, his consoler in sorrow, doomed to the mortification of defeat. Will the husband his friend in trouble, his ministering angel in sickness; like to see his wife enter the lists against him, and but as an independent existence, free to follow her own triumph over him? Will the wife, fired with political fancies and vague longings, her own ambition and ambition for place or power, be pleased to see her own natural love of power, without masculine direction or husband enter the lists against her, and succeed at her control, she is out of her element, and a social anomaly, expense? Will political rivalry and the passions it never sometimes a hideous monster, which men seldom are, fails to engender increase the mutual affection of excepting through a woman’s influence. This is no husband and wife for each other, and promote domestic excuse for men, but it proves that women need a head, union and peace, or will it not carry into the bosom of and the restraint of father, husband, or the priest of God.1 the family all the strife, discord, anger, and division of the political canvass? …

Woman was created to be a wife and a mother; that is her destiny. To that destiny all her instincts point, and

1Aileen S. Kraditor, Editor, Up from the Pedestal, (Chicago, Quadrangle Books, 1970), pp. 192-194.

No, Mr. President, the true glory of womanhood is not you, fight for you and die for you. Do this and they will in sitting upon the jury, not in being clothed in judicial revere their country and love their flag. ermine, not in being sent to the halls of legislation, not in following the example of the publican, who prayed A few of the excellent and worthy women who are in aloud in public places to be seen and heard of men, but this Convention demanding the right to vote, I concede rather by such fond devotion in that sacred place where would do so. There are thousands of bad women who she stands as a queen in the eyes of all mankind, would also vote, at least, upon some questions, thus unrivaled and unsurpassed, as will enshrine her forever enforcing upon millions of modest and retiring mothers in the hearts of the father, the husband and the son. responsibilities from which they shrink, and rightly so… Their pathway to enduring fame is in teaching their daughters lessons of virtue and their sons to be manly, For a number of years the best minds of our State have self-reliant and independent. Would the sons of Sparta been engaged in solving the question how shall we have been more heroic or patriotic, had their noble purify our politics, how best can honest government be women possessed the ballot when they uttered the attained and how shall we defend the suffrage against historic words: “Come back rather upon your armor than bribery and corruption? That some progress has been without it”? Would the influence of the noble women of made in the right direction, I think all good men will the late war, God preserve the memory of their heroic admit. But, sir, before doubling twice over the voting deeds, have been more refining, had they been educated population of the State, with its untold possibility of in the mire of politics? Would it have added delicacy to corruption, before we burden our taxpayers with a the touch of the hand upon the fevered brow of the dying great expense to pay for such extension of the suffrage, soldier? No, Mr. President, a thousand times no. It would let, rather, this Convention… use its time and bend its have robbed the flower of its beauty and fragrance. efforts towards purifying the augean stables which we now have to contend with, rather than to incur the With my last breath will I defend from the realm of possibility of new evils which we know not of, and politics and partisan strife, the institution which has which it is not possible for the wisdom of man at this cost untold suffering heroic sacrifice and the priceless time to comprehend. blood of patriots to preserve… Gentlemen of the Convention, let us not at this time, Women of the great State of New York, the diffusion of by woman suffrage, or by its submission to the people, Christianity, no matter of what creed, will emancipate but rather by such wise efforts for entire religious you more than the ballot can possibly do. Let the hand liberty, for the diffusion of knowledge and the main- which rocks the cradle teach the coming young men tenance of our institutions of learning, for dispensing and women of America the Lord’s Prayer and the Ten the greatest charity possible, consistent with the cause Commandments, and you will do more for your of good government, by demanding the strictest emancipation and for every right which you may possess honesty in the discharge of all public affairs and by in the whole realm of human rights, than you can do defending the sanctity and purity of the fireside, with both hands full of white ballots. Do this and it will preserve this lovely land, this glorious liberty, this not be necessary for you to teach them political ethics priceless legacy of freedom transmitted to us by our or shine in the political firmament, to make them love fathers. (Applause)1

1Aileen S. Kraditor, Editor, Up from the Pedestal, (Chicago, Quadrangle Books,1970),pp.196-198.

“A woman’s brain evolves emotion rather than intellect and whilst this feature fits her admirably as a creature burdened with the preservation and happiness of the human species, it painfully disqualifies her for the sterner duties to be performed by the intellectual faculties. The best wife and mother and sister would make the worst legislator, judge and police.

“The excessive development of the emotional in her nervous system, ingrafts on the female organization, a neurotic or hysterical condition, which is the source of much of the female charm when it is kept within due restraints. In … moments of excitement … it is liable to explode in violent paroxysms … Every woman, therefore, carries this power of irregular, illogical and incongruous action; and no one can foretell when the explosion will come.”1

– Reverend Father Walsh

REMARKS OF REPRESENTATIVE CLARK

In 1915, the 3rd session of the 63rd Congress, Representative Clark of Florida stated:

“I do not wish to see the day come when the women of my race in my state shall trail their skirts in the muck and mire of partisan politics. I prefer to look to the American woman as she always has been, occupying her proud estate as the queen of the American home, instead of regarding her as a ward politician in the cities. As the mother, as the wife, as the sister she exercises a broader and deeper and mightier influence than she can ever exercise or hope to on the stump and in the byways of politics in this land. The American mother, the American woman, has my admiration, my respect, and my love—.” 2

lAiIeen S. Kraditor, Editor, The Ideas of the Woman Suffrage Movement (New York, W.W. Norton and Co., 1981), pp. 20. 2Ibid, p. 26.

JANE ADDAMS RESPONDS his walks of life, wrangling with him in the law Women who live in the country sweep their own courts, wrestling with him on the stump, dooryards and may either feed the refuse of the table to maneuvering against him in elections, haggling a flock of chickens or allow it innocently to decay in against him in Wall Street, and perhaps the open air and sunshine. In a crowded city quarter, encountering him on the race course and in the however, if the street is not cleaned by the city betting ring. But when woman has lost her authorities no amount of private sweeping will keep the privilege, what will she be but a weaker man? tenement free from grime; if the garbage is not properly collected and destroyed a tenement house If we were at present arguing the propriety of letting mother may see her children sicken and die of diseases women practice law, make public speeches, take part in from which she alone is powerless to shield them, political canvassing, speculate in stocks, or bet at races, although her tenderness and devotion are unbounded. these remarks would be more to the point. But women She cannot even secure untainted meat for her already are as free before the law to do all these things household, she cannot provide fresh fruit, unless the as men are, and society does not seem to have been meat has been inspected by city officials and the seriously overturned in consequence. Some of them, like decayed fruit which is so often placed upon sale in the public speaking, are perfectly fit for women to do; others, tenement districts, has been destroyed in the interests like betting, are not fit for anybody to do. But none of of public health. In short, if a woman would keep on them have any immediate connection with voting. with her old business of caring for her house and rearing her children she will have to have some What Prof. Smith means is that men would no longer conscience in regard to public affairs lying quite show chivalry or tenderness to women if women were outside of her immediate household. The individual admitted to the suffrage. So Bishop Vincent is reported conscience and devotion are no longer effective… If to have said that if women were allowed to vote, he women would effectively continue their old avocations should never again offer a lady his seat in a horse-car. they must take part in the slow upbuilding of that code But the Bishop has forgotten his logic. Why does he of legislation which is alone sufficient to protect the now offer a lady his seat? Is it because she cannot vote, home from the dangers incident to modern life. or because she is presumably not so well able to stand

– from Jane Addams, “Why Women Should Vote,” Ladies Home Journal, as he is? So far as the chivalry now shown to women 1909, reprinted in Aileen S. Kraditor, The Ideas of the Woman Suffrage has any rational basis, the same ground for it will Movement (New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 1981),p. 69 continue to exist, and it will, doubtless, continue to be manifested by men of a chivalrous nature… It is a ALICE STONE BLACKWELL RESPONDS matter of education and custom more than anything Professor Goldwin Smith says: else. The Mohammedan thinks women would cease to That the sex has its privileges in America, no be respected if they walked the streets with faces woman, it is presumed, will deny. Does the unveiled. So they would in the East, where custom has woman’s rights party expect to combine the caused it to be regarded as shocking… Justice is better prerogatives of both sexes, and have equality and than chivalry, if we cannot have both; but the two are privileges too? … Chivalry depends on the not at all incompatible. On the contrary, they help each acknowledged need of protection, and what is other. ‘As all the vices play into one another’s hands, so accorded to a gentle helpmate would not be all the virtues stand shoulder to shoulder.’ accorded to a rival. Man would neither be inclined –from Alice Stone Blackwell, “Losing Her Privilege,” Woman’s Journal, not bound to treat with tenderness and forbearance January, 1890, reprinted in Aileen S. Kraditor, Editor, Up From the the being who was fighting and jostling him in all Pedestal (Chicago: Quadrangle Books,1970), pp. 204-205

1848 Seneca Falls Convention for women’s rights: 68 1912 Oregon, Kansas, and Arizona adopt women’s women (inducting organizers Lucretia Mott and suffrage. Elizabeth Cady Stanton) sign a “Declaration of Rights and Sentiments” which includes the first 1914 Largest women’s suffrage parade ever held takes formal demand made in the United States for place in New York City; Montana and Nevada women’s right to vote. adopt women’s suffrage.

1850 First National Women’s Rights Convention, 1917 New York state adopts women’s suffrage; Worcester, Mass. Jeanette Rankin of Montana is formally seated in the U.S. House of Representatives, the first 1866 At the end of the Civil War, African-American woman elected to Congress. men get the vote but women do not; suffragists bring petitions signed by 10,000 to Congress. 1918 Michigan, South Dakota, and Oklahoma adopt women’s suffrage; President Wilson first states 1872 For casting a ballot in the presidential election his support of the federal women’s suffrage of 1872, Susan B. Anthony is arrested, tried, and amendment. fined in New York. 1919 In an urn directly in line with the White House 1878 Senator Sargent of California introduces a front door, the National Women’s Party builds a women’s suffrage amendment in Congress, the perpetual “watchfire for freedom,” in which wording of which remains unchanged until it is they burn speeches by President Wilson. finally passed by Congress in 1919. Members of the NWP who have been imprisoned for picketing the White House tour the country 1890 Wyoming is admitted to the Union; women had on a train called the “Prison Special.” At each been granted voting rights in Wyoming stop they speak about their experiences. Territory since 1869. The American Women Suffrage Association and the National Women 1919 The House and Senate pass the 19th Amendment. Suffrage Association merge, becoming the National American Woman Suffrage Association 1920 Tennessee becomes the 36th and final required (NAWSA), pledged to state-by-state campaigns state to pass the 19th Amendment. Women’s for suffrage. suffrage becomes law on August 26th.

1890s Colorado, Utah, Idaho, and Washington become additional states with women’s suffrage.

1911 Women’s suffrage succeeds in a California election, after a huge campaign. The National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage is founded.

Excerpted with permission from “Years of Hope, Years of Struggle,” in the gazette Women Win the Vote.

VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965 (60 minutes over two days)

OBJECTIVE Tell the groups they are going to make a pres- Students consider the impact of the Voting entation in respect to the Voting Rights Act Of Rights Act Of 1965. 1965. They need to devise an unjust voting scenario that would have occurred prior to the MATERIALS Act, and explain how the Voting Rights Act Voting Rights Act Of 1965 handout corrected that injustice; students can write a narrative, write a script and act it out, create GET READY a PowerPoint or video, etc. Copy the Voting Rights Act Of 1965 handout The groups should focus their scenarios for each of your students. around one of the “tests or devices,” as stated on the handout, whereas no one shall be denied INSTRUCTIONS the right to vote due to requirements to: Engage your students in a discussion of Demonstrate the ability to read, write, voting rights. Start the discussion by asking, understand, or interpret any matter Can anyone tell me restrictions there used to Demonstrate any educational be on people trying to vote? Listen to student achievement or his knowledge of any responses. particular subject Students will likely mention race and/or Possess good moral character ethnicity as factors in people being prohibited Prove his qualifications by the voucher from exercising their right to vote. Explain of registered voters or members of any that the Voting Rights Act Of 1965 was passed other class to make sure that no one would be denied Your students should do research on actual their right to vote due to their race or ethnicity. instances of voter discrimination in order to Pass out the Voting Rights Act Of 1965 hand- lend their scenarios legitimacy. Tell each group out and have your students read it individually. that they will need to reference and describe at Have your students break up into small groups least one true account of voter injustice. and discuss the contents of the Voting Rights Act Have the groups share their scenarios with the excerpt. Make sure the students understand its class and explain how the Voting Rights Act Of components as they are stated on the handout. 1965 corrected the injustice taking place in Discuss the right of a voter to not have to take their scenario. The groups should also cite and any tests or pass any requirements before he or describe the true account of voter discrimina- she votes (besides proof of age, citizenship, tion they researched. etc.) Further discuss how the taking of tests and the passing of certain requirements was representative of racial prejudices in our country.

VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965 (continued)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS # Why was the Voting Rights Act Of 1965 passed? # Who benefited from the Voting Rights Act Of 1965? What challenges to voting had this population experienced prior to the passing and implementation of the Voting Rights Act? # What surprised you in your research of an actual case of voter discrimination? # What other changes to voting rights have there been since 1965? (Lowering the voting age to 18, etc.)

Voting Rights Act Of 1965

To assure that the right of citizens of the United States to vote is not denied or abridged on account of race or color, no citizen shall be denied the right to vote in any Federal, State, or local election because of his failure to comply with any test or device in any State…

The phrase “test or device” shall mean any requirement that a person as a prerequisite for voting or registration for voting (1) demonstrate the ability to read, write, understand, or interpret any matter, (2) demonstrate any educational achievement or his knowledge of any particular subject, (3) possess good moral character, or (4) prove his qualifications by the voucher of registered voters or members of any other class…

NELSON MANDELA VOTES IN THE ELECTION OF 1994 (45 minutes over two days)

OBJECTIVE For homework, or possibly as an in-classroom Students compare voting injustices in South assignment, have your students (either in Africa to those of the United States. groups or as individuals) research instances of voter discrimination in another country, MATERIALS past or present. Nelson Mandela Votes In The Election Of 1994 Have your students describe before the class at handout least one instance of voting injustice in another country that they researched. Students should GET READY present both how this event mirrors America’s Copy the Nelson Mandela Votes In The Election voting history and how it differs. Of 1994 handout for each student in your class. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS INSTRUCTIONS # Why did Nelson Mandela quote Martin Luther Ask your students if America was the only country King, Jr. in his speech? in the world to suffer voting injustices. Ask for # What connections can you make between examples of countries that had similar problems. suffrage in South Africa and suffrage in America? Make sure to mention South Africa as an example # Nelson Mandela mentioned, “heroes who have if it is not brought up. Further mention that sacrificed” so that South Africans may have a South Africa was ruled by apartheid, and explain freely elected government. Who are America’s what apartheid is if students do not know. “heroes who have sacrificed” so that we may Talk to your class about Nelson Mandela. Ask, have a freely elected government? Does anyone know who Nelson Mandela is? # What did you learn about voting injustice as a Do you know why he is famous? Listen to global phenomena? Do you think there are student responses and provide additional still voting injustices in the world today? information on Nelson Mandela to create a Can you give an example? context for the handout. # What do you think it will feel like the first Tell your students that you are going to have time you vote? them read an excerpt from Nelson Mandela’s autobiography. Ask your students to read the Nelson Mandela Votes In The Election Of 1994 handout. Tell your students that you had them read the handout so that they could see the importance of racial equality and the right to vote the world over and draw connections between South Africa and America. Ask them to share their comments and questions.

I voted on April 27, the second of the four days violence and bombings ceased, and it was as if we of voting, and I chose to vote in Natal to show the were a nation reborn… people in that divided province that there was no It took several days for the results to be count- danger in going to the polling stations. I voted at ed. We polled 62.6 percent of the national Ohlange High School in Inanda, a green and hilly vote…Some in the ANC were disappointed that we township just north of Durban, for it was there that did not cross the two-thirds threshold, but I was not John Dube, the first president of the ANC, was buried. one of them. In fact I was relieved; had we won two- This African patriot had helped found the organiza- thirds of the vote and been able to write a constitution in 1912, and casting my vote near his grave site tion unfettered by input from others, people would brought history full circle, for the mission he began argue that we had created an ANC constitution. I eighty-two years before was about to be achieved. wanted a true government of national unity. As I stood over his grave on a rise above the On the evening of May 2, Mr. de Klerk made a small school below, I thought not of the present but gracious concession speech. After more than three of the past. When I walked to the voting station, my centuries of rule, the white minority was conceding mind dwelt on the heroes who had fallen so that I defeat and turning over power to the black Majority. might be where I was that day, the men and women That evening the ANC was planning a victory celebra- who had made the ultimate sacrifice for a cause that tion at the ballroom of the Carlton Hotel in downtown was now finally succeeding. I thought of Oliver Johannesburg…Mrs. Coretta Scott King, the wife of Tambo, and Chris Hani, and Chief Luthuli, and Bram the great freedom fighter Martin Luther King Jr., was Fischer. I thought of our great African heroes, who on the podium that night, and I looked over to her as I had sacrificed so that millions of South Africans made reference to her husband’s immortal words. could be voting on that very day… I did not go into “This is one of the most important moments in that voting station alone on April 27; I was casting the life of our country. I stand here before you filled my vote with all of them… with deep pride and joy — pride in the ordinary, I marked an X in the box next to the letters humble people of this country. You have shown such ANC and then slipped my folded ballot into a simple a calm, patient determination to reclaim this coun- wooden box; I had cast the first vote of my life. try on your own, and now the joy that we can loudly The images of South Africans going to the proclaim to the rooftops — free at last! Free at last! I polls that day are burned in my memory. Great lines stand before you humbled by your courage, with a of patient people snaking through the dirt roads and heart full of love for all of you…This is a time to heal streets of towns and cities; old women who had wait- the old wounds and build a new South Africa.” ed half a century to cast their first vote saying that –Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom they felt like human beings for the first time in their (pp.538–540) lives; white men and women saying they were proud (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1994) to live in a free country at last. The mood of the nation during those days of voting was buoyant. The

STOP THAT TEENAGER BEFORE HE VOTES (60 minutes over one to two days)

OBJECTIVE Ask, How did that article make you feel? Is Students evaluate and respond to commentary there anything you would say to Mr. on teen-voters. Rosenberg in response to his article? Listen to a couple of responses and then give your MATERIALS students an opportunity to list why they think What is Your Ideology? handout; Stop That teenagers 18 years and older deserve to vote Teenager Before He Votes handout (pay taxes, participation in armed forces, etc.) Provide your students the opportunity to draft GET READY letters to local/national newspaper editors Print one copy of the What is Your Ideology? explaining why young adults should be encour- handout for yourself. aged, not discouraged, to vote. (Refer to the Duplicate a copy of the Stop That Teenager Letter to the Editor activity in the Active Before He Votes handout for each student in Citizenship theme.) your class. Have students share their written responses with the rest of the class and then mail them INSTRUCTIONS (optional). Say to your class, A couple of reasons that people use to explain why 18- to 20-year-olds don’t vote DISCUSSION QUESTIONS in large numbers is that they don’t have any # Did you find that you had stronger opinions opinions on the issues. You’re not quite 18 (in on the issues than you thought? If yes, what most cases), so let’s see about that. Take the What does that tell you about yourself? is Your Ideology? handout and choose statements # Why do you think Mr. Rosenberg felt the need from the document to present to the class. Ask to write that article? What do you think about students for their opinions on the various issues. his reasoning? Encourage your students to respectfully # Was this activity powerful in making you want engage one another in a discussion of the to vote? How so? issues you bring up. # Do you have the right to vote? What are the Say, It turns out that you do have some very current requirements for suffrage? definite opinions, and a very good reason to # Some people think the voting age should be vote your mind — on a Kids Voting ballot now lowered to 17 or maybe even 16. How do you or an official one, as soon as you turn 18. feel about that? (Ask students to defend their Say, Now I am going to give you an article point of view.) from a man who does not think that teenagers # What are your responsibilities in regards should be encouraged to vote. Have the to voting? students read the article.

An ideology is a systematic set of values that enables a person to view policy issues in a consistent way. Your answers to these questions will indicate if your political values lean toward the liberal or conservative ideologies. Circle T for true or F for false in response to the following statements. 1. The federal government places too many restrictions on the way corporations conduct their business. TF 2. Unions reduce productivity by discouraging workers from performing tasks not agreed to in a labor management contract. TF 3. High government taxes discourage citizens from working hard. TF 4. Most people on welfare would prefer a real job. TF 5. Government should create programs that will reduce America’s large number of poor people. TF 6. The best way to help the poor is to set policies that help businesses earn a profit so they can hire the underprivileged. TF 7. Taxes should be used to redistribute income by taking from the wealthy and giving to the poor. TF 8. The government has a special responsibility to protect and assist disadvantaged minorities. TF 9. Government programs on behalf of the disadvantaged discourage people from helping themselves. TF 10. America’s high crime rate is directly traceable to the persistence of poverty and discrimination. TF 11. America’s high crime rate is due to courts being too lenient with criminals. TF 12. Crime, unemployment and poverty will be reduced if Americans return to the traditional values of hard work, self discipline and belief in God. TF 13. Government should censor or restrict films and publications that undermine the nation’s moral fiber. TF 14. The First Amendment should protect pornography from government censorship. Adults must be free to think and speak as they wish. TF 15. Most Third World unrest can be traced to Communist attempts to inspire anti-Western revolutions in these areas. TF 16. Most Third World unrest is caused by weak governments and economics, poverty, famine TF and internal conflict—legacy of Western political and economic imperialism.

Note: This survey is designed to measure students’ value orientations on key ideological issues. It does not scientifically determine ideology. The answers are below: L is for liberal and C for conservative. 1. T-C F-L 5. T-L F-C 9. T-C F-L 13. T-C F-L 2. T-C F-L 6. T-C F-L 10. T-L F-C 14. T-L F-C 3. T-C F-L 7. T-L F-C 11. T-C F-L 15. T-C F-L 4. T-L F-C 8. T-L F-C 12. T-C F-L 16. T-L F-C

Reprinted with permission from the Newsweek Education Department.

