While the presidential election will dominate the media coverage, mainstream and social, and conversations in the classroom, who wins the Statewide Elections will directly affect your day to day life. This video will provide background information about the state of Washington races post the August Primary Election and pre the November Election. Essential Questions:
A hallmark of the Progressive Era, the initiative and referendum processes were amended into Washington’s State Constitution in 1912. The initiative process allows Washingtonians to directly propose new legislation that will go on the ballot for voters to support or reject, while the referendum process allows voters to directly reject laws already enacted by the legislature. University of Washington Law scholar, Professor Hugh Spitzer, describes the benefits and potential pitfalls of the initiative process. Essential Questions:
OVERVIEW Every two years, political parties hold statewide conventions focused on unifying the party under a set of values, known as the party platform. While the National Convention focuses on nominating presidential candidates and is held every four years, state conventions are equally as important for endorsements and nominations for statewide candidates like governor or local candidates like state legislators. This lesson focuses on the little known state conventions that showcase political parties’ and organizations’ support for statewide candidates. In Washington State, conventions happen before the Top Two Primary, signaling to the electorate who to vote for in the primary election. Additionally, state conventions cement the state party’s platform, which states their values and views on important issues of the day. Students will view four mini-documentaries from the 2024 Election Season: Washington State Republican Party Convention, Washington State Democratic Party Convention, Washington State Labor Union Political Convention, and Mainstream Republican Cascade Conference. In this jigsawed activity, students will compare and contrast the conventions, determining who is involved in each event and investigating the candidates who were endorsed in statewide elections. Essential Questions:
Candidate Endorsements: how do they really work? Founded in 1969, the Mainstream Republicans of Washington held their annual conference in May to discuss issues facing the state, endorse candidates for office, and to brainstorm how to combat divisiveness within the state. From panel discussions on the fentanyl crisis and dam removal to Building Bridges across the aisle, Republicans from across the state gathered to exchange views on how to best get Mainstream Republicans elected to office Essential Questions:
State Conventions: what are their purposes in an election year? In June, The Washington State Democratic Party held their 2024 State Convention in Bellevue. Boasting their most diverse delegation ever, delegates from across the state joined together to meet with members of their caucuses, collaborate on ideas on how to strengthen their party, vote to adopt their party platform and resolutions, and formulate a unified message to get Democrats elected. Essential Questions:
In this lesson, students will learn about the role and responsibilities of the Precinct Committee Officer. A Precinct Committee Officer is a partisan position that is elected or appointed every two years. In their examination of the role, students will also investigate their own political viewpoints, and determine how they wish to become more involved in local politics. Essential Questions:
Overview: In 1 to 2 class periods, this lesson plan introduces students to the issues that Legislative Committees address in a typical Legislative session. Students will have the choice of 11 different issues to examine, learning which committees address these important topics. Additionally, students will assess their own opinions and ideas that relate to the topics presented in the videos. Slide deck and documents can be customized for sharing, and distribution to your students. Essential Questions: Objectives: