Scot Wilson, Author at Close Up Foundation

New Congress, New Ideas?

Posted on January 4, 2021October 10, 2023 by Scot Wilson

The 117th Congress was sworn in on January 3, 2021.¹ This is the most diverse Congress ever,² with a record number of women and LGBTQ members, a slim Democratic majority in the House, and a Senate that is still up for grabs due to runoff elections taking place this week in Georgia.³

READ MORE: “Here’s A Look at Congress’ Incoming Freshman Class,” from NPR

CClearly, the new 2021 Congress members will be busy. The Senate will hold confirmation hearings for President-elect Joe Biden’s cabinet nominees for the first portion of the year,⁴ and both chambers will be consumed by legislation to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic harm it is causing.⁵

In a new Congress, no old business from the previous Congress is carried over. So, any bills that were introduced in the 116th Congress but did not pass must be introduced again if they are to be considered. It is not always clear which issues a new Congress will prioritize, but there are some signs that the 2021 Congress members will take up legislation to create jobs and to address environmental issues.

Lawmakers introduced several bills in the second half of 2020 to do just that. One bill, the 21st Century Civilian Conservation Corps Act, aims to help rural areas by employing people to plant trees, engage in forest and rangeland management, and clean up waterways.⁶ A second bill, the RENEW Conservation Corps Act, is similar but more all-encompassing, focusing on urban and suburban greenspaces as well as rural communities.⁷

Both bills draw on ideas from the New Deal, specifically the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), which began in 1933, ran until 1943, and employed over three million people in that ten-year span.⁸ On his campaign website, President-elect Biden endorses this approach, calling for a Civilian Climate Corps to “put a new, diverse generation of patriotic Americans to work conserving our public lands, bolstering community resilience, and addressing the changing climate, while putting good-paying union jobs within reach for more Americans, including women and people of color.”⁹

“This bill is a straightforward approach to creating one million jobs that can address maintenance and restoration of our greatest natural resources and recreation areas,” said Senator Dick Durbin, D-Ill., on behalf of his bill, the RENEW Conservation Corps Act. “This is an investment to protect the beauty of America’s natural treasures. If we are to leave these natural gifts to the next generation, we have to take responsibility in protecting them.”¹⁰

Representative Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, said of a similar bill, “Members of the 21st Century CCC will engage in the prevention of forest fires, floods, and soil erosion; reforestation and eradication of invasive species and flora disease control; and modernize, redesign, and construct trails and facilities throughout our nation’s natural spaces. This is a commonsense proposal that will not only improve the lives of Ohioans, but also countless communities across the country.”¹¹

“Rural communities are increasingly being impacted by COVID and many already have been devastated economically by the pandemic,” said Senator Cory Booker, D-N.J., a cosponsor of the 21st Century Civilian Conservation Corps Act. “Our bill will make urgent investments in rural communities at a time when they are needed most by creating new jobs and training programs, planting billions of trees, and investing in our farmers and ranchers as part of the solution to climate change.”¹²

While it is not clear exactly what form these Congress bill ideas will take, it does seem likely that legislation modeled on the CCC will be introduced and will have the support of Democratic leadership and the newly inaugurated president.

Discussion Questions

Do you support programs such as these that would put Americans directly to work on large-scale government projects? Why or why not?
Do you think the government has a role to play in combating unemployment? What about conserving natural landscapes? Why or why not?
How highly would you rank each of the following priorities?
1. Reducing unemployment
2. Stimulating the economy
3. Conserving nature
4. Economic development in rural communities
5. Combating climate change

Further Reading:

Yes! Magazine: “Biden Needs to Go Big to Rebuild America”
Washington Post: “Young People Want to Do Something About Climate Change. Biden May Have an Answer”
Bloomberg News: “Biden Shows He Gets it On Clean Energy”

Extension Activities:

Students could call the Capitol switchboard phone number – (202) 224-3121 – or write their members of Congress to voice support or opposition to these ideas.
Students could research how the various bills would impact their communities. Questions to begin inquiry include:
- How is my community contributing to climate change?
- How is climate change impacting my community?
- In what ways are environmental features of my community threatened? (i.e., deforestation, agricultural runoff, industrial pollution)
- How has the pandemic impacted my community’s economy?
Students could conduct historical research about the CCC. Questions to begin inquiry include:
- How did the CCC impact economic issues during the Great Depression?
- How did the CCC impact the nation’s environment?
- How did the CCC impact my part of the country?

Sources

Featured Image Credit: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

[1] Politico: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/03/new-congress-begins-coronavirus-453060

[2] USA Today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/01/03/congress-house-senate-members-sworn-covid-19-rages/6410063002/

[3] Los Angeles Times: https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2021-01-03/house-democrats-small-majority-nancy-pelosi-challenges

[4] CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/22/politics/biden-cabinet-confirmation-senate-republicans/index.html

[5] Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/01/02/new-congress-live-updates/

[6] Senator Ron Wyden’s Official Website: https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/as-congress-negotiates-covid-19-relief-wyden-and-booker-lead-call-for-federal-support-for-rural-economies

[7] Congress.gov: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/4538/text?r=1&s=1

[8] Congressional Research Service: https://www.everycrsreport.com/files/2020-09-03_R46513_42fae608f0b18de022fe5d96ab7200d21dbf5603.pdf

[9] whitehouse.gov: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/04/20/fact-sheet-president-biden-to-catalyze-global-climate-action-through-the-major-economies-forum-on-energy-and-climate/#:~:text=President%20Biden%20has%20set%20an,by%20no%20later%20than%202050

[10] WTTW News (PBS Affiliate): https://news.wttw.com/2020/09/11/proposed-21st-century-civilian-conservation-corps-could-benefit-chicago-s-economy

[11] Representative Marcy Kaptur’s Official Website: https://kaptur.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/kaptur-introduces-legislation-reestablish-civilian-conservation-corps

[12] Senator Ron Wyden’s Official Website: https://www.wyden.senate.gov/news/press-releases/as-congress-negotiates-covid-19-relief-wyden-and-booker-lead-call-for-federal-support-for-rural-economies

Norms, Rules, and Tradition

Posted on December 15, 2020July 25, 2023 by Scot Wilson

As journalists, historians, and political commentators reflect on the administration of outgoing President Donald Trump, one word keeps coming up: norms. To his critics, this is cause for concern. But President Trump’s supporters sometimes see his norm-breaking actions as efforts to change the political culture of Washington. Here, we will offer definitions and examples of political norms, rules, and traditions that President Trump has broken, consider the possible consequences, and ask what, if anything, should be done to reaffirm those norms.

