Linkage Institutions
Below you will find C-SPAN Classroom resources relating to the topics and categories listed above. Click on each title to expand the section and view the featured resources.
Political Parties and Ideologies
Political Ideologies
Bell Ringer: Public Trust in Government (3:54)
Bell Ringer: Political Party Identification (2 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Political Ideology (4:57)
Bell Ringer: Age and Political Affiliation (6:02)
Bell Ringer: Religion and Political Socialization (3:40)
Lesson Plan: Demographics and Political Alignment (5 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Political Polarization (7 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Modern History of the American Right Wing (14 Clips)
Lesson Plan: American Generations (10 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Conservatism (2 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Conservatives and the Media (2:29)
Bell Ringer: Political Moderates In Congress (2:41)
Bell Ringer: Libertarianism and Liberalism (2:52)
Bell Ringer: Socialism in the Early 20th Century (5:18)
Video Clip: Progressivism and the Democratic Party (3:53)
Political Parties
Lesson Plan: The Functions of Political Parties (9 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Political Parties (11 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Primaries and Caucuses (11 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Political Party Positions on Issues (4 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Divided Government and How it Works (10 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Switching Party Affiliations (3 Clips)
Bell Ringer: When Do Political Parties Work Best? (7:48)
Bell Ringer: The History of the Republican and Democratic Parties (3:07)
Bell Ringer: The Historical Differences between the Republican and Democratic Parties (3:07)
Bell Ringer: The Development of the Current Two-Party System (3:57)
Bell Ringer: Two-Party and Multiparty Democracies (2:31)
Bell Ringer: Political Party Affiliation in the U.S. (3:23)
Bell Ringer: The Growth of Independents (1:18)
Bell Ringer: Changing Political Demographic and Geographic Trends (3:50)
Bell Ringer: The Republican Party and Blue Collar Conservatism (4:17)
Bell Ringer: The Constitution Party Platform (2:07)
Bell Ringer: The Growth of Partisanship (3:44)
Bell Ringer: The Need for Bipartisanship in Congress (2:44)
Bell Ringer: Congressional Leadership and Fundraising (5:12)
Bell Ringer: Problems with Party Primaries (5:07)
Video Clip: The History of Third Party Candidates in Presidential Elections (2:32)
Video Clip: Political Parties vs. Political Culture (1:36)
Video Clip: Party Identification in 2021 (6:35)
Video Clip: Expanding the Two-Party Political System in the U.S. (11:58)
Historic Political Parties
Bell Ringer: The Early Formation of Political Parties (4:41)
Bell Ringer: The History of Political Parties (2:56)
Bell Ringer: Symbols of the Democratic and Republican Parties (3:57)
Bell Ringer: History of the Presidential Primary System (7:08)
Bell Ringer: The History of Third Parties (1:36)
Bell Ringer: Jacksonians and Whigs (1:39)
Bell Ringer: The 1839 Whig Convention (14:17)
Bell Ringer: The Decline of the Whig Party (2:35)
Bell Ringer: The Formation of the Republican Party (2:42)
