Critical Analysis
Find answers to the following questions using the visual above, any links below, your big brain, and your knowledge of American government and politics:
According to the data from the visual above, what state has the highest percentage of its voting-age citizens registered to vote?
According to the data from the visual above, what state has the lowest percentage of its voting-age citizens registered to vote?
One pattern I see in the data is the states that begin with the letter M do pretty well in getting their people registered to vote, and that my beloved Tar Heel state (North Carolina) is doing a sucky job of registration. Why do you think some states do so great and other states do so poorly in voter registration?
Explain why the date from the map above only measures the percentage of citizens who are registered to vote but doesn’t include the percentage of non-citizens who are registered to vote?
Not only does Oregon have the highest voter registration rate it also currently has the highest rates of voter turnout in the entire country. They also currently have the second ranked football team in the USA - Go Ducks! Two factors political scientists point to in their high voting turnout rate are the state’s vote by mail system (everyone in Oregon votes by mail!) and the “motor voter” law that automatically registers people to vote when they get their driver’s license. Who gets to make decisions about the voter registration and voting system that states have?
I’m still mad at my great state of North Carolina. You can do better than this, fellow-citizens! According to the visuals below* what state has the highest percentage of voters registered Republican, and what state or territory has the highest percentage of voters registered Democratic?
What other information that is not included in the visuals above and below would you need to make a prediction about the outcome of the 2024 presidential election?
There is a lot of misinformation out there about voter registration and voting. Michigan U.S. House candidate Tom Barrett is facing a potential investigation from the attorney general of Michigan after his campaign printed the wrong election date in a Black-owned Lansing newspaper called The New Michigan Bulletin. The ad claims election day is Nov. 6 when it’s actually Nov. 5. This is an old voter suppression tactic. How much do you think misinformation and voter suppression efforts will impact the outcome of the 2024 election.
Based on the data above, a student named Booyah said that some states really want their people to vote and others don’t. How would you respond to Booyah’s claim.
There are over 5 million registered Republicans in California - that’s more than the total number of voters in Massachusetts. Make a claim about why all these Republican California voters don’t really matter in the presidential election.
Write and Discuss
Take ten minutes to write about the question at the top of the page and then discuss with your classmates.
Act on your Learning
Automatic voter registration has increased voter registration dramatically, and is a policy currently in about half of states. Despite its name, AVR is not exactly automatic. How it typically works is when someone is getting a driver's license they are registered to vote using the information they gave the DMV. Get in touch with the stupid state or territorial governors and your awful state and territorial legislators and get them to make the registration process easier.
Get Creative
If you wanted your state to have a higher voter registration rate than Oregon - (quack quack) what incentives could you offer the people of your state to get them to register?
Learning More
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Amendments
11
- Feb 29, 2024 First Amendment
- Feb 28, 2024 Second Amendment
- Feb 27, 2024 Fourth Amendment
- Feb 26, 2024 Fifth Amendment
- Feb 19, 2024 Sixth Amendment
- Feb 18, 2024 Seventh Amendment
- Feb 17, 2024 Eighth Amendment
- Feb 9, 2024 Ninth Amendment
- Feb 5, 2024 Tenth Amendment
- Feb 2, 2024 Fourteenth Amendment
- Jun 2, 2021 Twenty Second Amendment
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Foundational Documents
9
- Apr 12, 2024 Declaration of Independence
- Apr 4, 2024 Articles of Confederation
- Apr 3, 2024 The United States Constitution
- Apr 2, 2024 Brutus 1
- Apr 2, 2024 Federalist No. 10
- Apr 2, 2024 Federalist No. 51
- Mar 20, 2024 Federalist No. 70
- Mar 19, 2024 Federalist No. 78
- Aug 5, 2021 Letter From Birmingham Jail
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Supreme Court Cases
14
- Nov 13, 2026 Baker v. Carr (1962)
- Apr 14, 2024 Marbury v. Madison (1803)
- Apr 14, 2024 McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
- Apr 12, 2024 Schenck v. United States (1919)
- Apr 11, 2024 Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
- Apr 8, 2024 Engel v. Vitale
- Apr 7, 2024 Gideon v. Wainwright
- Apr 5, 2024 Tinker v. Des Moines
- Apr 4, 2024 New York Times v. US
- Apr 3, 2024 Wisconsin v. Yoder
- Apr 2, 2024 Shaw v. Reno
- Apr 1, 2024 U.S. v. Lopez
- Mar 30, 2024 Citizens United v. F.E.C.
