A group of students from northwest Indiana just got back from Washington D.C. They were in town during the inauguration and took part in a week-long government studies program.
Author: Ashleigh Barber
The Second Trump Presidency
Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States on January 20, 2025. In his first day in office, President Trump signed 26 executive orders, the most in recent history. In contrast, President Joe Biden signed nine on his first day in office and President Trump signed just one when he was inaugurated in 2017. Now, the nation is reflecting on his inaugural address and the executive orders he has already signed and is looking to President Trump’s second “first 100 days” in office.
What Did Trump Say in His Inaugural Address?
George Washington began the tradition of giving a speech upon being inaugurated, and every president since has given one. Most inaugural addresses are meant to unify the country after the campaign, reaffirm their commitment to national values such as democracy and liberty, and set forth the president’s overarching political principles. Historians and pundits say President Trump’s second inaugural address was unusual in that he laid out specific policy actions he wanted to take, from renaming Denali to Mt. McKinley to declaring the country would recognize only two genders.
While President Trump began his speech by characterizing himself as a peacemaker and a unifier, pledging to create a golden age for the country, it quickly became partisan. He mentioned the increase in his support by Hispanic and Black voters, the “radical and corrupt establishment,” and that he felt the Department of Justice had been weaponized against him. He also spoke extensively on his immigration and energy policy goals, including one of his campaign catchphrases, “Drill, baby, drill.”
Many presidents since the end of World War II have talked broadly about world peace. President Trump spoke generally about ending conflicts and having the wisdom to avoid new wars. However, he also referenced Manifest Destiny, the 19th century philosophy that the United States was divinely destined to expand its borders, which was used to justify the displacement and extermination of millions of Native Americans. He complained about Panama’s administration of the Panama Canal and declared the Gulf of Mexico will now be known as the Gulf of America.
Why Do We Keep Track of the President’s First 100 Days?
Since Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s first presidency in 1933, the country has kept track of a president’s first 100 days in office. In his first 100 days, President Roosevelt passed regulations and pushed legislation through Congress to help the country recover from the Great Depression. Ever since, presidents have been evaluated on the success of their first 100 days. The actions of a president at the start of their term can let the country know what to expect.
What Can We Expect from Trump’s First 100 Days?
Before taking office, President-elect Trump messaged that his goal for his first 100 days was to reverse President Biden’s policies and pick up where he left off in 2020. We can expect major changes to our diversity, environmental, immigration, and foreign policies.
President Trump signed an executive order declaring that there are only two genders, and that the United States would not recognize transgender people. He also ended diversity, equity, and inclusion hiring goals for the federal government. President Trump has already withdrawn the United States from the Paris climate agreement and declared an energy emergency to promote drilling on federal lands. He signed an expected, but controversial, executive order to pardon the nearly 1,500 January 6 rioters, including hundreds convicted of assaulting police, carrying firearms, and destroying property.
We can also expect lawsuits challenging many of these executive orders. The American Civil Liberties Union has already pledged to challenge President Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship for people whose parents are not in the country legally. The state attorney general of California is expected to file suits against President Trump’s pledge for mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.
Discussion Questions
- Did you watch the inaugural address? What do you think about President Trump’s vision for America’s future?
- What are your views on the president’s executive orders? Which do you agree with? Which do you disagree with?
- What do you want to see in the new administration’s first 100 days in power?
- What message would you want to send to President Trump as he begins his second term?
- Why do you think it’s important for the new administration to listen to young people?
Additional Links
- WATCH President Trump’s inaugural address on C-SPAN.
- WATCH conservative and liberal responses to President Trump’s inaugural address:
- REVIEW President Trump’s America First priorities.
- READ the list of presidential actions.
Related Posts
As always, we encourage you to join the discussion with your comments or questions below.
Close Up is proud to be the nation’s leading nonprofit civic education organization, working with schools and districts across the country since 1971. If you would like to partner with us or learn more about our experiential learning programs, professional development, or curriculum design and consulting, contact us today!