Bell Ringer: The Political Machine and Thomas Pendergast (10:07)
Video Clip: The First Party System (2:06)
Lesson Plan: Congress and the Antebellum South (8 Clips)
Video Clip: The Second Party System (6:13)
Bell Ringer: Kansas Nebraska Act and the Formation of the Republican Party (2:34)
Bell Ringer: Nativism and the Know Nothings (2:04)
Bell Ringer: The Know Nothing Party (3:32)
Bell Ringer: The Election of 1860 (2:02)
Bell Ringer: John Willis Menard and the Special Election of 1868 (8:26)
Video Clip: Election of 1876 (4:36)
Bell Ringer: Theodore Roosevelt and Progressive Era (4:35)
Bell Ringer: The Prohibition Party (2:26)
Bell Ringer: Civil Rights and Political Party Realignment (2:08)
Video Clip: The 1964 Republican Convention (14:53)
Lesson Plan: Politics in 1968 (20 Clips)
Lesson Plan: 1994 Midterm Elections and The Contract with America (5 Clips)
Bell Ringer: The Modern Two-Party System (3:03)
Video Clip: Democratic National Committee: Superdelegates (10:08)
Interest Groups and Campaign Finance
Interest Groups and Lobbying
Lesson Plan: How Interest Groups Work (7 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Special Interest Groups and Lobbying (3:00)
Lesson Plan: Lobbyists, Who, What, and Why (10 Clips)
Bell Ringer: What is a Lobbyist? (5:36)
Bell Ringer: Unions and Labor History (17:07)
Bell Ringer: The Difference Between Lobbyists and PACs (1:39)
Bell Ringer: The Role and Regulation of Lobbyists (5:42)
Lesson Plan: The Iron Triangle (5 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Types of Political Action Committees (PACS) (3:18)
Bell Ringer: Ballot Measures and Interest Groups (2 Clips)
Video Clip: Lobbying and Former Members of Congress (2:38)
Video Clip: Regulating Lobbying in Congress (2:58)
Bell Ringer: The Taft-Hartley Act and Right-to-Work Laws (2 Clips)
Video Clip: History of the NRA & Gun Legislation (4:11)
Bell Ringer: Special Interest Groups and Government Regulation (2:05)
Video Clip: Lobbying and the Export-Import Bank (4:12)
Lesson Plan: Constitutional Rights of Corporations (6 Clips)
Campaign Finance
Lesson Plan: Campaign Fundraising: An Investigation (8 Clips & Slides)
Lesson Plan: Campaign Finance, Free Elections or Free Speech (15 Clips)
Lesson Plan: The Impact of Citizens United v. FEC (7 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Politics and Wealth (11 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Leadership PACs (5:06)
Bell Ringer: What is Dark Money? (2 Clips)
Bell Ringer: The Role of the Federal Election Commission (2:53)
Bell Ringer: Buckley v. Valeo and Campaign Finance Reform (2:47)
Bell Ringer: The Impact of Citizens United v. FEC (3:56)
Bell Ringer: Money in Politics (3:55)
Bell Ringer: Quid Pro Quo Rules and Campaign Contributions (4:27)
Bell Ringer: Restrictions on Super PACs and Candidates (1:56)
Video Clip: The Influence of Money in Politics (5:23)
Bell Ringer: Election Laws dealing with Interactions with Foreign Governments (2:05)
Video Clip: Super PAC Spending in the 2018 Midterm Elections (3:49)
Media and the Press
Journalism and the News Media
Bell Ringer: Polarization and Misinformation (3:41)
Bell Ringer: Muckraker Journalism (3 Clips)
Lesson Plan: The State of Modern News Media (7 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Privacy and the Press (6 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Transparency in Government (8 Clips)