First Norm: The Relationship Between Private Interests and Governing

Some commentators and political rivals have pointed to President Trump’s connection to his personal business empire as a violation of the spirit of the Constitution, even if it that relationship does not violate the letter of the law. The Emoluments Clause of the Constitution, sometimes cited by those who question President Trump’s actions, states, “No Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.”¹ Critics point to the president’s use of Trump-owned properties, which have cost taxpayers at least $2.5 million, and to his encouraging of foreign governments to spend money at his properties, as evidence of the type of corruption that the founders feared. Because of the way in which the Emoluments Clause has been interpreted, it is not clear how enforcement works, so there have been no successful legal challenges.² This has left some constitutional lawyers and scholars arguing that the law must be made clearer in the future.³

Second Norm: Family Involvement in the Administration

A second political norm that some Americans point to is the role that members of President Trump’s family played in his administration, both formally and informally. His two adult sons and oldest daughter were all visible spokespeople for his administration, although they did not have formal roles.⁴ Ivanka Trump’s husband, Jared Kushner, also played a significant role in many of the administration’s policy priorities. Kushner was tasked with developing a response to the opioid crisis, negotiating peace in the Middle East, taking the lead on diplomacy with Mexico and China, and several other high-profile initiatives.⁵ It is unusual to have family so closely intertwined with the administration, but it does not clearly violate any laws.⁶ Trump supporters note that President Bill Clinton, for example, appointed his wife, first lady Hillary Clinton, to head the Task Force on National Health Care, a centerpiece of his legislative agenda. But the actions of the Trump family raised questions about security clearances, as the administration overrode security clearance denials to grant clearance to Kushner, among others.⁷

Third Norm: Refusing to Concede

Since it became clear that President-elect Joe Biden won the 2020 election, President Trump’s team has filed several dozen lawsuits to overturn the results.⁸ As of December 14, these suits have not amounted to anything.⁹ In a significant departure from political tradition, many Republicans in Congress have refused to acknowledge President-elect Biden’s victory and are instead supporting President Trump’s lawsuits. They argue that election officials made unwarranted changes to electoral procedures without the approval of state legislatures, and that the integrity of signature vetting on mail-in ballots is questionable.¹⁰

Most Republicans in the House of Representatives signed letters of support for a lawsuit brought by the state of Texas, although Senate Republicans did not.¹¹ Some Trump supporters have latched on to the president’s defiance as well. They note that in the 2000 presidential election, Vice President Al Gore waited to concede to Governor George W. Bush until December 13, the day after the Supreme Court ordered a stop to the recount in Florida. On December 12, groups supporting President Trump, including the male chauvinist organization Proud Boys, clashed with protesters in Washington, D.C.; at least four people were stabbed (the political allegiances of both the stabbing suspect and the victims is presently unknown).¹² Several Black churches were also targeted and vandalized.¹³

WATCH: “Supreme Court Denies Texas Attempt to Overturn the Election Results,” from PBS NewsHour

Conclusion

Some observers are concerned about the long-term impacts of President Trump’s norm-breaking behavior. Two former governors, Jennifer Granholm, D-Mich., and Christine Todd Whitman, R-N.J., have argued that the attempts to overturn the election may have significant impacts in the future. “He is setting a precedent, suggesting that it is OK to violate these norms that have made our country great,” said Granholm.¹⁴ Activist and author Amy Siskind, creator of The Weekly List, wrote: “Experts in authoritarianism advise keeping a list of things changing, subtly, around you, so you’ll remember. Days after the 2016 presidential election, I started a list. Each week, I chronicle the ways Donald Trump has changed our country.”¹⁵

Further Reading

MinnPost: “How Trump’s Norm-Breaking Behavior Is Affecting Journalistic Norms”
The Weekly List: “A Comprehensive List of Trump’s Bending or Breaking of Norms”
Washington Post: “The Abnormal Presidency”

Discussion Questions

How important are the norms mentioned in this post? Which is most important? Least?
Are there norms and conventions that you think no longer matter?
Do you think the Trump administration will change the way future administrations use executive power? If so, in what ways?
How do you think policymakers should respond to the changes brought in by the Trump administration? Are new laws needed?

Sources

Featured Image Credit: Al Drago/Getty Images

[1] Connecticut Mirror: https://ctmirror.org/2020/10/13/supreme-court-rejects-blumenthal-appeal-in-trump-emoluments-case/; Congressional Research Service: https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R45992

[2] Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/joewalsh/2020/10/27/report-us-government-paid-over-25-million-to-trumps-businesses/?sh=54f526751a62; Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/2016/11/18/9da9c572-ad18-11e6-977a-1030f822fc35_story.html; Congressional Research Service: https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R45992

[3] Vanity Fair: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/12/massachusetts-ag-maura-healey-on-prosecuting-a-president

[4] Slate: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/11/goodbye-donald-trump-jr.html; Politico: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/21/ivanka-suburban-women-11th-hour-430784; Salon: https://www.salon.com/2020/12/11/eric-trump-mocked-for-begging-people-to-praise-his-dad-on-a-record-day-for-covid-deaths-_partner/

[5] Think Progress: https://archive.thinkprogress.org/7-jobs-jared-kushner-is-now-doing-for-the-united-states-of-america-6f0a799462ed/; Time: https://time.com/5766186/jared-kushner-interview/

[6] American Oversight: https://www.americanoversight.org/investigation/ivanka-trumps-role-in-the-administration

[7] Fox News: https://www.foxnews.com/us/official-trump-team-overruled-25-security-clearance-denials

[8] Time: https://time.com/5908505/trump-lawsuits-biden-wins/

[9] ABC News: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/wisconsin-supreme-court-tosses-trump-election-lawsuit-74717684

[10] USA Today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/12/11/more-house-republicans-sign-on-to-lawsuit-aimed-at-overturning-election/6510763002/

[11] Politico: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/11/republicans-lawsuit-overturn-election-444601

[12] Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trump-dc-rally-maga/2020/12/11/8b5af818-3bdb-11eb-bc68-96af0daae728_story.html

[13] PBS NewsHour: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics

[14] KPRC2 News: https://www.click2houston.com/news/politics/2020/12/06/trump-tactics-to-overturn-election-could-have-staying-power/

[15] Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/outlook/siskind-list-trump-norms/

COVID-19 Vaccines, A Harsh Winter, and Economic Relief

Posted on December 4, 2020July 9, 2021 by Scot Wilson

Public health officials are offering good long-term news about the prospects of making a COVID-19 vaccine widely available during the first half of next year,¹ but they are also cautioning Americans that this winter could be very “rough.”² In addition to having worries about illness, death, and social isolation, many people are also feeling significant financial pain.³

The Race Toward a Vaccine

The United Kingdom recently approved a vaccine manufactured by Pfizer and will begin administering doses in the weeks ahead.⁴ In the United States, regulators are meeting on December 10 to discuss the same vaccine;⁵they will meet again on December 17 to discuss a vaccine produced by Moderna.⁶The vaccines could be administered in the United States before the end of this year; they will likely become available to the broader public on the basis of highest need by April.

LISTEN: “When and How You’ll Get a Vaccine,” a New York Times podcast

COVID-19 cases and deaths are surging around the United States⁷ and are returning rapidly in Europe.⁸ Health experts are warning against holiday travel, cautioning Americans to stay away from large groups and to avoid spending time with older family members.⁹ However, data suggests that a significant number of people ignored those cautions over the Thanksgiving holiday.¹⁰

Financial Struggles During COVID-19

Many Americans are experiencing serious financial impacts from COVID-19. Large numbers of people are unemployed or underemployed,¹¹ small businesses are losing money or being forced to close,¹² and increasing numbers of Americans, struggling to pay their bills and rent, report dipping into retirement savings and/or turning to food banks to feed their families.¹³ While the government has provided some economic relief and stimulus, it has been months since Congress addressed the financial harm of the virus.

However, Congress may be close to reaching a deal.¹⁴ A $900 billion economic relief package has gained bipartisan support in the Senate as well as the support of the House Democratic leadership.¹⁵ The proposal does not include stimulus checks, but it does include more aid to small businesses, restaurants, hotels, airlines, and other severely impacted industries. The bill also includes an extension of unemployment aid and funding for state and local governments that have seen their tax revenues shrink during the pandemic.¹⁶ Congress has limited time to act before going into the winter recess.

