Thursday, 19 March 2020

US Presidential Elections - questions

Make sure you can answer the questions below. Most of the answers are included in the videos but in some cases (e.g. funding or individual candidates) you need to do your own research.


Questions
1.       How are presidential elections in the US organised: how are the candidates selected, who votes, how are votes counted?
2.       Are presidential elections in the US democratic, i.e. does every vote count?
3.       What are presidential primaries? What is their aim? How are they organised?
4.       Why is Iowa an important state in Democratic primaries?
5.       What is Super Tuesday? Why is it an important day?
6.       What can you say about the candidates who have so far taken part in the run for the Democratic nomination: Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Elisabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg? Who are they? What are their political views?
7.       How do presidential candidates in the US fund their campaigns?
8.       What is impeachment? When can a president of the US be impeached? What does the process of impeachment look like?
9.       Which presidents have been impeached after World War II? On what grounds were they impeached? Why was none of them removed from office?

Wednesday, 18 March 2020

US Presidential elections

While the school is suspended, let's keep up with our programme on US politics.
Below are a few videos you should watch with short descriptions of what you'll learn from them. 
Tomorrow I'll upload a list of questions that I expect you to be able to answer. You can use the people responsible for the relevant presentations to become your experts. 

1. Videos explaining how presidential elections are organised: how the candidates are chosen, how the votes are counted and who wins
Electing the president in the US
Electoral College
2. Videos about how the primaries (the process of selecting the candidates by political parties: Democrats and Republicans) work
US Primaries by Vox
US Primaries by The Economist
3. A video explaining when the president of the US can be impeached and how the process looks and gives some historical examples of impeached presidents
Impeachment by Vox

Also, get acquainted with the main candidates who still count in the 2020 Presidential Elections: Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders. Find out what programmes they have, what their views are on social matters, economy, foreign policy and what chances thay have. Use YouTube to find interviews, debates and expert opinions about them.
Donald Trump (the Republican candidate) will be dealt with separately.