Mock General Election

Friday November 30, 2012 – Periods 2, 3, 6, 7

   For this activity, students represent states and are no longer members of a particular party. Therefore, they can choose a candidate from either party based on their own beliefs about the campaign issues and which candidates would be better for the offices of president and vice president.

During the campaigning session, the presidential and vice presidential nominees and their campaigners will crisscross the nation to meet voters. Candidate teams should consider and discuss this question. Which states should we focus on in our campaign, and why? Candidate teams will have 15 minutes for this campaign session. Presidential and vice presidential nominees can visit as many states as they want, together or separately, to encourage those states to vote for them. When a nominee makes a campaign stop, he or she can talk to multiple states in the area. No state can stop a nominee as he or she is traveling. A nominee is free to visit the states he or she chooses and may visit some states more than once or not at all.

At the end of the campaign session, students voted one candidate for the office of president and vice president. The percentage of the vote that each presidential/vice presidential candidate received was quickly calculate and the outcome of the popular vote was revealed to the class. The candidate students voted for in the popular vote happens to be the candidate who received the majority of votes in the state they represented. Therefore, that candidate will receive all the electoral votes from that state. Their electoral votes was tallied them and the candidate receiving the majority of electoral votes was announced as the winner.

Unit Test

Thursday Novembe 29, 2012 – Periods 2, 3, 6, 7

   Test today on interest groups, political parties, and campaigning.

Mock Presidential Debate

Wednesday November 28, 2012 – Periods 2, 3, 6, 7

   Today’s mock presidential debate was about domestic and foreign policy issues and followed the format of three 10-minute segments with two-minute answers for the first question, then an open discussion for the remainder of each segment between the two candidates. The segments were on health care, the role of government and governing, and foreign policy, with an emphasis throughout on differences, specifics and choices of the two candidates. Both candidates will also have two-minute closing statements at the end of the debate.

Presidential Leadership

Tuesday November 27, 2012 – Periods 2, 3, 6, 7

   Today we learned that the president is often viewed as the most powerful national leader in the world. However, at one time, U.S. presidents held far less power. During the 1800s, presidents acted mainly as “chief clerks.” Other than carrying out the will of Congress, they had little authority other than those powers explicitly granted by the Constitution. Since the end of World War II, the presidency has been powerful, no matter who was in the White House. By the 1970s, critics of presidential power voiced concerns about the rise of an “imperial presidency,” meaning presidents acted more like emperors than constitutional leaders.

Public expectations, national crises, and changing national and world conditions have required the presidency to become a strong office. Underlying this development is the public support the president recieves from being the only nationally elected official. The president’s election by national vote and position as sole chief executive ensure that others will listen to his ideas. But to lead effectively, the president must have the help of other officials, and to get their help, he must respond to their interests as they respond to his. Presidential influence on national policy is highly variable. Whether presidents succeed or fail in getting their policies enacted depends heavily on the force of circumstance, the stage of their presidency, partisan support in Congress, and the foreign or domestic nature of the policy issue.

To retain an effective leadership position, the president also depends on the strong backing of the American people. While many presidents have high support ratings early in their administrations, these ratings invariably decline due to disappointment, scandal, or general disillusionment. Unfortunately, the public expects far more from the president than he can deliver. The media is also a problem here, as it tends to dwell on “negative spin” regarding presidential “broken promises” or difficulties rather than what the president has actually accomplished.

Executive Branch Vocab

Monday November 2, 2012 – Periods 2, 3, 6, 7

Thanksgiving

Thursday November 22,2012

Parent Teacher Conference

Wednesday November 21, 2012

   Thank you parents, for your support.

Progress Report

Tuesday November 20, 2012

  Progress report grades have been posted on Student Assist.

Presidential Election Prep

Monday November 19. 2012 – Periods 2, 3, 6, 7

  The presidential and vice presidential nominees from each party selected a third person to campaign with them. This could be a former candidate from their party who will try to get his or her former supporters to vote for the nominee, a well-known member of their party, or just someone who will be an effective campaigner. Each of the remaining students was assigned to a state. Both large and small states are represented.

Mock Primary Election

Friday November 16, 2012 – Periods 2, 3, 6, 7

  After campaigning for the party’s nomination, today was time for the primary elections. Primaries serve to select delegates to each party’s national convention, who will then choose the party’s nominee. Each candidate had 30-60 seconds to summarize why he or she should be the next president. Then members of the candidate groups received ballots for the mock State Primaries according to the political affiliations of their candidates. Democratic ballots and Republican ballots were collected and tallied and the name and the percentage of votes each Democratic candidate and each Republican candidate were displayed. Each party’s candidate with the highest percentage of votes was identified. The presidential and vice presidential nominees from each party selected a third person to campaign with them. This person might be a former candidate from their party who will try to get his or her former supporters to vote for the nominee, a well-known member of their party, or just someone who will be an effective campaigner.