READ: “Stimulus Bill Proposal: Unemployment Help Is There; Stimulus Checks Are Not,” from Cox Media Group

Discussion Questions

How has the pandemic impacted your daily life? What about the lives of friends and family?
How has the pandemic impacted your community?
Are there businesses in your community that have closed during the pandemic?
Do you think Congress should pass the current proposal as is? Why or why not?
What else, if anything, do you think governments should do in response to the pandemic?

Sources

Featured Image Credit: Getty Images

[1] New York Magazine: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/12/what-we-know-about-u-s-covid-19-vaccine-distribution-plan.html

[2] Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-usa/cdc-chief-warns-americans-face-rough-winter-from-covid-19-surge-idUSKBN28C20R

[3] The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/dec/04/us-unemployment-jobs-covid-19-surge

[4] BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-55184849

[5] NBC News: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/when-will-americans-actually-get-covid-vaccine-officials-offer-different-n1249768

[6] CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/30/health/moderna-vaccine-fda-eua-application/index.html

[7] New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-us-cases.html

[8] Science: https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/11/europe-locking-down-second-time-what-its-long-term-plan

[9] Politico: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/02/cdc-recommends-postponing-holiday-travel-as-covid-surges-442208

[10] NPR: https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/12/03/940893224/smartphone-data-many-americans-ignored-thanksgiving-travel-warnings-from-the-cdc

[11] USA Today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/12/04/jobs-near-me-chronic-unemployment-stigma-even-during-pandemic/3804962001/

[12] Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/articles/covid-is-crushing-small-businesses-thats-bad-news-for-american-innovation-11602235804

[13] Pew Research Center: https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2020/09/24/economic-fallout-from-covid-19-continues-to-hit-lower-income-americans-the-hardest/

[14] The Hill: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/528697-lawmakers-pressure-leaders-to-reach-covid-19-relief-deal

[15] New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/03/business/coronavirus-stimulus-bill.html

[16] Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2020/12/03/what-is-in-congressional-bailout-deal-stimulus-checks/

Election 2020: The Electoral College – Wise or Outdated?

Posted on October 15, 2020June 21, 2024 by Scot Wilson

What is the Electoral College?

In 2016, more than 138 million people voted in the general election, but only 538 of them directly voted for president and vice president.¹ The reason that both of these statements can be true is the existence of the Electoral College. The Constitution says that rather than voting directly for the president and vice president, citizens vote for a panel of “electors” associated with each candidate in each state. The Electoral College is the name given to this group of 538 individuals spread out across the 50 states.

Each state receives a number of electors that is equal to the state’s total number of representatives and senators in Congress, with the minimum being three (in Alaska and North Dakota, for example). More populous states have more electors, such as Texas (38) and California (55). There are 538 electoral votes in total, representing all 50 states and Washington, D.C. In order to win the presidential election, a candidate must garner a majority of the electoral votes (at least 270). Electors usually follow the outcome of the popular vote in their state, although “faithless electors” do emerge occasionally since there is no federal law mandating that electors obey the statewide popular vote. At present, 29 states and Washington, D.C., have laws that require electors to vote in accordance with the popular vote in their state or district.²

To hear federal lawmakers’ opinions about the Electoral College, visit A Starting Point’s Electoral College resource.

You Can Win Even When You “Lose”

So is the Electoral College outdated or still relevant today? In the Electoral College system, it is possible for a candidate to win a presidential election even if they do not receive the majority of the nationwide popular vote. This has happened five times in U.S. history, in 1824, 1876, 1888, 2000, and 2016.³ The fact that this phenomenon has occurred twice in the past two decades has led to increased criticisms of the Electoral College. Some Americans want to abolish the Electoral College altogether, arguing that if such a system was ever needed, that time has passed. They believe that direct popular vote should determine the winner of the presidential election, just as it does for other political offices. Advocates for abolishing the Electoral College often point to the 17th Amendment, which made senators elected by a direct popular vote rather than by a vote in their state legislature.⁴

However, supporters believe reasons to keep the Electoral College include that the system still serves a valuable purpose: to make sure that small states matter. They note that without the Electoral College, presidential candidates would focus only on winning the vote in high-population states, such as California, New York, and Texas.⁵ There are also critics of the Electoral College who argue that abolishing the system is not only unnecessary, but would require an amendment to the Constitution—an amendment that would be unlikely to pass due to a lack of support from smaller states. These critics have put forward a number of potential reforms that would require changes to state laws, rather than constitutional amendments. The two most commonly proposed reforms are proportional electors and the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC).⁶

Two Models for Reform

Currently, most states award electors on the basis of a winner-take-all model, in which the candidate who receives the most votes statewide receives all of the available electoral votes. However, Maine (four electors) and Nebraska (five electors) use a proportional representation system, in which there are two at-large electors who vote for the winner of the statewide popular vote, as well as district electors (two in Maine, three in Nebraska) who vote for the winner of the popular vote in each congressional district. Therefore, the presidential candidates compete in each district. For example, if Candidate A receives 60 percent of the popular vote in Nebraska but only had the most votes in two of its three districts, Candidate A receives four electoral votes from Nebraska while Candidate B still receives one. Proponents of this proportional representation system argue that it preserves the spirit of the Electoral College by keeping smaller states relevant, but it better represents the will of the different populations in each state.⁷

Alternatively, some states have agreed to take part in the NPVIC. Rather than binding electors to the winner of the statewide popular vote, the NPVIC circumvents the Electoral College by binding electors to the winner of the nationwide popular vote, regardless of whether or not the people in their state voted for that candidate. Since the NPVIC was established in 2006, 15 states and Washington, D.C., have signed on, although the pact has been suspended in Colorado pending review. Another five states are considering signing on to the NPVIC. If Colorado and those five states join the pact, the electoral vote count of NPVIC states would be 260. However, the NPVIC stipulates that the agreement does not go into effect until its members represent at least 270 electoral votes.⁸

If The Electoral College Fails: The Implications For 2020 Election

One of the most peculiar aspects of the Electoral College is that there is an even number of votes, making a 269-269 tie possible. There are arguments over whether this is a flaw or a feature; regardless, a tie can happen—and did happen in 1800 between Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr.⁹ In the event of a tie, the vote for president goes to the House of Representatives and the vote for vice president goes to the Senate. In the House, each state is given one vote; in the Senate, each member is given one vote. The votes are carried out by the newly elected Congress in January. If Democrats take control of the Senate and/or expand their majority in the House, they could vote for former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris, D-Calif. However, because the House vote is one vote per state rather than one vote per member, President Donald Trump could still win reelection since there are more states with a Republican-majority delegation. This system also leads to strange possibilities such as a Biden/Pence or Trump/Harris White House.¹⁰

In reality, a tie is extraordinarily unlikely. What is more likely is a situation in which neither candidate receives 270 votes, also known as a “contingent” election. Normally, this would be virtually impossible, since with only two major candidates to choose from, one candidate’s loss is the other’s gain. However, states are required to officially certify their 2020 election results by the end of December. With concerns being raised over mail-in voting systems, President Trump’s refusal to commit to accepting the results should he lose, and various court procedures that could hold up the 2020 election results, the possibility that one or more states could fail to certify their election results has become more likely. In the event that neither Biden nor President Trump has the required 270 electoral votes, the 2020 election would be sent to Congress just as it would be in the event of a tie. Congress has had to decide the election outcome on only two occasions, in 1800 and in 1824, so this situation is unlikely but not impossible.¹¹

