We had got used to election results that took days or weeks to arrive. Not this time. It came clear in the night after polling stations closed that Donald Trump would be returning to the White House, this time as the 47th President of the U.S.A. Although the final results won’t be in for weeks, … Continue reading “Back to the White House”
The donkey and elephant are the famous symbols of the Democratic and Republican Parties in the U.S. But how did these two animals become linked to the parties? Did the parties choose them through votes or laws? Surprisingly, these symbols came from jokes and political cartoons. Here’s the story of how it all happened. Democrats: … Continue reading “Political Icons: The Donkey and the Elephant”
Back at the beginning of 2024, it looked like this year’s presidential race was going to be very predictable, and somewhat boring, a replay of 2020. Boy, was that wrong! One candidate, Joe Biden, pulled out after a disastrous first TV debate, which was held untraditionally before the summer. Another, Donald Trump, has been the … Continue reading “The Rocky Road to the White House”
Who will get out and vote, and for whom, in the U.S. Presidential elections? There has been a lot of interest recently in celebrities endorsing one or other of the tickets. Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and Elon Musk’s endorsements of Harris-Walz and Trump-Vance respectively have made headlines. Celebrity endorsements of candidates are nothing new: Warren … Continue reading “Getting Out the Vote”
It’s not been the most typical U.S. electoral year, with the primaries counting less than usual in the process, and the late withdrawal of Joe Biden as the Democratic candidate. This article explains the basic system of how the U.S. President is elected and focuses on the 2024 candidates now they are finally settled, quickly … Continue reading “How to Elect a U.S. President”
As of 21 January, Nikki Haley is the only opponent to Donald Trump in the Republican Presidential primaries. Who is the former South Carolina governor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations? Born Nimrata Nikki Randhawa in South Carolina in 1972, Haley, 51, is the daughter of Indian Sikh immigrants. She worked in the family … Continue reading “U.S Election: Nikki Haley”
The electoral process for a U.S. President is long, with many candidates declaring their campaigns six or even 12 months before primary season opens in January. But this year, the primaries could lack suspense, with one incumbent candidate, President Joe Biden for the Democrats, and one Republican, Donald Trump dominating that party’s primary process despite … Continue reading “On the Election Road: U.S.A. 2024”
Traditionally, the U.S. presidential election primary season starts off not with a primary but with a caucus. What’s the difference? Both primaries and caucuses are a way to choose candidates for a party’s election campaign. Not only party members vote – all voters can choose to register as Democrat or Republican when they sign up … Continue reading “Caucus vs Primary”
After four days of tense waiting, demonstrations and threats of legal challenge, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris emerged as the next President and Vice-President of the United States on Saturday 7 November. In the absence of a national election body, it was the media organisation Associated Press which called wins for the Democratic ticket in … Continue reading “Finally…. a Result”
One of the big battles in the U.S. elections is getting people to vote. Which starts with getting them registered. These videos are a great teaching resource. In 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, only about 70 per cent of citizens were registered to vote. Of those, however, about 86 per cent actually voted … Continue reading “U.S. Youth Vote Videos”