Learning Pathway: Election 2020
Building Democracy For All is designed so that teachers and students can follow different Learning Pathways as they explore the material in the book. Rather than proceeding sequentially through a list of civics and government curriculum standards, Learning Pathways invite a thematic approach. In addition Election 2020, other learning pathways include: Student Rights, Influential Women, Black Lives Matter, Media Literacy, and Current Events.
The 2020 Presidential election is being called the most consequential election in modern times. The coronavirus pandemic, partisan divides between people and political parties, Black Lives Matter protests, an economic recession that may lead to a second Great Depression, and looming environmental disasters are contributing to uncertainty about the future of American democracy. Our Election 2020 Learning Pathway provides teachers and students with resources for studying the election as well as the institutions of government that must function for that election to happen.
Additionally, we designed an Election 2020 choice board featuring a higher-order thinking activities and exploration of the learning pathway chapters (click here to make your own copy of the choice board).
College of Education, University of Massachusetts Amherst. Licensed under CC BY NC ND 4.0
Latest Additions to the Learning Pathway
October 29
- Do Celebrity Endorsements Matter in Voting?
October 15
October 9
- 2020 LGBTQ Candidate Demographic Report from Out on the Trail (October 2020)
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- 1006 LGBTQ candidates ran for office in 2020; 574 are on the November ballot
- California, Florida and Texas have the most LGBTQ candidates
- For more, link to Electing LGBTQIA Legislators in this eBook
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October 3
- How to Vote in the 2020 Election: A State-by-State Voting Guide from FiveThiryEight with Voting by Mail rules for each state
October 2
- Alexander Keyssar 2020 book, Why Do We Still Have the Electoral College? and proposals from Election Reform are discussed in Presidential Elections and the Electoral College.
September 1
- Facebook and Twitter claim that Russian Intelligence Services are Targeting the 2020 Presidential Election
August 28
August 17
- Dodger Stadium Will Be First MLB Ballpark as a Voting Center
- This arrangement was negotiated with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the state of California by More Than a Vote, a nonprofit founded by LeBron James. MLB, NBA, NFL stadiums are potentially great voting hubs since they are often located in cities, have parking or public transportation, and offer lots of space for social distancing.
- Connect to eBook ENGAGE: How to Get More People, Especially Young People, to Vote
August 15
- Voting from Ancient Athens to Modern America, a teacher-designed learning plan by Erich Leaper added to eBook Topic 4/Standard 5 on Citizen Participation in the Electoral Process.
August 14
- How to Vote in the 2020 Election: A State-by-State Guide from FiveThirtyEight blog.
- Includes states from those where:
- Everyone can vote by mail and ballots are automatically mailed to every voter to states;
- Everyone can vote by mail and mail-in ballot applications are automatically mailed to voters;
- Everyone can vote by mail but nothing is automatically mailed to voters;
- Voting by mail requires a valid excuse (and the pandemic does not count).
- Includes states from those where:
- 2020 Election Forecast from FiveThirtyEight (August 12, 2020)
- FiveThirtyEight ran 40,000 election simulations. Biden won about 71% of the contests.
- Interactive Presidential Forecast Map from FiveThirtyEight
- In mid-October, Biden is winning 87% of the simulated contests
Building Democracy for All Chapters
UNDERSTANDING UNITED STATES ELECTIONS
- Presidential Elections and the Electoral College
- The Party System and the Causes and Consequences of Third Parties
- Town Meetings as a Form of Local Government
- Native American Tribal Governments
- Should the United States Adopt Instant Runoff/Ranked Choice Voting?
- Can a Woman Be Elected President or Vice President of the U.S.?
VOTING RIGHTS AND VOTER SUPPRESSION
- Who Votes and Who Does Not Vote in the United States
- Secret Ballots, Poll Taxes, Literacy Tests and Voter Restriction Laws
- How to Get More People to Vote, Especially Young People to Vote?
- Includes Voting Reform Proposals including Universal Mail-In Voting
ELECTION-RELATED ISSUES
- Should 16 or 17 Year-Olds Be Allowed to Vote?
- Should Voters Join a Political Party?
- Should Facebook and Other Technology Companies Regulate Political Content on Their Social Media Platforms?
- Should More States Adopt Part-Time Citizen Legislatures?
HISTORY OF U.S. ELECTIONS