- Mar 27, 2024 McDonald v. Chicago
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UNIT 1
43
- Nov 13, 2026 Refugee
- Nov 13, 2026 Double Jeopardy
- Nov 13, 2026 Eminent Domain
- Nov 13, 2026 Preemption
- Sep 10, 2026 Social Contract
- Sep 10, 2026 Fiscal Federalism
- Apr 21, 2026 Checks and Balances
- Feb 5, 2025 Impoundment
- Feb 5, 2025 State Capture
- Dec 27, 2024 Tyranny
- Nov 15, 2024 Separation of Powers
- Nov 15, 2024 Framers
- Apr 24, 2024 Referendum
- Apr 11, 2024 Federal Mandate
- Apr 11, 2024 Autocracy
- Apr 4, 2024 Articles of Confederation
- Apr 3, 2024 The United States Constitution
- Apr 2, 2024 Categorical Grant
- Apr 2, 2024 Block Grant
- Apr 2, 2024 Federalist No. 51
- Mar 20, 2024 Commerce Clause
- Mar 19, 2024 Bicameralism
- Mar 12, 2024 Connecticut Compromise/Great Compromise
- Mar 12, 2024 New Jersey Plan
- Mar 7, 2024 Interstate Compact
- Mar 6, 2024 Shays' Rebellion
- Mar 6, 2024 Necessary and Proper Clause
- Mar 5, 2024 Reserved Powers
- Mar 5, 2024 Concurrent Powers
- Mar 5, 2024 National Supremacy
- Mar 4, 2024 Virginia Plan
- Mar 1, 2024 Enumerated Powers
- Mar 1, 2024 Natural Rights
- Feb 27, 2024 Popular Sovereignty
- Feb 27, 2024 Federalism
- Oct 12, 2023 Limited Government
- Feb 16, 2023 Pluralist Democracy
- Aug 30, 2019 Elite democracy
- Aug 30, 2019 Participatory democracy
- Mar 20, 2019 Selective Incorporation
- Mar 18, 2019 Expressed Powers
- Feb 9, 2018 Extradition
- Jan 16, 2017 Implied Powers
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UNIT 2
66
- Nov 13, 2026 Pocket Veto
- Nov 13, 2026 Chief of Staff
- Nov 13, 2026 National Security Council
- Nov 13, 2026 Senate Confirmation
- Nov 13, 2026 Cabinet
- Nov 13, 2026 Rally Point
- Nov 13, 2026 Logrolling
- Nov 13, 2026 Regulation
- Nov 13, 2026 Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
- Nov 13, 2026 Executive Office of the President
- Nov 13, 2026 Party Caucus
- Nov 13, 2026 Gerrymander
- Nov 13, 2026 Federal Register
- Nov 13, 2026 Congressional Budget Office
- Nov 13, 2026 Office of Management and Budget
- Nov 13, 2026 Conference Committee
- Nov 13, 2026 White House Staff
- Nov 13, 2026 Bureaucratic Rule-Making
- Nov 13, 2026 Treaty
- Oct 10, 2025 Government Shutdown
- Sep 17, 2025 Shadow Docket
- Aug 29, 2025 Jury Nullification
- Feb 26, 2025 Regulatory Capture
- Feb 21, 2025 Merit System/Spoils System
- Feb 21, 2025 Civil Service
- Feb 14, 2025 Executive Aggrandizement
- Feb 5, 2025 Impoundment
- Jan 30, 2025 Executive Order
- Dec 17, 2024 Federal Election Commission (FEC)
- Dec 6, 2024 Executive Privilege
- Dec 5, 2024 Impeachment
- Dec 5, 2024 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Dec 5, 2024 Department of Education
- Dec 4, 2024 Pardon
- Dec 2, 2024 Tariff
- Nov 20, 2024 Unified Government/Party Government
- Nov 19, 2024 Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
- Nov 15, 2024 Independent Agencies/Commissions
- Nov 15, 2024 Federal Bureaucracy
- Jul 5, 2024 Unitary Executive Theory
- May 22, 2024 Commander in Chief
- Apr 25, 2024 Rule of Four
- Apr 18, 2024 Trustee
- Apr 18, 2024 Delegate
- Apr 18, 2024 Politico
- Apr 16, 2024 Divided Government
- Apr 16, 2024 Congressional Whip
- Apr 15, 2024 Speaker of the House
- Apr 15, 2024 Closed Rule
- Apr 5, 2024 Congressional Committees
- Apr 5, 2024 Rule Making Authority
- Apr 2, 2024 Coattail Effect
- Apr 2, 2024 Signing Statement
- Mar 20, 2024 Entitlements
- Mar 20, 2024 Congressional Oversight
- Mar 14, 2024 Federal Reserve
- Mar 12, 2024 Fiscal Policy
- Mar 6, 2024 Redistricting
