Election Teaching Resources

Article II: Executive Branch, the President

Article II establishes the executive branch of the federal government and outlines the powers and duties of the president.

12th Amendment: Election of the President and Vice President

The 12th Amendment establishes the process for electing the president and vice president.

Article I, Section 4: Legislative Branch, Elections

Article 1, Section 4, establishes guidelines for congressional elections and meetings.

Shelby County v.
Holder

The Road to the 19th Amendment

Exploring the Vote in Your Community

Learn About Voting Rights
 

Video

What Can We Learn From the Election of 1800?

Video

Why Did the Founders Create the Electoral College?

Video

Civil Dialogue and Constitutional Conversations

Federalist 10

Story of We the People - Election Connections

Tuesday, October 29 | Noon ET
Students can join us live as we highlight all of the Election Connections from our main exhibit, The Story of We the People. We’ll explore Article II of the Constitution and look at the history of voting rights and how people have cast their ballots.

Voting Rights and Elections Virtual Tour

This virtual tour explores questions like: Does the Constitution protect the right to vote? What is the basic constitutional framework for elections in the United States? What role did the amendment process play in shaping voting rights? Explore the ins and outs of elections and voting with live classes and virtual exhibit tours.

Democracy Checkup: Preparing for the 2024 Election

Democracy, Populism, and the Tyranny of the Minority

How to Prevent Another January 6

The Honorable J. Michael Luttig, formerly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, recounts a story of his historic tweet that contributed to Vice President Mike Pence’s decision to certify the results of the 2020 election, along with his reflections on how to prevent another January 6. He’s joined by three experts—Ned Foley of The Ohio State University, Sarah Isgur of The Dispatch, and Clark Neily of the Cato Institute—who are each leading a team on a bipartisan project for the National Constitution Center, Restoring the Guardrails of Democracy. They discuss other potential reforms including whether changes should be made to the Electoral Count Act and preview their forthcoming reports for the project. Together, our panelists consider ways to strengthen American constitutional and democratic institutions against current and future threats. Jeffrey Rosen, president and CEO of the National Constitution Center, moderates.

America’s Most Consequential Elections: From FDR to Reagan

Michael Gerhardt, author of the new book FDR’s Mentors: Navigating the Path to Greatness, and Andrew Busch, author of Reagan's Victory: The Presidential Election of 1980 and the Rise of the Right, explore the pivotal elections of 1932 and 1980. They compare the transformative presidencies of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan, and trace how founding-era debates between Hamilton and Jefferson over the scope of federal and executive power re-emerged during the New Deal and Reagan Revolution.

• A Brief History of Presidential Candidates Debates
• Five Little-known Men Who Almost Became President
• The Man Whose Impeachment Vote Saved Andrew Johnson
• Understanding the Constitution’s 25th Amendment
• Looking back at the last presidential election settled by the House
• Executive Orders 101: What are they and how do Presidents use them?

• What is the Constitutional Role of the Vice President?
• Two Justices Issue Challenge on Race
• On this day, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is signed
• Looking back: The Supreme Court decision that ended Nixon’s presidency
• Breaking down the Trump immunity decision
• The Evolution of Voting Rights in America
• Just Which State Ratified the 26th Amendment?