OLE Election Series

Obama’s Second Term Begins

Leann Davis Alspaugh — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 20:18:01 +0000

President Barack Obama begins his second term on Inauguration Day, Monday, January 21, 2013—the day the nation also celebrates the legacy of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. The 2009 inauguration set many records and drew some 1.8 million people to Washington, D.C., to witness the historic event. The second inauguration is expected to be on a somewhat smaller scale, but just as grand.

A Rocky Road

The weeks since Election Day 2012 have been rocky, with the president’s approval rating first plunging and then rising to a new high. The president and Congress stopped just short of the edge of the fiscal cliff with a new tax agreement that has already begun hitting Americans’ wallets. Obama and lawmakers also passed the long-awaited Hurricane Sandy relief bill, although not without some controversy. In the wake of the December shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, the president has signed executive orders that promise a new era of gun control. In addition to nominating new staffers, the president has hosted foreign heads of state and awarded the Medal of Honor to its fourth living recipient.

National Day of Service

As he did at the beginning of his first term, Obama opens inauguration festivities with the National Day of Service. On Saturday, January 19, the president and his family will join others around the nation to participate in service projects in their communities. Obama has long promoted volunteering, expanding programs like AmeriCorps and initiating Serve.gov as a clearinghouse for volunteer opportunities.

Two Swearing-in Ceremonies

According to the White House, the first terms for President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden officially end at noon on Sunday, January 20. At that time, they will each be sworn in for second terms in a small, private ceremony. Tradition says that if the swearing-in occurs on a Sunday that there will be a separate, public swearing-in ceremony the next day. At the ceremony on Monday, January 21, President Obama will join predecessors Reagan, Eisenhower, Wilson, Hayes, Taylor, and Monroe, all of whom had second swearing-in ceremonies.

Watch It Happen

Public viewing areas for the inauguration ceremony and the Inaugural Parade will be available on the National Mall. If you can’t make it to Washington, follow the action on television or via live feeds at news show websites or on Facebook and Twitter. Numerous Inauguration Week parties and balls will take place in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Northern Virginia. Many of these parties will feature special musical performances and honor distinguished Americans from legislators and teachers to activists and military personnel.

Inauguration Fun Facts

Download our Inauguration Fun Facts poster for more information on this presidential tradition.

More Information

C-Span’s Inauguration coverage The White House website Inaugural Facts and Firsts, Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies Inauguration 2013 By the Numbers, Huffington Post District of Columbia’s Inauguration 2013—general information

Citizen Journalists Winners Announced

Leann Davis Alspaugh — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 23:21:42 +0000

Here at the OLE Election series, we’re pleased to announce the winners of our Citizen Journalists contest. This contest invited students to submit blogs on election-related topics such as the importance of voting, evaluating the candidates, and the value of civic participation. Submissions arrived from middle-school and high-school students around the country. But these three stood out:

First Place

Emily C, Louisville, Kentucky—winner of the podcast kit

Emily’s blog “Show You Care: Vote!” reminded us that how you vote today determines the future for generations.

Second Place

Brittany G, Louisville, Kentucky—winner of the video kit

Brittany’s blog “The Vote Is Where Everything Begins” used women’s suffrage and the civil rights movement to emphasize the importance of every single vote.

Third Place

Jennifer B, Phoenix, Arizona—winner of the Citizenship Activity Pack: Agents of Change DVD

In her blog “View on Politics,” Jennifer gave us a summary of the presidential candidates.

We also want to thank all the teachers who encouraged their students to visit OLE Election 2012 and participate in the Citizen Journalists contest. To paraphrase one of our Citizen Journalists—voting is where it all begins!

Like what you see?

In addition to the resources found on OLE Community, you can also get a Free 30 Day Trial of Pearson's Online Learning Exchange. Access more premium content, classroom management and assessment tools for creating authentic learning experiences.

Flocabulary’s Hip-Hop in the Classroom Presents “The Week in Rap – Election Edition”

OLE — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 17:43:06 +0000

It would have been tough for anyone in America to not hear about the 2012 elections, especially the contest between President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts. While there is always a great deal of media coverage and noise around modern presidential elections, it can be difficult to get unbiased, objective, fact-based information about the candidates, their policies, and even poll results. Even now, with President Obama reelected for a second term, the two main political parties continue to “spin” the results. How can students get a straightforward, concise summary of what happened? With Flocabulary!

