This activity will fit best in a larger sequence of lessons. It is meant to be used as a supplement to help students deepen their understanding of the specifics of primaries and caucuses as they relate to nominations, voting processes, political parties, or other political activities.
A working definition of primary election is an organized statewide event put on by the state government where voters cast a secret ballot for the candidate of their choosing. Whomever receives a majority of the votes is the winner.
A working definition of caucus is a meeting of supporters of a specific political party who gather to elect delegates to choose whom they believe should be the candidate in a given election.
Explore
Give each student a “Fact, Choice, Defend” handout.
Individually, students will read each fact, deciding if it should stay or go. Next, they will defend their decision. If they choose “go,” that means they are changing the constitutional order or election process, and they must acknowledge the consequence(s) of that. For example, if they select “go” for the first fact “by the principle of federalism, elections are reserved powers. (run by states),” students will need to say who would oversee elections instead and why they believe that would be a better option.
As a class, go through each statement, having students move to different sides of the room depending on if they kept or changed the fact. Call on different students to explain their reasoning and ensure they can answer the guiding questions.
Extend
Students can investigate the process of their own state, surrounding states, or any other state selected, in detail. Options include comparing the turnout rates, histories, or differences in how parties operate in specific states that hold a primary or a caucus.
Students can write an argument for or against open and closed primaries in their state or in support or opposition of allowing caucusing to continue in their state.
