Current Issues

Choosing Candidates by Party or Issues

The partisan and sometimes divisive nature of current American politics and our civic discourse has been the subject of recent news stories and editorials. What is the origin of this? What can be done? What is the best way to teach students the role of political parties and party loyalty and some of the concerns that might accompany this approach? How can students become more media literate? Here are a few resources for all ages that help facilitate discussion and learning.

• The Pew Research Center has several studies on political polarization. Best for High School aged students.
• “How We Should Choose People for Positions of Authority.” Adapted for upper elementary and middle school.
• Teaching about elections and controversial issues is inherently difficult. Additional, resources to help teachers navigate potential problems can be found on the Teacher Resources page under the “Teaching the Election in a Highly Partisan Era” workshop.

Is It Preferable For One Party To Control Both the Legislative and Executive Branches?

Our government is based on the principle of limited government. Built into the Constitution is a system of checks and balances, with each branch having several means to restrain the others. As a result, democracies are often not as “efficient” as other forms of government, but that is outweighed by protections against one branch assuming excessive power. The question before students is whether it is preferable to have both Congress and the presidency controlled by members of the same party, thus increasing the chances of enacting one party’s policies, or whether it is better to have each branch controlled by different parties to prevent legislative or executive “overreach”.

• A lesson exploring the intent of the Founders regarding the relationship between Congress and the president can be found in Congress, the President, and the Constitution: Then and Now, from the United States Capitol Historical Society. A lesson on the role of the president in our government can be found in The President’s Role and Responsibilities from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
• For lessons on how Congress functions with influence from political parties, see PBS – Structure of Congress and the National Archives – What Congress Does and Why It Matters. These lessons are suitable for secondary students. The Dirksen Congressional Center provides information regarding What Every Student Should Know About Congress.
• The National Endowment for the Humanities provides a middle school lesson on checks and balances, Balancing Three Branches at Once: Our System of Checks and Balances.

Third Party

Nothing in the Constitution mandates a two-party system, but one has evolved throughout American history. Third parties have arisen when a substantial portion of the electorate feels that their interests and concerns are not represented by the dominant parties. However, third parties seldom succeed at the polls and eventually find their issues eventually addressed by the major parties. Currently, there is some dissatisfaction with the two dominant parties, and students are asked to consider whether the United States would benefit from the rise of a strong third party capable of making an impact on elections.

For a history of the rise of the two-party system and the impact of third parties, see resources and lesson plans from PBS NewsHour, History Channel, Schooltastic, and UVA Today.