By ELLIOT ROSENBERG 18-year-olds. Self-addressed by the informed, learn the candidates’ back- Board of Elections, it spares teenagers grounds, learn the issues, learn where Each fall I commit an act of willful any inconvenience on the road to the candidates stand on those issues.” sabotage. It is premeditated, unabashed becoming good citizens. And it’s That strikes some in the room as and performed in an American class- marked, “No Postage Necessary If too much spinach, not enough candy. room beneath the Stars and Stripes. Mailed In The United States,” fulfilling So the number of uncompleted manila And when the deed is done, I harbor no one’s civic duty also becomes financially registration forms I find in the waste feelings of guilt. For in weakening, ever painless. And if a journey to the nearest basket at the end of the school day so slightly, one pillar of democratic mail box might prove arduous, arrange- never alarms me. mythology, I have helped preserve the ments are in place for a table-top “drop” If we hesitate to let teenagers drink Republic. site in the school lobby. until they’re 21, why entrust them with New York City’s Board of Education Then the women make their first shaping the fate of the Republic at 18? would disagree. My high school's major mistake. Instead of leading their Since the 26th Amendment’s ratifica- administration would, too. Also, my quarry line by line through the rows of tion in 1971, about 400 youngsters have union, the United Federation of questions on the registration form, they passed through my economics and his- Teachers, and every Republican and depart. tory classes each school year. Many I’d Democrat who has ever run for public “Hey, what’s the color of my eyes happily escort, umbrella in hand, to the office, anywhere. And, most vehemently for item 7?” polls on a stormy day. But many others of all, the League of Women Voters. “Can I get in trouble if I sign the constitute a sleeping giant best left What is this act of possible sedi- aff-i-dav-it?” unwakened. tion? Through tactically indirect means, “What do I write in the box marked After marking a few tests, a teacher I discourage some teenagers from vot- ‘For Official Use Only’?” is a better judge of a youngster's readi- ing, checkmating the vigorous cam- Possibly the league representatives ness to share in his country’s gover- paigns to register them and get them figure any 18-year-old can fill out a sim- nance than any voter-action group, into those curtained booths. I do it for a ple form. That seems a logical conclu- however well-intentioned. In social good reason: Many teenagers do not sion by any group also capable of pre- studies class, a platter is placed before deserve to vote. Their teacher should suming all 18-year-olds belong in a vot- the student containing the roots and know. Let me explain: Each campaign ing booth. Or perhaps they assume I’ll structure of American government, the season my immediate superior, the enthusiastically pick up where they essence of our Constitution, its evolu- Social Studies Department chairman, enthusiastically leave off. tion, its enduring issues. And if he asks whether any of my classes hold siz- Another grievous mistake. leaves his plate untouched, the nation able numbers of 18-year-olds. Instead of I’ll go this far: “Your eyes are will be better served if he also leaves no taking the cowardly way out and simply hazel… you won’t get in trouble if your fingerprints on a voting booth lever. saying “No,” I welcome two genteel, answers are honest… don’t write any- Consider an essay on government well-dressed women from the League of thing in the box marked ‘Official Use’.” that informs the reader that the presi- Women Voters into my classroom. As But not a step further. dent “passes” laws but Congress can the well-meaning pair talk about citizen “Mr. Rosenberg, I don’t want to veto them and the Supreme Court can responsibility, the duty of all eligible register and I don’t care about voting. make the law work anyway by overrid- teenagers to make their collective voice Do I have to?” ing Congress’s veto. Or a history essay heard across the land, their opportunity “Say, If I fill this thing out, will you that affirms Franklin Roosevelt was to to make democracy truly work, they give me extra credit?” blame for the Depression that took never take note of the fidgeting body- Effective sabotage need not be vio- place in the 1950s, but he made up for language signs before them. Nor the lent. It can be as subtle as an ambigu- it by winning World War II after the subtle eye-to-eye contact by which stu- ous shrug or its verbal equivalent. Chinese bombed Pearl Harbor. dents query me: “When they gonna fin- “I’m not telling you to vote; I’m “Getting Out the Vote” is an impor- ish?” not telling you not to vote. That’s your tant endeavor. To my mind, “Keeping When the lecture ends, the women decision to make.” ‘Em Away” is often just as necessary. distribute several pamphlets and a Then I add the fatal caveat: “If you Mr. Rosenberg is a high-school manila voter-registration form to all the decide to vote, take the trouble to be teacher in New York.

Reprinted with permission from The Wall Street Journal, September 29, 1988

THE POWER OF ONE (60 minutes over one to two days)

OBJECTIVE Have your class use the Internet or print Students learn to overcome apathy and resources to briefly answer the questions below. appreciate how one vote can make a difference. Have each group present their findings to the rest of the class. MATERIALS Just One Vote! How Important Am I? handout; DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Teacher’s Example handout; Internet access # Why is your topic significant? (optional) # How did the subject you researched impact history? GET READY # Who was the “one vote” in your historical If possible, arrange for your students to have event? Was it a citizen? A member of the access to the Internet. Electoral College? A senator? Photocopy the Just One Vote! How Important # What would have happened had that one Am I? handout for your class. person not practiced their right to vote? Review the Teacher’s Example handout and do # How would things be different today if the any extra research you feel is necessary. outcome of the vote you researched was different? INSTRUCTIONS: # What did you learn about the importance of Break your class up into groups of three or four. a single vote? Read to the class your Teacher’s Example handout. (Read aloud the event followed by the event description). Give each group a copy of the Just One Vote! How Important Am I? handout to read. Inform the groups that they will be researching one of the events on the handout. Tell the groups to pick by consensus their top three choices in terms of interesting voting events. Go from group to group asking for their top choice, their second choice if the top choice is already taken, and a third choice if their top two are taken, etc. No two groups should be researching the same topic.

In 1845, one vote brought Texas into the Union.

In 1845, one vote admitted California, Oregon, and Washington into statehood.

In 1867, The Alaska Purchase was ratified by just one vote paving the way for the eventual admission of America’s largest state in 1958.

In 1868, Andrew Johnson was impeached; one vote saved him from removal.

In 1875, one vote changed France from a monarchy to a republic.

In 1890, by a one vote margin, Idaho became a state.

In 1916, if presidential hopeful Charles E. Hughes had received one additional vote in each of California’s precincts, he would have defeated President Woodrow Wilson’s re-election bid.

In 1920, one vote in a last minute decision ratified the 19th Amendment to the Constitution — giving women the right to vote.

In 1923, one vote gave Adolf Hitler leadership of the Nazi party.

In 1941, one vote saved Selective Service (drafting into the armed services) — just weeks before Pearl Harbor was attacked.

In the 1960 presidential election, an additional one vote per precinct in Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, and Texas may have altered the course of America’s modern history by denying John F. Kennedy the presidency and placing Richard Nixon in the White House eight years earlier.

In 1962, the governors of Maine, Rhode Island, and North Dakota were all elected by a margin of one vote per precinct.

In 1994, the U.S. House of Representatives enacted a law banning specific classes of assault weapons. The vote was initially tied but one member changed his vote to approve the ban.

In 2000, George W. Bush won the Electoral College vote over Al Gore by receiving 271 votes, just one more than the 270 needed to win.

In 1876, one vote gave Rutherford B. Hayes the presidency of the United States.

Elected by a heavy majority, Hayes entered Congress in December 1865, troubled by the “rebel influences…ruling the White House.” Between 1867 and 1876 he served three times as Governor of Ohio. Safe liberalism, party loyalty, and a good war record made Hayes an acceptable Republican candidate in 1876.

He opposed Governor Samuel J. Tilden of New York. Although a galaxy of famous Republican speakers, and even Mark Twain, stumped for Hayes, he expected the Democrats to win. When the first returns seemed to confirm this, Hayes went to bed, believing he had lost.

But in New York, Republican National Chairman Zachariah Chandler, aware of a loophole, wired leaders to stand firm: “Hayes has 185 votes and is elected.” The popular vote apparently was 4,300,000 for Tilden to 4,036,000 for Hayes. Hayes’s election depended upon contested electoral votes in Louisiana, South Carolina, and Florida. If all the disputed electoral votes went to Hayes, he would win; a single one would elect Tilden.

Months of uncertainty followed. In January 1877 Congress established an Electoral Commission to decide the dispute. The commission, made up of eight Republicans and seven Democrats, determined all the contests in favor of Hayes by eight to seven. The final electoral vote: 185 to 184.

Source: http://clinton4.nara.gov/textonly/WH/glimpse/presidents/html/rh19.html

OVERARCHING QUESTIONS

WHAT IS SUFFRAGE? # Do you know that the right to vote is called suffrage? What does having the right to vote mean? # Do those with the right to vote have more power than those without? # Does everyone have the right to vote? Who does? Who doesn’t? # Can you name some groups of people that have earned the right to vote over the course of American history? # How did they earn the right to vote? # How does it/how would it feel to not have the right to vote in your own country? # Why is suffrage so important to the people who have it?

EXPANDING THE RIGHT TO VOTE # Have all minority groups in America always had the right to vote? Who did not? What did they do to earn the right to vote? # Why do people fight for the right to vote? # Why has it taken so long for some groups to gain the right to vote? # Is the history of voting rights over, or are there more rights to be won? # Is America the only country in the world to have denied voting rights to certain groups of its population? Can you give other examples? # What do you think it felt like to be denied the right to vote? What do you think it felt like to earn the right to vote?

SUFFRAGE TODAY # Who has the right to vote today? # What are the only requirements for registration and voting across the United States? # How might our country be different if the right to vote was still denied to women and ethnic minorities? # What are some barriers that keep people from voting today? # Do you think everyone who deserves the right to vote has the right to vote? Do you foresee additional groups gaining the right to vote? If so, who? # Why do you think 18-24-year-olds do not vote as much as other age groups in our country? # In general, why do you think there is so much voter apathy? Is there anything we can do to change this? # What is the state of suffrage today? # What was it like the first time you voted or what do you think it will feel like the first time you vote?

LITERATURE CONNECTION ACTIVITY Voting and the Spirit of American Democracy edited by Donald W. Rogers

OBJECTIVE Make sure that each group knows that it needs Students investigate the history of voting to include in its presentation the more sub- rights in America. stantive points made in the essay they were assigned. The groups should determine these MATERIALS points before developing their presentations. Voting and the Spirit of American Democracy Give each group time to practice their – Donald W. Rogers, Editor presentations. GET READY Have each group present in the order in which Secure eight copies of Voting and the Spirit of their essay appears in the table of contents. American Democracy. Each presentation should be followed by a question period from the class. INSTRUCTIONS After the last presentation, engage the class in Inform your students that they will be a discussion on the complete Voting and the investigating the history of voting rights in Spirit of American Democracy. (You can use America through the text, Voting and the the questions provided, at least in part.) Spirit of American Democracy. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Explain that the book is comprised of eight # essays, each essay detailing one chapter of the What are some of the significant changes to history of American suffrage. suffrage that have been made in America? # Break your class up into eight groups, one group Were you surprised by what you read or by for each essay in the book. Assign each group what another group presented? If so, what to an essay. (Each essay is about 10-15 pages.) surprised you? # Ask the groups to look at the title of their What trends can you detect in the development assigned essay and conjecture what it is about. of the right to vote in the United States? # Give the group members a couple of minutes What are some of the challenges that face to consult with each other, and then have suffrage in America today? # them share with the class what they think The title of the book is “Voting and the Spirit their essay is going to cover. of American Democracy.” After studying this Have each group read their essay. (This can be book, what do you think is the spirit of assigned for homework.) American democracy? Tell each group that they need to think of a creative way to relate the information in their essay to the rest of the class. Provide class time for students to brainstorm ideas. (Encourage students to think of all possibilities: video, visual arts, dramatics, etc.)

CULMINATING ACTIVITY: A GAME OF CARDS (60-90 minutes over two days)

OBJECTIVE and below your name, write your selection Students recognize the progressive (Example “Legislature” or “Court” in the case empowerment of groups in the United States. of selecting a field trip site.) Collect all the cards with @ on them. Count MATERIALS the results and announce that the decision has Index cards; Chronology of the Growth of been made. Report the outcome. Suffrage handout Students whose cards were not collected may demand that their cards be counted as well. GET READY Think about this, and then collect the ballots Prepare an index card for every student, marked %. Again, excluded students will complain; marking the backs of the cards with one of the respond by collecting cards marked ^. The following symbols. Make an equal number of final time, collect ballots marked & and *, and cards with each symbol. express that no more votes are included. Tally @ = White male with property those you collected and announce the decision. % = White male without property Explain to the students what the symbols rep- ^ = African-American male resent and that their ballots have been accepted & = Female in the order in which the vote was extended to * = Native American each group in the United States. (Those students _ = Immigrant noncitizen with cards marked _, +, and O do not vote + = Apathetic nonvoting citizen because either their symbols represent groups O = Citizen too young to vote who have not acquired suffrage or groups that At this point, do not indicate in any way what have the right to vote and choose not to use it.) the symbols stand for. Distribute copies of Chronology of the Growth Make a copy of the Chronology of the Growth of Suffrage for students to read. Encourage of Suffrage handout for each student your students to read over it carefully. Next, break your class up into groups of four. INSTRUCTIONS Give each group a stack of 30 large index cards Have students choose a ballot issue to or 30 half-pieces of paper. Tell the groups to actually decide (for example, selecting a guest copy the events from the handout onto the speaker or a field trip site). index cards/pieces of paper without the dates. Distribute at random the cards you have pre- (It is very important that your students do not pared; deflect attention away from what is on copy the dates because they will be building a the backs of the cards, even if asked about it. timeline without the aid of the handout.) Say, Write your name on the front of the card

CULMINATING ACTIVITY: A GAME OF CARDS (continued)

Have each group put their handouts away and DISCUSSION QUESTIONS create a suffrage timeline by putting the events # Why were groups so anxious to gain the right in chronological order from earliest event to to vote? Did the franchise bring them what most recent. they hoped it would? Why or why not? Go over the sequencing of the events and reward # To the students with the + cards: What message the team that creates a correct timeline first. would you give to the class about your Finally, assign each of your students one of the experience? (You can ask any of the groups to dates from the timeline. Have your students share their experience in this activity.) conduct further research on these events and # Will additional groups ever be given the vote write short essays that summarize the impact in the United States? Why or why not? each event had on the expansion of suffrage. # Were you surprised by the dates of some of the (Encourage your students to support their events? If so, what surprised you? assignments with primary information.) # Was it difficult to create the suffrage timeline? In the order of the Chronology of the Growth What made it challenging? of Suffrage timeline, have each of your students # What did you learn about the event you read aloud their event and essay. researched that really interested you? # Do you think it’s possible that years from now there will be new events to add to the timeline? If yes, what do you think are some possible events?

1776 At the time of the signing of the Declaration 1848 African-Americans and women are still of Independence, the right to vote is based on subject to discriminating practices at the property ownership. Suffrage is reserved polls and no significant advancement for their primarily for white, male Protestants over the cause has occurred, even though reformers age of 21. There are a few instances of have long voiced opposition to the white male African-Americans owning property. only vote. The plight of women is denounced by Elizabeth Cady Stanton at a gathering of 1787 With the drafting of the Constitution, states 100 women’s rights advocates in Seneca Falls, are given the power to regulate their own New York, in 1848. She reads a proclamation suffrage laws and they favor white, male that “all men and women are created equal” property owners. and the convention passes several resolutions which call for women being given the vote. 1789 George Washington is elected president by The Women’s Suffrage Movement has begun. the Electoral College. Only six percent of the entire population is involved in the election. 1865 A Civil Rights Act defines citizenship and prohibits discrimination based on race. 1791 Vermont, the 14th state, moves the country However, President Andrew Johnson vetoes along with a pioneering spirit as they declare the bill, stating that it favors the rights of all adult, white males, irrespective of property African-Americans over whites. The ownership or religious preference, can vote. Republican Congress overrides the veto, hoping to lure the vote of former slaves. 1816 Twenty-five years later, Indiana, Illinois, and Alabama join the Union and establish voting 1868 Slave states allow no African-American person rules similar to Vermont’s. By 1821 Connecticut, to vote. After the Civil War, lawmakers enact Massachusetts and New York follow suit. the 14th Amendment to the Constitution Between 1820 and 1830 the voting electorate granting citizenship to African-Americans and doubles. Voter population increase is an permitting them to vote. However, state impetus to the development of political parties. officials still attempt to deny them this right. 1869 The National American Women Suffrage 1842 Rhode Island does not join most other states Association is founded, with Susan B. with reformed voting rights and continues to Anthony as president. require property ownership to qualify to vote. This issue causes much controversy, and rival 1870 The 15th Amendment to the Constitution is state governments are elected in Providence ratified, providing African-Americans the and Newport. Thomas W. Door begins a right to vote and prohibiting state and local movement known as the Door Rebellion governments from denying that right. which is victorious and forces Rhode Island to adopt a new constitution in 1843. This 1872 Victoria Woodhull contends that under the provides broader suffrage provisions. provisions of the 14th and 15th Amendments, women are citizens of the United States and should be allowed to vote.

CHRONOLOGY OF THE GROWTH OF SUFFRAGE CONTINUED

1872 Susan B. Anthony votes and is arrested for 1957 By provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1957, violating a federal law that forbids the votes the Justice Department may punish inter- of confederates or traitors. ference or disruption of protection for African-American voters. 1875 The Supreme Courts rules in Minor v. Happersett that suffrage is not coexistent 1960 The Civil Rights Act of 1960 allows courts to with the right to citizenship granted in the appoint federal referees to protect voting 14th Amendment, and that the extent of rights. Obstruction of these court orders is a women’s rights is up to state legislatures. federal offense.

1876 Poll taxes, grandfather clauses, and literacy tests 1961 The 23rd Amendment to the Constitution are introduced in many southern states. These allows residents of the District of Columbia to measures are designed to restrict the ability of vote for president and vice-president. Until African-Americans to register and vote. this amendment, residents were unable to vote since the District is not a state. 1890 Wyoming becomes a state and is the first to provide suffrage for women in its 1964 The Civil Rights Act of 1964 guarantees the constitution. right to register to vote without fear of reprisal.

1913 The 17th Amendment to the Constitution is 1964 The 24th Amendment to the Constitution ratified. It allows popular election of U.S. guarantees that no person can be denied the senators. No new group receives the right to right to vote due to an inability to pay a tax vote, but the voting power is expanded. prior to voting. The “poll tax” is now considered unconstitutional. 1920 The 19th Amendment to the Constitution guarantees suffrage for women. 1965 Martin Luther King, Jr. leads 25,000 people on a march from Selma to Montgomery, 1940 Native Americans are made citizens by an act Alabama, to dramatize the need for more of Congress. However, in New Mexico and voting rights. Arizona, Native Americans cannot vote because they do not pay property taxes. 1965 The Voting Rights Act is amended to ban the use of literacy tests, poll taxes, and other 1943 Georgia lowers its voting age from 21 to 18 in barriers to voting. state and local elections. 1971 The 26th Amendment to the Constitution 1947 Miguel Trijillo, a Native American and former lowers the voting age to 18. Marine, wins a suit against New Mexico for not allowing him to vote. Since Native Americans pay most forms of taxes, they are subject to taxation without representation. New Mexico and Arizona are required to give the vote to all their Native American citizens.

9–12 ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP

INTRODUCTION TO THEME The intent of this theme is for students to learn how to evaluate information and to intelligently form, communicate, and act on the decisions they make. The theme’s activities fall under four main learning objectives: • Students will learn how to gather and weigh information and form an opinion. • Students will learn how to clearly and effectively communicate their position with others. • Students will learn how to work together effectively. • Students will consider how they can have an impact in their community.

GENERAL ACTIVITIES CONCEPT 1: GATHERING AND WEIGHING INFORMATION In The News: Fact Or Fiction? ...... 2 Public Agenda ...... 3 Choosing An Issue ...... 4 CONCEPT 2: COMMUNICATING YOUR POSITION Debate The Issue ...... 6 The Election Of 1800 ...... 9 Voicing Your Opinion ...... 12 Letter To The Editor ...... 14 CONCEPT 3: WORKING TOGETHER Political Cartoons ...... 15 Koosh® Ball Catch ...... 17 Creative Expressions ...... 18 CONCEPT 4: HAVING AN IMPACT My Turn: Targeting A Problem For Teens ...... 19 Helping An Organization ...... 22 Teaching An Elementary Lesson ...... 23 OVERARCHING QUESTIONS Questions for Concept 1: Gathering and Weighing Information ...... 25 Questions for Concept 2: Communicating Your Position ...... 25 Questions for Concept 3: Working Together ...... 25 Questions for Concept 4: Having an Impact ...... 25 LITERATURE CONNECTION ACTIVITY Teen Power Politics by Sara Jane Boyers ...... 26 CULMINATING ACTIVITY Service-learning Action Plan ...... 28

IN THE NEWS: FACT OR FICTION? (50-60 minutes)

OBJECTIVE From the headline they selected, your students Students write a newspaper article that need to create newspaper articles, that include incorporates a headline, lead paragraph, body, all the components of a newspaper article that and conclusion. were already discussed. Your students only have the headlines to go by, so encourage them MATERIALS to be creative. Copies of a local or national newspaper Tell your students to aim for credibility and professionalism in their articles, because the GET READY rest of the class will be guessing if their work Cut out examples of newspaper article is the real article or not. headlines from a newspaper. One at a time, have your students read aloud both their article and the real one. Have the INSTRUCTIONS class guess (by a show of hands) which the Make sure your students are fluent in the original is and which one is made up. components of a newspaper article: the Make sure to have each student mention who headline is what catches the reader’s attention, wrote the original article after the guessing the lead paragraph tells the important is over. information about the news story, the body Follow up this exercise with a discussion gives the supporting information and detail for of what makes a good news article and what the lead, and the conclusion sums up the some students did to make their articles content of the article. convincing. Go into detail about what makes a news article compelling: a persuasive headline, strong DISCUSSION QUESTIONS details, quotes, etc. # What makes an article compelling to read? Share with your students the headlines you # What makes an article sound professional? cut out. Ask them what makes these headlines # What helps make an article credible? effective or ineffective, and then have your # What are the most important aspects of a class look through the newspaper to identify newspaper article? other interesting headlines. # What in hindsight would you have done Remind your students that they are only to look differently with your article? for headlines and are not to read any articles. Instruct your students to choose a headline of interest to them and then to put all the newspapers away.