Sources
Featured Image Credit: AP Photos/Morry Gash
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/the-first-100-days-when-did-we-start-caring-about-them-and-why-do-they-matter/
https://www.npr.org/2024/11/06/nx-s1-5181800/2024-election-trump-first-100-days-agenda
https://www.si.edu/stories/brief-history-presidential-inaugural-speeches
https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2024-12-09/4-day-one-promises-from-president-elect-donald-trump
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/01/20/us/trump-inauguration-speech-annotated.html
https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-inauguration-swearing-capitol-b3549ebe5dae74a872502aa79def7a11
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5097337-aclu-sues-trump-order/
https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/trump-inauguration-california-lawsuits-executive-orders/
Columbia Gorge News | For Hood River County School District’s Migrant Ed Team, Work is Year-Round
HOOD RIVER — Twenty-five Hood River Valley High School (HRV) students in the migrant education program will head to Washington, D.C., over spring break to take part in the Close Up Foundation’s High School Program, “a six day and five night program for high school students to experience their government in action”.
The Hill | Here are The Hill’s Changemakers 2024
Welcome to The Hill’s Changemakers: 24 of 2024. For the second year in a row, we’re highlighting both the household names and lesser-known players who are making an impact at the Capitol and around the world. Whether you agree or disagree with them, these two dozen pathfinders are setting the pace and shaking things up in Washington.
BrowardSchools.com | BCPS Students Participate in Rally to the Tally for New Floridians
Approximately 150 newly arrived immigrants and English Language Learners, who are Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) high school students, will take part in Rally to the Tally for New Floridians from December 10 – 13, 2024. This four-day field trip provides students the opportunity to see first-hand the legislative system at work. Students will visit the state capital and tour Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, the University of Florida and the University of Central Florida.
The Decline of Local Newspapers
A free press is a crucial part of our democracy—so important that it was enshrined in the First Amendment of the Constitution. Once a staple of information, newspapers have been steadily declining and disappearing for decades. There are nearly 6,000 newspapers that publish in the United States and, on average, two shut down every week.1 Current projections show that by the end of this year, the United States will have lost one-third of the newspapers that it had back in 2005.2 What does a community lose when its newspaper folds?
The decline of local newspapers can be attributed to several factors, including high production costs, decreased advertising revenue, and declining readership. These compounding factors can lead newspapers to lay off employees or cut back on how frequently they print as cost-cutting measures. Newspapers that once published daily may now print only a few editions per week. Some have shifted to become online-only publications. Other have shuttered altogether. Newspapers have become increasingly reliant on digital advertising to cover their operational costs, with digital ad sales accounting for nearly half of all revenue they take in.3
A shift to consuming news online, intensified by smartphones, has disrupted traditional news outlets like print media. In a 2023 survey by the Pew Research Center, only nine percent of U.S. adults said they turn to print publications often to get their news, compared to 56 percent who said they get their news digitally.4 The survey also found that nearly one-third of all young Americans get most of their news online from TikTok.5
The Local News Initiative, a project from Northwestern University that tracks local news outlets across the United States, has found that over 1,500 counties have only one local news outlet. More than 200 counties have none at all.6 This lack of local news outlets creates “information deserts” that deprive communities of vital information. Typically, when a newspaper shutters, there are no other news outlets—in print or online—that fill the information gap.7 Rural and low-income communities are more likely to suffer from a lack of quality news.8
“Increasingly, I’m worried that we’re evolving into a nation of journalistic haves and have-nots,” said Penny Abernathy of the Local News Initiative. “That has huge implications for not only our democracy, but for our society.”9 Journalists serve as checks on power, bringing accountability and transparency by investigating and reporting on government officials, school board members, and business owners. Their stories spur local governments to act on issues that they may not otherwise address. By reporting the facts, whether good or bad, they strengthen their community’s faith in local leaders and institutions. But in the last two decades, two-thirds of local reporters have lost their jobs.10 This creates a void of in-depth coverage and quality reporting on relevant topics and pressing issues.
