Presidential Election Process

Table of Contents

Primaries and Caucuses

Key Question: What role do primaries and caucuses play in the presidential election process?

Party Primary Debates

Video Clip: 1st Democratic presidential debate - Night 1 (6/26/2019- 3:02)

Video Clip: 1st Democratic presidential debate - Night 2 (6/27/2019- 6:18)

Video Clip: 2nd Democratic presidential debate - Night 1 (7/30/2019- 4:02)

Video Clip: 2nd Democratic presidential debate - Night 2 (7/31/2019- 3:58)

Video Clip: 3rd Democratic presidential debate- (9/12/2019- 3:00)

Video Clip: 6th Democratic presidential debate- (12/19/2019- 4:41)

Video Clip: Nevada Democratic Presidential Debate - (3/19/2020- 3:20)

Primaries and Caucuses Overview

Deliberation: Should the order of presidential primaries and caucuses be changed?

This lesson explores the history of the modern system of primaries and caucuses, the reasons for this structure and various proposals to change the order of these contests. This deliberation has students hear from journalists, experts and candidates in order to answer the question:

Should the order of presidential primaries and caucuses be changed?

Bell Ringer: History of the Presidential Primary System (04/04/2016 - 7:08)

Video Clip: The Current Presidential Primary System (8/8/2019- 4:36)

Video Clip: Primary Challengers to Incumbent Presidents (4/26/2-19- 2:03)

Video Clip: Do Endorsements Matter in Primary Elections? (10/20/2019- 3:07)

Individual Primaries and Caucuses

Bell Ringer: How the Iowa Caucuses Work (2/18/2019- 3:46)

Video Clip: Changes to the Iowa Caucuses in 2020 (5/12/2019- 4:20)

Video Clip: History of the Iowa Caucuses (6/23/2014 – 8:06)

2020 Primaries and Caucuses

Video Clip: Joe Biden Response to the Iowa Caucuses (2/3/2020- 2:15)

Video Clip: Amy Klobuchar Response to the Iowa Caucuses (2/3/2020- 2:50)

Video Clip: 2020 New Hampshire Primary Results (2/12/2020- 4:51)

Video Clip: 2020 Nevada Caucus Results (2/23/2020- 3:42)

Video Clip: 2020 Super Tuesday Primary Results (3/4/2020- 4:37)

2020 Candidate Campaign Suspensions and Endorsements

Video Clip: Pete Buttigieg Suspends His Campaign (3/1/2020- 6:06)

Video Clip: Senator Amy Klobuchar Endorses Joe Biden (3/2/2020- 4:36)

Video Clip: President Obama Endorses Joe Biden (4/14/2020- 3:10)

Culminating Questions:

  • What is a presidential caucus? How is it different from a primary?

  • Describe the atmosphere at the Democratic and Republican caucus sites. Explain how the Democratic caucus works versus the Republican caucus.

  • What is "viability"? How does this affect the lower-tiered Democratic candidates? How does this affect the top-tiered Democratic candidates?

  • Why do Iowa & New Hampshire receive a lot of attention? How does it impact the rest of the primary elections?

  • Why do candidates spend a substantial amount of time and campaign funds in the first primaries/caucuses?

  • Why do campaigns gain or lose momentum during the primary season?

  • Would you consider this method of choosing the party's nominee 'democratic'? Why or why not?

  • Choose one of the minor parties and create a political poster that represents their platform.

Vice President Selection

Key Question: Why is the selection of a vice presidential candidate important in the presidential election process?

Process of Selecting a Running Mate

Vice Presidential Candidates

Culminating Assessment:

  • After watching the videos, answer the following questions.

    • What must a presidential candidate consider when selecting a vice presidential candidate?

    • Describe the process of selecting a vice-president.

    • What qualities do presidential candidates typically look for in a running mate?

    • What challenges might confront vice presidential candidates?

National Party Conventions

Key Question: What is the role of National Conventions in the presidential election process?

Using clips from the 2020 party conventions, this lesson has students compare the speeches given at each party’s convention and evaluate the effectiveness of each party’s message.

Democratic National Convention (August 17-20, 2020)

Republican National Convention (August 24-27, 2020)

History and Significance of Party Conventions

Convention Planning

Key Question: What goes into planning a national convention?

Historical Convention Speeches

Video Clip: 2012 Mitt Romney Republican Party Acceptance Speech 2012 (8/30/2012- 40:17)

Video Clip: 1980 Senator Edward Kennedy Convention Speech (8/11/1980- 2:48)

Presidential Debates

Key Question: How do presidential debates impact elections?

Structure and Significance of Presidential Debates

Analyzing the 2020 Presidential Debates

2020 Presidential Debates

Voting and Election Night

Key Question: How do state laws relating to voting impact election results?

This lesson has students hear from experts and election officials discussing how states process ballots and what people should expect on election night. Using this information, students will develop a list of reminders, suggestions and advice to use as they watch election night coverage.

This lesson provides several activities for students to help them understand coverage of election night as they watch on November 3, 2020. Teachers can choose to have students view election night coverage while taking notes, mapping the electoral votes as they come in, playing a vocabulary BINGO game, evaluating election night speeches or comparing news networks’ coverage of election night.

Voting Resources

Post-Election Speeches

The Process of Counting Ballots and Certifying Results

The Electoral College

Key Question: How does the Electoral College work and what are benefits and drawback of using this system to elect a president?

The History of the Electoral College

2020 Electoral College

Debating the Electoral College

Every four years the American people go to the polls to vote for president. However, the American people do not vote directly for president; instead, it is the fifty states, plus Washington, DC, that directly elect the president. This is due to the Electoral College, adopted by the Framers at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 as a compromise between large and small states. This deliberation has students explore the origins of the Electoral College and evaluate arguments for and against it being reformed.

Arguments for the Electoral College

Arguments Against the Electoral College

Culminating Assessment:

  • After watching the videos, answer the following questions.

    • Why did the Founding Fathers adopt the system of the Electoral College to elect the United States President?

    • Explain the pros and cons of the Electoral College system.

    • Do you think that we should keep the Electoral College, switch to a popular vote, or create a new system? Explain your position citing specific reasons.

Presidential Transitions

This lesson has students explore the challenges that incoming administrations face during presidential transitions by hearing from historians and from White House staff. With this information, students will develop a list of best practices that can be used during these transitions.

Inauguration

Key Question: What is the significance of presidential inaugurations? How does the event reflect the president's priorities and personality?

2021 Presidential Inauguration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr.

Overview of Inauguration

Past Inaugurations

This lesson provides multiple options and activities for students to engage with and analyze presidential inaugural addresses starting with Ronald Reagan’s first inauguration in 1981.