Discussion Questions

Do you believe the Electoral College is necessary/a good idea? Or do you believe that the nationwide popular vote should determine the president and vice president?
If Congress or the states wanted to reform the Electoral College, which change, if any, would you favor?
- Abolish the Electoral College through a constitutional amendment
- Change state laws to award electoral votes proportionally
- Join the NPVIC and award all electoral votes to the winner of the national popular vote
- Keep the Electoral College as it is
In the 2000 election, the race was so close that it came down to one state: Florida. After weeks of delay and confusion, a pivotal case came before the Supreme Court; the Court’s ruling ultimately led to George W. Bush being declared the winner in Florida and therefore the winner of the presidential election. If a highly contested election were to occur again, do you think the decision should be left to the courts or to the House?
The most common defense of the Electoral College is that it allows states with small populations to play a more significant role in the election, making the process more fair. However, some have pushed back on the fairness argument by comparing states’ electoral vote totals to their relative populations. For example, California has 55 electoral votes and a voting population of 30.5 million people, meaning that each voter accounts for 0.00018 percent of the electoral votes. In contrast, in Wyoming, with its three electoral votes and voting population of 443,000, each voter accounts for 0.00067 percent of the electoral votes. While neither of those numbers is particularly large, it nevertheless means that a vote in Wyoming impacts the final Electoral College total nearly four times as much as a vote in California. Is the Electoral College still fair? Is it still valuable to preserve this system in order to prevent high-population areas, such as cities and the coasts, from overshadowing more rural areas?
In some elections, when no candidate achieves a majority, the election is re-run later in what is called a “run-off” election. In a run-off, the field of candidates is narrowed on the basis of the level of support they received in the first round of voting. Other elections use ranked-choice voting, a process that allows voters to order their preferences. If the voter’s preferred candidate does not reach a certain threshold of support, the voter’s support is given to their second choice until, finally, all voters have given their support to one of two candidates. Currently, no provisions exist for such a process in presidential elections. Do you think that one or both of these systems should be put in place? Is there another alternative that would make the process more fair?

For more of our election coverage, see our recent posts on Political Violence and the 2020 Election, The Supreme Court Fight and The Election, and Election 2020: Guides for Discussing the Debates.

Sources

Featured Image Credit: Mark Newman/University of Michigan

[1] https://guides.libraries.psu.edu/post-election-2016/voter-turnout

[2] http://archive.fairvote.org/?page=967

[3] https://www.history.com/news/presidents-electoral-college-popular-vote

[4] https://www.courierpress.com/story/opinion/2019/07/18/letter-electoral-college-must-go/1773483001/

[5] http://hnn.us/articles/474.html

[6] https://calmatters.org/commentary/my-turn/2020/09/abolish-the-electoral-college-or-award-electors-on-a-proportional-basis/

[7] Ibid.

[8] https://www.nationalpopularvote.com/

[9] https://time.com/4558510/electoral-college-history-slavery/

[10] https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/09/electoral-college-tie-democrats.html

[11] https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-inaugurations-archive-election-recounts-elections-fa1f88c9ff0681bd78b147137c09b3d9

Political Violence and the 2020 Election

Posted on October 13, 2020October 13, 2020 by Scot Wilson

Journaling Task: Reflecting On Political Violence

On October 8, the FBI announced that it had thwarted a plot led by a right-wing militia to kidnap and potentially assassinate Governor Gretchen Whitmer, D-Mich.¹ Whitmer, in an op-ed published in the Washington Post, laid some of the blame at the feet of President Donald Trump, writing:

I’m not going to waste my time arguing with the president. But I will always hold him accountable. Because when our leaders speak, their words carry weight. When our leaders encourage domestic terrorists, they legitimize their actions. When they stoke and contribute to hate speech, they are complicit. And when a sitting president stands on a national stage refusing to condemn white supremacists and hate groups, as President Trump did when he told the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by” during the first presidential debate, he is complicit. Hate groups heard the president’s words not as a rebuke, but as a rallying cry. As a call to action.²

In an interview about the foiled kidnapping plot, Representative Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., said, “I hope that this got a lot of people’s attention and we can all take a deep breath and really think about how fear and division is dividing this country and stop being pitted against each other.”³

Even before news of the plot broke, some pundits, political leaders, and citizens had expressed concern about the potential for violence before, during, and/or immediately after the 2020 election. One cause for these worries is that a high number of mail-in ballots could make the outcome of the election uncertain, with the results on Election Day potentially differing from the final results.⁴ Some experts have predicted violence if President Trump loses and refuses to leave office.⁵ Others, such as Howard Simon, the former executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, are concerned about the use of violence prior to the election as a tool to disrupt or discredit voting.⁶

Election Violence in Context

In the United States, violence connected to elections is not new, but many believed it to be a thing of the past. For much of the 19th and 20th centuries, white supremacy groups, local and state officials, and law enforcement officials ensured that Black Americans did not have the right to vote. In addition to restrictions such as poll taxes, literacy tests, and grandfather clauses,⁷ violence and intimidation were used to keep Black people from voting. For example, in 1873 in Colfax, Louisiana, 150 Ku Klux Klan members and former Confederate soldiers killed between 60 and 150 Black men (accounts differ) who were attempting to participate in the political process.⁸

Primary Source: “To the Colored Men of Voting Age in the Southern States,” a pamphlet designed to help Black Americans vote

Some historians see echoes of another political movement, the Know-Nothings, in today’s politics. The Know-Nothings, formally called the American Party or the Native American Party, was an anti-immigrant, nativist movement in the middle of the 19th century.⁹ During the election of 1856, members and supporters of the party formed street gangs to intimidate voters in Baltimore and elsewhere.¹⁰ Similarly, there were riots and clashes between supporters of the Whig Party and the Democratic Party during the election of 1834.¹¹

The 2020 Election

The Center for Strategic and International Studies has tracked political violence and terrorism in the United States for more than 20 years. According to its analysis, 2016, 2017, and 2019 saw the most instances of right-wing violence since 1995, the year of the Oklahoma City bombing. The report concludes that the 2020 election has the potential to make matters worse.¹²This year has seen political violence in cities such as Portland, Oregon, where a left-wing antifa supporter shot and killed a member of Patriot Prayer, a pro-Trump group. And a bipartisan group of former elected officials and academics (none of whom support President Trump) recently discussed multiple scenarios in which violence follows the 2020 election. Rosa Brooks, a professor of law and policy at Georgetown University and a former Defense Department official who helped organize the group, said, “The law is essentially … it’s almost helpless against a president who’s willing to ignore it.”¹³

In the midst of a widening partisan divide,¹⁴ heightened fear and anger toward members of the opposite party,¹⁵ and rhetoric from political leaders that stokes the fires,¹⁶ Americans’ views toward political violence are changing, with more people finding violence acceptable under certain circumstances. A research team of fellows from the Hoover Institution, New America, and other institutions wrote in Politico Magazine, “Our research, which we’re reporting here for the first time, shows an upswing in the past few months in the number of Americans—both Democrats and Republicans—who said they think violence would be justified if their side loses the upcoming presidential election.”¹⁷ According to the researchers, “44 percent of Republicans and 41 percent of Democrats said there would be at least ‘a little’ justification for violence if the other party’s nominee wins the election.” Those figures increased from June, when the numbers were 35 and 37 percent, respectively.¹⁸

Discussion Questions

What have you heard or read about political violence in the news and on social media?
Are any of your friends or family members concerned about violence during this election? What have they been saying?
Are you worried about political violence in your community? Why or why not?
How should citizens respond if there is violence in the wake of the 2020 election?
What other concerns do you have about this election?