The reasons for the decline of newspapers also impact our democracy by enabling “more corruption and irresponsible spending” by local governments and “more straight ticket voting, less competitive elections, and lower turnout” by voters.11 Newspapers keep people informed about the issues their community faces and how their local government functions. They provide updates about upcoming elections, candidates, city ordinances, policing procedures, and educational decisions. When people are aware of what’s going on, they can feel more invested in the success of their community and be more likely to civically engage in it. Conversely, people are less likely to speak out against a policy if they are unaware that it’s being considered by their city council, and they may decide to not vote in a local election if they don’t know about the candidates’ backgrounds or platforms.
The local angle of a story—the voices, opinions, and needs that are important to distinct communities—are lost when news is only available online or through national sources. These types of news can create media echo chambers and increase political partisanship, as they tend to frame stories, for a larger audience, in terms of “this side verses that side.”12 By highlighting conflict, it becomes difficult to see people, even neighbors, as anything other than the political party they belong to or the candidates they vote for. Online sources are also more susceptible to misinformation and disinformation without the journalistic standards practiced by newspaper journalists, editors, and publishers.
The sense of community that comes from knowing local news—even weekly football scores, marriage announcements, and obituaries—creates a common connection that can’t be easily replicated online or on a national level. “Our paper spoiled us,” said Steve Rader, who lives outside a small, rural community in Texas that lost its newspaper last year. “They did so much work. And it was so colorful and beautiful, and they celebrated our successes and our tough times.”13 When asked if the loss of the newspaper felt personal, he replied, “Oh, yes, yes. Yes, that paper was a part of our life.”14
Discussion Questions
- Does your community have a newspaper? (You can find out by exploring the Local News Landscape map from the Local News Initiative.) If so, do you or members of your family regularly read it?
- What sources do you get your news from?
- What are some benefits of having access to the news online? What are some drawbacks?
- Why are local newspapers important to communities?
- What do you think should be done to support newspapers and local journalism?
Other Resources
- READ the full Local News Initiative report.
- WATCH two PBS reports on the subject: How the Loss of Local Newspapers Fueled Political Divisions in the U.S. and The Connections Between Decline of Local News and Growing Political Division.
As always, we encourage you to join the discussion with your comments or questions below.
Close Up is proud to be the nation’s leading nonprofit civic education organization, working with schools and districts across the country since 1971. If you would like to partner with us or learn more about our experiential learning programs, professional development, or curriculum design and consulting, contact us today!
Sources
Featured Image Credit: Tom Starkweather/Columbia Journalism Review
[1] Axios: https://www.axios.com/2023/11/16/newspapers-decline-hedge-funds-research
[2] Ibid.
[3] Pew Research Center: https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/fact-sheet/newspapers/
[4] Pew Research Center: https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/fact-sheet/news-platform-fact-sheet/
[5] Pew Research Center: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/11/15/more-americans-are-getting-news-on-tiktok-bucking-the-trend-seen-on-most-other-social-media-sites/
[6] Local News Initiative: https://localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/projects/state-of-local-news/explore/#/localnewslandscape
[7] Local News Initiative: https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2022/06/newspapers-close-decline-in-local-journalism/
[8] Local News Initiative: https://localnews.knilab.com/projects/state-of-local-news/2023/report/#ethnic-communities
[9] PBS: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/the-connections-between-decline-of-local-news-and-growing-political-division
[10] Local News Initiative: https://localnews.knilab.com/projects/state-of-local-news/2023/report/#ethnic-communities
[11] PBS: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/how-the-loss-of-local-newspapers-fueled-political-divisions-in-the-u-s
[12] Ibid.
[13] Ibid.
[14] Ibid.
EducationWeek | Inside a Class Teaching Kids to Stop Scrolling and Think Critically
Washington , D.C. – On a chilly November morning here, Brie Wattier’s 8th graders at the Inspired Teaching Demonstration School had their eyes trained on the slides projected at the front of the class.“What are the good things about social media?” the slides read. “What are the bad things?”
Emilea Johnson in the Chicago Tribune | As a First-Time Rural Voter, Our Community Was Overlooked in 2024 Yet Again
Driven by my motivation to address stereotypes about my community and advocate for our needs, I traveled to Washington, D.C., for a weekend in July to attend America in One Room: The Youth Vote. During a few days of passionate political deliberation with more than 400 fellow first-time voters, I was excited to serve as a voice for the rural perspective to my peers who may have never set foot in or even driven through a rural community.