About Flocabulary

Flocabulary is an online learning platform that delivers educational hip-hop songs and videos to students in grades K–12. Founded in 2004, Flocabulary is now used in over 15,000 schools and reaches a weekly audience of 5 million students. Their mission is to motivate students and help them reach their full academic potential, not only by raising test scores, but also by fostering a love of learning in every child. Their award-winning songs, videos, and accompanying lessons are proven to engage students and raise scores on state reading tests. Just in time for the election, Flocabulary released a new video, “I’ll Be the President.” In the wake of President Barack Obama’s victory, Flocabulary is proud to present a special Election Edition of their Week in Rap current events series.

"The Week in Rap - Election Edition"

[jwplayer config="myplayer" html5_file="http://olecommunity.com/election/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/week-in-rap-november-9-2012-media.mp4" download_file="http://olecommunity.com/election/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Flocabulary_PresidentialVideo.mp4"]

Flocabulary Coming to OLE

Pearson Education is pleased to announce a partnership with Flocabulary that will bring their innovative Week in Rap current events videos into classrooms via Online Learning Exchange. Stay tuned to OLE Community or the OLE home page for further announcements on this new partner course.

American Youth Vote Obama

Dale Anderson — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 19:20:23 +0000

After much debate about an “enthusiasm gap” among young voters prior to the 2012 election, turnout among this group seems to have been comparable to that in 2008. And these young voters played an important role in reelecting President Barack Obama.

Youth Turnout in 2012

According to the Tufts University’s Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), just under half of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 voted in Tuesday’s election. CIRCLE’s estimate of 49.3 percent turnout for young voters is likely to increase slightly when all votes are finally tallied. The estimate—calculated from the independent Edison Research exit polling service s—compares the share of voters to the number of eligible voters of the target age, not the number of registered voters. Young voters accounted for 19 percent of the electorate, 1 percent higher than four years ago. This was the highest share of any election.

Youth Vote Decisive

According to exit polls, young voters overwhelming backed Obama, giving him a 60 percent to 37 percent edge over challenger Mitt Romney. While this share is down slightly from the 66 percent the president won in 2008, these young voters may in fact have given Obama his reelection victory. CIRCLE calculates that if the two candidates had split the youth vote 50-50 in four key battleground states—Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia—Romney would have won those states and the election. (Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia were all won by Obama. The president leads in Florida and seems likely to win that state, though the final tally is not yet in.)

Youth Vote Upsurge

According to CIRCLE, the youth vote has hovered around 50 percent in each of the last three elections after being closer to 40 percent in 1996 and 2000. Whether young voters would turn out in numbers comparable to 2004 and 2008 was a matter of some debate before the election. A Harvard University Institute of Politics study released just before the election suggested less enthusiasm among young voters in 2012 compared to 2008. The survey found a 13 percent drop in registration among young respondents and a 15 percent drop in the number of youths who said they would definitely vote.

The New Normal

If the CIRCLE turnout estimate proves correct, the expected “enthusiasm gap” didn’t materialize. CIRCLE director Peter Levine concludes, “Young people are energized and committed voters. Youth turnout of around 50% is the ‘new normal’ for presidential elections.” Heather Smith, president of the youth voting organization Rock the Vote, agrees. In a prepared statement, she said, “This proves that any campaign that ignores young voters does so at its own peril.”

The Civics Gap

While an enthusiastic youth voting bloc clearly had an impact on this election, it is equally notable that a significant portion of this group simply didn’t care enough to vote. A recent study shows that educators aren’t doing all they can to teach students to value their unique rights as American citizens. CIRCLE has recently completed a study analyzing “the standards, course requirements, and mandatory assessments relevant to civic education in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia.” The study revealed that civics themes of power, government, and authority appear in the social studies standards for all states and the District. However, in the 2012–2013 school year, only 21 states have a social studies assessment test that would include civics, down from what had been 34 states in 2001. This fact seems to indicate what Gary Schmitt, Director of the American Enterprise Institute Program on American Citizenship, and Cheryl Miller, Program Manager, refer to as “the considerable gap between states’ goals and their execution. Virtually all states have established standards that should be part of any serious civics curriculum, but only eight require an assessment of civics or American government. The results are plain to see: National tests of civics knowledge indicate that schools are failing to impart basic information to students—and future voters—about their country’s history and how its government works. To be sure, imparting content knowledge is just one part of an effective civic education. However, one could ask what is the likelihood of students developing the civic values, behaviors, and skills they need without the solid foundation of knowledge on which these values and habits securely rest?” Cheryl Miller, an OLE Election series guest blogger, also wrote about the importance of civics education here in September. “Civics—the skills of democratic participation—has been largely sidelined,” Miller wrote, “as policy makers and educators have focused their attention on graduation rates and reading and math scores.”