Further Reading

The first of these readings offers historical context for election-related violence in the United States. The others relate to current trends and attitudes toward violence, partisanship, and the election.

The New Yorker: “Our Long, Forgotten History of Election-Related Violence”
Carnegie Endowment Report: “Should America be Worried about Political Violence? And What Can We Do to Prevent It?
Politico Magazine: “Americans Increasingly Believe Violence is Justified if the Other Side Wins”
New York Magazine: “Americans are Becoming More Open to Post-Election Violence”

Sources

Featured Image Credit: Alex Lourie/Redux

[1] BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54482846

[2] Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/10/09/gretchen-whitmer-hold-trump-accountable/

[3] ABC17News: https://abc17news.com/politics/national-politics/2020/10/09/dingell-hopes-plot-against-whitmer-will-bring-attention-to-threat-of-political-extremism-2/

[4] New York Magazine: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/10/americans-increasingly-open-post-election-violence-study.html

[5] Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/bipartisan-group-predicts-violence-if-trump-loses-election-refuses-leave-white-house-1520561

[6] Tampa Bay Times: https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/2020/09/08/be-prepared-for-threat-of-election-disruption-through-violence-column/

[7] Constitutional Rights Foundation: https://www.crf-usa.org/brown-v-board-50th-anniversary/race-and-voting.html

[8] Smithsonian Magazine: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/1873-colfax-massacre-crippled-reconstruction-180958746/

[9] Smithsonian Magazine: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/immigrants-conspiracies-and-secret-society-launched-american-nativism-180961915/

[10] The New Yorker: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/09/14/our-long-forgotten-history-of-election-related-violence

[11] Ibid.

[12] Center for Strategic and International Studies: https://www.csis.org/analysis/escalating-terrorism-problem-united-states

[13] Newsweek: https://www.newsweek.com/bipartisan-group-predicts-violence-if-trump-loses-election-refuses-leave-white-house-1520561

[14] Pew Research Center: https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2020/09/02/in-views-of-u-s-democracy-widening-partisan-divides-over-freedom-to-peacefully-protest/

[15] Pew Research Center: https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2016/06/22/partisanship-and-political-animosity-in-2016/

[16] Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/america-political-violence-risk/2020/09/11/be924628-f388-11ea-999c-67ff7bf6a9d2_story.html

[17] Politico: https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/10/01/political-violence-424157

[18] Ibid.

Election 2020: Guides for Watching and Discussing the Debates

Posted on September 23, 2020June 2, 2021 by Scot Wilson

There are three presidential debates scheduled for September 29, October 15, and October 22, as well as a vice presidential debate taking place on October 7. For many voters, the debates are the best chance to see the differences between the candidates as they decide how to cast their vote in November. Campaigns put a lot of effort into the debates; getting a candidate ready for these events often requires weeks of preparation.

Political debates are typically a mix of legitimate policy arguments and attempts to score points with voters through soundbites and “zingers” that can be used for campaign ads and media promotions. What this usually means for the candidates is that the style of their responses and rebuttals is just as important as the substance of what they are saying.

The Impact of Debates

Presidential debates, as we think of them today—formally agreed to by each candidate and televised for the whole country to see—began in 1960 with the debate between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy. This event is often cited as one of the most significant debates in history, not just because it was the first but because of its perceived impact on the election.¹ Prior to the debate, Nixon was leading in the polls and was regarded as the favorite, having been vice president for nearly eight years.² However, on television, Nixon appeared uncomfortable, haggard, and awkward; Kennedy, on the other hand, was able to present himself as calm, charismatic, and confident. Although Nixon’s performance improved in the subsequent debates, Kennedy’s polling improved significantly after the first debate.³

Despite the legendary status of the first Nixon-Kennedy debate, it is difficult to say how much the debates themselves contributed to Kennedy’s ultimate victory in the 1960 election. Televised presidential and vice presidential debates were not a matter of routine until 1976, but their impacts on elections remain a source of discussion. Anticipation for the debates is often drummed up by the media and the organizations that host them, but political scientists generally agree that the impact of debates is arguable at best.⁴

Still, some political observers argue that although “winning” a debate may not be that important, it is very important that a candidate not be perceived as the “loser.” Between debates, media figures will often speculate, comment, and fixate on mistakes and questionable moments in debates. If the debates themselves do not change voters’ minds, the media narratives generated by the debates still can.⁵

Setting the Stage: Trump vs. Biden

Political observers widely agree that now-President Donald Trump “lost” all three debates with Hillary Clinton in 2016, yet he was victorious in the election.⁶ However, in 2016, President Trump had yet to hold any political office; therefore, he had no record to put forward or to challenge. This election cycle is different for many reasons, not the least of which is that President Trump now has a term as president under his belt, carrying all the perceived successes and failures that go with it.

Joe Biden has not held public office since January 2017, but up until that point, he had served in the federal government at different levels continuously since 1973. He is also seen as a standard-bearer for the Obama administration and can therefore expect to answer questions not only about his own policies and record but about those of President Barack Obama as well. The latest polling indicates that Biden has a six- or seven-point lead over President Trump nationally, but with only weeks to go until Election Day, the debates could affect that lead … or not.⁷

Discussion Questions

Teacher Note: These discussion questions are intended to be used after students view any of the 2020 debates. Below, you can also find student worksheets/guides to use before a debate, during a debate, and after a debate.

What was your impression of the debate? Which candidate do you think “won” the debate? For what reasons?
Were there any elements of the debate (the style of the questions, the rules for how candidates interacted, etc.) that you feel could be improved upon to make the debate more informative or helpful to voters?
Which policy/policies presented by a candidate did you find most appealing? Was there an issue that was not addressed or that you feel should have been addressed more thoroughly?
What impact, if any, do you think this debate will have on the election?
Confirmation bias is a phenomenon in which people see the world in a way that matches what they already believe to be true. Confirmation bias helps account for why two people can see the same politician say the same thing and have two completely different impressions of that politician. Do you believe that confirmation bias plays a role in how people judge political debates? How might confirmation bias have factored into people’s perspectives of this debate?

Debate Guides

These resources will help you work with your students to deconstruct the candidates’ positions and make informed decisions about which of the candidates’ policies they favor. It is recommended (but not required) that you use all three of the guides in sequence to support students before, during, and after each debate.

1. Before the Debate

The Pre-Debate Guide asks students to describe their expectations for the debate, including the issues they want to hear about and their anticipations for each candidate’s performance. The guide also contains a number of links to previous debates, as well as reflection questions for those clips to help familiarize students with the typical style of presidential debates.

2. During the Debate

The Debate Watch Guide asks students to respond to questions as they view the debate live or in class. This guide helps students follow along and asks them to comment on their impressions and takeaways in the moment. In addition to helping students make sense of the debate, this guide can be a helpful reference for students for any in-class discussion about the debates.