- Mar 6, 2024 Reapportionment
- Mar 5, 2024 Full Faith and Credit Clause
- Mar 5, 2024 Safe Seats
- Feb 19, 2024 Judicial Review
- Feb 16, 2024 Filibuster
- Feb 8, 2018 Stare Decisis/Precedent
- Dec 22, 2016 Presidential Honeymoon
- Dec 16, 2016 Cloture
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UNIT 3
23
- Nov 13, 2026 Civil Disobedience
- Nov 13, 2026 Plea Bargain
- Nov 13, 2026 Fighting Words
- Nov 13, 2026 White Primary
- Nov 13, 2026 Commercial Speech
- Nov 13, 2026 Baker v. Carr (1962)
- Nov 13, 2026 Double Jeopardy
- Nov 13, 2026 Eminent Domain
- Aug 29, 2025 Jury Nullification
- Mar 17, 2025 Racially Restrictive Covenants
- Apr 11, 2024 Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
- Apr 7, 2024 Gideon v. Wainwright
- Apr 5, 2024 Tinker v. Des Moines
- Apr 5, 2024 Docket
- Apr 5, 2024 Mass Movements
- Mar 13, 2024 Establishment Clause
- Mar 13, 2024 Free Exercise Clause
- Mar 13, 2024 Clear and Present Danger Test
- Mar 13, 2024 Amicus Curiae (friend of the court) Brief
- Feb 2, 2024 Fourteenth Amendment
- Mar 20, 2019 Selective Incorporation
- Jan 17, 2018 Exclusionary Rule
- Jan 24, 2017 Jim Crow Laws
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UNIT 4
28
- Sep 10, 2026 Mandatory Spending
- Sep 10, 2026 Discretionary Spending
- Oct 24, 2025 Extrajudicial Killing
- Dec 18, 2024 Debt
- Dec 18, 2024 Deficit
- Dec 2, 2024 Tariff
- Nov 19, 2024 Political Norms
- Nov 11, 2024 The Big Sort
- May 3, 2024 Reinforcing Cleavages
- May 3, 2024 Cross-Cutting Cleavages
- Apr 22, 2024 Gender Gap
- Apr 22, 2024 Political Socialization
- Apr 16, 2024 Political Culture
- Mar 20, 2024 Entitlements
- Mar 19, 2024 American Dream
- Mar 19, 2024 Socialism
- Mar 19, 2024 Libertarianism
- Mar 14, 2024 Sampling Error
- Mar 14, 2024 Exit Polls
- Mar 14, 2024 Public Opinion
- Mar 13, 2024 Conservativism
- Mar 13, 2024 Liberalism
- Mar 13, 2024 Political Ideology
- Mar 12, 2024 Fiscal Policy
- Mar 12, 2024 Monetary Policy
- Mar 12, 2024 Political Efficacy
- Mar 29, 2019 Rule of Law
- Feb 28, 2017 Ethnocentrism
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UNIT 5
40
- Nov 13, 2026 Party Identification
- Nov 13, 2026 Realigning Election
- Nov 13, 2026 Closed Primary
- Nov 13, 2026 Civil Disobedience
- Nov 13, 2026 Gerrymander
- Oct 22, 2026 Attentive Public
- Feb 26, 2026 Propaganda
- Feb 24, 2026 Dummymander
- Oct 23, 2025 Dark Money
- Feb 21, 2025 Merit System/Spoils System
- Dec 6, 2024 Media Bubble/News Bubble/Echo Chamber
- Jun 25, 2024 Horse Race Journalism
- Apr 25, 2024 Voter Turnout
- Apr 25, 2024 Purple State/Swing State
- Apr 25, 2024 Blue State
- Apr 25, 2024 Red State
- Apr 24, 2024 Off-Year Election
- Apr 22, 2024 Cracking
- Apr 22, 2024 Packing
- Apr 22, 2024 Rational choice theory
- Apr 22, 2024 Party line voting
- Apr 5, 2024 Political Polarization
- Apr 5, 2024 Mass Movements
- Apr 2, 2024 Coattail Effect
- Mar 22, 2024 Bundling
- Mar 22, 2024 Party Convention
- Mar 22, 2024 Name Recognition
- Mar 20, 2024 Term Limits
- Mar 20, 2024 Party Platform
- Mar 12, 2024 Primary election
- Mar 12, 2024 Caucus election
- Mar 12, 2024 PAC
- Mar 12, 2024 Super PAC
- Mar 11, 2024 Midterm Election
- Mar 11, 2024 Bipartisan
- Mar 11, 2024 Lobbyist
- Mar 11, 2024 Single Member District
- Mar 6, 2024 Selective Exposure
- Mar 6, 2024 Linkage Institutions
- Mar 5, 2024 Safe Seats
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UNIT 6
5
- Aug 19, 2026 Bruh
- Dec 27, 2024 Scooby Doo
- Dec 6, 2024 It's A Trap
- Oct 2, 2024 Waffle House
- Oct 1, 2024 Beagle