Increasing Civic Learning

Academics, authors, educators, and students all agree that citizenship—America’s political history and founding documents, civic values, civic participation, voting, and understanding how government works—is not being covered as it should in America’s schools. Chicago twelfth-grader Christopher Tso noted a newfound interest in social studies and civics, saying, “To me, social studies is very interesting and it is like a story. Illinois should require students to be educated on civics so students can learn how they can play a part in their community and government.” “The goal of education in this country is effective preparation of all students for success in college, career and Citizenship. Clearly, we must pay more attention to Civic Learning!” declared Ted McConnell, executive director for Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools. Here at the OLE Election series, we’ve covered not only Election 2012, but also how to teach the election. Our classroom activities are high-impact resources that will help your students learn valuable civics skills such as evaluating leadership, debating, recognizing media bias, and volunteering. Our free Classroom Activity Pack contains three classroom activities on identifying political roots and attitudes, evaluating leadership, and how to vote. These complete teaching materials include the video adventures of the Agents of Change, teacher’s guides, and downloadable worksheets. The OLE Election series blog offers still more activities such as how to read state ballot measures, debating environmental issues, analyzing political ads, and identifying bias in the media. Social studies teachers know that the classroom is the ideal place to introduce tomorrow’s voters to the knowledge they need to ensure their participation in and understanding of democratic government. Bring OLE along to educate these citizens of tomorrow today!

More Information

CIRCLE research on civic knowledge, community participation, citizenship, and other related K–12 and higher education topics American Enterprise Institute Program on American Citizenship Campaign for the Civic Mission of Schools iCivics: Activities, lesson plans, and games about civics; founded by Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Rock the Vote Election 2012 full results, RealClearPolitics

How Much Have They Raised and Spent?

Leann Davis Alspaugh — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 17:00:26 +0000

And you thought the 2008 campaign was costly! In inflation-adjusted figures, presidential candidates raised around $1.8 billion in that campaign. This year, spending has been unprecedented not only at the national level, but also at the state level for crucial Senate and House races. If the huge sums raised by Super PACs are factored in (some $300 million), this year’s election campaign will make history, topping around $2 billion in fundraising. Pro-Romney Super PAC American Crossroads raised $79.6 million, and Super PAC Restore Our Future reported an additional $110 million. Obama contributors funding Super PAC Priorities USA raised $62.8 million. According to OpenSecrets.org, using figures from the latest Federal Election Commission report (dated October 25), here are the data on campaign donations and spending for President Barack Obama and GOP challenger Mitt Romney:

More Information

Federal Election Commission, Campaign Finance Disclosure Portal

The People Have Spoken – Obama Reelected 2012

Dale Anderson — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 18:37:52 +0000

The people have spoken and what they said was—more of the same. Yesterday, the American people reelected Democrat Barack Obama as president, returned the Republican majority in the House, and once again gave the Democrats the majority in the Senate. The results reflected a sharply divided electorate.

Obama Reelected

Obama rode a coalition of women, young people, and minority voters—as well as traditional Democratic blue-collar workers in key Midwestern states—to defeat Republican challenger Mitt Romney. Obama’s narrow 50.3 percent to 48.1 percent win in the popular vote gave him a resounding 303 to 206 vote edge in the Electoral College. (Florida’s 29 electoral votes were still unallocated Wednesday morning, when the president led Romney by just over 50,000 votes out of 8.3 million cast in that state. The close margin may trigger Florida’s automatic recount law.) After record campaign spending and a tight race that went into suspended animation when the east coast was hit by Hurricane Sandy and then resumed a frenzied pace in the final week, Americans opted for four more years of Democrat Obama. Obama did not win by as large a popular vote margin as he had in 2008, becoming only the second president, after Woodrow Wilson, to see his share of the popular vote shrink in winning reelection. The president lost two states he had won in 2008, such as Indiana and North Carolina. But other than North Carolina, Romney was unable to wrest any of the battleground states he had hoped to win—Colorado, Florida (if the tentative count holds), Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Virginia, and even running mate Paul Ryan’s home state of Wisconsin.

Concession and Victory

Romney conceded the election in a private phone call to President Obama shortly before one o’clock Wednesday morning. Soon after, he addressed supporters in Boston. Along with thanking his family, running mate Paul Ryan, and his campaign staff and volunteers, he urged Americans to come together: “At a time like this, we can’t risk partisan bickering and political posturing. Our leaders have to reach across the aisle to do the people’s work. And we citizens also have to rise to the occasion.” Obama appeared before cheering supporters in Chicago about an hour later. He gave a warm tribute to Romney and pledged to meet with him to discuss working together to solve the nation’s problems. After thanking his family, staff, and volunteers, the president addressed all Americans: “I believe we can seize this future together because we are not as divided as our politics suggests. We’re not as cynical as the pundits believe. We are greater than the sum of our individual ambitions, and we remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. We are and forever will be the United States of America.”

