Republican Attacks on Democrats as "Socialist": Historical Perspectives for Teaching a Key Current Issue

Autor/in	Shaffer, Robert
Titel	Republican Attacks on Democrats as "Socialist": Historical Perspectives for Teaching a Key Current Issue
Quelle	In: Social Education, 85 (2021) 4, S.205-210 (6 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0037-7724
Schlagwörter	Political Attitudes; United States History; History Instruction; Presidents; Elections; Deception; Court Litigation; Voting; Social Studies; Social Systems; Political Campaigns; Evidence; Public Policy; Civics; Economics; Information Sources; Information Literacy; Teaching Methods; Social Action; Social Change + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Political attitude; Politische Einstellung; History lessons; Geschichtsunterricht; President; Präsident; Election; Wahl; Täuschung; Rechtsstreit; Abstimmung; Gemeinschaftskunde; Social system; Soziales System; Evidenz; Öffentliche Ordnung; Staatsbürgerkunde; Volkswirtschaftslehre; Information source; Informationsquelle; Informationskompetenz; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Soziales Handeln; Sozialer Wandel
Abstract	When teachers discuss the 2020 presidential election with students, now and in future years, they will, appropriately, place front and center the ramifications of the baseless challenges by Donald Trump and his supporters to Joe Biden's victory. Even as state and federal courts across the nation tossed out lawsuits challenging vote counts, the frenzy whipped up over false allegations of fraud and irregularities nevertheless culminated in the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, the first real threat since the Civil War to the peaceful transition of power. However, in addition to considering with students this challenge to the electoral system, social studies teachers should also incorporate into the lessons an examination of the dominant theme of the Republican campaign--that the Democrats have become the party of "radical socialism," and that a Democratic victory would lead to the end of American society as we know it. Investigating such charges by Republicans not only encourages students to weigh evidence and recognize over-heated political rhetoric, but provides an opportunity to consider such charges in a larger historical context: that Republicans, and some Democrats, have for decades leveled charges that those who support certain government programs, such as Social Security and Medicare, are "socialist." These investigations fit squarely within NCSS's C3 Framework, in which students formulate and assess significant, real-world questions, utilize disciplinary tools (in this case for Civics, History, and Economics), gather and evaluate sources, and communicate conclusions to others. In line with the C3 Framework, classroom exercises in Civics, U.S. History, and Economics can use disciplinary tools to gather and evaluate sources relating to the "essential questions" of whether Democratic programs today and in the past are socialist, and, if so, whether that has been bad or good for American society. Students can then communicate their conclusions not only in class (on posters, oral presentations, and exam essays), but by "taking informed action" in the public sphere. Blog posts, letters to the editors of local newspapers, and emails to legislators who have alleged that Democratic proposals are socialist, or who will be voting on such programs--all backed up by research and reputable references--can engage students in one of the most consequential issues not only of the 2020 elections but of the past century of American reform. (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	National Council for the Social Studies. 8555 Sixteenth Street #500, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Tel: 800-683-0812; Tel: 301-588-1800; Fax: 301-588-2049; e-mail: membership@ncss.org; Web site: http://www.socialstudies.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01