3. After the Debate

The Debate Reflection Guide asks students to consider the debate and their impressions of each candidate in greater depth. Students are tasked with comparing their expectations of the debate with what actually took place, commenting on the positions they favored, and explaining the impressions of each candidate that they had at the conclusion. This guide can also be a helpful resource for students if you want to hold a discussion of the debate in class.

Sources

Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/AP

[1] https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/kennedy-nixon-debates

[2] https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/the-debate-that-changed-the-world-of-politics

[3] https://www.cnn.com/2016/02/29/politics/jfk-nixon-debate/index.html

[4] https://journalistsresource.org/studies/politics/elections/presidential-debates-effects-research-roundup/

[5] https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1532673X15614891?journalCode=aprb

[6] https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/10/19/13340828/hillary-clinton-debate-trump-won

[7] https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/us/general_election_trump_vs_biden-6247.html

Summer Round-Up #3: Protests, Police Reform, and Civil Unrest

Posted on September 9, 2020July 9, 2021 by Scot Wilson

This summer has been more dramatic and more tumultuous than any other in recent memory. To help teachers and students explore key issues from this summer, we have done a series of summer round-up articles including developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic and our review of the 2020 campaigns and conventions. In our third and final summer round-up, we examine the protests and policy responses since Minneapolis police killed George Floyd in May. The police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, reinvigorated the protests and demands for reform and justice.¹

A Summer of Protests

Over the course of the summer, protests broke out and continued around the country. In major cities such as Portland, Oregon,² and Louisville, Kentucky,³ protests have been daily or almost daily. The protests have ranged in their intensity and have evoked a wide array of responses from the media and public officials. Federal agents used tactics that raised alarm bells in Portland, grabbing suspected protesters from off the street in unmarked vans. Some called these actions kidnapping,⁴ and evidence suggests that they escalated the tension and violence in that city.⁵

LISTEN: From The Daily, “The Showdown in Portland”

In some cases, protests have coincided with violence and looting, frequently distracting the media and the public from the protesters’ cause.⁶ President Donald Trump has pointed to the violence as evidence that a greater police presence,⁷ and even a military presence,⁸ is needed. And, while polls showed that support for the Black Lives Matter movement was at an all-time high in the weeks following Floyd’s killing,⁹ that support has decreased as the protests have continued.¹⁰

Activists and advocates across the country are working to identify ways to keep pressure on policymakers and to keep their cause in the public eye. On August 28—the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom at which Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech—the NAACP and other groups coordinated a virtual March on Washington.¹¹ The family of Blake, the man shot by police in Kenosha, participated in that march.¹² Athletes have also used their platforms to raise awareness. The NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks decided to boycott a playoff game, ultimately leading to a brief shutdown of the league.¹³

Summer of Reform

The protests have continued to shine a light on police practices and procedures that activists believe to be unjust. Some jurisdictions have instituted reforms. Many states and cities have banned the use of chokeholds and similar tactics. Cities and states have passed bills to make it easier to hold police officers accountable for wrongdoing.¹⁴ There are also newly instituted bans on the use of tear gas and no-knock warrants,¹⁵ the latter of which played a role in the police killing of Breonna Taylor.¹⁶

However, larger, more significant reform efforts have stalled. For example, in California, lawmakers proposed several bills that would have made police departments and records more transparent and that would have created civilian oversight commissions to investigate alleged instances of police brutality. Legislators decided not to take up those bills before the end of the session.¹⁷ Virginia legislators considered, but ultimately rejected, a bill that would have ended qualified immunity for police officers.¹⁸ Qualified immunity, established by the Supreme Court in a 1967 ruling, shields public officials from legal suits if the plaintiff is not able to establish that a clear violation of rights occurred before the case begins.¹⁹ This practice makes it difficult for people to bring cases against police officers and other civil servants. A Reuters analysis of data from qualified immunity cases found that in more than half of cases, police officers were protected from prosecution by the statute.²⁰

At the federal level, there are several bills that have been introduced and, in some cases, passed by the House of Representatives. One such bill, the George Floyd Justice for Policing Act, passed the House in June.²¹ If it became law, this bill would make it easier to investigate, indict, and convict police officers for use of excessive force and would grant the Department of Justice more authority in examining patterns of abuse in police departments across the country. This bill has been introduced, but not yet debated, in the Senate.

Protesters’ most ambitious demand, the call to defund the police, remains unmet. In Minneapolis, the city council initially committed to disbanding the police department and replacing it with a Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention and a Department of Law Enforcement.²² However, that effort has stalled in the city council until at least 2021.²³

WATCH: From The Guardian, “What Does It Mean to Defund the Police?”

Defunding or abolishing police departments would be a significant change in state and local governments. It is a new idea to most Americans. Initial polling indicated that most Americans oppose the idea, but as people have learned more about it, those opinions have seemed to be in flux.²⁴

WATCH: From PBS NewsHour, “Two Views on the Future of American Policing”

State and local governments across the country are grappling with questions about the future of policing, criminal justice, and issues pertaining to racial justice. And, during this election, some national politicians are calling for change at the federal level. Meanwhile, people across the country are protesting, hoping to keep these issues on the public agenda.

Discussion Questions

Have there been protests in or near your community? What impact have they had?
Do you have a mostly positive or mostly negative view of the protests? Why? Do your reasons have to do with what you see happening, your views on the issues, or both?
Which of the suggested police reforms, if any, do you agree with? Why?
Do you think the federal government should take action to reform policing, or do you think those efforts are best handled at the state and local levels?
Do you support the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act? Why or why not?
What do you think of the call to defund the police? Explain your answer.

Possible Extension Activities

Have students read the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and work together to write letters to their senators in support or in opposition.
Ask students to research “defunding the police” or “abolishing the police” to understand the different ideas and policies involved in that demand. Resources embedded in this post provide good starting points, as does this overview from the Associated Press.
After researching the ideas of defunding the police, ask students to design a model for providing/enforcing community safety. What would they prioritize? What agencies would they need? What would those agencies do?

Sources

Featured Image Credit: Getty Images

[1] CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jacob-blake-sr-kenosha-wisconsin-police-shooting-victim/

[2] CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/02/us/portland-protests-wednesday/index.html

[3] National Public Radio: https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/02/us/portland-protests-wednesday/index.html

4] PolitiFact: https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/aug/04/bob-casey/sen-bob-casey-said-federal-agents-kidnapped-protes/

[5] National Public Radio: https://www.npr.org/2020/08/06/899882025/portland-protests-de-escalate-as-federal-agents-leave-city-streets

[6] USA Today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/08/31/riots-violence-erupting-turning-many-away-blm-and-protests-column/5675343002/

[7] Business Insider: https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-police-endorsement-speech-officers-fight-back-2020-8

[8] Council on Foreign Relations: https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/trumps-threat-use-military-against-protesters-what-know

[9] FiveThirtyEight: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/support-for-black-lives-matter-surged-during-protests-but-is-waning-among-white-americans/

[10] Boston Globe: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/09/01/opinion/support-black-lives-matter-is-dropping-among-white-americans/

[11] NAACP.org: https://www.naacp.org/marchonwashington/

[12] Chicago Tribune: https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/evanston/ct-jacob-blake-family-kenosha-protest-plans-20200828-f6xbocfmqbdzdfhzy46z753ssq-story.html