THE PUBLIC AGENDA (1 hour over two days)

OBJECTIVE Vote by a show of hands to determine the 10 Students gather and classify media coverage to issues the class considers the most important. determine national, state, and local issues. Have your students compare their major issues list with one compiled by www.publicagenda.org. MATERIALS Have them go to the Web site and click on the Newspapers and news magazines “Issue Guides” section. They will find the GET READY major issues listed for the last year as well as Obtain copies of a week’s worth of newspapers the major issues for the current year. and news magazines to form a classroom Have your students compare their list to the lists resource center for students. on the Web site.

INSTRUCTIONS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS For homework one night, assign your students # Different agenda items belong to different the job of finding three articles from three levels of government. Are there issues that different sources (newspapers or magazines). belong on the state or local agenda instead of The articles should be about issues that the the national one? Are there “crossover” issues American people think the federal government that belong on all three? What are they? should do something about. # Are there items which you, as high school Have your students bring their articles to class. students, would like to place on the national Give them time to share their articles with agenda? How could you help to get them on each other in small groups. They should the agenda if they are not already there? specify what issue each of their articles is Is this a part of activism? about and why they think these issues are # What could we as a class do now to influence important to Americans. the local/national agenda? Have the small groups of students sift through the additional newspapers and magazines you MORE! collected. They should continue to look for the Students can continue to monitor changes major issues. and developments in the national agenda by Have the groups list as many important issues posting articles, concerning the 10 areas as they can think of. They can mention issues chosen, on a National Agenda Bulletin Board. that their articles addressed or issues they came across in the articles you provided. VOTE QUOTE Make a list of the major issues on the board by “Political parties serve to keep each other having your students share their lists of the in check one keenly watching the other.” issues. Students should be careful not to repeat – Dwight D. Eisenhower issues already mentioned by others.

CHOOSING AN ISSUE (Time varies)

OBJECTIVE Reading newspaper or magazine articles Students research an issue of interest to them Contacting a community agency or and write a report about what they learned. national organization that focuses on the issue MATERIALS Have students write a report about what they Internet access; information on how to correctly learned. The report should include information conduct an interview (from the local library/ from their research as well as their own media center or Internet); magazines, newspapers, opinions and ideas about the issue. and/or books related to the students’ topics They should include: A discussion of the issue and why it is GET READY of concern to others Set up a time for your students to meet with the A list of organizations and/or individuals school librarian to show them how to conduct working on this issue research in the library (or show them yourself). Current approaches to addressing the Arrange for a technology teacher or a librarian issue that reflect opposing positions to show your class how to properly search for Opinions about the issue including ideas resources on the Internet (or show them for community service and other future yourself). action Hand out guidelines about how to properly How voting and government action at conduct an interview (Some rules of the local, state, and/or national levels has thumb may be found at impacted this issue historically http://www.kosmicki.com/102/htinterview.htm.) Have students share what they learned with the rest of the class. Ask each student to INSTRUCTIONS highlight in their presentation the five most Ask students to think about and choose a important points in their reports. social or political issue that interests them. Following the presentations, have the class Possibilities include: crime, drug abuse, teen discuss the connections they see between the suicide, teen pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, preservation different issues they researched. Instruct your of national wilderness areas, animal rights, etc. students to listen for and take notes on these Have students research the issue in both its connections. local and national contexts through two or more of the following activities: Searching the Internet Interviewing an expert

CHOOSING AN ISSUE (continued)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS # What was the most intriguing thing you learned from this project? # What was difficult about this research paper? # What went especially smoothly while conducting your research? What was most challenging? # What are some suggestions you could give someone about researching and writing a research paper on a current issue? # What would you have done differently? # Why is it important to conduct good research before writing a report?

DEBATE THE ISSUE (Two 45-minute sessions)

OBJECTIVE Ask team members to choose parts. The least Students debate a topic and communicate threatening is Opening Argument which may effectively with one another. be written ahead of time and simply read aloud; the hardest and longest is Question Session. MATERIALS Ask debaters to prepare their ideas in two Debate The Issue handout; Debate Ballot columns on a separate piece of paper: “Our handout; stopwatch; debate films Arguments” and “If They Say, We Say.” Students may finish preparations as homework that night. GET READY On Day 2, hand out the ballots and hold the Generate a resolution (topic) for the debate. debate, keeping to time limits. Have students Activities in this resource may lead you to a circle the winning side and list the most topic or the class may vote together on a convincing argument, but leave their names choice of resolution. off the ballots. Read the most convincing Phrase the resolution in the affirmative, such arguments as the results are compiled. as “Resolved: that our state must fund Have a different group of students participate education better.” in a debate at another time. Thoughtfully select two teams (an affirmative team and negative team). Each team needs DISCUSSION QUESTIONS four students. # Which arguments impressed you most and Make eight copies of the Debate The Issue helped you make a decision? handout, so that each of your debaters has one. # Was it difficult to separate argument values Copy the Debate Ballot handout so that you from performance and personality aspects? have enough ballots for your class. How does this relate to Kennedy/Nixon or Have a stopwatch nearby. Bush/Clinton (or another set of presidential debaters)? INSTRUCTIONS # Is this an effective format to discuss On Day 1, assign eight students to one of the democratic ideas? Why? Why not? two teams of four: the affirmative team and the negative team. MORE! Have the class watch a film of presidential Students could watch and evaluate winners of debates, preferably the 1960 or 1992 political debates on TV, applying the same Presidential Debates (The Great Debates or standards they used with their peers. 1992 Live Debate Analysis, in “Recommended Films,” Appendix) while debaters prepare. Give each of your debaters a Debate The Issue handout.

Topic: “Resolved: that ______.”

Affirmative Team Members Negative Team Members

1. 1.

2. 2.

3. 3.

4. 4.

Sequence of the Debate (follow the numbers for proper order of speakers):

Affirmative Team Time Negative Team Time 1. Opening Statement 3 min. 2. Opening Statement 3 min. 3. Rebuttal Argument 3 min. 4. Rebuttal Argument 3 min. 5. Question Session 5 min.* 6. Question Session 5 min.* 7. Summary 3 min. 8. Summary 3 min.

*Debater answers 4 questions, one from each member of the opposite team; if time, also answers questions from the floor.

DEBATE BALLOT

The winning team was (circle one): AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE

This team won the debate because (List at least one argument which convinced you that this side won):

In making your choice of the winner, you may consider only the evidence and logic which is actually presented during this debate. Any additional knowledge which you individually may possess about the topic must not enter into your decision about the debate. Remember, you are judging the relative strength of each team’s arguments, not your personal opinion.

Try to be objective in your decision, by ignoring everything except the ideas presented. Forget about personalities of the debaters, any pet theories that you may have about the topic, and any awkwardness in the manner in which the debaters express their ideas.

DEBATE BALLOT

The winning team was (circle one): AFFIRMATIVE NEGATIVE

This team won the debate because (List at least one argument which convinced you that this side won):

THE ELECTION OF 1800 (45 minutes)

OBJECTIVE Use an overhead or blackboard to start the Students design campaign signs, buttons, and brainstorming of campaign slogans. Examples: bumper stickers for John Adams, Federalist “Vote Federalist: You Can Bank On it!” and Party, and Thomas Jefferson, Democratic- “It’s Adams Who’s Alien to the American Way!” Republican Party. After students finish their Election Media handouts, each group should choose their best MATERIALS slogans and present them to the class. Election Of 1800 handout; Election Media Share your insights on what the groups did handout; overhead or blackboard well and what they might have wanted to do differently. GET READY Copy the Election Of 1800 and Election Media DISCUSSION QUESTIONS handouts for each student in your class. # In 1800, there were probably few buttons and Make sure there are markers and rulers surely no bumper stickers. There were, of available for your entire class. course, signs. What other campaign devices might have been used? (Personal appearances INSTRUCTIONS and speeches, newspapers, flyers, songs, etc.) Split the class into two sections, one for each # Would today’s Democrats or today’s party (Federalist Party and Democratic- Republicans be more likely to support: Republican Party). Students should be sitting A smaller government? Higher tariffs? in groups of four Federalists or four Additional taxation? Farming interests? Democratic-Republicans as they brainstorm Supporting foreign revolutions for liberty? possible slogans and work on their buttons, # How was this election resolved? signs, and posters. (In the House of Representatives) Distribute the Election Of 1800 and Election Media handouts to your students. (Explain to MORE! your students that bumper stickers and campaign Each party could script and film a TV commercial signs, etc. are most effective when they incor- for the candidate. Ask groups to choose (from porate catchy slogans that succinctly celebrate the list of presidential elections contained at or attack a specific candidate/political party.) the end of their textbooks) elections like Have your students read the Election Of 1800 1800, which exemplified truly polar political handout to get their instructions and to gain philosophies. (Examples: 1860; 1932; 1964) an understanding of the differing views of John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and their respective political parties.

CAMPAIGN RHETORIC: THE FIRST POLITICAL PARTIES SELL THEMSELVES IN THE ELECTION OF 1800!

Background Information: Most public officials today — whether they are at the local, state, or national level — belong to the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. Although there have been many political parties during the history of the United States, there were none at the time George Washington became president in 1789. Washington’s ability and popularity made him a natural choice to become the nation’s first chief executive. Since no one ran against him in the election, he was chosen by unanimous vote. Two members of President Washington’s cabinet were Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. During the 1790s, these two developed different ideas about the power of the national government. They also differed on many issues having to do with domestic and foreign policy. The followers of Hamilton called themselves the Federalists. Those who sided with Jefferson were known as Democratic-Republicans. These were the first two political parties in the United States. George Washington served as president from 1789 to 1797. John Adams, a Federalist, succeeded him to office. When Adams ran for reelection in 1800, he was opposed by Thomas Jefferson of the Democratic-Republican Party. The political parties to which these men belonged had different ideas on how the government should be run. (Information about the Federalist and the Democratic-Republican parties is given below.)

Instructions: Pretend it is 1800 and you are a party member who is helping to make campaign signs and buttons. The class will be divided in half so that each party has a group of workers. Write the name of your candidate and his party (ADAMS: FEDERALIST or JEFFERSON: DEMOCRATIC-REPUBLICAN) on the top of this page. Whichever group is yours, you must read the information provided below about both parties, and then design: 1) A CAMPAIGN SIGN 2) A BUTTON 3) A BUMPER STICKER Put your designs on the Election Media handout. Each sign and button must: 1) Mention the name of your party and your candidate 2) Include information about what your candidate and party believe in or want to do; or attack what the other side believes in or wants to do. (Refer to the information below.)

Candidate-Political Party Information: FEDERALIST PARTY CANDIDATE: John Adams • Party supporters were the rich and well-born, the old aristocratic families, large landowners, and wealthy businessmen; the party was strong in the New England states. • The party favored a strong central government and weaker state governments. • The party thought the government should be controlled by the rich because they were better educated and therefore better prepared to run the government. DEMOCRATIC-REPUBLICAN PARTY CANDIDATE: Thomas Jefferson • Party supporters were farmers, the poor, small businessmen, city workers, and Southern plantation owners; the party was the strongest in the South. • The party favored a weak central government and stronger state governments and rights of states. • The party thought the government should be controlled by the “common man.”

Vote for ______in the Election of 1800!

BUTTON CAMPAIGN SIGN

BUMPER STICKER

Campaign worker’s name: ______

VOICING YOUR OPINION (Time varies)

OBJECTIVE Have students develop their own position on Students attend a meeting (school board, town, the issue. Their positions should be written in city council, etc.) and voice their views on a essay form and should include: a) a brief selected issue either verbally or in writing. description of the issue; b) a discussion of different perspectives and ideas for action on MATERIALS the issue; c) the student’s own perspective; and Newspapers; public opinion surveys; printed d) reasons supporting the student’s perspective. materials from the school board or city council. Students should choose whether they would like to express their opinion in a letter to the GET READY city council or school board or publicly at the Call the city council office and the superintendent group’s meeting. If students write letters, have of schools and ask to be put on a mailing list them send them ahead of the meeting the for the locations, dates, times, and agendas of students will attend. If students plan to speak public meetings. publicly, they can write out a few notes on an List current community issues that will be index card to remind them of their key points. addressed at the meetings. (Your students will If possible, with your class, obtain and watch be choosing one.) part of a videotape of a past city council or school board meeting. After watching the tape, INSTRUCTIONS discuss with your students how the meetings Have your students select a current community are organized. What are the rules for who can issue, that is of concern to youth, that will be speak? When will students speak? Will they discussed at an upcoming school board or city remain seated, stand up or speak from a podium? council meeting. Attend the meeting as a class, if possible. Ask students to find out all they can about this The next day in class, discuss the meeting and issue, the various perspectives held by the students’ contributions. community members, and the options for action. Newspapers, public opinion surveys, and printed materials from the school board or city council will be the best sources of information. (See the lesson on Choosing an Issue for further ideas on how to have students research an issue.)

VOICING YOUR OPINION (continued)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS MORE! # Do any of you have issues of concern that you Continue to stay informed about this would like to try to get on a community community issue. Encourage students to bring group’s agenda in the future? in news clippings and/or attend future public # Do you feel like it is worth your time meetings where this issue is addressed and expressing your views to a community group? report back to the class. Have a bulletin board Why or why not? in the room or school hallway where students # Do you think the community group’s meeting can post news clippings. that we attended made a difference in regards to the issue the class was interested in? # Did you feel that your views were heard and respected?

LETTER TO THE EDITOR (60-90 minutes over two days)

OBJECTIVE consider the following guidelines in developing Students write letters to the editor of a local their letters: newspaper about a candidate or issue. Be direct – The letter should be short and focus on one or two main points MATERIALS (such as asking for others to support a Letter writing materials; sample letters to the candidate or highlighting how an issue editor; Internet access (optional) impacts their life). GET READY Be timely – The chances of publication You can find some excellent ideas on advocacy will increase if students refer to a recent letter writing in Just Add Consciousness: A Guide article, editorial, or letter in the news- to Social Activism, published by Oxfam America paper they are sending their letters to. and Campus Outreach Opportunity League, 2000. Students should include the title, author, This publication is available on the web at the and date of any article referenced. following address: http://www.oxfamamerica.org/. Check the format – Students should Collect examples of letters to the editor to examine other letters to the editor from share with your class. the newspaper and develop their letters in a similar style in terms of length, INSTRUCTIONS number of paragraphs, etc. Students should research candidates and/or Be professional – Have students address issues and decide which candidate/issue they the letter to the editor by his/her name. wish to write their letter about. Students should type their letters, Share with your students examples of letters proofread them before mailing, and make to the editor. Point out what makes each letter sure they have included contact effective or ineffective. information (student’s name, address, Have students write individual letters and send phone number and e-mail). them to a local newspaper. In addition to the In addition to the student proofreading his/her community’s daily paper(s), consider other publi- letter, have students review a peer’s letter and cation outlets such as the high school paper, local make sure that you read all letters before they college paper, alternative newspapers, and are mailed. community organization newsletters, as well as national news magazines and news shows (such DISCUSSION QUESTIONS as National Public Radio’s Morning Edition). # What was your letter about? What made it Students may have greater odds of getting their effective? letters published in smaller publications. Have # Why is it important to publicly express your several students send their letters to the same thoughts and opinions? newspaper. It is likely that at least one will be # Do you think publicly posting your letter chosen for publication. Encourage students to impacted other people’s thoughts and beliefs?

POLITICAL CARTOONS (40-50 minutes)

OBJECTIVE own cartoon. Students can ask their group Students analyze symbolism and messages members for help, if needed. in political cartoons and draw one on a Ask your students to share their political current issue. cartoon analyses with the class. Students should now select a current issue for MATERIALS their own original cartoon (example: voter apathy Political Cartoon by Steve Benson handout; among local 18-year-olds). They need to find political cartoons from newspapers symbols that could be used in their cartoons. GET READY They can ask their groups members for help: Divide the class into groups of four. What are symbols I could use for apathetic 18- Duplicate one Political Cartoon by Steve Benson year-olds? (Teen in our school’s sweatshirt in handout for each group of four students. front of a TV?) What about a symbol for voter Collect political cartoons from local and responsibility? (Uncle Sam tapping the TV national newspapers. Ask students to bring watcher on the shoulder?) them in as well, so that you have one for each Have your students share their political student in your class. cartoons with the class.

INSTRUCTIONS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Distribute the Political Cartoon by Steve # For the cartoons they analyzed: What do the visual Benson handout. Also distribute four additional symbols stand for? Does it entertain? Challenge political cartoons to each group (so that each a viewpoint? Satirize? Champion a cause? group member has one). What is the political message of your cartoon? Say, Political cartoons have varied agendas; # The Benson cartoon would alienate many they may entertain, challenge viewpoints, readers. Why do political cartoonists some- satirize, and champion causes. In this cartoon, times choose to be deliberately offensive? Steve Benson is satirizing and challenging the # How do political cartoons influence voters? viewpoint of senior citizens in Arizona # Explain how the cartoon you drew qualifies as retirement communities who will not allow a political cartoon. children into their planned communities. Review the questions you will ask later about MORE! all the cartoons (see the discussion questions). Invite a political cartoonist to your classroom. Say, After your group has answered these Provide an overhead projector for the questions for the Benson cartoon, each person presentation, so that the professional can draw should examine these same questions for their for students and show them past cartoons.

Thanks to Pulitzer prize-winning cartoonist Steve Benson of the Arizona Republic for sharing the cartoon in this lesson.

KOOSH® BALL CATCH (30 minutes)

OBJECTIVE Under 5 seconds? (Few, if any, will keep their Students play and modify a ball game to discover hands up.) Say, I will give you exactly two the power of group deliberation in a democracy. minutes to figure out how to do it faster. At this point, ask the students to confer. One MATERIALS may say, “Let’s stand in the order we threw in Shaggy rubber Koosh ball; four other small and pass the balls down the line.” Another may balls; stopwatch suggest that they need only touch the Koosh ball in order. Some groups may pile their hands GET READY on top of the ball, pulling each hand away Gather the shaggy rubber Koosh ball (easy to swiftly. All methods will reduce the time greatly. catch), the four other balls, and the stopwatch. Arrange all class members in a circle. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS # Did you believe that the group could succeed INSTRUCTIONS when you were thinking about the task Say: Each person will throw the Koosh ball to individually? What happened when you conferred? another person across the circle. Once you have # When groups discuss civic problems together, received the ball, raise your hand so that you will they often find and attempt solutions they not get it twice. Add: There are only two things to never would have tried alone. What are some remember: Who threw the ball to you? To whom examples of this? (Neighborhood Watch did you throw the ball? Let’s start with “Jill.” programs; city bond issues) Make sure each member of the class has # A paradigm is a pattern of thinking that is so received the ball. The last person sends it back ingrained that it limits our ability to think to “Jill.” Practice the same passing pattern creatively about a subject. Which paradigms twice. (Hand raising is only for the first passing did you break at the end of the Koosh ball game? sequence.) The process should quicken. # What problems in our society may need For the third practice run, warn the class that paradigm breaks to be solved? it’s going to get livelier this time. After the first # Is anyone working on those problems? few passes, start a second ball with “Jill,” and # Why might young people be particularly good then a third, fourth, and fifth. The class will at breaking paradigms to solve problems? have no problem repeating the pattern, even when all five balls are in the air at once. VOTE QUOTE Say, You are getting really speedy! I am going “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful to clock you this time. Announce the results committed citizens can change the world. (probably about 30 seconds for 30 students). Indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.” Say, Raise your hand if you think the group – Margaret Mead, Anthropologist can do this in less than 15 seconds. (Pause)

From Igor Ovchinnikov, Golubka (The Dove) Center for Experiential Education for Social Change and Democracy, Moscow.

CREATIVE EXPRESSIONS (Time varies)

OBJECTIVE Music – composing and/or performing Students create an artistic display or a public songs about the issue performance to educate the school community Theater – street theater, plays, about different perspectives on a school issue. pantomimes, puppet shows, musicals, readers’ theater, rap MATERIALS Dance – ballet, jazz, modern, tap, with or Varies depending on the artistic display/ without narration or music performance Technology – photos, slide show, videos, interactive computer games GET READY As a class, choose a suitable date, time, and Depending on the activity, involve the drama location for the event. If students choose only and/or art department. a visual display, seek a location that will feature the display for a week or longer. If INSTRUCTIONS appropriate, publicize the event so that parents As a class, decide which school issue to focus and community members can attend. In on for this activity. addition, students could form committees to Have students research the issue using a obtain needed props for performances. variety of resources and personal contacts. Have a short survey form for each person who Make sure that all perspectives on the issue are views the event to complete. Include on the form represented in students’ findings. name, age, your thoughts on this issue, and Determine the purpose and message of this feedback on the event, including if or how the activity. Do students want to raise awareness, event influenced your thinking about the issue. educate others about diverse views on the Back in the classroom, have students reflect on issues, promote various solutions to a problem? the event and read the feedback they received Decide as a class whether to create one type of in the survey forms. display/performance or to have small groups work on different ways of educating the school DISCUSSION QUESTIONS community about the issue. If the former, # How did most of the people attending feel have the students use voting, along with a about the issue? discussion of the pros and cons of each # Did the event have any impact on their thinking? possible activity, to make their decision. # What was the most difficult aspect of this project? Possibilities for artistic displays and # If you could do this project over, what would performances include the following: you have done differently? Visual arts – drawings, paintings, # What were some positive things you learned? sculpture, collages, quilts, murals etc.

