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Articles on Civics lessons

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Trump supporters clash with police and security forces as they storm the U.S. Capitol. Joseph Prezioso/AFP via Getty Images

How should schools teach kids about what happened at the US Capitol on Jan. 6? We asked 6 education experts

Teachers shouldn’t avoid this topic, no matter how uncomfortable it might make them to discuss it with children and teens.
Donald Trump’s current term as president began on Jan. 20, 2017. It will end on Jan. 20, 2021, with the start of a new term – for him, or someone else. AP Photo/Matt Rourke

President Trump’s term ends on Jan. 20 – the Constitution is clear

The framers of the Constitution were very clear that presidential terms have time limits. Not four years and a day. Not three years and 364 days. Four years.
The Florida legislature could play a role in deciding the 2020 presidential election. AP Photo/Steve Cannon

Could a few state legislatures choose the next president?

This is not the first time the prospect of state legislatures ignoring the popular vote and appointing their own slate of electors has arisen.
Election workers are part of the protections ensuring that mail-in ballots aren’t fraudulent. Will Cioci/Wisconsin Watch via AP

6 ways mail-in ballots are protected from fraud

The mail-in voting process has several built-in safeguards that make it hard for one person to vote fraudulently, and even more difficult to commit large-scale voter fraud.
At the 2016 Democratic National Convention, a delegate holds up a copy of the Democratic Party Platform. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

What are political parties’ platforms – and do they matter?

Party platforms are a vital clue about which groups hold real power in the two major national parties, and can help predict what the government will actually do.
Staff of the House of Representatives review Illinois’ Electoral College vote report in January 2017. Samuel Corum/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

The Electoral College is surprisingly vulnerable to popular vote changes

Mathematically speaking, the Electoral College is built to virtually ensure narrow victories, making it very susceptible to manipulation and disinformation.
Voters in Lexington, Kentucky, waited more than 90 minutes to vote on June 23. AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley

It takes a long time to vote

Overall, waiting times may be improving – but long waits are still common in Black communities.

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