Republicans Keep the House

As expected, the Republican Party retained its hold on the House of Representatives. The GOP won a solid majority of 233 to 191 seats, with 11 races still undecided. The Republican win guaranteed that Ohio’s John Boehner will return as Speaker. While Boehner sounded conciliatory in saying that the results reflected “a mandate for both parties to find common ground and take steps together to help our economy grow and create jobs,” he also remained adamant in opposition to the president’s plan to raise taxes on the wealthy: “The American people also made clear there's no mandate for raising tax rates.”

Democrats Keep the Senate

The Democrats retained control of the Senate, also as expected. In fact, they were able to increase their majority by two to 54 seats. They retained vulnerable seats in Missouri and Ohio and shook off a loss in Nebraska by winning former Republican seats in Indiana, Maine, and Massachusetts.

Looking Ahead

In the aftermath, pundits and party operatives began analyzing the results and debating what each party will do next. The winners, meanwhile, began to prepare for their next challenge—trying to work out a solution to the “fiscal cliff” that looms on January 1. At issue is about $500 million worth of spending cuts and tax increases, in the form of the end of President George W. Bush’s tax cuts, if Congress cannot agree on a budget before that date. With the White House and House in different hands, the talks should prove interesting.

More Information

RealClearPolitics, full election results Video of Obama’s victory speech Video of Romney’s concession speech RealClearPolitics, full election results for the House RealClearPolitics, full election results for the Senate

It’s Going to Be a Long Election Night

Leann Davis Alspaugh — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 22:38:49 +0000

With some polls closing as early as 6:00 pm, the results of the 2012 Election will soon be trickling in. At this point, there is little that the candidates can do except wait for the results.

How They Spent Election Day

President Obama has been in Chicago most of the day, playing an Election Day game of pick-up basketball. Vice President Joe Biden made an appearance in Ohio after voting in his home district of Wilmington, Delaware, this morning. After voting near his home in Boston, Mitt Romney made last-minute stops in New Hampshire (where he kicked off his campaign), Ohio, and Pennsylvania. He’ll follow the returns from campaign headquarters in Boston. The close competition between Romney and Obama was clear in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire—a “first-vote town” since 1948—where both candidates received five votes each.

Early Voting Up

Early voting is up from 2008. In that election, about 30 percent of the national vote came in early. In this year’s election, that number is up to 40 percent of the national vote. By the last week of October, more than 7 million people had voted. This increase is due to efforts by both campaigns to get out the vote, and some people chose early voting strictly for its convenience.

Five Things to Watch

According to Gerald Seib, Capital Journal columnist at The Wall Street Journal, there are five things to watch for on election night: 1. What will the turnout be? High turnout could be good news for President Obama, while a lower turnout might work in Romney’s favor. 2. What share of the electorate are white voters? Romney wins among white voters, while Obama wins among nonwhite voters, so it is important to understand what percentage of the electorate is white. 3. What’s happening in college towns? Seib says, “The performance of young adults is either Mr. Obama’s secret weapon or his Achilles’ heel.” In 2008, Obama scored big with voters age 18–29, but this year it could be different. 4. What’s happening in Virginia? The saying goes, “As Ohio goes, so goes the nation,” but Seib points out that “Mr. Romney may well need to win Virginia's 13 votes first for Ohio to matter later. Let's assume, for example, that Mr. Romney wins North Carolina, Florida, and Ohio, as well as the swing states of New Hampshire and Colorado. He would still come up four Electoral College votes short of the 270 needed to win without Virginia.” 5. What's happening in key counties in Ohio? The voting outcome in three key counties in Ohio—Hamilton, Wood, and Ottawa—have typically predicted the winning presidential candidate for several elections.

Biden 2016?

Leann Davis Alspaugh — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 15:32:13 +0000

Is Joe Biden planning for 2016? Earlier today in Wilmington, Delaware, the vice president cast his vote and a reporter asked him if it might be the last time he would vote for himself. “I don’t think so,” Biden said. The vice president also told supporters last week in Florida, “you can vote for me in 2016.”

Who might be Biden’s competition for the White House? Hillary Clinton is often mentioned as a likely candidate, but she has said in several interviews that she plans to leave politics after her term as Secretary of State.

Like what you see?

Show You Care: Vote!