Why Voting Matters: How Laws and Systems Shape Our Elections and Affect Voters
The Importance of Our Right to Vote
The 2020 election marked the highest voter turnout of the 21st century at 67 percent—the highest since 1900. In a country with a rich history of struggle and sacrifice for the right to vote, why do so many Americans remain disengaged?
Despite the monumental battles for voting rights, including movements for women’s suffrage and civil rights, many people still do not vote. With the 2024 election on the horizon, we will examine one factor that impacts voter turnout: the systems and laws that shape how we vote. From local and state races to the presidential election, voting laws play a critical role in who votes and how their voices are heard. We will also look at some of the less-examined issues connected to this year’s election.
Local and State Elections
Often when citizens think about voting, they’re thinking about the presidential election. However, state and local elections can have far greater effects on our lives. Questions such as public transit funding, the minimum wage, and recycling regulations are decided by state and local elections and officials.
This November, Americans across 41 states will be voting on some 160 statewide ballot measures, including measures covering the controversial question of abortion. The 2022 Supreme Court decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade (1973), putting the issue of abortion and any right to privacy between a woman and her health care provider back into the hands of the states. Because of this, voters in 11 states will be telling their state government whether or not it should protect a right to an abortion. Other ballot measures voters will see in November include those regarding citizenship, electoral systems, criminal justice, policing, taxes, wages, and drug policy.
READ more about this year’s ballot measures across the country.
READ more about Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.
Differences Among Voting Laws
In the United States, there isn’t a federal standard when it comes to voting procedures. Instead, it is the responsibility of the states to create their own. This leads to a plethora of differences in how states run their elections.
To better understand this, let’s look more closely at voter registration laws, voter ID laws, and ranked-choice voting. States such as Pennsylvania, Louisiana, and Arizona have a strict deadline for voters to register. Other states like Virginia, Wyoming, and California don’t have a deadline and voters can register at the polling center on Election Day. When it comes to voting in person, whether early or on Election Day, 15 states do not require a voter to present a valid form of ID to vote. The states that do require voter ID differ in whether or not a valid ID must contain a photo. Other states require signature verification; if the voter signature provided doesn’t match the one on file, that vote will not be counted.
READ more about voter ID laws in different states.
How many candidates someone can vote for also differs from state to state because of a newer process in the United States known as ranked-choice voting. Ranked-choice voting allows voters to rank the candidates rather than choose just one; in the event a voter’s first choice doesn’t receive many votes, their vote then goes to their second and/or third choice. States such as Maine and Alaska have recently implemented this process in statewide elections. Some states, like Colorado and Maryland, use ranked-choice voting in local elections but others, such as Florida and Kentucky, have banned the process entirely. Although ranked-choice voting is new to the United States, countries such as Australia, Malta, and Ireland have used ranked-choice voting for over 100 years and a dozen others implemented the system prior to the United States.
WATCH to learn about the process, pros, and cons of ranked-choice voting.
Differences in How Elections Are Decided
Congressional and gubernatorial elections are decided by a popular vote, but the presidential election is decided by the Electoral College. Some Americans support this system of electing the president, which is outlined in the Constitution. Others believe it is outdated or misrepresentative of the electorate’s intent.
Under the Electoral College system, a candidate must win majority support in states across the country—in smaller, more rural states as well as in larger, more populated states. Supporters say this process ensures that a presidential candidate has broad appeal and that voters in rural areas are not ignored in favor of those in dense population centers. Detractors, however, say the system doesn’t always match the results of the nationwide popular vote and gives outsized importance to voters in “battleground” or “swing” states that could conceivably go for either candidate. This year, for example, voters in battleground states such as Pennsylvania and Georgia could be instrumental in deciding the next president.
The Electoral College system has its merits and drawbacks. But a voter’s perception of their own importance can affect their feelings about casting a ballot. However, it is still incredibly important for all of us as Americans to vote to choose our elected officials and weigh in on statewide ballot measures. This is exactly why voting matters—because the leaders and policies chosen at the ballot box shape our society in ways that affect us all.
