As the clock winds down on the 2024 Presidential election, the mood is tense and foreboding. It wasn't always this way. Still, a quick look at the history of our elections shows some striking similarities. This election is the most crucial in our lifetime...they all say. As a 7th grader in Jr. High I recall how the Nixon/Kennedy race of 1960 was described that way. The week before the vote the popular sit-com "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis even ended its program with a giant question mark. If we only knew how both those candidates would end up taking their place in history! You can watch that episode here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvV8xaL8TIY
I recall, too, how we debated the issues in my classes. Those activities were spirited, to be sure, but nothing like the climate today. Back then we all took Government classes with a big-ass textbook. We learned about the 3 branches of government, the various intricacies of our national government, and, of course the history of electoral politics. Most every kid then knew their elected representatives and even a bit about the electoral college.
In the 1970s-the 1990s, I taught a few Senior Government classes. By that time, much of the emphasis was on local politics and the intersection of law and justice. No longer were those big textbooks checked out to each student. Some remained in the classroom for reference, but eventually, they were replaced by GOOGLE. In my Social Science Department, we did a mock Congress in these classes. An elaborate role-play, students took the roles of various national lawmakers and wrote bills and then tried to get then enacted into law. All the popular national leaders were represented and students looked forward to playing the role of popular politicians like Ted Kennedy, John McCain, John Lewis, and Nancy Pelosi.
I often wonder, given the make-up of the current Congress, how dong a simulation like that would go. Congress is so dysfunctional and many of the personalities so sociopathic that it just might be impossible. My students were often motivated to write a piece of legislation and struggle to get it through the Congress. That's how they learned about things like the filibuster, conference committees, the veto, and how to build a coalition.
One thing I know for sure: Come November 6th, the day after the election, teachers will be challenged to keep the lid on their discussions in class. Hopefully, the days of the Mock Congress will return to our classrooms and our students will compete to play the roles of stable, sane, intelligent, and hard-working law-makers who know how to get things done.
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