Lesson Plan: How to Interpret Political Polls (8 Clips)
Bell Ringer: What is Libel? (2:22)
Bell Ringer: How Journalists Respond to Accusations of Fake News (4:49)
Bell Ringer: Accuracy, Polarization and Public Trust in the Press (5:31)
Video Clip: Senator Flake (R-AZ) on Freedom of the Press (3:44)
Video Clip: Fact Checking and the Truth (1:38)
Bell Ringer: Identifying Fake News Sources (4:55)
Bell Ringer: Civics Education and News Literacy (1:17)
Bell Ringer: Modern News Consumption and Fake News (3:44)
Video Clip: Anonymous Sources (3:39)
Bell Ringer: Conservatives and the Media (2:29)
Bell Ringer: Bias in the Media (2:32)
Bell Ringer: Fact Checking in Journalism (2:07)
Bell Ringer: Standards of Journalism and Modern Press Coverage (2:59)
Bell Ringer: The Effect of More Information on News Media (1:48)
Bell Ringer: The Blurred Lines Between Facts and Opinions (4:18)
Bell Ringer: Presidents and the Changing Role of the News (4:52)
Bell Ringer: Horse Race Journalism (2:20)
Bell Ringer: The Decline in Local News Coverage (4:11)
Bell Ringer: 2023 State of Local News Report (2 Clips)
Bell Ringer: The Decline of Local Newspapers (3:14)
Bell Ringer: Information Disorder (4:32)
Bell Ringer: Freedom of the Press and Local and Regional News (3:53)
Bell Ringer: Political Cartoons (2:47)
Bell Ringer: The Press and the Presidency (2:42)
Bell Ringer: President Obama and the Media (3:18)
Bell Ringer: The Role of the White House Press Secretary (2:59)
Bell Ringer: Freedom of the Press vs National Security (2:16)
Bell Ringer: Freedom of the Press and Leak Investigations (5:48)
Bell Ringer: Nebraska Press Association v. Stuart (11:06)
Bell Ringer: New York Times v. Sullivan (2:23)
Lesson Plan: New York Times v. United States (1971) (9 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Libel Laws and the Press: New York Times v. Sullivan (4 Clips)
Historical Examples
Lesson Plan: Choice Board - U.S. Presidents and the Press (14 Clips and Activities)
Lesson Plan: Female Reporters in the 19th Century (5 Clips)
Bell Ringer: History and Significance of Newspapers (6:19)
Bell Ringer: The American Revolution and the Press (6:21)
Bell Ringer: Evolution of Journalism (8:33)
Bell Ringer: The History of Partisanship in the Press (4:31)
Bell Ringer: The Alien and Sedition Acts (3:00)
Lesson Plan: The Penny Press (2 Clips)
Bell Ringer: The Rise of Hoaxes, Humbug, Plagiarists, Post-Facts, & Fake News (4:47)
Bell Ringer: Historical Congressional Violence and the Press (1:38)
Bell Ringer: Abraham Lincoln and the Press (7:47)
Lesson Plan: Political Cartoonist Thomas Nast (6:56)
Bell Ringer: Joseph Pulitzer (7:48)
Bell Ringer: Muckrakers (2:15)
Bell Ringer: History of Newspaper Boys (10:20)
Bell Ringer: The Media and Jim Crow (3:41)
Bell Ringer: History and Politics of US Communications Policy (5:52)
Video Clip: Orson Welles' War of the Worlds and the Art of Fake News (2:05)
Bell Ringer: Hitler's Approach to the Press (2:41)
Video Clip: History of Political Advertising (7:31)
Bell Ringer: Press Coverage of the Kennedy Assassination (6:13)
Bell Ringer: Soviet Internal Propaganda 1985 Film (8:51)
Bell Ringer: HUAC and the Entertainment Industry (10:42)
Lesson Plan: Political Poll Bashing (7 Clips)
Social Media and the Internet
Deliberation: What is “Fake News” and How Does It Impact Our Lives?