MY TURN: TARGETING A PROBLEM FOR TEENS (60-90 minutes of class time; time needed out of class varies)

OBJECTIVE like to choose to learn more about. In class or Students learn about different problems for homework, have students write about their affecting teenagers, choose one, and brainstorm topic; they should state the topic of interest, ways to make a difference. what they already know about this topic or issue, and questions to guide their learning. MATERIALS The next day, provide time for your students to Taking Action handout pursue learning about their chosen topic via library resources, the Internet, calls to GET READY community agencies, and surveys of students Make a copy of the Taking Action handout for in the school or adults in the community. If each of your students. several students have chosen the same issue, If possible, arrange for Internet and/or phone encourage them to work in a group and share access in the classroom the information and resources they have found. Note: For more information about INSTRUCTIONS Do Something, teens can visit: Tell students that they will have the opportunity www.dosomething.org, to choose an issue of importance to teens and e-mail [email protected], or write to learn about the problem and how they could Do Something, 24-32 Union Square East, make a difference. Read the following to the 4th Floor South, New York, N.Y. 10003 students: Do Something, a nationwide network Have students develop either a flyer or a poster of young people conducted a nationwide survey about their issue, listing key facts about the of 1,238 students in grades 7-12. Do Something’s problem they investigated. Have each student 2001 Top Teen Causes Poll found that drunk or group share their issue briefly with the class. driving, depression and teen suicide, guns at Brainstorm with your students the many ways school, improving schools/education, that they could take action in regard to the discrimination, violence in school, drugs, self- problems they researched. Then, individually esteem, AIDS, and abuse at home are teens’ or in small groups, have students fill out the top 10 concerns, and two-thirds of teens (67%) Taking Action handout on the following page. plan to get involved during the next year with Give students the opportunity to share their the issues that are important to them. favorite ideas with the class. Ask your students if there are any concerns that Ask your students to implement one of their they would add to this list or any concerns that ideas for making a difference. Allow for a they would remove from it. Have your class certain amount of time to pass and then ask determine a final list of 10 concerns important your students to informally share with the to teens. class what they did in respect to the List the 10 causes on the board and ask issue/cause they selected. students to think about which one they would

MY TURN: TARGETING A PROBLEM FOR TEENS (continued)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS # Are you surprised about the issues of # Was it difficult to come up with ideas for importance to teens? Why or why not? taking action in respect to your issue? # Do you think some of the issues are less If yes, what made it difficult? important or more important than others? # Did you implement one of your ideas for Explain why you feel this to be true? taking action? Was it difficult to undertake? # Did you already know a lot about the issue Do you think you made an impact? you selected? If yes, where did you learn this # How do you now feel about the issues we listed information? If no, did you learn a lot more that are most important to teens? Are you about your issue? more knowledgeable about them? Do you # Did your impression of the issue change once think teens can help solve these problems? you researched it? (Does it seem more overwhelming? Does it seem harder to understand? Easier to understand?)

The problem for teens I chose is: ______.

What I know… Ways I can make a difference… (List here the FACTS you have learned (List here your ideas for how you can take about the problem.) action on this issue.)

When you have listed as many ideas as you can think of, put a star by the three ideas that are your favorites. (Think about which are cost and time effective and which are likely to have the greatest impact.)

HELPING AN ORGANIZATION (Time varies)

OBJECTIVE INSTRUCTIONS Students identify an organization working on Have students choose an organization working an issue of concern to them and assist the on an issue of concern to them. organization with one of its projects. Have students research the organization through at least two of the following resources: Internet, MATERIALS organization’s publications, newspaper or A list of local, national or international magazine articles, interviewing someone who organizations; Internet access; newspaper or works for or with the organization. magazine articles; information on how to As part of learning about the organization, ask properly conduct an interview students to find out what kinds of projects and programs the organization is involved in and how GET READY the organization’s mission is connected to public The school or the local community may deem policy. Students should consider which of these some organizations inappropriate for this projects presents an opportunity for them to assignment. You may want to screen students’ get involved in helping to make a difference. selections before students complete their Students can reflect on and share their efforts research. Another option would be for you to with others by creating a photo essay, a poem, give students a list of organizations to choose or a poster about the organization and the from. If possible, encourage students to help in assistance they provided. developing the criteria for selecting an organization; let the students know up front DISCUSSION QUESTIONS the limits to their choices. # What are some of the advantages and/or You will also need to decide whether the limitations to different types of service (direct, organizations for this activity will be local (e.g. indirect, and advocacy)? senior center, animal shelter, soup kitchen), # Did you feel like you were able to assist your national (e.g. Habitat for Humanity, Society for organization to the best of your ability? the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), # Would you have wanted more or less time to international (e.g. Red Cross, UNICEF, work on your organization’s project? Amnesty International, Oxfam) or all three. # Did you come away from the project feeling Each provides different types of opportunities like you made a difference? Why or why not? in terms of service: direct, indirect or advocacy. # What were some of the challenges you faced Hand out any guidelines you can find about while working with your organization? how to properly conduct an interview. # What did you gain from this experience that (For example: could help you tackle similar projects down http://www.kosmicki.com/102/htinterview.htm. the line?

TEACHING AN ELEMENTARY LESSON (Time varies)

OBJECTIVE elementary teacher to choose from. These Students teach a lesson on an aspect of civic should be sent to the teacher at least one month participation to an elementary class. ahead of the scheduled day for the lesson. Possibilities include: MATERIALS Teaching a Kids Voting USA activity Access to elementary teachers’ phone numbers from the Kids Voting USA Classroom (through principal of the school, teacher Activities: K-8 resource directory, etc); any supplies needed for the Teaching a lesson of the teacher’s students’ lessons choosing from the social studies curriculum INSTRUCTIONS High school students designing and Invite two or three elementary teachers from teaching a lesson on a suitable topic: a local elementary school to your class to city government, voting, elections, speak with your students about possible ideas the U.S. presidency, and so forth for collaboration between the high school After the high school students successfully students and elementary students around teach their lessons, have them write short civic participation. reflections about how the lessons went. Have your students contact and follow up with Have your students send the participating any elementary teachers interested in a 30 to elementary school teachers a short evaluation 45 minute civic participation lesson in his/her form to fill out and return. Questions on the class. (If enough teachers are interested, have form might include the following: students work one on one with a teacher, but if Were the high school students not either pair or group your students). responsible and well prepared to teach? Each student or group should collect the How did the lesson go? How did your following information: students respond? The name of the elementary teacher Do you have any suggestions for The grade of the class improving this collaboration? The number of students in the class Would you like to participate in this The location of the school collaboration again? The discipline/management system used in the class In class, have your students develop a brainstormed list of possibilities for the

TEACHING AN ELEMENTARY LESSON (continued)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS MORE! # Did you accomplish your goals? Students can organize an after-school # How did the elementary students respond to “Kids Voting” club for upper elementary or your lesson? middle school students interested in learning # What was the most rewarding aspect? about voting, politics, and ways they can get # What did you struggle with the most while involved in their community. coming up with a lesson? What was the most difficult part of teaching your lesson? # What did you learn from this experience about elementary youth’s knowledge and interest in the topic about which you taught?

OVERARCHING QUESTIONS

GATHERING AND WEIGHING INFORMATION # Name some sources of information? # Are some sources more dependable than others? # Explain what makes information reliable? # What’s your thought process when making a decision? # Describe a decision you have made. Explain whether or not you think it was good decision?

COMMUNICATING YOUR POSITION # Why is communicating your opinion/point of view in a constructive way important? # What does it take to be an effective communicator? # Are there times it’s inappropriate to share your opinion? Are there times that are extremely important you communicate your opinion? Give examples. # People aren’t always going to agree with you. What are the appropriate ways in handling such a situation? # What is the difference between informed communication and uninformed communication?

WORKING TOGETHER # What does it mean to work well with others? # Why can it get stressful or difficult to work with groups of people? # What is an active listener? # What are the positive aspects of working with people? # When have there been times you’d rather work with people opposed to alone? # What is the most important advice you can give someone working in a group?

HAVING AN IMPACT # What does it take to create a community? Give examples of different types of communities. # Have you heard of or noticed any problems that your community faces/faced? If so, what are they? # Who contributes most to a community? Community leaders? Parents? Teenagers? Young children? Young adults? Others? # Have you thought of ways you can positively impact your community? # What does it take to create change in a community? What’s the most difficult aspect about change? How can you as an individual help to start/establish change? # Was there a time that you did something good for your community? Describe that time.

LITERATURE CONNECTION ACTIVITY Teen Power Politics by Sara Jane Boyers

OBJECTIVE Inform your students that they are going to Students implement service projects to create create positive change in their community, just positive change in their communities. as did the student(s) in their case studies – each group will identify a community problem MATERIALS and implement a service project that helps Teen Power Politics – Sara Jane Boyers address the problem they identified. Have the groups read the rest of the section GET READY on activism and service. Tell the groups to use Secure several copies of Teen Power Politics for the material in the book to help them brain- your students. storm community problems and possible Divide your students into small groups of four service solutions. or five. Have the groups weigh the problems and solutions they identified using the questions INSTRUCTIONS on top of page 69. The groups should use these Give each group a copy of Teen Power Politics. questions to: Have each group turn to page 66, which is the Identify the community problem that beginning of the section on activism and service. most affects them Have each group read the quote on the top of the Design a service solution to the page. Instruct each group to interpret the quote. identified problem, and Have a member from each of the groups share Consider the impact of their proposed their interpretation of the quote. service solution Next, instruct the groups to investigate the work Have the groups research their community other teens have done to address community problem and submit service proposals to you. problems. Each group should evaluate a case Help the groups shape their projects within study. These case studies can be found on the bounds of reasonable scope and available pages 67, 71, 73, 75, 77, and 79. Assign each resources. group to one of these examples. The groups Have each group implement their service projects. should capture what the problem was, how the Have the groups report on their service student(s) addressed the problem, and what projects just as they did their case studies. the result of the activism/service was. Have each group present their case study to the class.

LITERATURE CONNECTION ACTIVITY (continued)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS # What kind of impact did your group make? Do # Are there any commonalities to the case you think you made a difference? How so? studies we examined? If so, what are they? # What did you learn over the course of your # Did your group have challenges in identifying project? Did you develop any valuable skills? a community problem to focus on? If so, what where they? # Did you know a lot about the problem before your group created a service plan? If not, how did you educate yourself about the problem? # Did your group have challenges in designing a service project? If so, what were the challenges? # What was difficult about implementing your service project? How did your group overcome these difficulties?

CULMINATING ACTIVITY: SERVICE-LEARNING ACTION PLAN (Time varies)

PART ONE: IDENTIFY AREAS FOR SERVICE (50-60 minutes)

OBJECTIVE Step 3: Use the Move to the Problem Activity Students list problems facing their community to select problems or needs to work on. and choose an area for service. Assign an area in the classroom for each problem (Example: The left side of the MATERIALS classroom is for Voter Apathy). No materials are necessary for this part of Ask students to move to the problem they feel the activity. is the most important. Encourage students to talk among themselves while they are deciding GET READY where to move. Become familiar with the Move to the Problem When all the students have chosen a problem, Activity, described below. ask them to share why they made their decision.

INSTRUCTIONS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS Step 1: Generate a list of problems and needs # How did you feel when you made your decision? for service. # Was your decision based on the issue or a friend? Have students brainstorm a list of needs and # Was it difficult to choose? problems facing their community. Write these # How is decision-making an important skill for needs and problems on the board. Possible all of us? problems may include: voter apathy, pollution, etc. Step 4: Narrow the Focus Have students work together to determine how Step 2: Identify cause/effect for each need many of the problems to address. Explain that and problem. the class will continue to address these problems. Next to each problem or need write the cause/effect. This will help students determine ideas for action.

CULMINATING ACTIVITY: SERVICE-LEARNING ACTION PLAN (continued)

PART TWO: DETERMINE SERVICE SOLUTIONS

OBJECTIVE their own. They should record these ideas Students work in groups to determine service on the large sheet of paper you gave them. activities to solve problems identified in Part One. After 10 minutes, ask each group member to vote for their favorite three service ideas. MATERIALS They should assign 25 points to their first Kids Voting Service-learning Menu handout; choice, 15 points to their second choice, Service Solutions Process handout; large paper and five points to their third choice. and markers (See Service Solutions Process handout.) GET READY Have each group total the points for each Make copies of Kids Voting Service-learning idea and then read their top three service Menu and Service Solutions Process (one copy ideas to the class. Make sure that each per group). idea is well-defined and oriented towards Gather large sheets of paper and markers for the problem(s) identified in Part One. each group. Student Directions (also found on Service Solutions Process handout) INSTRUCTIONS For 10 minutes, brainstorm what you Divide your students into small groups. and your fellow students can do about Ask students to consider solutions to the the problem. Have one person record all previously identified problem(s) (See Part One). ideas on your large paper. Brainstorm solutions using the Service VOTE – Each person selects their top Solutions Process which follows. three choices with an assignment of points (1st choice = 25 points; 2nd Service Solution Process (Adapted from Tribes choice = 15 points; 3rd choice = 5 points). A New Way of Learning and Being Together Add up the total points for each idea. by Jeanne Gibbs.) Present the top three solutions to the class. Teacher Directions Have students meet in small groups of DISCUSSION QUESTIONS three to five students. # How did the process of voting work for your Distribute a large sheet of paper, group? markers, and one copy of the Kids Voting # Share one positive thing about your group Service-learning Menu to each group. working together. Give each group 10 minutes to determine # Can all of your solutions be applied in your at least three service ideas. They may write group? ideas from the Kids Voting Service- learning Menu handout and/or ideas of

CULMINATING ACTIVITY: SERVICE-LEARNING ACTION PLAN (continued)

PART THREE: PLAN AND TAKE ACTION

OBJECTIVE Step 2: Complete Service-learning Action Plan Students work together to develop and handout implement a plan of service. Give each group a copy of the Service-learning Action Plan handout. MATERIALS Encourage students to think about each step Service-learning Action Plan handout; necessary for completing the plan. It may be envelopes, stamps, lined paper, phone books necessary to discuss task analysis in order for students to understand how to break the GET READY solution into steps. Make copies of Service-learning Action Plan Assist groups in beginning their action plans. (2–3 copies per group) Gather envelopes and stamps Step 3: Implement Action Plans Gather phone books Allow students ample time to work on their Obtain Internet access (optional) plan. Some supplies/resources to have on hand to assist them are: extra copies of the Service- INSTRUCTIONS learning Action Plan handout, paper, Step 1: Explain Action Plans envelopes, stamps, phone books, internet access. Explain what an action plan is, if necessary: Encourage the groups to share their plans and An Action Plan designates tasks, persons progress throughout the project. responsible for each task, and expected time for completion. The action plan should be posted, reviewed daily and revised and added to as necessary. An action plan is a group contract which reminds people of their accountability to one another.

CULMINATING ACTIVITY: SERVICE-LEARNING ACTION PLAN (continued)

PART FOUR: CELEBRATE YOUR SUCCESS

OBJECTIVE Ideas for recognizing students’ work: Students evaluate their success and are School newspapers and school recognized for their efforts. announcements Broadcast media MATERIALS Newspapers Student Evaluation Form handout Letters to businesses in your community Write Kids Voting USA. We may be able GET READY to use your story in the future in one of Copy the Student Evaluation Form handout our newsletters. for each of your students. Kids Voting USA 3933 South McClintock Drive INSTRUCTIONS Suite 505 Step 1: Have Students Evaluate Their Work Tempe, Arizona 85282 Give each student the Student Evaluation Attn: Education Specialist Form. Ask them to evaluate their work.

Step 2: Recognize and Reinforce Students’ Work One way to recognize the service projects is to ensure that students receive publicity.

Many of these ideas are from Kids Voting Programs. You may want to incorporate some of these ideas into your Service Solutions.

KIDS VOTING ARIZONA • Students at Sunnyslope High School in Phoenix, Arizona create a newspaper voting guide every two years and distribute it to over 10,000 readers in the community. Students earn over $1200 through the sale of advertising space on its pages.

KV NORTH ALASKA • Students from West Valley High School produced a short video encouraging their fellow students to vote that was shown to all classes. The school’s government class researched and produced pamphlets, listing position statement for state candidates, which were available to all students.

KV COLORADO • High school students from all five Mesa County Valley School District 51 high schools lead a candidate forum for two state house races. Students attended a training session and then hosted the entire event including moderating, asking questions of the candidates, timekeeping and greeting candidates when they arrived.

KV CENTRAL OHIO • Columbus-area high school students attended a U.S. Naturalization ceremony, after which they registered U.S. citizens to vote.

KV SOUTHWEST OHIO • The White House or Bust Election Exhibit at the Mercer Museum was created by two high school students as their graduation project. The exhibit received national mention in the Wall Street Journal regarding innovative election-related exhibits around the country.

MORE IDEAS: • Book Share: select books about the voting process and read to a younger child. • Volunteer at a candidate’s headquarters. • Volunteer at your local Kids Voting USA affiliate. • Help younger kids learn about democracy by being a guest speaker in an elementary classroom.

• Brainstorm what you and your fellow students can do about the problem for 10 minutes. (See Guidelines for Brainstorming.)

• VOTE – Each person selects three top choices with an assignment of points (1st choice = 25 points; 2nd choice = 15 points; 3rd choice = 5 points).

• Add up the total points for each idea.

• Present the top three solutions to the class.

GUIDELINES FOR BRAINSTORMING

• Appoint one group member as recorder. The recorder writes down all ideas.

• No criticism of any idea is acceptable.

• “Free-wheeling” is welcome. The wilder the idea the better. It is easier to tame down than to think up.

• Quantity is the key. The more ideas, the more likelihood of real winners in the group.

• Combining ideas and improving ideas is encouraged.

Problem:

Service Solution:

Names of all group members:

What? Who? By When?

Describe your service project.

Explain how your project was or was not successful.

What was the most successful part of this project?

What was the biggest challenge?

If you were to work on this project again what would you do differently?

List at least three important things you learned from working on this project.

How did your group work together?

What are some things your group could work on to improve the group?

TABLE OF CONTENTS ELECTIONS ...... 2 THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE ...... 7 FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE POLITICAL BELIEFS AND BEHAVIORS ...... 8 THE LINKS BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND VOTING ...... 9 THE MEDIA AND POLITICS ...... 9 THE OFFICE OF PRESIDENT ...... 12 POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS ...... 15 POLITICAL PARTIES ...... 16 POLITICAL PROPAGANDA ...... 19 THE RIGHT TO VOTE ...... 20 SERVICE-LEARNING ...... 23 USE OF POLLS ...... 24 VOTER APATHY ...... 25

ELECTIONS

QUALIFICATIONS FOR VOTING The United States Constitution gives each state the right to decide who is qualified to vote and for much of our history there were significant differences among the states. However, since 1964 the U.S. Department of Justice has been charged with enforcing the Voting Rights Act, which has resulted in uniform voting qualifications in all states. To be qualified to vote one must be: A United States citizen 18 years of age or older A resident of a state or the District of Columbia Able to write or make his/her mark One must not be: A convicted felon (unless civil rights have been restored) Legally insane

REGISTERING TO VOTE Before the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, voter registration was, in some states, an intimidating and difficult process. Several instances brought attention to this topic, resulting in the Voting Rights Act of 1964. Today, the trend in most states is to make registering to vote easier and more convenient. In many states it is now possible to register by mail or when getting a driver’s license. When registering to vote, one typically fills out a card which asks a series of questions designed to determine eligibility. It is also necessary to declare party allegiance or independence of party allegiance at the time of registration in most states. Each person is assigned to a voter precinct at the time of registration and can vote only at that precinct or by absentee ballot. Limiting voters to a particular precinct is a way to control voter fraud and to facilitate the management of elections, but in today’s increasingly mobile society it also prevents some people from voting. The application of computer technology is beginning to make some variations in the precinct system possible. For example, in some states it is now possible to register at the polls. If a person changes names, moves, or wants to have a different political party affiliation it is necessary to reregister.

POLLING PLACE PROCEDURE Polling place procedures may vary slightly in some locations, but in general there is a great similarity. Elections and voting are under the jurisdiction of county governments. An election board is appointed for each precinct and it is its job to conduct the election according to the instructions of the county elections department. Also present at each polling place are representatives of the major political parties whose role is to be sure the election is conducted properly.

ELECTION PRECINCTS The governing board for each county is responsible for establishing a “convenient” number of voting precincts. New precincts may be established by the governing body as necessary. In states where precinct irregularities are judged to have occurred, the process must be approved by the U.S. Department of Justice. The county recorder is responsible for advising voters of any change in their precincts. Special districts (school districts, utilities, etc.) may be established and polling places designated for each precinct.

ELECTION BOARD AND TALLY BOARDS Election officials (whose titles may vary from state to state) representing the two major parties are appointed for each precinct. To be appointed, a person must be a qualified voter of the jurisdiction certifying the election. State employees associated with the election procedure are prohibited from being appointed as representatives of political parties. Lists of alternates are available if vacancies occur on the morning of an election.

ELECTION LAWS Federal law governs all national elections and has been widely adopted by the states. Accordingly, one will find the following to be true at most elections: In primary elections only, ballots are printed on materials of a different color for each represented party. When there are two or more candidates for a nomination, the names are rotated in top, bottom, and middle positions. In primary elections where voting machines are used, electors’ names shall appear in alphabetical order. The fifty-foot limit requires a sign marking the boundary be posted and that only those voting and those working in the polls be allowed within the fifty-foot limit. The United States flag will be displayed at polling places.

VOTING EQUIPMENT Generally, it is state law which governs the type and number of voting devices which must be provided for the registered voters of each precinct, but it is the counties who are responsible for financing the purchase and maintenance of voting equipment and supplies.

ABSENTEE VOTING All states make provisions for absentee ballots to be cast. See your Kids Voting Teacher Handbook for the specifics in your state.

RECOUNTS An automatic recount of votes is required when the margin is less than one-tenth of one percent. The expense of the count will be borne by the state or county, depending on the office or measure involved.

GENERAL ELECTIONS According to federal law, elections for federal offices will be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November on even-numbered years. This is also the date adopted by most states for the election of state officials. These elections are called general elections.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR HOLDING OFFICE: The president and vice president are required by the U.S. Constitution to be at least 35 years of age, reside in the country for the last 14 years, and be natural-born citizens. Senators are required to be at least 30 years of age, reside in the state they represent, and be citizens for at least nine years. Representatives are required to be at least 25 years of age, reside in the state they represent, and be citizens for at least seven years.

