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Donkeys and Elephants and Voters, Oh My!

It is a difficult skill for students to recognize government at its national level. Also, the concept of political action, political parties and their role in the democratic process is hard to teach in a conventional way. These hands-on activities are designed to help students journey through politics from its “grass roots” to a national convention through the creation of a new political party and the development of the convention’s national platform.

The Presidential Election of 1824: The Election is in the House

The presidential election of 1824 represents a watershed in American politics. The collapse of the Federalist Party and the illness of the “official candidate” of the Democratic-Republicans led to a slate of candidates who were all Democratic-Republicans. This led to the end of the Congressional Caucus system for nominating candidates, and eventually, the development of a new two-party system in the United States.