Don’t Sit Out
As we approach the 2024 election, the differences in how our voting systems operate across states—from registration laws to voter ID requirements—can feel overwhelming at times. However, it’s vital to remember that every election, from the local to the national level, carries significant weight. While the Electoral College system may not always reflect the popular vote, each ballot cast plays a role in shaping policy and electing leaders who impact everything from education to health care to civil rights. In a democracy, voting is both a right and a responsibility. Understanding the systems that influence our elections can empower us to make informed choices and ensure our voices are heard where it counts.
Discussion Questions
- What would you say to someone who is considering not voting in this election?
- Which level of government do you think has the most impact on your day-to-day life? Why?
- If you had to choose, which of the following do you believe is the most important reason to vote?
- To fulfill your civic duty
- To weigh in on laws and ballot measures
- To have a say in local and state elections
- To have a say in federal (presidential and congressional) elections
- Is our voting system set up to best represent the will of the people? What reforms, if any, would you make to our system of elections?
- Are voting laws and processes best handled by the states or should there be some federal standards? Explain your reasoning.
As always, we encourage you to join the discussion with your comments or questions below. Close Up is proud to be the nation’s leading nonprofit civic education organization, working with schools and districts across the country since 1971. If you would like to partner with us or learn more about our experiential learning programs, professional development, or curriculum design and consulting, contact us today! Sources
Featured Image Credit: Max Pepper/CNN
Young Americans’ Views of the Presidential Election
In this final post of a three-part series, we continue exploring the results of the “Reimagining Political Leadership: The Outlook of Young Americans” survey focused on the political attitudes of Americans aged 18-34. The survey was designed by the Sine Institute of Policy and Politics at American University in partnership with Future Caucus and the Close Up Foundation, and based on interviews conducted by the Generation Lab, a data intelligence company that gathers and interprets the views and behavior of young adults. In this post, we examine the views of young Americans as they relate to the 2024 presidential election.
READ: All About the Survey
The survey’s key findings relating to the 2024 election and the presidential candidates include the following:
- Only about half (49 percent) of young Americans describe themselves as very likely or certain to vote (eight or higher on a ten-point scale).
- The most common descriptors of their mood heading into November are “nervous and scared” followed by “hopeful and optimistic.”
- Vice President Kamala Harris has a large, double-digit lead over former President Donald Trump in both the multi-candidate and head-to-head trial heat. Vice President Harris’ advantage with young Americans is rooted in substantive evaluations; she is viewed as better than former President Trump on all eight qualities that we tested.
- Young Americans have a broad and substantive voting agenda, but it tracks all Americans in centering primarily around the economy and the cost of living.
- While voting is only one of many behaviors that young Americans see as critical to a maintaining a functioning democracy, emphasizing the importance of making their voices count and having a say in their future are most persuasive.
The findings also show that young Americans have more negative emotional responses to the election, with half of respondents saying that they are feeling either “nervous and scared” or “dissatisfied and disappointed.” These responses can be partially explained by the findings that majorities of young Americans agree with statements such as:
- There often are not candidates running who I am excited to support (72 percent agree).
- It’s hard to get information that is trustworthy and reliable about the candidates and their issue positions (69 percent agree).
- It’s hard to get information that is relevant to me about the candidates’ positions on issues I care about (57 percent agree).
Finally, the poll found that young people support Vice President Harris by a 2-to-1 margin over former President Trump in a head-to-head poll.
Discussion Questions
- How do the views reflected here compare with your views?
- If you had to choose one word to reflect how you are feeling about the upcoming election, what would it be?
- If you were able to survey young Americans, what would you want to know?
Previous Posts About the Survey Data
As always, we encourage you to join the discussion with your comments or questions below.
Close Up is proud to be the nation’s leading nonprofit civic education organization, working with schools and districts across the country since 1971. If you would like to partner with us or learn more about our experiential learning programs, professional development, or curriculum design and consulting, contact us today!
Sources
Featured Image Credit: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images