[13] CBS Sports: https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-boycott-how-players-reached-decision-to-resume-season-timeline-overnight-disagreement-owners-role/

[14] Minneapolis Star-Tribune: https://www.startribune.com/states-race-to-pass-policing-reforms-after-floyd-s-death/572051772/?refresh=true

[15] Axios: https://www.axios.com/police-reform-george-floyd-protest-2150b2dd-a6dc-4a0c-a1fb-62c2e999a03a.html

[16] USA Today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/06/30/fact-check-police-had-no-knock-warrant-breonna-taylor-apartment/3235029001/

[17] Los Angeles Times: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-09-02/california-police-reform-bills-derailed

[18] ABC 8 News, Richmond, Virginia: https://www.wric.com/news/politics/virginia-house-rejects-bill-eliminating-qualified-immunity-for-police/

[29] Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute: https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/qualified_immunity

[20] Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-police-immunity-scotus/

[21] Congress.gov: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/7120/actions

[22] CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/06/us/minneapolis-police-abolish-delay/index.html

[23] Bloomberg: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-08-13/minneapolis-falters-in-plan-to-disband-the-police

[24] New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/03/us/politics/polling-defund-the-police.html

Summer Round-Up #2: Campaigns, Conventions, and the Race to Election Day

Posted on August 31, 2020August 16, 2021 by Scot Wilson

Over the course of the summer, the 2020 election has taken shape. Most primaries for congressional office have concluded, and the parties and presidential candidates were able to showcase their respective visions during their conventions. In this second summer round-up, we take a look at the state of the 2020 election. Our first summer round-up explored the ongoing impact of the coronavirus and the responses to the pandemic. Our third and final summer round-up will discuss ongoing protests, the Black Lives Matter movement, and the changing politics of race and equity since the murder of George Floyd.

Congressional Races

All of the seats in the House of Representatives are up for election this year, as are a third of the seats in the Senate. The presidential election inevitably receives the most attention, but control of Congress plays a significant role in shaping U.S. politics as well. At the moment, the Republican Party controls the Senate¹ while the Democratic Party controls the House of Representatives.² It is technically possible for both chambers to change hands, although the latest polls and expert observers predict that Republicans are unlikely to win enough seats to take control of the House.³ The Senate is more competitive. Currently, Republicans hold 53 seats to Democrats’ 47 (including two independents who caucus with the Democratic Party).⁴ Some election observers predict that Democrats will win enough seats to secure a majority in the Senate,⁵ while others believe the races remain too close to call.⁶

One of the key dynamics in the congressional primaries has been the contest for the future of the Democratic Party. Centrist Democrats mounted unsuccessful challenges to young, progressive women of color, including Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), and Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.).⁷ Meanwhile, several progressive challengers, most notably Jamal Bowman of New York⁸ and Cori Bush of Missouri,⁹ were able to knock off centrist Democratic incumbents. The presidential primary contests between Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016 and between Sanders and former Vice President Joe Biden in 2020 also highlighted philosophical differences and tensions within the party.¹⁰ This fight will likely continue after Election Day, no matter the outcome.

Party Conventions and Visions for the Future

Both parties have now completed their quadrennial conventions to cement their priorities and nominate their presidential candidates.

WATCH: PBS NewsHour’s 17-minute video with highlights from both conventions

The Democratic National Convention focused on two major themes: party unity and defeating President Donald Trump.¹¹ Speakers largely argued that President Trump is a threat to democracy, as well as a threat to people’s lives, pointing to his administration’s handling of the coronavirus.¹²

Meanwhile, President Trump and Republican speakers argued that Biden and the Democratic Party represent a radical shift towards socialism and communism.¹³ In an unusual move, the Republican Party decided not to draft a new platform for 2020, and instead ratified its 2016 platform once again and offered a strong endorsement of President Trump as the voice of the party.¹⁴

READ: NPR’s 7 Takeaways from the Democratic Convention and 7 Takeaways from the Republican Convention

Final Days of the Election

There are a little over two months left until Election Day. The economy and COVID-19, two of the issues on the top of most voters’ minds, are in constant flux. The stock market is experiencing significant gains, especially in the technology sector,¹⁵ but the unemployment rate remains high and seems to be growing.¹⁶

Credit: Pew Research Center

While many big issues clearly weigh on the minds of voters, the presidential campaign has largely focused on character and vision. Looking ahead, the debates and the candidates’ closing arguments will add further definition to the differences between the two men. However, many voters may begin voting by mail before the election cycle reaches that final push.

Discussion Questions

Which Senate and House races are taking place where you live? Are they contested? Who do you and your family support?
Which of the presidential candidates do you support? Why?
If you were voting in this election, would you be excited to support your preferred candidate? Why or why not?
Have you seen many political advertisements? For or against which candidates? How do those ads impact you?

Sources

Featured Image Credit: Evan Vucci/AP

[1] Senate.gov: http://www.senate.gov/senators/leadership.htm

[2] House.gov: https://www.house.gov/leadership

[3] Cook Political Report: https://cookpolitical.com/ratings/house-race-ratings

[4] Senate.gov: https://www.senate.gov/history/partydiv.htm

[5] Real Clear Politics: https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/senate/2020_elections_senate_map_no_toss_ups.html

[6] Cook Political Report: https://cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings

[7] Fox News: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/omar-victory-sees-squad-hold-own-during-primary

[8] New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/17/nyregion/jamaal-bowman-eliot-engel.html

[9] St. Louis Post-Dispatch: https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/you-saw-cori-bush-challenger-s-visibility-helped-her-make-inroads-in-clay-s-strongholds/article_96c80b6b-1941-5cb7-be0e-32e05634c2e4.html

[10] New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/05/us/politics/election-primary-results.html

[11] New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/21/us/politics/dnc-takeaways-biden-obama.html

[12] CBS News: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/democratic-national-convention-takeaways-moments/

[13] BBC News: https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-53942272

[14] BBC News: https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-53914829

[15] Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/sergeiklebnikov/2020/08/28/us-tech-stocks-are-now-worth-more-than-9-trillion-eclipsing-the-entire-european-stock-market/#3ab2e44e3e61

[16] U.S Department of Labor: https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/eta/eta20200827

Summer Round-Up #1: The Pandemic, Schools, and The Economy

Posted on August 26, 2020July 9, 2021 by Scot Wilson

The summer of 2020 has been unlike any other. Schools across the country did not finish the end of the academic year in person, and many will not be seeing students in person once again this fall. Major events have been canceled or moved online, and we are in the midst of a presidential election that looks quite different from previous elections. On top of all the changes brought by COVID-19, the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police in May sparked protests across the country and around the world. In our first blog posts of the 2020-2021 school year, we will look back at key social and political issues from the summer so we may look ahead to the November election and beyond.

Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Over the summer, the COVID-19 pandemic deepened and spread. In May and June, the infection rate seemed to be slowing, but by mid-July, almost 75,000 new cases were being reported daily. As of August 20, the seven-day average for new infections is more than 46,000 per day.¹ The duration and depth of the pandemic is forcing citizens and policymakers to confront challenging questions about life under quarantine, the crippled economy, and the appropriate government response.

For additional background on COVID-19 and the government response, please see our posts about reopening the economy and enforcing social distancing.

