The 119th U.S. Congress convened for the first time on 3 January. Although the Republican Party achieved the “trifecta” of the Presidency and majorities in both houses of Congress in the November elections, divisions within the party mean it won’t be simple to pass legislation. The Republicans have a five seat majority in the Senate … Continue reading “New Congress, New Challenges”
On Monday, 20 January, Donald Trump will become the 47th President of the United States at his second Inauguration in Washington D.C. What does the Inauguration involve, who participates, and what does it cost? The first Inauguration was George Washington’s in New York in 1789. The newly independent United States hadn’t built its new federal … Continue reading “Everything You Need to Know About: U.S. Presidential Inaugurations”
After nine years at the head of the country, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stepped down as leader of the Canadian Liberal Party on Monday, following months of internal struggles in the party. His resignation may have come too late to allow his successor to successfully lead a campaign for re-election, which must be held by … Continue reading “Justin Trudeau Resigns as Canadian PM”
Ireland had a general election on 29 November but isn’t expected to have a government until the new year. The government is likely to be another coalition led by the two historical centrist parties Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, with at least one other partner. After the last election in 2020, it took five months … Continue reading “Voting in Ireland”
As the American presidential election approaches, the film The Apprentice, is set to debut in French theaters on October 9th. This feature film explores the early career of Donald Trump, the former U.S. President and current Republican candidate, in the ruthless world of New York real estate in the 1970s and 80s. A Remarkable Transformation … Continue reading “The Apprentice: A Controversial Biopic on Donald Trump”
On 15 July, Donald Trump announced his running mate for the 5 November presidential election: Senator J.D. Vance. The new Republican candidate for Vice-President is a conservative serving his first term in the Senate and a former critic of Trump. James David Vance grew up poor in the mid-west, in Ohio, although his family roots … Continue reading “U.S Election: J.D. Vance”
The British Labour Party won a landslide victory in the general election on 4 July. Labour Leader Keir Starmer was named Prime Minister on 5 July, replacing the Conservatives’ Rishi Sunak. Labour, which had been ahead in opinion polls for the last couple of years, was forecast to win but the results are even better … Continue reading “Labour Wins a Landslide in the U.K.”
On 4 July, British citizens will vote in a general election. It is widely expected that the Conservative Party, which has been in power for 14 years, will be defeated. British voters knew they would be called to the polls for a general election at some point in 2024 but Prime Minister Rishi Sunak surprised … Continue reading “The UK Goes to the Polls”
General elections in the U.K. have a lot in common with French legislative elections. Here are some resources on the British system that can help pupils think about democracy and compare and contrast the British and French systems. The video on this page has a 1-minute explanation of how a general election works, written for … Continue reading “Teaching About the UK Electoral System”
The two main candidates for the 2024 U.S. Presidential election will participate in a TV debate on 27 June, months earlier than in usual campaign years. Donald Trump and Joe Biden aren’t even officially the Republican and Democratic candidates yet: that will happen when their parties hold their national conventions, from 15 July for the … Continue reading “Biden and Trump Debate”