Leann Davis Alspaugh — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 23:04:28 +0000

By Emily Grade 11 - Louisville, Kentucky It is important for Americans to vote in the presidential elections because it is a privilege and a chance for citizens to choose a person who they feel will lead the United States in the right direction. The candidate you vote for is the one you want to represent your needs and concerns. Voting shows that the citizens care about the direction in which the country is headed, and this is one way that the citizens can voice their opinion. By voting, citizens are allowed to express publicly their criticism of their government. If you do not vote, you cannot participate fully in the democratic process. When you vote, it is a sign that you feel that democracy is worthwhile and important, and that you want the best for your country. Great effort has been put into citizens receiving the right to vote, especially women. We should not take that for granted during election years as many significant women leaders spent numerous years voicing their opinions and doing everything they could for women to receive the right to vote. Women leaders such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony put all of their time and effort into gaining women the right to vote. Without them, women today might not have the chance to vote. Even today, there are still countries where people are fighting for the right to vote. Women make up 51 percent of America’s population and, with a voting bloc of this size, we can influence the outcome of our leaders. The vote you cast in this upcoming election is a vote for America’s future. Vote for the candidate that you feel will improve the country that your children and grandchildren will live in.

More Information

Barack Obama’s website Mitt Romney’s website OLE Election 2012 FREE Classroom Activity Pack, Casting Your Vote activity Why Is It Important to Vote, The Dirksen Center’s CongressLink.org The Path to the Presidency: Why It Is Important to Vote, Annenberg Classroom Women's Rights Movement in the United States, Infoplease.com

The “Sandy Factor” Still Strong

David Holford — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 22:58:07 +0000

Even before Hurricane Sandy, stormy weather had been a major factor in Election 2012. In August, Tropical Storm Isaac forced a one-day delay in opening the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida. The next month, the threat of severe storms in Charlotte, North Carolina, forced the Democrats to move President Obama’s acceptance speech from an outdoor football stadium back indoors.

Now, with more than one-third of all votes typically cast before Election Day, some political experts are speculating that Sandy and its aftermath could affect who will occupy the White House for the next four years.

Sandy and Early Voting

Some of the nation’s largest concentrations of voters live in the region Sandy struck last week. The storm caused early voting to be suspended in Maryland, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C., as well as in parts of West Virginia and the battleground states of North Carolina and Virginia.

Although voting in most places had resumed by week’s end, the lost days produced long lines in many polling places—as did the efforts of many voters to cast their votes in advance of the coming storm. In Maryland, for example, waits of an hour or more were reported both before Sandy hit and when the polls reopened on Wednesday after it passed.

Studies show that low-commitment voters are more likely to vote early than to go to the polls on Election Day. Studies also show that such voters are more likely to be “undecided”—or to vote Democrat. These factors and the long lines and reduced opportunities that Sandy brought to early voting could alter the outcome of a closely contested presidential race in some of the storm-damaged states.

Sandy and Election Day

Many of the storm-related issues that affected early voting may also affect the turnout on Election Day. Large parts of Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and western Maryland are still without power. Having the electricity to operate voting machines is likely to be a challenge in many areas. New Jersey governor Chris Christie has already advised people to be prepared to vote “old school” with paper ballots.

Election officials have been pressing utility companies to make restoring power to polling places a priority. New York officials are providing emergency generators to some polling sites, but the supply is limited. In New Jersey, National Guard trucks will serve as polling stations in some flood-ravaged towns.

Elsewhere, polling places have been relocated or combined. However, getting information about the new polling place to voters, many of whom themselves may have been forced from their homes, presents additional challenges. Some voters may simply find that rebuilding their lives will have higher priority than going to the polls.

Sandy and Outcomes

In New York and New Jersey, where Sandy had its broadest and greatest impact, the election’s outcome is already pretty clear. These states, along with Maryland and Connecticut, are safe for Obama in the Electoral College even if storm-related factors keep many Democrats from voting. Sandy could affect the outcomes of some tight Senate or House races, however.

There’s also a possibility that low voter turnout in Sandy-hit Democratic strongholds like Philadelphia and Northern Virginia could tip those states into Romney’s column and, in a close race, possibly change the Electoral College outcome.

In any case, never in the nation’s history has a natural disaster occurred so close to a presidential election. Thus the “Sandy factor” will add another element to what already promises to be a suspenseful night of election returns on Tuesday.

More Information

How Sandy Affects Early Voting in Swing States, ABC News

Sandy Contributes to Long Lines for Early Voting, The Weather Channel

Early Voters, and a Hurricane, Change the Rhythm of the Campaign, The New York Times

OLE Election 2012 Classroom Activity, Do We Really Need the Electoral College—Conducting a Poll