Campaign Pain
How long was The most recent U.S. presidential election campaign?
Source: NPR
AP US Government and Politics Resources
How accurate was your prediction?
How surprised are you by this information?
What questions do you have about this information?
What do you think the ideal campaign length would be?
What story does this data tell about American presidential campaigns?
What is one cause of America's almost constant presidential campaigns?
List one negative consequence of long American presidential campaigns:
List one positive consequence of long American presidential campaigns:
Who benefits from such a long presidential campaign?
We are 271 days away from the 2020 presidential election. How does that make you feel?
How would this year's election have been different had it been limited to 100 days?
Are there any traits in presidential candidate that can only be tested and revealed by having long presidential campaigns?
Many countries have legally mandated limits on campaign lengths. Imagine that the U.S. passed a law limiting the 2016 election to 12 days (like Japan). In the comments section, describe what this new shortened campaign would be like:
John Delaney was the first major Democratic candidate to announce his campaign on July 28, 2017-the same year Trump was sworn in to office. Do you think there should be a law limiting when candidates can announce their presidential bid?
What do you think the impact of such a long presidential campaign is on voter turnout?
Do the math. How did this year’s campaign length compare to 2020?
HOw are you feeling about the state of american politics right now?
Would it be fair to call this year’s election a campain??????
Learning Extension
Listen to the entire NPR story on the length of the permanent campaign for U.S. president.
Action Extension
Depending on your opinion of the length of U.S. presidential elections, complete one of the following:
1-Contact your congressional representative and ask them to propose a law limiting the length of U.S. presidential elections
2-Write a letter to the editor of a major newspaper in your state explaining the benefits of our long U.S. presidential campaigns.