LENGTH OF TERMS Depending on the office, candidates are elected for two-, four-, or six-year terms: The president and vice president are elected every four years. Senators are elected to six-year terms, but the terms are staggered so that one-third are elected every two years. Every state has two U.S. senators. Representatives are elected to two-year terms. The entire house is elected every two years. Since the total number of representatives is set by law at 435, changes in population require a reapportionment. This occurs every 10 years after the national census is taken. The Census Bureau determines the number of representatives to which each state is entitled, but it is up to the states to redraw their own congressional districts. To eliminate the practice of gerrymandering, the federal government oversees the drawing of congressional districts according to the Voting Rights Act of 1964. Some states conduct elections for state executive offices in conjunction with federal general elections, and other states conduct state elections in off years. Also on the general election ballot may be several issues concerning the state that will be decided by the voters.

INITIATIVES This measure allows citizens to make laws directly without action by the legislature or governor. There are two types of initiatives. One can be used to change a state constitution and the other to make a law. Both kinds of initiatives require that petitions be signed by registered voters. The number of signatures needed follows a formula determined by state law. The signatures must be collected within a certain time and validated by state or county officials. Before the election, the state publishes a pamphlet containing all proposals.

REFERENDUMS This measure provides a way for the citizens to vote on a new law or constitutional amendment after the legislature has approved it. Referendums get on the ballot in one of two ways. First, the legislature may want to have the voters make the ultimate decision about whether a law is desirable or not. In that case, the legislature can by law place it on the general election ballot. Second, the public may pass petitions and get a sufficient number of signatures to force a law passed by the legislature to be put to a vote.

JUDICIAL ELECTIONS Judicial elections generally occur during a general election. Some states have a system for selecting judges that allows voters to affirm more than one judge. For instance, there may be 20 judges up for affirmation, and voters may be allowed to select three judges to affirm. Other states have a system through which voters cast negative votes against a judge. For instance, there may be 20 judges up for affirmation, and a voter only votes against those he/she does not want affirmed.

PRIMARY ELECTIONS The primary is a tool of the political parties to let them determine who their candidate will be in the general elections in case there are several persons who would like to run for the same office. Primaries did not become a dominant factor in presidential nominations until the 1960s. Until then candidates were typically selected by party activists who attended the national conventions. The party then presented the candidates to the electorate. The rise of primaries involved voters more directly in the selection process, and in so doing it diminished the power of the major parties. Around the turn of the century, the reformers interested in making the nominating process more democratic began to press the state governments to provide more direct voter participation. The primary was the technique most of them favored. In 1901 Florida enacted the first presidential primary law. This gave party officials the option of holding a primary to choose delegates to the national presidential convention. Within a few years, a number of states took the next important step by establishing the “preferential” presidential primary. Oregon pioneered this new system, by which voters would cast a ballot for their preferred candidate and the delegates would be legally bound to that candidate at the national convention. In 1912 preferential primaries were held in one-quarter of the states. The former President Theodore Roosevelt won the Republican vote in most of them. However, the Republican National Convention nominated the incumbent William Howard Taft. Indeed, until 1968, party leaders remained firmly in control of the nominating process. In 1960 John Kennedy concentrated on two primaries—Wisconsin and West Virginia—and by winning them, convinced party leaders to support him at the convention. In 1964 and 1968 there were dramatic primary competitions among the major candidates. Barry Goldwater’s victory over Nelson Rockefeller in the California Republican primary in 1964 assured him the nomination, and the emotional Democratic primaries of 1968 pitted Eugene McCarthy, Robert Kennedy, and

Hubert Humphrey against each other. Robert Kennedy’s death at the hand of an assassin, following his dramatic victory in the California primary, clouded the primary vote that year. Humphrey went on to win the nomination at the strife-torn national convention in Chicago.

Before the 1972 convention, some Democrats (led by South Dakota Senator George McGovern) began to exert pressure aimed at changing the complex nominating rules to allow broader voter participation. The first beneficiary of the changed rules was McGovern himself, who used the primary process to win the nomination. In 1976 the little-known Jimmy Carter won the nomination by pursuing a skillful primary campaign, and in 1980 Carter and Ronald Reagan earned their parties’ nominations by winning majority votes in more than 35 primaries. This was the high water mark for primaries. After the defeat in the 1980 election, the Democrats began to wonder at the wisdom of the system that absorbed so much time (candidates beginning to run the year before the election and campaigning in primaries from March through June) and seemed to discourage members of the party from running. By 1984 the number of primaries was reduced to 27. In 1988 the number was 25 for the Democrats and 28 for the Republicans, and nearly half of these were scheduled on the same date, March 8, “Super Tuesday.” Even so, the primary has remained the most important method of determining the major candidates for president. One of the consequences has been to diminish the role and influence of the political party in such matters. As a rule, party leaders interested in winning general elections seek moderate candidates who will appeal to coalitions of diverse voters. The primary process often demands that a candidate commit to groups with very specific political goals—the advocates, women’s rights organizations, gay activists, ethnic minority groups—before these groups will grant their vote in a primary. By the time of the general election, these candidates may be seen as tools of special interests. Finally, the primary system is so cumbersome and so long that some major candidates simply cannot find the time, energy, or money to run. Some scholars now argue that reforms that would strengthen the primary system—shorten the campaign, diminish the influence of special interest groups, and control the spiraling expenditures necessary to run for the presidency—would benefit the country. But we should keep in mind that the expansion of the primary method was also intended to benefit the country.

LOCAL ELECTIONS Local elections are set by the individual city councils or school boards. They tend to be in spring rather than fall when the primaries and general elections are held. Some examples of local elections are: City Council and Mayoral Elections, Bond Elections. Bond elections are held to get voter approval to spend money, generally for construction projects. It may be that a particular school district would like to build more schools or a city needs to build a new sewer plant. Override Elections. Override elections allow the voters to exceed the legal limit placed on taxing and spending. Recall Elections. In most states all elected officials, including judges, are subject to recall by the voters. To recall, petitions must be circulated and a specified number of signatures obtained.

APPOINTED OFFICIALS Governmental entities have appointed officials, such as the city managers and school superintendents, who generally serve at the pleasure of their top elected officials. In most cases, these appointees actually run the day-to-day business while the elected officials set the governing policies. The elected officials often rely on the professional opinions of the appointed officials. In many cases, governing entities have created volunteer citizen panels to help oversee the governmental process. Cities and counties, for instance, have planning and zoning boards to approve location of shopping centers and to ensure that liquor stores are not right next to churches. The people on these boards are interested individuals who, in most cases, serve without pay.

THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE

To be elected president, a candidate must successfully win three different kinds of contests. First, the candidate must win delegate support at the state level. Second, the candidate must be nominated at the party’s national convention. Finally, the candidate must win a majority of the nation’s electoral votes in the nationwide election held every fourth year on the Tuesday following the first Monday in November. Following the selection of candidates at the party conventions in the summer, the country witnesses a nationwide campaign for the presidency, generally with two major candidates. The campaign usually heats up in early September and continues until Election Day in early November. Voters who participate in the national election, however, are not actually voting directly for a presidential candidate. Rather, they are voting for electors—members of the Electoral College. The Electoral College actually chooses the president and vice president. Each state is assigned a number of electors equal to its total United States representatives (435) and senators (100). In addition, the District of Columbia has three electoral votes, making the total number of electors for the entire country 538. A presidential hopeful who wins the majority of electoral votes wins the election. Currently, the candidate who wins the greatest number of popular votes (not necessarily a majority) in a state receives all of that state’s electoral votes. There are two exceptions to the rule. Maine and Nebraska both use an alternative method of distributing their electoral votes, called the Congressional District Method. With the Congressional District Method, a state divides itself into a number of districts, allocating one of its state-wide electoral votes to each district. The winner of each district is awarded that district’s electoral vote, and the winner of the statewide vote is then awarded the state’s remaining two electoral votes. The candidate who wins a majority of the electoral vote is then elected president. On a few occasions in our history, the candidate with the plurality of popular votes has actually lost the election in the electoral college. Despite suggestions for changing the system, the U.S. Congress does not seem interested in doing so.

In the event that no candidate receives a majority of the electoral vote, the selection for president is made by the U.S. House of Representatives. Each state has one vote. In the 1824 election, with four major candidates running, Andrew Jackson, the candidate with the most electoral votes (99) and the greatest number of popular votes (153,544), lost the presidency to John Quincy Adams who had only 84 electoral votes and 108,740 popular votes. With three opponents, Jackson failed to win a majority of the total electoral votes. When the House voted to choose the president (as provided in the U.S. Constitution), Jackson’s opponents united against him, and a majority of the states’ representatives voted for Adams. Before election day in November, each party with a candidate running for the presidency selects a slate of potential electors. Each state is given a number of electors equal to its total number of United States representatives and senators. (The District of Columbia was given three electoral votes by the 23rd amendment, which was ratified in 1961.) Thus, on election day in November, voters actually are choosing which slate of electors will be sent to the state capital to vote in December. The current practice in all states is that the candidate who wins the largest number of state’s popular votes (not necessarily a majority) in the November general election receives all that state’s electoral votes. Therefore, if a candidate wins by one percent in your state, that candidate will receive every one of your state’s electoral votes.

FACTORS WHICH INFLUENCE POLITICAL BELIEFS AND BEHAVIORS There are four major influences on voter decisions: 1. The background of the voter 2. The degree of voter loyalty to political parties 3. The issues of the campaign 4. The voter’s image of the candidates

BACKGROUND: Age Education level Religious beliefs Ethnicity Social/economic status

LOYALTY TO POLITICAL PARTIES: Strong versus weak party voters vote in different numbers; weak party voters cast votes less frequently. Independent voters’ votes are cast for persons or issues without regard for party affiliation.

ISSUES IN THE CAMPAIGN: The media (television, radio, newspapers, and Internet) presents issues to a wide audience. The degree to which the personal lives of voters are impacted by issues (e.g., pollution, energy, inflation, school busing, gun control, crime, unemployment and women’s rights) in campaigns affects voters’ attitudes.

CANDIDATE’S IMAGE: How a candidate is perceived by the voters is extremely important in an election. Generally, the most important considerations are: Leadership qualities Problem-solving abilities Trustworthiness

THE LINKS BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND VOTING Voters directly impact government in the following ways: At the national level At the state, county, and local levels

AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL: The voter affects the party platform, which delineates the party’s stand on specific issues. The party in power determines the amount of spending on various programs. The party in power determines the direction of domestic and foreign policies.

AT THE STATE, COUNTY, AND LOCAL LEVELS: Taxes (bond elections) to support various kinds of construction (e.g., new schools, highways, improvement districts) Educational systems (school boards) Environmental issues (clean air regulations, waste disposal) Transportation (public transit, highway systems)

THE MEDIA AND POLITICS Any study of politics must take into account the importance of media in American politics. Not only are journalists and their programs the most important information sources in society, but also the media depend on the political system for much of the news they report. Almost all of the functions of the media have political implications and some are essential to the democratic process.

FUNCTIONS OF MEDIA The media’s functions include: Entertainment – providing material that is simply interesting, diverting or fun Reporting the news – mass media’s primary goal Identifying public problems – investigative function, presentation of policy alternatives Socializing a new generation – transmission of historical information Providing a political forum – officeholders attempt to gain support for policies, image of leadership; viewers and readers share their own insights with the community Making money – private ownership; commercial media are profit-making enterprises

TELEVISION Television is particularly influential in the realm of politics. TV may also portray issues more superficially than newspapers and news magazines because it operates within significant time constraints, and because it gives special emphasis to the visual impact of stories. Television journalism connects with viewers especially strongly on an emotional level. Print media have some advantages in reaching their audience on an intellectual level.

POWER OF MEDIA The media comprise a powerful tool in political communication. They serve as vehicles for paid political advertisements, while also covering news that candidates may see as positive or negative. The media can manage news coverage based on particular interests. The media also can play a roll in creating special political events, such as presidential debates.

MEDIA AND GOVERNMENT The media conduct investigative reporting related to elected officials on a regular basis. This can affect the way an office holder or an administration sets and pursues its agenda. Given limited time and space, journalists must make decisions about which issues and personalities to emphasize. Those decisions are influenced by personal and institutional values. As a result most journalists believe it is critically important to make special efforts to insure that their work is accurate, thorough, fair and balanced.

REGULATIONS The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects the right of media to do their work without unwarranted interference, and to share that work with an audience. The electronic media are restricted in some ways by government control, exercised through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC requires electronic media to provide equal time to political candidates. This equal time restriction does not apply to print media.

MEDIA AND THE PRESIDENT The White House has a press corps and a press secretary. The press secretary works to communicate the position of the president. The press corps is comprised of media representatives who have the White House as a “beat” to cover. The White House can also create media events, such as “fireside chats.”

MEDIA AND THE SELECTION OF CANDIDATES The role of the media in the selection of candidates cannot be overlooked. For good or bad it is there. In 1928, Al Smith’s chances for election as president were greatly reduced by his nasal- sounding voice, which was a disaster on radio. In the 1960 presidential debates of Nixon and Kennedy, television viewers gave the edge to Kennedy while radio listeners gave it to Nixon. The Reason: Nixon appeared to be sweaty and nervous, and seemed to have a five o’clock shadow while Kennedy appeared cool, collected and confident. While broadcast journalism may be more constrained in some ways by government licensing, the print media are able in some respects to be less inhibited. Newspapers frequently support candidates and take stands on issues of local, state and national importance. In recent years, however, television has come under great scrutiny as a source of political influence. Newspapers now cover politicians’ TV advertising campaigns as carefully as they cover actual campaign appearances. The needs of television have come to shape presidential campaigns.

Here are a few examples: Primaries are now much more national in character. Before television, candidates in the primaries concentrated on local issues: farm problems in agricultural states, industry problems in industrial states. The primaries today, however, are covered by national television and offer candidates an early arena for national exposure. As a result, primaries today are fought largely on the grounds of national issues as opposed to local issues and candidates are often hesitant to take strong stands on controversial issues as opposed to local issues. Speech writing has changed substantially. In 1858 the Lincoln-Douglas debates went on for hours and were reported in-depth by the newspapers. In electronic journalism, though, time is expensive. The candidate may get one or two minutes on the evening news, but usually no more. Speech writers now construct speeches to contain “sound bites,” as the networks call them— 20- and 30-second highlights that can be dropped directly into television and radio newscasts. Television schedules dictate that most major campaign speeches are given early in the day, to give the networks time to locate the “sound bites” and edit them for use on the evening news. Television is an enormously persuasive medium, but the telegenic candidate may not always be the best qualified. Nor is the campaign that is best designed for television necessarily the one with the most substance. In recent years, newspapers have expanded their coverage of issues, by meeting with readers to get questions that are then submitted to candidates. Newspapers also make extensive efforts to compare candidates’ positions on important issues in some detail. It is the voters’ duty to study the personalities, analyze the issues, and learn all they can about the candidates, in order to make informed and responsible decisions.

THE OFFICE OF PRESIDENT THE POWERS OF THE PRESIDENT The office of the president of the United States is one of the most powerful positions in the world. There are only a few hundred words in the U.S. Constitution about the president’s duties and powers but those few words give him/her powers of many kinds. Time and tradition have also developed expectations and powers that are not carefully spelled out in the U.S. Constitution. Still, the origin of all presidential power is in the U.S. Constitution and to understand the presidential role as it is currently exercised, one must understand the constitution. Presidential powers are found in Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution.

CLAUSE 1

Text: “The President shall be commander-in-chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the militia of the several states when called into the actual service of the United States; he may require the opinion, in writing, of the principal officer in each of the executive departments, upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices, and he shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment.” Interpretation: When the framers of the U.S. Constitution made the president commander-in-chief of the armed forces, they were thinking of several important points: 1. They ordered that the head of the armed forces should be elected by the people 2. They prevented any military officer of the armed forces from seizing the government and making himself/herself president 3. They also prevented any president from becoming a dictator since he/she can be head of the armed forces only as long as he/she is president—and a president can be impeached or voted out of office 4. They placed in the hands of one person the great governmental and military power that must be used together in time of war. The words “principal officer in each of the executive departments” suggests that there will be various departments to help the president carry out his/her duties. The heads of these departments have come to be known as the president’s Cabinet.

CLAUSE 2

Text: “He shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties, provided two-thirds of the Senators present concur; and he/she shall nominate and, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, judges of the Supreme Court, and all other officers of the United States, whose appointments are not

herein provided for and which shall be established by law; but the Congress may by law vest the appointment of such inferior officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the courts of law, or in the heads of departments.” Interpretation: The rule that the U.S. Senate must approve any treaty keeps the president from making important agreements with other nations against the wishes of the elected representatives of the American people. But there are other kinds of foreign agreements, less important than treaties, which the president can make without Senate approval. In Clause 2, the U.S. Constitution makes separate rules for selecting two different kinds of officers: 1. Very important officers who are appointed by the president only after a majority of the U.S. Senate has approved them 2. Inferior officers, who can be chosen by the president, by his/her Cabinet officers, or by judges without Senate approval of them. These so-called “inferior officers” are not necessarily unimportant. Among the very important officials whom the president can appoint only with the approval of the U.S. Senate are high officers of the armed forces, leading postmasters, head customs officials, and members of key agencies such as the Atomic Energy Commission, the Federal Reserve Board and the Interstate Commerce Commission.

CLAUSE 3

Text: “The President shall have power to fill up all vacancies that may happen during the recess of the Senate, by granting commissions which shall expire at the end of their next session.” Interpretation: In Clause 3, the U.S. Constitution says that if one of these important jobs becomes vacant while Congress is not meeting, the president may choose a person for the job without waiting to get Senate approval. Such an appointment is known as an ad interim, or “for the interval,” appointment. When Congress meets again, the U.S. Senate votes either for or against the person chosen by the president.

THE DUTIES OF THE PRESIDENT ARTICLE 2, SECTION 3

Text: “He shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the Union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary occasions, convene both houses, or either of them, and in case of disagreement between them, with respect to the time of adjournment, he may adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper; he shall receive ambassadors and other public ministers; he shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed, and shall commission all officers of the United States.”

Interpretation: One of the president’s duties is to give information and advice to the U.S. Congress in messages on the “state of the Union.” Hundreds of thousands of government employees throughout the country and around the world report back to their head officers. These officers in turn report to the president. Such messages are strong political tools for the president. Another tool is his/ her power to call special sessions of Congress. Among the most important duties of the president is “to take care that the laws be faithfully executed.” He/she is too busy to do all this himself/herself but there are many officers in the executive branch of the government to help him/her enforce the laws. The presidential job, as described in the U.S. Constitution, is a medley of compromises. Today a president is asked to play countless roles that are not carefully spelled out in the U.S. Constitution. Modern-day presidents are much more powerful than those of the last century despite the fact that their constitutional powers have not changed. Attempting to describe presidential power is difficult, as the exact dimension of executive power at any given moment is largely the consequence of the incumbent’s character and energy, combined with the needs and challenges of the time.

SUMMARY OF CONSTITUTIONAL ROLES AND POWERS OF THE PRESIDENT: Commander-in-chief Conduct foreign policy Negotiate treaties Nominate top officials Veto bills Faithfully administer federal law Pardon for federal offenses Maintain order Address Congress and nation

ADDITIONAL ROLES AND INFORMAL POWERS: Morale builder Party leader Legislative leader Coalition-builder Crisis manager Personnel recruiter World leader Budget setter Priority setter Bargainer and persuader Conflict resolver

STEPS IN ELECTING A PRESIDENT: 1. Candidate announces that he/she is entering the race; this usually happens one to two years before the November election. 2. Members of the same party run against each other, trying to become the party’s candidate. A. Primaries: Party members vote for candidates, win delegates to the convention. B. Caucuses: Party members select delegates to the convention at meetings. 3. Voters vote for president; this is called the “popular vote.” A. Voters are really voting for electors who are pledged to a candidate. B. If a candidate wins the popular vote, he/she wins all of the electoral votes; this is called “winner take all.” 4. The Electoral College is made up of all of the electors. The electors vote in December. A candidate must get at least 270 out of 538 votes to win the election. 5. On January 6, Congress officially counts the ballots. If no candidate has at least 270 votes, the U.S. House of Representatives selects the president and the U.S. Senate selects the vice president. 6. Inauguration Day: The president and vice president are sworn into office on January 20.

POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS Every political candidate knows that issues are not all there is to a campaign. It is also necessary to “sell” the voters on the candidate’s personality, values, character, and individual worthiness to hold office. Today’s candidate usually wishes to be seen as warm, decent, and likable. Certainly it remains important to be intelligent, calm, well-informed, strong, and decisive—the traditional values of leadership—but voters also respond positively to an attractive personality and negatively to a cold or distant one. An industry has sprung up over the need to make candidates “human,” to stress personal qualities to which voters can respond emotionally as well as intellectually. Given two candidates of approximately equal ability, people will vote for the one they like. “I Like Ike” worked for several reasons. It was simple, it was memorable, it stressed affection rather than admiration or respect— attitudes Eisenhower already inspired—and it appealed to voters who were unfamiliar with or did not care about his war record. His Democratic opponent in both 1952 and 1956, Illinois Governor Adlai E. Stevenson, was an accomplished politician and, in private, a witty man, but he never achieved Eisenhower’s broad popular appeal. And Stevenson’s slogan could not compare with “Ike’s;” how memorable is “Madly for Adlai”? Names can be an important part of a politician’s image. In the 1988 primary campaigns, Democratic Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis, whose friends called him “Michael,” campaigned as “Mike,” and Republican Delaware Governor Pierre Du Pont became “Pete.” U.S. Vice President Lyndon Baines Johnson elevated to the presidency when John F. Kennedy was assassinated, campaigned under his initials using the slogan “All the Way With LBJ.” Governor

James Earl Carter of Georgia, who won the presidency in 1976, stressed his Southern roots and lack of pretension by calling himself “Jimmy” throughout his political career. Candidates traditionally emphasize their families. The candidate’s spouse and children usually play an active role in the candidate’s campaign—appearing at most of the important public functions and are invariably on hand at national conventions. The spirited part played by a candidate’s family is a public affirmation of family values, and family values are generally important to the American electorate. (America has had only one bachelor president, James Buchanan.) In support of most campaigns, the political parties and the candidates’ advisors create an array of buttons, posters, slogans, cheers and, more recently, television and radio advertisements. All these tools seek to encapsulate a candidate’s appeal—to make it attractive to the largest number of voters. “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too” (William Henry Harrison), “Honest Abe” (Abraham Lincoln), “Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick” (Theodore Roosevelt), “The New Deal” (Franklin Delano Roosevelt), “The New Frontier” (John F. Kennedy), “The Great Society” (Lyndon Baines Johnson)—were all marketing devices that summarized a candidate’s appeal and attempted, on the simplest level, to clarify the issues involved. As issues have become more complex and the media (especially television) have made candidates more visible, marketing is an even more important factor in political campaigns. One of the voter’s challenges is to differentiate between a candidate’s image and the substance of the campaign.

