Posts

Revision class on 28 May

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Below are the things I'd like you to do before we meet on Thursday 1. Here are a few videos related to voting rights in the USA. Why American voter registrations are disappearing   How Your Vote Might Be Blocked in 2020 Voter suppression and the 2018 midterms | Pod Save America You can also check the meaning and tactics of 'voter suppression' on Wikipedia. 2.  Watch these two TED talks by a Harvard law professor, who analyses the American democracy. There is some overlap between them, which may help you understand and remember his main claims. Lawrence Lessig Equal we are not Our democracy no longer represents the people. Here's how we fix it | Larry Lessig 3. A n d here are the questions that refer back to what we talked about this term. We're going to discuss them when we meet on Thursday. Who votes for Trump and what are their motivations? How is the American south different from the north? What are the historical causes of this divide? What other...
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Videos for 24 April - gerrymandering

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We've already looked at how the US Congress is elected. Let's get to know a concept without which it's hard to understand some election results in the US - gerrymandering. Watch the videos in the order in which they are numbered. 1.  Gerrymandering explained 2.  Gerrymandering with John Oliver
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US presidents

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Below are links to two videos about the US best and worst presidents. Please watch them before our class on Friday 17 April. Top 10 US presidents Five worst US presidents
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Trump - 7 videos (some funny, some not)

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Here is a selection of videos for you to watch (and not necessarily enjoy). When you watch, try to keep this question at the back of your mind: why would American people want to vote for him? 2015 - Why would Trump make a terrible president 2016 - Compilation of things Trump said during his presidential campaign 2017 - Trump lies 2017 - John Oliver - Trump & Truth 2017 - John Oliver - The Trump Presidency 2017 - Why comedians are the best in covering Trump 2019 - the background for Trump's impeachment
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US Presidential Elections - questions

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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...
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US Presidential Elections

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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 20...
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Videos to watch for Friday 6 Dec

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Below are the links to three classic Monty Python sketches. If you haven't heard about the Monty Python group, look them up on Wikipedia. Dead Parrot Argument Clinic Silly Walks
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