One major area of focus is schools. Schools in some parts of the country have reopened;² in a few cases, they have had to close after an outbreak.³ The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its COVID-19 school reopening guidelines to emphasize the importance of schools opening.⁴ However, images such as this one captured by a Georgia high school student have some parents, students, and teachers concerned.

WATCH: From A Starting Point, Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) debate: Should U.S. students go back to school in-person or virtually this fall?

The economy is another major area of concern amid the pandemic. The unemployment rate is now approximately 10 percent. More than 57 million people have lost their jobs in the United States⁵ and there are growing concerns that many of those jobs will not return, even as the pandemic recedes or a vaccine is developed.⁶ Policymakers face tough questions about how to respond to the dual public health and economic crises. Some advocate reopening businesses and schools so people can get back to work.⁷ Others are more cautious, arguing that the infection rate is not under control in many parts of the country.⁸

WATCH: From A Starting Point, Reps. Judy Chu (D-Calif.) and Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.) debate: How should states reopen while preventing the spread of COVID?

The government provided a one-time relief check to many Americans and offered supplemental unemployment insurance through the CARES Act, but many people are still hurting.⁹ The additional unemployment insurance has expired and Congress did not authorize additional measures before going on recess. President Donald Trump signed executive orders to offer additional unemployment insurance benefits, but so far, the program has not dispersed any money and it is unclear if it ever will.¹⁰

One proposal, introduced by Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), and Ed Markey (D-Mass.), would give every American over the age of 18 $2,000 per month until the end of the pandemic.¹¹ Another more comprehensive bill, the HEROES Act, passed the House of Representatives in May. That bill would provide additional $1,200 payments to most individuals, provide premium pay for essential workers, fund local and state governments, and extend a moratorium on evictions.¹²

These challenging and complex issues are impacting the lives of all Americans. They are also having a profound effect on the 2020 election. In our next blog post, we will explore key developments in the presidential and congressional races over the course of the summer, highlight significant moments from the Republican and Democratic conventions, and prepare for the final push to Election Day.

Discussion Questions

How are schools in your area handling the pandemic? Do you support your school’s plan?
What different opinions do people in your community hold about whether or not to go back to school in person?
How has the pandemic impacted the economy in your community? Which businesses are struggling? Do you know people whose jobs have been affected?
Do you think that restrictions on social gatherings and businesses should be lifted? Why or why not?
What, if anything, do you think Congress should do to protect workers, the unemployed, and the economy?

Sources

Featured Image Credit: Demetrius Freeman, New York Times

[1] New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-us-cases.html

[2] USA Today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/08/03/every-states-plan-to-reopen-schools-in-the-fall/112599652/

[3] WFYI (Indianapolis Public Television): https://www.wfyi.org/news/articles/as-schools-reopen-more-covid-19-cases-confirmed-in-central-indiana

[4] CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/21/health/cdc-covid-19-school-guidelines/index.html

[5] Fox 6 Milwaukee: https://www.fox6now.com/news/millions-of-jobs-lost-to-coronavirus-pandemic-could-take-years-to-return

[6] Politico: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/06/coronavirus-permanent-unemployment-392022#:~:text=More%20jobs%20are%20disappearing%20for,of%20a%20rapid%20economic%20rebound.&text=Tens%20of%20millions%20of%20Americans,positions%20are%20going%20away%20forever.

[7] Axios: https://www.axios.com/rand-paul-stimulus-recession-9add0781-c1fc-4ebb-89b3-f99ca682c1a1.html

[8] Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/enriquedans/2020/08/22/covid-19-there-is-only-onepriority/#33a96a9354bb

[9] CNBC: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/12/are-second-1200-stimulus-checks-coming-heres-what-we-know.html

[10] Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/shaharziv/2020/08/10/400-unemployment-extension-start-trump-signs-executive-order-in-lieu-coronavirus-stimulus-package/#de53f7247c78

[11] CNBC: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/08/coronavirus-kamala-harris-bernie-sanders-propose-2000-monthly-payments.html

[12] Congress.gov: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/6800

Protests, Riots, Justice, and the Rule of Law

Posted on June 4, 2020December 9, 2022 by Scot Wilson

On Monday, May 25, a Minneapolis police officer named Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd by kneeling on his neck for over eight minutes.¹ The next day, video of the killing went viral; by the end of the day, large groups had begun protesting in Minneapolis. In the week since, protests have spread to many major cities across the country, and some protests have had destructive consequences.² It is not always clear who starts the violence and vandalism,³ and there is evidence to suggest that responses from the police are making the violence worse.⁴ In many ways, the scenes mirror the origins of the Black Lives Matter movement in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014—another time when police efforts to respond to protests were met with, or perhaps sparked, violence.⁵

This week, we are offering three blog posts that grapple with the fundamental questions and challenges posed by recent events. On Tuesday, we shared resources and ideas for discussing race and racism with students. Today’s post will explore the protests and the government response to them.

Over the weekend, what began as nonviolent demonstrations in many cities around the United States became sites of property destruction, fires, and escalating responses from police.⁶ In editorials and commentary in newspapers, on television, and on social media, people are discussing serious questions about the protests. To help your students explore a few of them, we share some questions and resources below.

Protests, Social Movements, and Violence

Protest and social change have rarely been as smooth as history textbooks and movies make them seem. In our present context, some argue that the violence near the protests undercuts the power of their message. Others, however, point to a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who said, “I think America must see that riots do not develop out of thin air. Certain conditions continue to exist in our society which must be condemned as vigorously as we condemn riots. But in the final analysis, a riot is the language of the unheard.”

Additionally, those who argue that the destruction of property can be justified frequently point to the violent roots of the United States itself, including the Boston Tea Party, and circulate memes like this one.

While the level of violence in the current protests seems to be decreasing,⁷ it is still important to consider the role of violence in social movements. Here, we share some resources that might help you have those discussions.

Fareed Zakaria interviews Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of the 1619 Project. Jones offers an explanation of the violence and offers historical context.
In his New York Times column, Ross Douthat argues that violent protests do not work.
Dylan Scott argues on Vox.com that it is wrong to focus too much on the violent protests, and that people are missing the main story.
This episode of The Daily podcast from the New York Times offers in-depth reporting on the protests over the weekend.
In an interview with WBUR, Dr. Marc Lamont Hill argues that protests should be framed as “acts of rebellion,” not riots.

Police and Governments Respond to the Unrest

A second major question facing citizens is how local, state, and national government should respond during this time of protest. President Donald Trump has called for a strong police, and even military, response.⁸ This has led many Americans to debate the best path forward in responding to the violence that surrounds the protests. Here are some resources that may help you explore government responses to protests with your students:

Radley Balko explores this question in an article published shortly after the protests in Ferguson in 2014.
FiveThirtyEight and the The Marshall Project argue that de-escalation by police does more to keep protesters and police safe.
President Trump explains the role that he sees for government during the protests.
The June 4 episode of The Daily podcast from the New York Times looks closely at the protests and police actions at the White House.
This opinion article in The Guardian argues that police are more responsible for the violence than the protesters because of their tactics.
In this op-ed published in the New York Times, Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) calls for using troops to quell the protests.
Retired General James Mattis, President Trump’s former secretary of defense, argues in a letter circulated to the media that using the military is not appropriate or constitutional.

We hope that these resources help you examine these complex, challenging, and vital issues with your students. If you have other resources to share with teachers and students, please submit them in the comments below.

Sources