POLITICAL PARTIES There are many political parties in the United States, but the two largest ones, the Republicans and Democrats, are so powerful that the U.S. is generally considered to have a two-party system. Many of those who wrote the Constitution hoped that political parties would never develop in America, but almost from the beginning there were Federalists and Anti-Federalists and by the middle of the 19th century the Republican and Democratic parties were well established. Despite the fears of our founding fathers, political parties serve an important role in the election process.

THE IMPORTANCE OF POLITICAL PARTIES Political parties are crucially important throughout the election process. They offer choices and clarify issues. They play the key role in the selection of candidates for the presidency. They help to administer the state conventions, caucuses, and primaries. Parties run the national conventions from which the presidential and vice presidential candidates eventually emerge. At the conventions, the nominees and influential party members create a platform that reconciles the elements of the party that competed in the primaries. Parties are also very active in the November general elections. They raise money for their candidates, mobilize volunteers, encourage voter registration and participation, provide poll watchers, and create campaign materials. Once a party wins an election, it is expected to develop policies and to govern, while the party out of power is expected to provide constructive criticism of the party in power.

SUMMARY OF THE ROLE OF POLITICAL PARTIES: 1. Recruit and nominate candidates 2. Simplify choice of candidates through primaries 3. Raise funds for political campaigns 4. Serve as the “loyal opposition” and oppose the policies of the other party 5. Register voters and help run elections 6. Describe and clarify issues and disseminate information 7. Mobilize voters 8. Find commonality for diverse interests

THE ORGANIZATION OF POLITICAL PARTIES Each party has a national committee headed by a chairperson and a vice chairperson. In addition, there are state party organizations and local organizations. In addition, each candidate also selects a campaign chairperson, treasurer, media expert, etc. There are party leaders and campaign organizations for each candidate in the different states as well.

THE FUNDING OF POLITICAL PARTIES It costs hundreds of millions of dollars to conduct a nationwide campaign. Money is needed for travel, advertisements, office rental, accommodations, etc. Candidates who receive a certain percentage of primary votes and caucus support are eligible to receive financial assistance from the government, which matches money the candidates receive from private sources. This government support is made possible when citizens agree to contribute $3 when filing yearly federal income tax returns. This method was initiated following the Watergate campaign incident. In addition, nominees of the two major parties receive financial support from their parties following the conventions. Candidates receive contributions from citizens provided the amounts do not exceed the legal limits and are reported properly.

SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS In recent years, special interest groups have founded PACs (Political Action Committees) to help elect candidates that favor their interests. The amount of money that the PACs give to federal candidates is limited, but some claim that regulation and enforcement is weak and that PACs exert too much influence. Some PACs give funds to candidates of both parties so that whoever is elected will be more willing to listen to their problems.

CONVENTIONS Delegates chosen at the primaries, caucuses, and state conventions attend the national convention of their party during the summer of the election year. The number of delegates from each state is approximately proportional to the population of the state. Thus, in both the Democratic and Republican conventions, California (which has the largest population of any state in the union) has the most delegate votes, and New York has the second most.

PARTY NOMINEE At the convention, the candidate who receives a majority of the delegate votes becomes the nominee of the party. In recent years, as a result of the primaries and caucuses, the nominees of the two major parties have a majority of the delegates committed to their candidates before the opening gavel. In 1988, however, some political analysts thought the sheer number of Democratic candidates would prevent any of them from collecting a majority of delegate votes by convention time. Thus the nomination of a “dark horse” (someone who had not been a candidate until the convention) was considered a possibility. According to convention rules, if no candidate receives a majority of votes on the first ballot, subsequent ballots are held until someone wins. When this happens, candidates with little support are expected to release their votes to another candidate. No convention, however, has gone over the first ballot since 1952.

PARTY PLATFORMS Drafting a party platform is one of the major functions of a national convention. A platform is not only a written declaration of party principles and policy positions, it is also a campaign statement aimed at winning broad voter support. Usually, the drafters of a platform try to avoid taking positions that might anger a major voting bloc. A party’s platform will take a specific stance on a controversial issue only when certain issues are of particular importance to a large group that the party is trying to win over. In the past, controversial platform planks have included prohibition, social security, the Taft-Hartley law, and opposition to the Vietnam War. A major party might incorporate certain planks of minor parties in the hope of attracting new voters into its coalition. Because they are created to have broad appeal, platforms have been criticized as evasive, ambiguous, and in the words of 1964 presidential nominee Barry Goldwater, “Like Jello…there is usually little substance and nothing you can get your teeth into.”

PREPARATION OF THE PLATFORM Each major party has a Committee on Resolutions, composed of two people from each state and territorial delegation. This group assigns a platform committee to prepare the platform weeks before the convention begins. This is to ensure that as many views as possible are expressed at pre-convention hearings by interested groups, state and local organizations, and the presidential candidates. These hearings are crucial in identifying areas of agreement and disagreement among the party’s factions. Compromises and accommodations are made, and major provisions are agreed upon before the resolutions in the platform go to the floor of the convention. The presidential nominee exerts considerable influence on the content of the platform. At the convention, the platform is usually adopted overwhelmingly.

ROLE OF THE PLATFORM In addition to praising the principles and candidates of the party, platforms criticize those of the opposing party. The record of an incumbent administration is especially open to attack by the writers of the opposition platform. The platform can be taken as an outline of what a party hopes

to accomplish in office. Despite the criticism that platforms do not bind candidates and are basically designed to attract votes, many party pledges have been carried out as policy or have been turned into legislation.

CHOOSING A VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE The considerations of building harmony and voter appeal that go into shaping the platform also go into shaping the selection of the vice president. This is called “balancing the ticket.” A vice presidential candidate is chosen by the presidential nominee on the basis of how likely he or she is to help the party achieve the presidency. One of the factors considered is regional appeal: where does the presidential candidate need the most voter support? In recent elections, most successful Democratic tickets have established a north-south balance, while winning Republican slates have largely comprised candidates from the east and west. In 1952, on the winning Republican ticket, Dwight D. Eisenhower was president of Columbia University in New York and chose California Senator Richard M. Nixon as his running mate. Nixon, in turn, chose Maryland Governor Spiro T. Agnew. Two winning Democratic tickets in the last 40 years were John F. Kennedy from Massachusetts with Lyndon B Johnson from Texas, and Jimmy Carter from Georgia with Walter F. Mondale of Minnesota. Political philosophy, ethnicity, congressional relationships and, more recently, gender have also been factors in choosing the vice presidential candidate. In 1968 the liberal Hubert Humphrey balanced his ticket by choosing Senator Edmund Muskie, a Polish American moderate, to gain votes on the Eastern Seaboard and to balance his own Midwestern liberal background. In 1984 Walter Mondale chose a woman, Geraldine Ferraro, for his running mate. And in 1992, Bill Clinton chose fellow Southerner Albert Gore on the basis of political philosophy. In conclusion, if a major party wishes to make a successful bid for the presidency, it must develop both a platform and a ticket that appeal to a broad popular coalition.

THIRD PARTIES IN AMERICAN HISTORY Third parties have never captured the presidency nor had more than a minimal influence in the U.S. Congress. However, they have had an impact at the state and local level. Most importantly, they serve as a forum for new ideas which have in some cases been adopted by the two main parties.

POLITICAL PROPAGANDA Propaganda is one of the most misused words in the English language. It is almost always given a negative connotation. A common statement is “well, that’s just propaganda.” Actually, any communication intended to influence the opinions or actions of others is propaganda. A plea for donations to a charity is propaganda. Television commercials urging you to try a product are propaganda. Political advertisements seeking support for a candidate are certainly propaganda. Propaganda is not inherently false; it is neither good nor bad. It is, simply put, slanted to a particular view and basic to politics. Political propaganda appeals to logic or reason, but sometimes also to fear, emotion or prejudice.

The most commonly used propaganda techniques are: Plain Folk – An attempt to win support by presenting the candidate as someone with things in common with his/her audience. This may be as simple as adopting the dress of the audience (bib overalls, for example, while speaking to farmers) or telling anecdotes that emphasize the “common touch” such as, “my grandpa came to this country a penniless shoemaker.” Bandwagon – This technique relies upon people’s need to conform, to go with the winner. The candidate is presented not as an outsider but as having broad support. “Vote for the winner.” Transfer – Associating a policy or candidate with objects that are honored and respected. For instance, showing the candidate at the Grand Canyon if he/she wishes to enhance an image as an environmentalist. Card Stacking – Presenting only one side of the arguments by omitting, manipulating, or distorting facts. Name Calling – Instead of dealing with issues, the candidate attacks his/her opponent through appeals to fear and prejudices. “My opponent is another spendthrift.” Testimonials – Well-known and respected people are used to endorse the candidate. Glittering Generalities – Using vague statements that seem exciting but have little substance. Frequently, the appeal is to patriotism, peace, prosperity—things everyone agrees with but which don’t really deal with the candidate or the issues.

THE RIGHT TO VOTE The right to vote, also known as “suffrage,” is not quite the same as the right to free speech, to a fair trial, or to any of the other civil rights. The right to vote is not a civil right, one belonging to all persons. Rather, it is a political right, one belonging to all those who can meet certain requirements set by law.

A CHRONOLOGY OF THE GROWTH OF SUFFRAGE IN THE UNITED STATES

1776: At the time of the signing of The Declaration of Independence, the right to vote is based on property ownership. Suffrage primarily is reserved for white, male Protestants over the age of 21. There are a few instances of African-Americans owning property. 1787: With the drafting of the Constitution, states are given the power to regulate their own suffrage laws and they favor white, male property owners. 1789: George Washington is elected president by the Electoral College. Only six percent of the entire population is involved in the election. 1791: Vermont, the 14th state, declares that all adult, white males, irrespective of property ownership or religious preference, can vote. 1816: Indiana, Illinois, and Alabama join the Union and establish voting rules similar to Vermont’s.

1821: Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York follow suit. Between 1820 and 1830 the voting electorate doubled. Voter population increase was an impetus to the development of political parties. 1842: Rhode Island does not join other states with reformed voting rights and continues to require property ownership to qualify to vote. This issue causes much controversy, and rival state governments are elected in Providence and Newport. Thomas W. Door begins a movement known as the Door Rebellion which is victorious. 1843: Rhode Island adopts a new constitution. This provides broader suffrage provisions. 1848: African-Americans and women are still subject to discrimination at the polls. No significant advancement for their cause has occurred, even though reformers have long voiced opposition to the white-male-only vote. Women could not vote, could not own property after marriage, and were paid much less than men for doing the same work. The plight of women is denounced by Elizabeth Cady Stanton at a gathering of 100 women’s rights advocates in Seneca Falls, New York. She reads a proclamation that “all men and women are created equal” and the convention passes several resolutions which call for women being given the vote. The Women’s Suffrage Movement has begun. 1865: A Civil Rights Act defines citizenship and prohibits discrimination based on race. However, President Andrew Johnson vetoes the bill, stating that it favored the rights of African-Americans over whites. The Republican Congress overrides the veto, hoping to lure the vote of former slaves. 1868: African-Americans have endured slavery in the United States for more than 70 years. Slave states allow no African-American person to vote. Lawmakers enact the 14th Amendment to the Constitution granting citizenship to African-Americans and permitting them to vote. However, state officials still attempt to deny them this right. 1869: The National American Women Suffrage Association is founded, with Susan B. Anthony as president. 1870: The 15th Amendment to the Constitution is ratified, providing African-Americans the right to vote and prohibiting state and local governments from denying that right. 1872: Victoria Woodhull contends that under the provisions of the 14th and 15th Amendments, women are citizens of the United States and should be allowed to vote. Susan B. Anthony votes and is arrested for violating a federal law that forbids the votes of confederates or traitors. 1875: The Supreme Courts rules, in Minor v. Happerset, that suffrage is not coexistent with the right to citizenship granted in the 14th Amendment, and that the extent of women’s rights is up to state legislatures. 1876: Poll taxes, grandfather clauses, and literacy tests are introduced in many Southern states. These measures restrict the ability of African-Americans to register and vote. 1876: The Supreme Court in Elk v. Wilkins, rules that Native Americans are not protected by the 14th Amendment, and therefore do not enjoy the rights of citizenship.

1890: Wyoming becomes a state and is the first to provide suffrage for women in its constitution. 1913: The 17th Amendment to the Constitution is ratified. It allowed popular election of U.S. senators. No new group received the right to vote, but the voting power was expanded. 1920: The 19th Amendment to the Constitution guarantees suffrage for women and indirectly establishes the right of women to hold public office. 1940: Native Americans are made citizens by an act of Congress. However, in New Mexico and Arizona, Native Americans cannot vote because they do not pay property taxes. 1943: Georgia lowers its voting age from 21 to 18 in state and local elections. 1947: Miguel Trijillo, a Native American and former Marine, wins a suit against New Mexico for not allowing him to vote. Since Native Americans pay most forms of taxes, they are subject to taxation without representation. New Mexico and Arizona are required to give the vote to all their Native American citizens. 1957: By provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the Justice Department may punish interference or disruption of protection for African-American voters. 1960: The Civil Rights Act of 1960 allows courts to appoint federal referees to protect voting rights. Obstruction of these court orders is a federal offense. 1961: The 23rd Amendment to the Constitution allows residents of the District of Columbia to vote for president and vice president. Until this amendment, residents were unable to vote since the District is not a state. 1964: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 expands on the guarantee of the right to register to vote without fear of reprisal. The 24th Amendment to the Constitution guaranteed that no person could be denied the right to vote due to an inability to pay a tax prior to voting. The “poll” tax is now considered unconstitutional. 1965: Martin Luther King, Jr. leads 25,000 people on a march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, to dramatize the need for more voting rights. 1970: The Voting Rights act is amended to lower the voting age to 18 and to ban the use of literacy tests. 1971: The 26th Amendment lowers the voting age to 18. National Voter Registration Act requires that voters be allowed to register when applying for or renewing a driver’s license by mail; when applying for certain types of public assistance; and at military recruiting offices. It also eliminates the purging of voter names from registration solely for the failure to vote. Further amendments to the Voting Rights Act require that many voting materials be printed in the language of various minority groups.

SERVICE-LEARNING WHAT IS SERVICE-LEARNING? Service-learning can be found in the majority of U.S. public and private schools, though these activities incorporate a wide array of topics and projects. Service-learning is a method by which young people learn and develop through thoughtfully organized service experiences that meet actual community needs, that are coordinated in collaboration with the school and community, that are integrated into each young person’s academic curriculum, that provide structured time for a young person to think, talk, and write about what he/she did and saw during the actual service activity, that provide young people with opportunities to use newly acquired academic skills and knowledge in real life situations in their own communities, that enhance what is taught in the school by extending student learning beyond the classroom, and that help to foster the development of a sense of caring for others. (ASLER, 1993, p.1) Whether teachers choose to incorporate service-learning in the curriculum as an individual homework assignment or a class activity, it is important that the experience include the essential elements of quality service-learning (Alliance for Service-Learning in Education Reform, 1993; Giles, Honnet, and Migliore, 1991; Wade, 1997). These elements include: 1. Careful planning and preparation 2. Collaboration with all who will be involved in the project (e.g. teachers, students, community members, parents) 3. Opportunities for student input, decision making and leadership 4. Integration of the service experience with academic skills and/or content 5. Service that meets an important need or addresses a problem 6. Reflection opportunities for students to think about, discuss, and write about their service experience 7. Evaluation of student learning and project outcomes 8. Celebration of students’ efforts

WHY SERVICE-LEARNING? Teachers too often send the message to their students that school is preparing them for the future. Truly, the message should be that the future is now. Students are already citizens and they can make a difference! What will students gain from service-learning? Linking service to citizenship develops knowledge, cooperation, critical thinking and enhances democratic values and beliefs.

WHAT ARE THE GOALS FOR KIDS VOTING USA SERVICE-LEARNING ACTIVITIES? Develop more informed voters and increase voter turnout Discover the value and power of voting Develop skills and traits conducive to wise democratic living

USE OF POLLS “41% of Americans prefer a Democrat for president.” “Survey finds Americans favor genetic engineering.” Almost daily the mass media reports the results of a public opinion poll or survey. But just what is a poll? Why do we have them? How are they used? Polls and surveys can be used to: 1. Measure public opinion at the time the poll is conducted 2. Assess and analyze data 3. Focus attention on public questions 4. Stimulate discussion on these questions In the political arena, polls and surveys are very important because they can influence a candidate’s decision concerning a specific issue. Polls can be used by candidates to shape their campaigns, tailoring both image and issues to voters’ concerns. Recently, though, some critics have suggested that polls and pollsters can actually shape the opinions they are supposed to measure.

CONSTRUCTING A POLL Three things must be considered when developing a poll: 1. Who is to be interviewed? 2. What kind of interview is to be conducted? 3. What is to be asked of the respondents?

SAMPLING Since in most cases it is nearly impossible to poll every single person on a given topic, pollsters use what is called a random sample. A random sample is a portion of a selected population surveyed in a systematic way; for example, choosing every second or fourth person from a list such as the telephone book. This can be done because the law of mathematical probability states that if the sample is large enough and chosen at random, the result will be quite accurate—with a very small margin of error. National polls typically select 1,500 households at random as their sample. One reason polls are sometimes flawed is that the sample is skewed—that is, not sufficiently random. A poll on farm issues that included in its sample a much higher percentage of farmers than is found in the American population, would be inaccurate because its sampling was skewed. Of course, sometimes a sampling should not be random; a candidate who wants to know what farmers think will commission a poll of farmers only.

INTERVIEW The basic polling tool is the questionnaire. Interviewees may respond to questionnaires in three ways: in person, by telephone, or by mail. For an accurate and objective poll, it is important that the pollsters get demographic information about each respondent, and that the respondents know that all the information obtained will be kept confidential.

QUESTIONING A poll is only as good as the questions it asks. Therefore, questions should be simple, clear and, above all, neutral. For example, instead of “Don’t you think that funding social programs is more important than spending on defense?”—a more neutral question would be “Which do you feel is more crucial, spending on social program or on defense?” There are two basic types of polling questions, open and closed: Open questions – questions that pose a problem and ask respondents for their opinions, as in: “What do you feel is the most serious problem facing the United States?” Closed questions – questions in which the responses must be from among choices offered, as in: “Which of the following candidates do you favor at this time? a) Jones, b) Martinez, c) Jackson, or d) none of the above.”

VOTER APATHY There are a number of reasons why people don’t vote, from ignorance about elections to a belief that one vote doesn’t count to facing barriers in voter registration and voting.

IGNORANCE ABOUT THE BASICS OF OUR POLITICAL SYSTEM Less than 50% of the adult population knows the term for a U.S. representative or senator. Less than 50% can tell the number of Supreme Court Justices or what the Bill of Rights includes. Only 55% of adults know the number of senators from each state or know who their own senators are.

LACK OF CONFIDENCE IN GOVERNMENT Those who feel left out of the system often fail to vote, as do those who do not believe that voting can affect real change in government. Many people feel the efforts of a single individual are futile considering the millions who could vote.

BARRIERS TO VOTING Many people find the hours polls are open and the fact that elections are always held during the work week are barriers to voting. The need to vote in the precinct where one lived at the time of registration is also a barrier to some. The inconvenience of registering and the need to be registered a certain length of time before an election also prevents many from voting. Today, some states have made voting more convenient by allowing people to vote early by mail or at designated polling sites. Also, in compliance with the 1993 National Voter Registration Act, nearly all states allow people to register to vote by mail or at Motor Vehicle Offices.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

K-2 ...... 2

3-5 ...... 7

6-8 ...... 13

9-12 ...... 17

RESOURCES FOR INFORMATION ON CHILDREN’S LITERATURE BOOKS ...... 23

K-2

Adler, David. A Picture Book of Thomas Jefferson. (Holiday House, 1990). Summary: This picture biography of Thomas Jefferson discusses his life and ideas. Adler has created picture biographies of a number of other Americans including Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Eleanor Roosevelt.

Archer, Jules. Winners and Losers: How Elections Work in America. (Harcourt, Brace & Jovanovich, 1984). Summary: This is an excellent resource book for the election process.

Barnes, Peter and Cheryl and Betty Shepard. A “Mice” Way to Learn about Government Curriculum Guide. (VSP Books, 1999) Summary: Helps teachers explain the concepts introduced in Woodrow, the White House Mouse, House Mouse, Senate Mouse and Marshall the Courthouse Mouse. Guide includes classroom activities, research topics, role-playing exercises, as well as helpful Web sites, glossaries and bibliographies.

Barnes, Peter and Cheryl. House Mouse, Senate Mouse. (VSP Books, 1996) Summary: Teaches children about the nation’s Capitol and how laws are made, from the research of a bill, through the signing at the president’s desk.

Barnes, Peter and Cheryl. Woodrow, the White House Mouse. (VSP Books, 1998, 2nd Ed.) Summary: Tells the story of the presidency and the art, architecture and history of the White House, through the adventures of Woodrow G. Washingtail, President of the United Mice of America, and his family.

Barnes, Peter and Cheryl. Woodrow for President. (VSP Books, 1999) Summary: Teaches about the process of electing a president from the primaries to Election Day. Book includes a “Contract to Vote” between America’s kids and adults.

Begaye, Lisa Shook. Building a Bridge. Illustrations by Libba Tracy. (Northland Publishing, 1993.) Summary: This book teaches us that instead of mistrusting differences, we can celebrate them. Juanita, a Navajo girl, and Anna, an Anglo girl, start school and become friends.

Berenstain, Stan. The Berenstain Bears and the Big Election. (Random House, 1984). Summary: Bear Country is falling apart, so Papa decides to run for president of the town council. Brother and Sister become his campaign managers. Papa wins the election and soon discovers that his campaign promises, like “honey in every pot,” are going to be difficult to keep.

