WHO VOTES AND WHY?

IN HISTORY: Expansion of Voting Rights in America
Review provided reference articles, excerpts from the Constitution, and statistics to learn about how voting rights have changed. Develop deeper understanding with a comprehensive lesson that includes five suggested individual and small group activities.

TODAY: The Youth Vote in America
Explore the importance of the youth vote in the 2008 election with detailed background information and three perspectives written by young voters. Use discussion suggestions to help students form personal opinions on this contemporary issue.

MINORITY GROUP VOTERS

IN HISTORY: The African American Vote
Retrace the history of African American voting patterns and discuss their role in the 2008 Democratic primary race. Consider the nature of racial allegiances in voting and think about the possibility of change.

TODAY: Hispanic American Voters Make an Impact
Study the impact of the Hispanic American vote on the last two presidential elections. Consider how and why the Hispanic American vote might influence
current and future politics.

ELECTORAL COLLEGE

IN HISTORY: What Was its Original Intent?
Learn about the birth of the Electoral College at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and the reasons for its development. Then consider specific past elections that have seemingly exposed weaknesses in the system.

TODAY: How Does it Work?
Get details on how the Electoral College functions today. Using the data provided, practice "electoral math" as a foundation for better understanding of election night reporting.

THE BALLOT: VOTING RESULTS

IN HISTORY: Significant Past Elections
Read about nine elections and identify the important issues and events that were influenced by their outcomes.

TODAY: Election 2000 Controversy
Learn about the events surrounding the controversial Bush-Gore election in 2000. Review the election map, analyze state-by-state results, and read the Supreme Court’s brief to draw personal conclusions.

Voter Turnout in 2004
Analyze voter participation by race, gender, and age group. Consider how this type of information changes the behavior and positioning of a campaign.

Comparing and Contrasting Voter Participation
Examine statistics tables on voter turnout in the United States and abroad to compare and contrast who votes.

Mock Voter Registration Campaign
Look at examples of historical get-out-the-vote initiatives. Follow suggestions for choosing a target audience and develop a campaign plan with visuals to persuade them to register to vote.

MORE.........

Voter ID Requirements
Review details of the recent U.S. Supreme Court’s approval of voter ID requirements in Indiana. Find out more about the controversial history of voting rights regulation.

USING ABC-CLIO'S ONLINE DATABASES

Find out more abut the reference value of ABC-CLIO’s Online Databases. Reference the handy Match to Curriculum guide and learn how to quickly locate resources for common curriculum topics, standards, and textbook chapters. Read the Search guide for tips on taking full advantage of multiple
search options.

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