Lesson Plan: Why does misinformation spread? (6 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Social Media's Role in Democracy (6 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Social Media as a News Source (1:18)
Bell Ringer: Social Media and Data Collection (4:42)
Video Clip: Seattle Schools Sue Social Media Companies (6:07)
Video Clip: Social Media Platforms and Fake News (1:33)
Bell Ringer: How Social Media Uses Algorithms (2:53)
Video Clip: Cambridge Analytica and Facebook Data (5:05)
Video Clip: How Social Media Companies Moderate Content (3:05)
Bell Ringer: Political Extremism on the Internet (3:27)
Video Clip: Transparency in Advertisements on the Internet (3:40)
Bell Ringer: Identifying Fake News Sources (4:55)
Bell Ringer: Growth of YouTube (6:47)
Bell Ringer: China and Restrictions on Foreign Media (3:45)
Lesson Plan: Senate Hearing on Social Media & Russian Interference (15 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Senate and House Facebook Hearings (19 Clips)
Lesson Plan: What is Instagram? (6 Clips)
Deliberation: Should social media companies be responsible for removing content on their platforms? (7 Clips)
Politics and the Media
Lesson Plan: How Members of Congress use Social Media (1 Clip)
Lesson Plan: How to Interpret Political Polls (8 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Reverency and the Presidency (7 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Is Twitter the New Fireside Chat? (5 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Presidential Communication during Times of Crisis (5 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Fairness Doctrine (9 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Public Trust in the Media (5:44)
Bell Ringer: Impact of Political Campaign Ads (5:10)
Video Clip: Political Impact of Late-Night Comedy (8:33)
Video Clip: Political Humor - Fair or Unfair? (3:18)
Bell Ringer: Advertising and Celebrity Politics (9:21)
Bell Ringer: Celebrity in Chief (8:42)
Bell Ringer: Smear Tactics and Public Opinion (2:39)
Bell Ringer: Deep Fakes, AI, and U.S. Elections (3 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Presidents and the Changing Role of the News (4:52)
Video Clip: The Impact of President Trump on Media Coverage (6:27)
Campaigns and Elections
Types of Elections
Deliberation: Should your state modify its voter registration laws and methods for submitting a ballot? (10 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Voting Machine Vulnerabilities and the Future Security of Elections (6 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Primaries and Caucuses (11 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Teaching the Iowa Caucus (18 Clips)
Bell Ringer: The Iowa Caucuses (3 Clips)
Bell Ringer: The Role of the Federal Government in Elections (5:44)
Bell Ringer: The Constitutional Foundation for State Voting Laws (2:41)
Bell Ringer: State Referendums and Ballot Initiatives (3:04)
Bell Ringer: Ballot Measures and Direct Democracy (2 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Open Primary Elections (2:10)
Bell Ringer: California's "Top Two Primary" System (2 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Ranked Choice Voting (2 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Snap Elections (3:18)
Bell Ringer: Election Security and Improving State Election Laws (2 Clips)
Presidential Elections
Lesson Plan: Historic Campaign Speeches (16 Clips & Slides)
Deliberation: Should the Electoral College Be Reformed?
Bell Ringer: How Electoral Votes Are Counted (2 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Presidential Campaign Announcement Analysis (10 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Running for President and being in the Political Spotlight (3:45)
Bell Ringer: Presidential Elections as Popularity Contests (5:45)
Lesson Plan: Primaries and Caucuses (11 Clips)
Deliberation: Should the presidential primary and caucus process be reformed?
Lesson Plan: Presidential Primary Challengers (8 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Choice Board - How Effective Are Presidential Campaign Ads? (Multiple Options)
Lesson: Presidential Debate Analysis (One Clip with Activities)
Lesson Plan: Electoral College Map Virtual Scavenger Hunt (Clips with Activities)
Lesson Plan: The History of Contested Presidential Elections (6 Clips)
Lesson: Learning from Previous Presidential Transitions (5 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Analyzing Historical Presidential Inaugural Addresses (9 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Presidential Candidate Firsts (8 Clips)
Bell Ringer: The Constitutional Foundation for State Voting Laws (2:41)
Bell Ringer: History and Significance of the New Hampshire Primary (9:44)
Bell Ringer: Benefits of Early Primaries/Caucuses in New Hampshire and Iowa (3:42)
Bell Ringer: Brokered vs. Contested Party Conventions (5:45)
Bell Ringer: Presidential Election Debates (6:23)
Deliberation: Should Third Party Candidates Be Allowed Greater Participation in Presidential Debates?
Bell Ringer: Presidential Transitions after an Election (4:59)
Additional examples from the 2020 presidential election can be found on our Campaign 2020 site.
