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GOVERNMENT & ELECTIONS

Background and Context

These Government & Elections resources will help students develop a thorough understanding and make connections between historical events, current conversations, and current policy proposals surrounding the issue. This section includes all of the context and content previously included in Close Up’s public policy chapters.  

 

U.S. Government in Context

What are the ideas and institutions that make up U.S. government? Learn More >

U.S. Elections in Context

How does the U.S. electoral system work? Learn More >

Current Issue Debates

Current Issue Debates are framed by a central question and followed by historical context, an overview of both sides of the topic, and discussion questions to facilitate deliberation in the classroom.

 

2024 Primaries and Caucuses

Should Iowa and New Hampshire have first-in-the-nation voting status? Learn More >

Voting by Mail

Available for Middle & High School

Should all states conduct elections entirely by mail? Learn More >

The Electoral College

Available for Middle & High School

Should states join the National Popular Vote pact? Learn More >

Voter ID Laws

Available for Middle & High School

Should states require voters to present a government-approved ID? Learn More >

Understanding the Media

When we refer to “the media,” what do we mean? Learn More >

Gerrymandering

Should the federal government mandate that states end partisan gerrymandering? Learn More >

Youth Voting

Available for Middle & High School

Should the voting age be lowered to 16? Learn More >

2022 Midterm Elections

Available for Middle & High School

What are midterm elections and what's at stake in 2022? Learn More >

Videos from Policymakers

Brought to you by ASP HOMEROOM, through a collaboration between Close Up Foundation and A Starting Point, these supplemental videos are an introduction to policy areas that provide an opportunity for students to hear different perspectives directly from lawmakers.

 

Voting Rights

State Representatives Jasmine Clark (D-GA) & Robert Dickey (R-GA) 
April 16, 2021

Electoral College Certification

Congressman Jodey Arrington (R-TX)
January 6, 2021

Shaping the Future of Information, Technology & Media

Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
October 26, 2020

Lesson Plans

These ready-to-use Government & Elections lesson plans can be utilized in conjunction with any of our resources to enhance the quality of student discourse in the classroom. Our supplemental Civic Readiness Guide provides a recommended lesson plan sequence for using our Current Issues resources.

 

Additional & Archived Resources on Government & Elections

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Biden and Sanders

Postponed Presidential Primaries and the Pandemic

Post | April 7, 2020

With COVID-19 dominating both the headlines and the realities of everyday life in the United States, it can be hard to remember that we are in the midst of a presidential primary with a general election only seven months away. The State of the Race A little over a month ago, former Vice President Joe […]


Universal Basic Income: Pipe Dream or Proactive Policy?

Post | February 28, 2020

On November 6, 2017, businessman Andrew Yang began a presidential campaign centered on a signature policy, Universal Basic Income (UBI).1 If put in place, this UBI or “Freedom Dividend” would give every adult American $1,000 a month, no questions asked.2 The idea captured some voters’ imaginations; although Yang ultimately suspended his campaign after a poor […]


Understanding Ideological Labels

Post | February 20, 2020

During campaigns and elections, candidates use political labels, such as liberal, moderate, progressive, conservative, and libertarian, to position themselves in relation to each other and as a shorthand for their worldviews and policy preferences. This presidential election cycle features candidates from across a wider political spectrum than most elections in recent years. In the United […]


Is It a Crime When Politicians Lie?

Post | February 5, 2020

“There’s a clear difference between politics and a crime,” Michael Levy told the Supreme Court in January,1 when he made arguments in a case about New Jersey’s “Bridgegate” scandal. As the justices considered whether or not a public official commits fraud by obfuscating the “real reason”2 behind a decision, they asked both sides tough questions […]


Primary Voting Begins: Iowa and New Hampshire

Post | January 29, 2020

What Should You Watch for in the Democratic Primaries?  The next month features four nominating contests: the Iowa caucuses (February 3), the New Hampshire primary (February 11), the Nevada caucuses (February 22), and the South Carolina primary (February 29).1 A great deal of polling has been done to determine voters’ favorites in these contests, particularly […]


Twitter blog post

Political Ads on Social Media

Post | November 25, 2019

On October 30, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey announced that, effective November 22, Twitter would ban all political advertising on its platform. Dorsey justified the decision by explaining that political ads present “entirely new challenges to civic discourse.”1 Twitter’s sweeping decision was not an arbitrary one; it was the result of a new wave of scrutiny […]


How the Supreme Court Could Reshape Discrimination Lawsuits

Post | November 15, 2019

On November 13, 2019, the Supreme Court heard arguments in Comcast Corp. v. National Association of African American-Owned Media.1 The Court’s decision will determine how difficult it will be to bring future cases regarding possible discrimination and racial bias to trial.2 Facts of the Case Byron Allen, an African American, owns Entertainment Studios Networks (ESN), […]


What We Can Learn From the 2019 Elections

Post | November 12, 2019

On Tuesday, November 5, 2019, voters in eight states went to the polls to vote in local and statewide elections. Competitive gubernatorial and state legislative races were held in Kentucky, Mississippi, and Virginia.1 These were the last elections before the 2020 census, which could result in the redrawing of political boundaries in each state. Furthermore, […]


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