Explore how practicing civic virtues reinforces the Founding principles and shapes political parties, voting, media, and civil society.

How can a community balance diverse needs and interests to achieve a solution that reflects the will of We the People?

Explore how modern campaigns utilize more than policies to elect candidates.

How do PACS and super PACs aid in financing political campaigns?

How do the components of the U.S. presidential electoral process function and rely on active political participation by citizens?

How do the different methods of federal elections work?

How has the expansion of voting rights helped shape and secure participation in democracy?

What factors influence voter participation?

Helps students explore how local associations and groups in civil society work together to solve community problems and encourage civic engagement.

Guide students understanding of who participates most often in the democratic process through voting.

How well do interest groups represent the voices, concerns, and needs of citizens while working to connect the people and the government?

What significant role(s) does the media play in democracy?

What impact do television and digital media have on presidential elections?

How have various forms of news media provided citizens with information necessary for self-governance?

Explore how the oversaturation of available information and likelihood of bias impacts how we should approach media.

How have various forms of media provided citizens with political information and influenced the ways in which people participate politically?

Help students understand how the primary system has shaped modern political dynamics.

The text pf Theodore Roosevelt's "New Nationalism" speech from 1910 and questions to guide students in examining how it influenced American political thought.

Excerpted text of Alexis de Tocqueville's "Democracy in America" with corresponding comprehension questions.

Explore the modern and historical political parties to understand their foundational positions, key policies, and roles in American politics.

Analyzes the Electoral College through primary sources, including Madison's Federalist #39, Article II of the Constitution, and the Twelfth Amendment.

A look at this primary source that explores how a large country helps prevent a single tyrannical majority from forming.

Examine the the role of money in American politics. 

Help students explain how the financing of national political campaigns affects the election process.

The Supreme Court case Citizens United v. FEC (2010) serves as the primary source for this case study, providing a pivotal ruling on campaign finance and the role of money in elections.

The text of the Constitution and corresponding analysis questions that explore it's provisions for elections.

Examine how candidates have used media and technology to shape their campaigns and connect with voters throughout history.

Three primary sources showcase how media technology, from television ads like Eisenhower's "I Like Ike" to Clinton's appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show and Trump's Twitter usage, have been pivotal in shaping presidential candidates' public images and connecting directly with voters.

Explore the history of political parties from the Founding Era to modern day.

Explore the expansion of franchise and suffrage movements from the Colonial Era to Barack Obama.