Voting Trends and Issues
Lesson Plan: Why Do Americans Not Vote in Elections? (8 Clips)
Lesson Plans: Voting Discrimination and the Effects of Shelby County v. Holder (8 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Survey Analysis- Public Perceptions of Voting and Elections (2 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Trends for Low- Information Voters (5:55)
Bell Ringer: Political Party Affiliation in the U.S. (3:23)
Bell Ringer: The Republican Party and Blue Collar Conservatism (4:17)
Lesson Plan: Political Polarization (7 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Political Gerrymandering (4 Clips)
Video Clip: State Voting Restrictions (1:54)
Video Clip: Voting Trends for Women (5:33)
Deliberation: Do state laws requiring photo ID for voters unfairly affect voter participation?
Bell Ringer: Election Laws dealing with Interactions with Foreign Governments (2:02)
Bell Ringer: Decentralized Elections and Voting Machines (2:29)
Lesson Plan: Social Media's Role in Democracy (6 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Fact Checking Political Candidates (2 Clips)
Video Clip: Election Integrity and Confidence in 2024 Results (6:21)
Video Clip: Use of AI in Elections (5:13)
Campaign Tools and Strategies
Lesson Plan: What Makes a Good Campaign Ad?- Advertisement Analysis (8 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Choice Board - How Effective Are Presidential Campaign Ads? (Multiple Options)
Lesson Plan: Big Data and Politics (3 Clips)
Lesson Plan: How to Interpret Political Polls (8 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Polling and Public Opinion (8 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Presidential Debate Analysis (1 Clip)
Bell Ringer: Do Debates Still Matter? (10:33)
Bell Ringer: Microtargeting in Political Campaigns (2:03)
Bell Ringer: The Reasons for Debates in Campaigns (3:04)
Bell Ringer: Political Polling (2 Clips)
Bell Ringer: Polling and Phone Surveys (4:53)
Bell Ringer: Analyzing Political Advertisements (3:03)
Bell Ringer: Smear Tactics and Public Opinion (2:39)
Bell Ringer: Attack Ads in Presidential Campaigns (7:37)
Bell Ringer: Impact of Political Campaign Ads (5:10)
Bell Ringer: Grassroots Activism (2:29)
Historical Examples
Lesson Plan: Electoral College Map Virtual Scavenger Hunt (Clips with Activities)
Lesson Plan: Evaluating Historical Presidential Campaign Ads (15 Clips)
Lesson Plan: The Expansion of Voting in the United States (10 Clips)
Video Clip: The History of Federal Voting Laws (2:24)
Bell Ringer: History of the Presidential Primary System (7:08)
Bell Ringer: Political Coverage of Candidates (6:23)
Bell Ringer: The Election of 1860 (2:15)
Bell Ringer: The 1968 Democratic National Convention (4:06)
Lesson Plan: Comparing the 1934 and 2002 Midterm Elections (2 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Politics in 1968 (20 Clips)
Lesson Plan: The 1980 Election: A Study in Pathos (5 Clips)
Lesson Plan: 1994 Midterm Elections and The Contract with America (5 Clips)
Lesson Plan: The 2000 Election and the Bush v. Gore Supreme Court Case (6 Clips)
Lesson Plan: Russian Social Media Interference & the 2016 Election (15 Clips)
Fundraising and Campaign Finance
Lesson Plan: Campaign Fundraising: An Investigation (8 Clips & Slides)
Lesson Plan: The Impact of Citizens United v. FEC (7 Clips)
Video Clip: Campaign Finance Laws and Enforcement (5:41)
Video Clip: Reducing the Impact of Fundraising in Congress (2:44)
Bell Ringer: Presidential Campaign Fundraising Regulations (3:23)
Bell Ringer: The Impact of Citizens United v. FEC (3:56)
Bell Ringer: Restrictions on Super PACs and Candidates (1:56)
Bell Ringer: Buckley v. Valeo and Campaign Finance Reform (2:47)
Bell Ringer: Quid Pro Quo Rules and Campaign Contributions (4:27)
Bell Ringer: Time Spent Fundraising in Congress (3:38)