Bernstein, Richard. The Presidency (Into the Third Century). (Walker and Company, Inc., 1989). Summary: This excellent resource book is one of a three-part series. It discusses the office, powers, roles, and qualifications of the presidency. It also contains a chapter about presidents who changed the office.

Block, Judy R. The First Woman in Congress: Jeannette Rankin. (C.P.I., 1978). Summary: Traces the career of the first woman to be elected to hold a congressional office.

Bratman, Fred. Becoming a Citizen: Adopting a New Home. (Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 1993). Summary: Examines the origins of citizenship and the role of the citizen as well as immigration, illegal aliens, political asylum, the slave trade, becoming a citizen, and other related topics. This is part of a good series called the “Good Citizenship Library.”

Brenner, Martha. Abe Lincoln’s Hat. (Scholastic, 1994). Summary: Humorous true stories about Lincoln and his habit of keeping important papers in his hat.

Brown, Marc. Arthur and the Scare-Your-Pants-Off Club. (Little, Brown, 1998). Summary: In this chapter book, Arthur and his friends mobilize to prevent the banning of their favorite book series.

Brown, Marc. Arthur Meets the President. (Little, Brown, 1991). Summary: Arthur enters an essay contest and wins a visit to the Capitol. He is given the opportunity to read his “How I Can Make America Great” essay to the president. This is perfect for kindergarten through third grade and may spawn a contest of your own.

Burby, Liza. A Day in the Life of a Mayor. (PowerKids Press, 1999). Summary: A very good exploration of a typical day in the work of the former mayor of New York City, Rudolph Giuliani, describing many of the activities that make up his busy schedule.

Burningham, John. Would You Rather? (Seastar Books, 2003). Summary: Would you rather be covered in jam, soaked with water or pulled through the mud by a dog? That’s one set of choices offered in this book of possibilities, ranging from the pleasant to the ridiculous. Sure to provoke discussion and reactions from Yeah! to Yuck!

Cooney, Barbara. Miss Rumphius. (NY: Viking, 1982). Summary: A story about Great-aunt Alice Rumphius who was once a little girl who loved the sea, longed to visit faraway places, and wished to do something to make the world more beautiful. (Literature Connection Activity for Active Citizenship)

Cronin, Doreen. Duck for President. (Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing, 2004). Summary: Duck is tired of doing his chores and decides to hold an election to replace Farmer Brown. Hilarious for kids and adults and includes a little math and quite a bit about the electoral process. (Literature Connection Activity for Elections and Voting)

DiSalvo-Ryan, DyAnne. City Green. (Morrow, 1994). Summary: A young girl named Marcy decides to turn a useless lot into a growing space for everyone to enjoy. She is able to get the whole neighborhood involved.

DiSalvo-Ryan, DyAnne. Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen. (Harper Trophy, 1997). Summary: This book provides a look into soup kitchens and community service.

Ditchfield, Christian. Freedom of Speech. (Children’s Press, 2004). Summary: Describes what freedom of speech is, how and why it is guaranteed in the United States, how it is expressed, what its limits are, what censorship is, and what some of the surrounding debates are.

Ernst, Lisa Campbell. Squirrel Park. (Bradbury, 1993). Summary: When a favorite tree is scheduled to be chopped down, a young boy and a squirrel come to its rescue.

Flournoy, Valerie. The Patchwork Quilt. Pictures by Jerry Pickney. (Dutton, 1985). Summary: A young African-American girl and her grandmother begin a patchwork quilt.

Fradin, Dennis B. Voting and Elections. (Children’s Press, 1995). Summary: Beginning readers learn about the election process and voting.

Friedman, Ina R. How My Parents Learned to Eat. Illus by Allen Say. (Houghton Mifflin, 1984). Summary: John, an American boy, and Aiko, a Japanese girl, learn each other’s eating habits.

Fritz, Jean. Just a Few Words, Mr. Lincoln. (Grosset & Dunlap, 1993). Summary: Jean Fritz tells the story of the Gettysburg Address and the Civil War. This book has good illustrations and photographs.

Greene, Carol. Congress. (Children’s Press, 1985). Summary: Describes the structure, function, and interrelationship of the two houses of Congress.

Grodin, Eliza. D is For Democracy: A Citizen’s Alphabet. (Sleeping Bear Press, 2004). Summary: Each letter from the alphabet introduces a person, place, thing or concept about the U.S. and its government. (Literature Connection Activity for Democracy and the People)

Hamanaka, Sheila. All the Colors of the Earth. (Harper Collins, 1994). Summary: Written in verse this book shows that despite outward differences children everywhere are essentially the same and all are lovable.

Hurwitz, Johanna. Aldo Ice Cream. (Morrow, 1981). Summary: A nine-year-old boy discovers the pleasures of doing volunteer work to help the older citizens of the community.

Hurwitz, Johanna. Class President. (Morrow Junior, 1990). Summary: The fifth-grade class election becomes the setting for this story about elections, leadership and friendship.

Johnson, Mary Oates. The President: America’s Leader. (Raintree, 1993). Summary: A well-written book about the presidency; it is part of A Good Citizenship Series.

Lord, John V. The Giant Jam Sandwich. (Houghton Mifflin, 1973). Summary: When four million wasps fly into their village, the citizens of Itching Down devise a way of getting rid of them.

Maestro, Betsy. The Voice of the People. (Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1996). Summary: A basic guide to voting and the election process in the United States.

Martin, A.M. Rachel Parker, Kindergarten Show-Off. (Holiday House, 1992). Summary: A story of two girls finding out that they have a lot in common and their friendship.

McCloskey, Robert. Make Way for Ducklings. (Viking, 1969). Summary: Mother duck takes her babies through town to meet father duck and causes a lot of commotion on the way.

Milios, Rita. I Am. Illus by Clovis Martin. (Children’s Press, 1987) Summary: Contrasts such differences as “I am big, you are small. I am short, you are tall.” A book that emerging readers can read by themselves.

Nez, Redwing T. Forbidden Talent. (Northland Publishing, 1995). Summary: A Navajo boy finds his talent for painting in conflict with what his grandfather calls, “The Navajo Way.”

Nobleman, Marc Tyler. Election Day. (Compass Point Books, 2005). Summary: Election Day contains full-color images and an easy-to-read text that describes Election Day and how people vote.

Pascoe, Elaine. The Right to Vote. (The Millbrook Press, 1997). Summary: This book is part of the Land of the Free series which helps readers better understand the principles by which Americans live. This book covers one of Americas most important rights and freedoms, the right to vote. It also covers a basic understanding of the Bill of Rights.

Patrick, Denise L. The Car Washing Street. Pictures by John Ward. (Tambourine, 1993). Summary: Even though his parents don’t own a car, a little boy looks forward to the day when all the people in his neighborhood wash their cars.

Pinkwater, Daniel. The Big Orange Splot. (Scholastic, 1977). Summary: The story of what happens on one street when Mr. Plumbean decides to paint his house differently.

Provensen, Alice. The Buck Stops Here: The Presidents. (Harper & Row, 1990). Summary: This wonderfully illustrated book is interesting for all ages. The pictures help the reader make connections between the presidents and the events of their time in office. The rhyme is intended to assist the learner in memorizing the president’s names.

Scher, Linda. The Vote: Making Your Voice Heard. (Raintree, 1993). Summary: This book discusses voting requirements, how and where to vote, and how to vote wisely. It is part of a very good citizenship series called the “Good Citizenship Library.”

Scriabine, Christine. Know Your Government: The Presidency. (Chelsea House, 1988). Summary: Great resource book on the office of the president. A visual of the Oval Office allows students to compare the renovations of the Oval Office completed by the Clinton administration.

Shuker-Haines, Frances. Rights and Responsibilities: Using Your Freedom. (Raintree Steck- Vaughn, 1993). Summary: Examines the rights and responsibilities of being a citizen, discussing such topics as free speech, interest groups, voting, taxes, jury duty, and running for office. This is part of a good series called the “Good Citizenship Library.”

Sisulu, Elinor Batezat. The Day Gogo Went to Vote. (Little, Brown 1996). Summary: Young Thembi and her beloved great-grandmother, who has not left the house for many years, go together to vote on the momentous day in 1994 when black South Africans are allowed to vote for the first time.

Stern, Gary M. The Congress: America’s Lawmakers. (Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 1993). Summary: Discusses the origins of Congress, the members of Congress, how Congress works, and notable debates and acts of Congress.

Strazzabosco, Jeanne. Learning about Forgiveness from the Life of Nelson Mandela. (PowerKids Press, 1996). Summary: A brief but very good biography of the South African civil rights worker and president who serves as an example of forgiveness.

Weber, Michael. Our Congress. (Millbrook Press, 1994). Summary: The Congress volume is part of a very good series called “I Know America.”

Weizman, Daniel. Take a Stand: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Government. (Price, Stern, Sloan, 1996) Summary: Describes how the United States government works, and how to get involved in politics including school elections, letter-writing campaigns, and mock political debates.

Williams, Vera B. Music, Music for Everyone. (Greenwillow, 1984). Summary: A story of cooperation. Rosa and her friends play music to make money and entertain Rosa’s sick grandmother.

3-5

Adler, David. A Picture Book of Thomas Jefferson. (Holiday House, 1990). Summary: This picture biography of Thomas Jefferson discusses his life and ideas. Adler has done picture biographies of a number of other Americans including Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Eleanor Roosevelt.

Ander, Lloyd. The Beggar Queen. (Dutton, 1984). Summary: Chaos reigns in Marienstat as Duke Conrad of Regia, the king’s uncle, plots to overthrow the new government of Westmark and bring an end to the reforms instituted by Mickle, now Queen Augusta, Theo, and their companions.

Barnes, Peter and Cheryl and Betty Shepard. A “Mice” Way to Learn about Government Curriculum Guide. (VSP Books, 1999). Summary: Helps teachers explain the concepts introduced in Woodrow, the White House Mouse, House Mouse, Senate Mouse and Marshall the Courthouse Mouse. Guide includes classroom activities, research topics, role playing exercises, as well as helpful web sites, glossaries and bibliographies.

Barnes, Peter and Cheryl. House Mouse, Senate Mouse. (VSP Books, 1996). Summary: Teaches children about the nation’s Capitol and how laws are made, from the research of a bill, through the signing at the president’s desk.

Barnes, Peter and Cheryl. Marshall, the Courthouse Mouse. (VSP Books, 1998). Summary: Teaches children about the judiciary branch of government through Chief Justice Marshall Mouse and his fellow justices on the Supreme Court of the United Mice of America.

Barnes, Peter and Cheryl. Woodrow for President. (VSP Books, 1999). Summary: Teaches about the process of electing a president from the primaries to Election Day. Book includes a “Contract to Vote” between America’s kids and adults.

Barnes, Peter and Cheryl. Woodrow, the White House Mouse. (VSP Books, 1998, 2nd Ed.). Summary: Tells the story of the presidency and the art, architecture and history of the White House, through the adventures of Woodrow G. Washingtail, President of the United Mice of America, and his family.

Block, Judy R. The First Woman in Congress: Jeannette Rankin. (C.P.I., 1978). Summary: Traces the career of the first woman to be elected to hold a Congressional office.

Bratman, Fred. Becoming a Citizen: Adopting a New Home. (Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 1993). Summary: Examines the origins of citizenship and the role of the citizen and discusses immigration, illegal aliens, political asylum, the slave trade, becoming a citizen, and other related topics. This is part of a good series called the “Good Citizenship Library.”

Brown, Marc. Arthur and the Scare-Your-Pants-Off Club. (Little, Brown, 1998). Summary: In this chapter book, Arthur and his friends mobilize to prevent the banning of their favorite book series.

Catrow, David. We the Kids: The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States. (Puffin Books, 2005). Summary: This book inspires discussion of America’s most celebrated principles as they are outlined in the Preamble to the Constitution.

Christelow, Eileen. Vote! (Clarion Books, 2003). Summary: This book was written as a resource to discuss voting with children through a narrative.

Collier, James. The Winter Hero. (Four Winds Press, 1978). Summary: Anxious to be a hero, a young boy relates how he becomes involved in Shays’ Rebellion (started by farmers in western Massachusetts against unfair taxation levied on them by the Boston government). Collier’s other books are also good, including My Brother Sam is Dead (ABC-Clio, 1988) which tells the story of a family split by the Revolution.

Colman, Penny. Fannie Lou Hamer and the Fight for the Vote. (Millbrook Press, 1993). Summary: A biography of the civil rights activist who devoted her life to helping blacks register to vote and gain a national political voice.

DiSalvo-Ryan, DyAnne. City Green. (Morrow, 1994). Summary: A young girl named Marcy decides to turn a useless lot into a growing space for everyone to enjoy. She gets the neighborhood involved.

DiSalvo-Ryan, DyAnne. Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen. (Harper Trophy, 1997). Summary: This book provides a look into soup kitchens and community service.

Ernst, Lisa Campbell. Squirrel Park. (Bradbury, 1993). Summary: When a favorite tree is scheduled to be chopped down, a young boy and a squirrel come to its rescue.

Fleischman, Paul. The Borning Room. (Harper Collins 1991). Summary: As an old woman is dying, she recounts the generations from slavery to WWI.

Fradin, Dennis. Voting and Elections. (Children’s Press, 1985). Summary: A brief history of elections and voting in the United States.

Granfield, Linda and Steve Bjorkman. America Votes: How Our President is Elected. (Kids Can Press, 2003). Summary: A perfect voting primer for the young focusing on the election of the president.

Gutman, Dan. The Kid Who Ran for President. (Scholastic, 1996). Summary: A 12-year-old runs for president in 2000. This is an entertaining introduction to the election process.

Gutman, Dan. Landslide! A Kid’s Guide to the U.S. Elections. (Aladdin, 2000). Summary: This is the 2000 edition but still very applicable. In a fun and snappy question-and-answer format, this book explains our democratic process in action.

Harris, Nathaniel. Ideas of the Modern World: Democracy. (Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 2001). Summary: An exploration of democracy from its roots in the ancient world to the issues of today. (Literature Connection Activity for Democracy and the People)

Herold, M.R. A Very Important Day. Illus by C. Stock. (Morrow, 1995). Summary: All over New York City, people from different nations are preparing for a very important day—the day they become citizens of the United States.

Hesse, Karen. A Light in the Storm: The Civil War Diary of Amelia Martin (Scholastic, 1999). Summary: In 1860 and 1861, while working in her father’s lighthouse on an island off the coast of Delaware, 15-year-old Amelia records in her diary how the Civil War is beginning to devastate her divided state. The whole “Dear America” series is excellent for girls.

Hopkinson, D. Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt. Illus by J. Ransome. (Knopf, 1993). Summary: A slave girl maps out her escape to Canada on a quilt.

Hurwitz, Johanna. Aldo Ice Cream. (Morrow, 1981) Summary: A nine-year-old boy discovers the pleasures of doing volunteer work to help the older citizens of the community.

Hurwitz, Johanna. Class President. (Morrow Junior, 1990). Summary: A fifth-grade class election becomes the setting for this story about elections, leadership and friendship.

Leinwand, Gerald. Patriotism in America. (F. Watts, 1997). Summary: Examines some of the elements of the unifying phenomenon of patriotism in the United States. Includes discussions of symbols of patriotism such as national monuments.

Lewis, Barbara, Espeland, Pamela, and Pernu, Caryn. The Kid’s Guide to Social Action. (Free Spirit Publishing, 1998). Summary: A simple-to-follow guide where young people, teachers, and parents can plan their course of social action and expect to see results. Projects range from instigating cleanup of toxic waste to youth-rights campaigns as well as Internet searching, an expanded section on lobbying, and in-depth judicial information. (Literature Connection Activity for Active Citizenship)

Lord, John V. The Giant Jam Sandwich. (Houghton Mifflin, 1973). Summary: When four million wasps fly into their village, the citizens of Itching Down devise a way of getting rid of them.

Maestro, Betsy. The Voice of the People. (Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1996). Summary: A basic guide to voting and the election process in the United States.

McCully, Emily Arnold. The Ballot Box Battle. (Knopf, 1996). Summary: A young girl accompanies Elizabeth Cady Stanton as the suffragist attempts to vote in 1880 (against New Jersey law) and learns about courage in the process. Excellent for stimulating discussions about who can vote and the history of suffrage in the United States.

Medler, Keith. Hail to the Candidate: Presidential Campaigns from Banners to Broadcasts. (Smithsonian, 1992). Summary: This book takes a look at 200 years of presidential campaigns.

Mitchell, Margaree King. Granddaddy’s Gift. Illus by Larry Johnson. (Bridge Water Books, 1997). Summary: When her grandfather registers to vote while living in segregated Mississippi, an African-American girl begins to understand why her grandfather insists that she attend school.

Mochizuki, Ken. Passage to Freedom: The Sugihara Story. (Lee & Low Books, 1997). Summary: A Japanese diplomat in Lithuania defies his government and saves thousands of Jewish refugees.

Myers, Walter D. The Journal of Scott Pendleton Collins: A World War II Soldier. (Scholastic, 1999). Summary: A 17-year-old soldier from central Virginia records his experiences in a journal as his regiment takes part in the D-Day invasion of Normandy and subsequent battles to liberate France. This is part of the “My Name is America” series, an excellent boys counterpart to the “Dear America” series.

Paterson, Katherine. Rebels of the Heavenly Kingdom. (Dutton, 1983). Summary: Abducted from his home by bandits, 15-year-old Wang Lee is rescued from slavery by a mysterious girl who introduces him to the Taiping Tienkuo, a secret society partly based on Christian principles and dedicated to the overthrow of the Manchu government.

Rand, Gloria. Prince William. (Henry Holt, 1992). Summary: A young girl saves a seal pup and helps in the massive clean up and rescue efforts after the 1989 Alaska oil spill.

Rinaldi, Ann. My Heart is on the Ground: The Diary of Nannie Little Rose, a Sioux Girl. (Scholastic, 1999). Summary: In this diary account of her life at a government-run Pennsylvania boarding school in 1880, a 12-year-old Sioux Indian girl reveals a great need to find a way to help her people. The whole “Dear America” series is excellent for girls.

Ring, Susan. Election Connection: The Official Nick Guide to Electing the President. (Chronicle Books, 2004). Summary: This book is all about helping students make their voice heard. While it focuses on the election of the president, it contends that good citizenship starts well before turning 18.

Roope, P. & C. Buttons for General Washington. (Carolrhoda, 1986). Summary: Based on true accounts of the Darragh family who provided coded messages to the General around 1777.

Sachs, M. Call Me Ruth. (Doubleday, 1982). Summary: Set in 1909, immigrants struggle to fit into a new society.

Samuels, Cynthia. It’s a Free Country! A Young Person’s Guide to Politics and Elections. (Antheneum, 1988). Summary: This is an excellent resource book for learning about the election process. It uses case histories of actual candidates to describe what it takes to be elected to office.

Seuss, Dr. The Lorax. (Random House, 1971). Summary: Explore citizenship and responsibility while learning about the Lorax and his fate. This book is also good for discussions about environmental issues.

Sobel, Syl. How the U.S. Government Works. (Barron’s Educational Series, 1999). Summary: A complex process is explained in terms that young readers will find both interesting and understandable. Kids will come away with an appreciation of the priceless legacy left to all Americans by the Founding Fathers.

Tate, E. Thank You, Dr. Martin Luther King! (Bantam Skylark, 1990). Summary: In the 1980s, a girl discovers her heritage by participating in a commemorative play.

Weber, Michael. Our Congress. (Millbrook Press, 1994). Summary: The Congress volume is part of a very good series called “I Know America.”

Wesley, Valerie. Freedom’s Gifts A Juneteenth Story. Illus by Sharon Wilson. (Simon & Schuster, 2004). Summary: When a girl from New York visits her cousin in Texas, she learns the origin of Juneteenth, a holiday marking the day Texan slaves realized they were free.

6-8

Adams, Colleen. Women’s Suffrage: A Primary Source History of the Women’s Rights Movement in America. (The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. 2003). Summary: A primary source history of the women’s suffrage movement in America from 1776-1920.

Brindell, Dennis and Judith Bloom. Fight On! Mary Church Terrell’s Battle for Integration. (Clarion Books, 2003). Summary: A carefully researched biography about the life of the courageous and determined Mary Church Terrell who spent nearly 60 years fighting for racial equality. (Literature Connection Activity for Active Citizenship)

Fradin, Dennis. Voting and Elections. (Children’s Press, 1985). Summary: A brief history of elections and voting in the United States.

Friedman, Mark. Government: How Local, State, and Federal Government Works. (The Child’s World, 2005). Summary: An examination of how government functions, from the separation of powers to checks and balances. (Literature Connection Activity for Democracy and the People)

Gutman, Dan. The Kid Who Ran for President. (Scholastic, 1996). Summary: A 12-year-old runs for president in 2000. This is an entertaining introduction to the election process.

Horn, Geoffrey M. The Bill of Rights and Other Amendments. (World Almanac Library, 2004). Summary: It provides key facts and concepts students need to understand about principles of their government.

Howe, James. The Misfits. (Aladdin, 2003). Summary: A story about four misfit middle school students who ban together to create their own political party for the student council elections.

Lasky, Kathryn. A Time for Courage: The Suffragette Diary of Kathleen Bowen. (Scholastic, 2002). Summary: A diary of an eighth-grade girl, who looks on as her older sisters, mother and aunt take part in the movement to gain votes for women. (Literature Connection Activity for The Right To Vote)

Nardo, Don. Democracy. (Lucent Books Inc., 1994). Summary: This book introduces a workable definition of democracy as well as the history of democracy in the United States of America up until the late 20th century.

Sagan, Miriam. World History Series: Women’s Suffrage. (Lucent Books, Inc., 1995). Summary: This book was created to acquaint readers with the basics of women’s suffrage in America. In addition to helpful timelines, this book is highlighted by excerpts from primary and secondary sources along with user-friendly indexes and suggestions for further reading.

Smith, Jane Wilcox. United States Government. (AGS Publishing 2005). Summary: Each chapter and lesson in this book explains the people and events that shaped the U.S. government. The book also details how the U.S. government interacts with other governments of the world.

Sullivan, George. Campaigns and Elections: Ballots and Bandwagons. (Silver Burdett, 1991). Summary: Studies the history of American presidential campaign management, showing strategy and tactics the candidates have used over the decades to give themselves positive exposure and their opponents negative exposure.

Teitelbaum, Michael. Our Government and Citizenship: The Bill of Rights. (The Child’s World, 2005). Summary: An exploration of the Bill of Rights from their origin through history to today.

Wandberg, Robert. Volunteering: Giving Back. (Capstone Press, 2002). Summary: Volunteering is something everyone can do and this book elaborates on how anyone can get involved in their community as a volunteer.

RECOMMENDED FILMS

Electing a President: The Process – This video traces the evolution of presidential elections from Washington to Clinton. Rainbow, 1983.

If I’m Elected: Modern Campaign Techniques – This documentary video critically analyzes today’s media-dominated political campaigns. It helps students to address the issue of what is the best way to choose our leaders. Cambridge Educationals, 1993.

Inauguration ’93 – A special report from ABC News hosted by Peter Jennings and David Brinkley. It features the oaths-of-office, Clinton’s Inaugural Address, the parade, and the balls.

More Perfect Union, A – Produced by CNN, this stimulating series investigates the origins and development of the Constitution and its application to modern life. Video #7 discusses voting rights.

President Clinton: Answering Children’s Questions – Hosted by Peter Jennings, this news special features President Clinton answering questions posed by sixth-eighth-graders and from different states with a variety of problems and concerns.

U.S. Government in Action – The Senate, The House of Representatives, The Regulatory Agencies, The Presidency, The Cabinet, & The Supreme Court. New York Times/Teaching Resources Films, 1988. Explains our federal system of government and introduces basic civics and government concepts.

Your Vote – A history of voting rights in the United States with a focus on the struggles of women, minorities, and 18-year-olds to win the right of suffrage.

9-12

Boyers, Sara J. Teen Power Politics: Make Yourself Heard. (The Millbrook Press, Inc., 2000). Summary: This book explains how voting in the United States works, how to get ready for political action, and how to get involved in community service. (Literature Connection Activity for Active Citizenship)

Mishler, William. A Measure of Endurance: The Unlikely Triumph of Steven Sharp. (Random House Inc., 2003). Summary: A heartwarming story of a courageous teenage boy, who, after being gravely injured while using a farm machine, takes on its powerful manufacturer and wins.

Morin, Isobel V. Politics, American Style: Political Parties in American History. (21st Century, 1999). Summary: Morin traces the history of political parties in the United States, explaining how they both influenced and were affected by the issues and events of American history. She describes the evolution of our two-party system from its birth in the factionalism that surrounded the ratification of the Constitution to the present day.

Neuman, Nancy M., Editor. A Voice of Our Own: Leading American Women Celebrate the Right to Vote. (Jossey-Bass Inc., Publishers, 1996). Summary: This book was written by prominent American women and is a collection of 29 original essays that celebrate the indomitable spirit of the American woman.

Paine, Thomas. Common Sense, Rights of Man, and Other Essential Writings of Thomas Paine. (Plume, 1984). Summary: This book gives insight into Thomas Paines’s “radical” ideas about freedom and democracy. (Literature Connection Activity for American Democracy and Citizenship)

Ramen, Fred. Individual Rights and Civic Responsibility: Rights of the Accused. (The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 2001). Summary: Why do we have a Constitution or a Bill of Rights? Why did the remarkable people behind the American Revolution feel the need to create a document that precisely laid out the functions of the national government? Why did they choose the form that the Constitution eventually took? How has our interpretation of their vision changed over the two centuries since the Constitution was ratified? What do the Constitution and the Bill of Rights mean? The answers to the first three questions can be found in the first few chapters of this book while the rest of the book deals with the answers—if they exist—to the last two questions.

Rogers, Donald W. Voting and the Spirit of American Democracy. (University of Illinois Press, 1992). Summary: An overview of the historical development of the right to vote. Leading historians and political scientists trace the history of American voting from the Colonial period to the present, incorporating the latest scholarship on suffrage reform, women’s suffrage, black voting rights and electoral participation. (Literature Connection Activity for Suffrage and the Right to Vote)

Severn, Bill. The Right to Vote. (Washburn, 1972). Summary: This is the story of voting rights achieved by those who found an answer to changing the system through democratic process, and who paved the way for the fight to increase the power of the people in government.

Smith, Jane Wilcox. United States Government. (AGS Publishing, 2005). Summary: Each chapter and lesson in this book helps you learn about the people and events that shaped the U.S. government. The book also details how the U.S. government interacts with the other governments of the world.

Sullivan, George. Campaigns and Elections: Ballots and Bandwagons. (Silver Burdett, 1991). Summary: This book studies the history of American presidential campaign management, showing strategy and tactics the candidates have used over the decades to give themselves positive exposure and their opponents negative exposure.

Sullivan, Joan. An American Voter: My Love Affair with Presidential Politics. (Bloomsbury, New York, 2002). Summary: This is the story of young woman named Joan Sullivan who rediscovered a sense of courage and hope in her life while working for Bill Bradley’s presidential campaign. Joan throws herself into this strange new world of politics, with the intent of getting a political education. In a whirlwind tour of the country, Joan campaigns for Bradley, taking to heart his message that idealism and dreams are not dead in America.

Taranto, James and Leonard, Leo, Editors. Presidential Leadership. (Free Press, 2004). Summary: Two editors, one from the Wall Street Journal and the other from the Federalist Society, have put together Presidential Leadership: Rating the Best and Worst in the White House. It includes essays on each president, plus several broader thematic essays on presidential leadership from various authors. (Literature Connection Activity for Elections and the Voting Experience)

Tashjian, Linda. Vote for Larry. (Holt, 2004). Summary: Second in a series about a high school activist. A 17-year-old runs for president to focus attention on youth issues.

The League of Women Voters. Choosing the President 2004. (The Lyons Press, 2003). Summary: This is a thorough yet accessible and completely nonpartisan look at the players and events in a presidential election, explaining every important landmark on the road to the White House.

Waldman, Tom. The Best Guide to American Politics. (Renaissance Books, 2000). Summary: A very readable, accessible, and practical volume for the average citizen to learn about the American political system. Waldman covers state and local governments, political parties, interest groups, and the media, among other things. Also included is valuable information about how to contact government officials, agencies, and members of Congress.

Wilson, Reginald. Our Rights: Civil Liberties in the United States. (Walker and Company Inc., 1992). Summary: Wilson uncovers the events and personalities that have shaped the history of civil liberties in the United States. He discusses current issues, such as the ERA and surrogate motherhood, and looks at what may be the important questions in the future. His discussion provides readers with a lively and provocative introduction to civil liberties in the United States.

RECOMMENDED FILMS 1992 Live Debate Analysis – Kathleen Jamieson, Dean of the Annenberg School of Communication, joins Bill Moyers and other guests in discussing both the presidential and vice presidential debates. (60 minutes)

Abe Lincoln in Illinois – The Raymond Massey classic includes memorable scenes of the Lincoln- Douglas debates and the election of 1860. (110 minutes)

Act of Congress, An – This made-for-TV documentary traces the progress of a bill (the Clean Air Act of 1977) through the House of Representatives. It poses difficult questions: which is more important, automotive jobs or cleaner air? (58 minutes)

All the King’s Men – Broderick Crawford plays Willy Stark, a corrupt politician based upon Louisiana’s Huey Long, during his Depression-era rise from farm boy to governor. (109 minutes)

All the President’s Men – Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman portray Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the Washington Post reporters who uncovered the Watergate scandal. (135 minutes)

Animal Farm – George Orwell’s political satire about barnyard animals who slip into totalitarian dictatorship, in animated cartoon version. (73 minutes)

Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, The – Cicely Tyson begins life as a slave, and ends up 110 years later as a voter. (110 minutes)

Best Man, The – Two presidential contenders lose integrity in pursuit of the nomination. Henry Fonda and Cliff Robertson star. (104 minutes)

Bill of Rights in Action, The – The Town Hall and City Council of fictional Middleburg, USA, debate such issues as juvenile curfews, banning library books, and permitting a student with AIDS in public school. These are three separate American Bar Association films: The Right to Privacy (57 minutes); Equal Protection (33 minutes); and First Amendment (34 minutes).

Candidate, The – Along the campaign trail, candidate Redford (set up to lose the race) loses his idealism as well. (111 minutes)

Classics of Political TV Advertising, The – Two videocassettes show historic political commercials from 1952 to 1984, and from the 1986 congressional campaigns. (120 minutes)

Come See the Paradise – Randy Quaid plays a union organizer whose Japanese-American wife is separated from him during the World War II Japanese-American internment. (135 minutes)

Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago Eight – A reconstruction in newsreel and interview style of the trial of the radicals charged with incitement to riot at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. (118 minutes)

“Dangerous” Songs: Censors, Rock, and the 1st Amendment – Interviews with teenagers, parents, legislators and songwriters explore 1st amendment issues. (18 minutes)

Dave – In this update of The Prisoner of Zenda, an evil chief of staff replaces a corrupt U.S. president (felled by a stroke) with good-hearted Kevin Kline, a presidential look-alike. The film is filled with cameos by real politicians and newspeople. (110 minutes)

Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam – Among the actors reading these actual letters are Robert DeNiro and Robin Williams. (84 minutes)

Eyes on the Prize Series – The PBS documentary in six one-hour films recreates the “Second American Revolution,” the civil rights struggle between 1954 and 1965. A one-hour version of excerpts from it is available, too.

First Monday in October – In this comedy, the fictionalized first female Supreme Court Justice is conservative Jill Clayburgh, who locks opinions with liberal Justice Walter Matthau. The film actually predated Sandra Day O’Connor’s appointment to the Supreme Court. (99 minutes)

Gideon’s Trumpet – Henry Fonda plays Clarence Gideon, who petitioned the Supreme Court in 1962 because he had been unable to afford legal counsel. (104 minutes)

Give ‘Em Hell, Harry! – This one-man stage production stars James Whitmore as Harry Truman, reminiscing about his political career. (102 minutes)

Great Debates, The – ABC News culled selections from the watershed 1960 Kennedy-Nixon debates. (60 minutes)

In the Land of Jim Crow – A short but effective version of the civil rights struggle. (22 minutes)

Inherit the Wind – The film about the Tennessee “Monkey Trial” of John Scopes is a favorite of many teachers. The Clarence Darrow character is played by Spencer Tracy, and the William Jennings Bryan character is Frederick March. (128 minutes)

Inventing a Nation – This episode from Alistair Cooke’s “America” series covers the long process of writing and implementing the Constitution. (60 minutes)

Indomitable Teddy Roosevelt, The – Narrated by George C. Scott, the film contains rare footage as well as re-enactment. (94 minutes)

Killing Fields, The – Sam Waterston plays a New York Times reporter during the darkest nightmare to emerge in the politics of the later 20th century, the Khmer Rouge massacres in Cambodia. (142 minutes)

Lincoln-Douglas Debates, The: The House Divides – A short and clear version of the Lincoln- Douglas debates. (24 minutes)

Long Walk Home, The – Sissy Spacek and Whoopi Goldberg are part of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. (95 minutes)

Malcolm X – Spike Lee’s biography of the black activist stars Denzel Washington. Based on The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X and Alex Haley. (201 minutes)

Marbury vs. Madison – The 1803 case established the responsibility of the Supreme Court to review the constitutionality of congressional acts. (36 minutes)

Missiles of October, The – This made-for-TV version of the Cuban Missile Crisis features William Devane as an uncannily accurate JFK. (155 minutes)

Modern Presidency Series (5 Presidents) – David Frost interviews five recent presidents for PBS. (60 minutes each)

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington – Senator Jimmy Stewart triumphs over Washington corruption. This film shows the daily workings of Congress effectively. (125 minutes)

Native Land – Narrated by Paul Robeson, this is a warning about human rights. It was based on the Senate’s La Follette Committee findings about the Klan and union-busting by big business.

Norma Rae – Sally Field won an Oscar for her portrayal of an uneducated textile worker who works with a labor organizer to unionize her plant. This is based on a true story. (114 minutes)

Point of Order – Paul Newman introduces this documentary culled from the Army-McCarthy hearings, but this is otherwise unnarrated footage. A teacher’s guide is included. (107 minutes)

Power Game, The – There are four parts to this Hedrick Smith PBS series: “The Congress;” “The Pentagon;” “The Presidency;” and “The Unelected” (Media, PAC’s and lobbyists). (60 minutes each)

Profiles in Courage – Stories of political heroism inspired by John F. Kennedy’s book. Outstanding portrayals: Robert Hooks as Frederick Douglass; Gary Merrill as John Marshall; and Martin Gabel as Daniel Webster. (50 minutes each)

Salt of the Earth – A film made in 1953 by blacklisted McCarthy-era film makers—a lesson in itself. Discusses the multiple issues of dignity and politics in a New Mexico 1951 mining strike by Mexican-Americans. (94 minutes)

Separate But Equal – Sidney Poitier portrays NAACP attorney Thurgood Marshall in the story of the landmark civil rights case Brown v. Board of Education. (194 minutes)

Seven Days in May – Will a “loose cannon” general depose a pacifist president? Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas star. (117 minutes)

She’s Nobody’s Baby: A History of American Women in the 20th Century – This history of the women’s movement in the 20th century is narrated by Marlo Thomas and Alan Alda. (60 minutes)

Skokie – An all-star cast reenacts the struggle over whether or not a neo-Nazi group may demonstrate in Skokie, Illinois, a town containing many survivors of the Holocaust. (95 minutes)

State of the Union – In 1948, a Ross Perot prototype (played by Spencer Tracy) is drafted as a presidential candidate. (124 minutes)

To Kill a Mockingbird – Many government teachers list this movie classic as their favorite. Gregory Peck plays Atticus Finch, defense lawyer for a black man accused of rape in 1930s’ Alabama. (129 minutes)

Twelve Angry Men – Henry Fonda is the jury room protagonist. All 12 of the outstanding actors shine. (95 minutes)

War Room, The – The viewer is taken behind the scenes in the Clinton campaign. “Ragin’ Cajun” James Carville (whose language is a caveat here) and George Stephanapoulos are featured. (96 minutes)

Watergate Hearings, The – Hundreds of hours of congressional testimony and news coverage have been distilled by PBS into two hours. (120 minutes)

Who Owns Our Government? – The health care industry is featured in this PBS study of the effect of political contributions on public policy. (60 minutes)

RESOURCES FOR INFORMATION ON CHILDREN’S LITERATURE BOOKS

The American Library Association publishes lists of award-winning children’s books. Contact ALA at 50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611. E-mail: [email protected]. Web site: http://www.ala.org/

C Is For Citizenship: Children’s Literature and Civic Understanding, by Laurel R. Singleton (1997). Contact SSEC, Box 21270, Boulder, CO 80308-4270. Phone: (303)492-8154

The International Reading Association publishes annual lists of books chosen by teachers and students as the best newly published books. Contact IRA at Box 8139, Newark, DE 19714. Customer Service Department: [email protected] Public Information Office: [email protected]. Web site: http://www.reading.org/

Social Education, the primary journal of the National Council for the Social Studies lists “Notable Children’s Trade Books” each year in the April/May issue. Contact NCSS at 8555 Sixteenth Street, Silver Spring, Maryland, 20910. Web site: http://www.socialstudies.org/publications/se/

Social Studies and the Young Learner, a journal for elementary teachers published by the National Council for the Social Studies, carries a regular column on children’s literature. Contact NCSS at 8555 Sixteenth Street, Silver Spring, Maryland, 20910. Web site: http://www.socialstudies.org/publications/se/

The Children’s Literature Web Guide features commentary on children’s books, discussion boards, quick references, and more. Contact at http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/

AFFIDAVIT OF REGISTRATION – Sworn, written evidence of voter eligibility

ANNEX – To bring property into city boundaries

APATHY – Lack of interest or concern

APPORTION – To divide seats in a legislative body among different geographic districts

BALLOT – Printed form or other item used in voting

BALLOT BOX – Container for cast votes

BOND – A written promise to pay someone a particular amount of money plus interest after a certain amount of time

BOND ELECTION – An election asking voters to give the government the right to borrow money by selling bonds

CAMPAIGN – Course of action designed to influence voters in an election

CANDIDATE – Person who seeks or is put forward by others for a political office

CAUCUS – Closed meeting of party members to determine nominations

CENSUS – Official count of the people of the United States required by the Congress every 10 years

CHARTER – The city’s constitution wherein the form of government is contained

CITIZEN – Person who was born in or chooses to live in and become a member of a country

CITY COUNCIL – A city’s governing body

CITY MANAGER – A person hired by the city council to administer the city's affairs

COMMISSIONER – A head of a department who shares with other commissioners power to make laws (ordinances)

CONGRESS – Legislative group consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT – A political subdivision for the purpose of electing U.S. representatives

CONSENSUS – A general agreement

CONSTITUENCY – All the voters of a particular district

CONVENTION – A formal meeting of members of a party to nominate candidates to run for president or other political offices

COUNTY – A major unit of local government

CROSSOVER VOTE – A vote by a member of one party for a candidate of another party

DELEGATE – A person given power or authority to vote for others; a representative

DEMOCRACY – Government that is run by the people who live under it

DEMOCRAT – A member of the Democratic party, one of the two major political parties

DICTATOR – Person who has complete authority

DICTATORSHIP – Form of government headed by a dictator

ECONOMY – The way a country produces, divides up and uses its money and goods

ELECT – To choose by voting

ELECTION CAMPAIGN – Series of operations designed to win votes for a certain candidate, party or proposal

ELECTORAL COLLEGE – A group of representatives chosen by voters to elect the president and the vice president of the United States

ELECTORATE – Those eligible to vote

ELECTORS – The individuals chosen by the voters to elect the president and vice president of the United States (each state’s electors number the same as its senators and representatives)

FEDERAL – Of or describing a union of states having a central government

FELON – A person guilty of a crime more serious than a misdemeanor

FRANCHISE – The constitutional right to vote

GENERAL ELECTION – Statewide elections held so that registered voters can decide the state and national officials who will head the government

GERRYMANDERING – The drawing up of voting districts in unusual shapes in order to benefit a certain group

GOVERNMENT – The group of people in charge of ruling or managing a country, state, city or other place

GOVERNOR – The person elected to be head of the government of a state of the United States

GRANT-IN-AID – Federal money given to states or cities to pay for programs

GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION – The selection of a governor by a state’s voters

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES – The lower house of the Congress consisting of 435 members who each serve two-year terms (and can be re-elected)

INCUMBENT – A person currently holding office

INDEPENDENT VOTER – A voter who does not belong to a political party

INITIATIVE – A method of enacting laws or ordinances that begins with petitions by citizens

ISSUES – Problems and ideas to be talked about, questioned, decided upon and voted on

JUDICIAL ELECTION – An election for judges

MAJOR PARTY – The Democratic or Republican Party (see Third Party)

MAYOR – Elected official in a city who has executive power

MUNICIPALITY – A city, town or district

NEUTRAL POLLING – Method of polling through which neutral questions are asked rather than questions expressing and/or advocating a particular viewpoint

NOMINATE – To propose or offer the name of someone for political office

NOMINEE – The person that a political party names, or nominates, to represent it in a general election

NONPARTISAN – Not associated with a particular political party

NONPARTISAN ELECTIONS – Elections usually held at the state or local level: the candidate’s party membership is not given on the ballot

OFFICE – A political position

ORDINANCES – The laws of a city

PARTISAN – Associated with a particular political party

PARTY – An organization working to gain political power or control

PARTY BOSS – A leader with great power within a political party; a party leader capable of affecting voting and elections

PARTY PLATFORM – Statement of the principles or beliefs of a political group

PLANK – A stand on an issue by a political party; planks comprise a party platform

POLITICAL AFFILIATION – The party in which a voter is registered

POLITICAL CARTOON – A cartoon developed to represent a particular view through humor

POLITICAL PARTY – A group of people who join together because they share many ideas about what government should do

POLLSTER – Person or company that researches public opinion

POLL – To collect opinions about important issues or happenings

POLL TAX – Tax levied on potential voters wanting to vote

POLLING PLACE – Place where votes are cast

POLLS – A place where votes are cast

PRECINCT – Divisions within a city, town or county for voting purposes

PRECINCT CLERK – Precinct election board worker responsible for recording those who have voted in a booklet called a poll list and performing other duties as assigned by the precinct inspector

PRECINCT INSPECTOR – Precinct election board worker responsible for the complete operation of each polling place

PRECINCT JUDGE – Precinct election board worker responsible for the set up of voting devices, demonstrating the voting devices, issuing ballots and aiding disabled voters

PRECINCT WORKER – A person who works at a polling place

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION – An election to choose a president and vice president

PRIMARY ELECTION – Preliminary elections in which voters choose party candidates to run for office on their party ticket in general elections

PROPAGANDA – Ideas or information that a group of people deliberately spread to try to influence the thinking of other people

PUBLIC WORKS – Anything constructed by the government with public funds for the use or pleasure of the general public such as libraries, roads, public housing

PUBLIC UTILITY – A public or privately-owned organization that provides essential products or services such as light, water, and gas

RANDOM SAMPLE – A sample of research subjects which provides every person the same chance of being selected, such as selecting every fourth person from the telephone book

RATIFY – To formally approve the vote

RECALL – Petition process by which voters can remove an elected official from office in midterm

REDISTRICTING – The redrawing of boundaries of political districts often based on shifts in population

REPUBLICAN – Member of the Republican political party, one of the two major political parties

RESIDENT – A person who lives in a specific jurisdiction

RESOLUTION – A statement or opinion by city government, such as declaring a public policy or recognizing an achievement

RETURNS – The results of a vote

SENATE – The upper house of the Congress, with two members from each state (100 members total) who each serve six-year terms

STATE ELECTION BOARD – Body charged with organizing and conducting state elections

SUFFRAGE – The right to vote

TALLY – To count votes

THIRD PARTY – A party organized as an alternative to the two major parties; also called a minor party (see Major Party)

VOTE – A method by which people choose their leaders and decide public issues

VOTING BOOTH – An enclosure designed to ensure privacy for voting

VOTING MACHINE – Mechanical device for recording and counting votes at an election

VOTING ROSTER – An alphabetical list of people eligible to vote

ZONING – A form of planning where government or councils decide the use of buildings or the activities than can occur in each area of the city