Teaching High School Students How the Economy Influences Presidential Elections
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Lesson Plan: To What Extent Do Economic Conditions Influence the Outcome of Presidential Elections?
In the early 1990's, a (successful) presidential candidate coined the phrase "It's the Economy, Stupid." Was he onto something?
Presidential elections can be summed up in two simple ways:
Economy good: voters give the incumbent party the benefit of the doubt and are likely to keep them in office.
Economy bad: let's throw the bums out.
This lesson plan shows high school students how macroeconomic conditions -- disposable income, unemployment and inflation -- play a role in predicting the outcomes of elections.
Presidential elections can be summed up in two simple ways:
Economy good: voters give the incumbent party the benefit of the doubt and are likely to keep them in office.
Economy bad: let's throw the bums out.
This lesson plan shows high school students how macroeconomic conditions -- disposable income, unemployment and inflation -- play a role in predicting the outcomes of elections.
Table of Contents
What You'll Cover Today
Step 1: Download the Lesson Plan
But Don't Use It Yet: We'll Need to Cover Some Basics
Download the "To What Extent Do Economic Conditions Influence the Outcome of Presidential Elections?" lesson plan:
Direct link (PDF, right-click to download)
This lesson plan is from the 'Focus: Understanding Economics in Civics and Government' book, which contains 20 lesson plans for teaching economics principles in high school civics and government classes.
During the lesson, your students will evaluate historic economic performance using macroeconomic indicators: inflation rate, unemployment rate, growth rate of real income and the misery index. Your students fill in a chart that compares the misery index, economic growth rate and the results of elections between 1960 and 2008.
Direct link (PDF, right-click to download)
This lesson plan is from the 'Focus: Understanding Economics in Civics and Government' book, which contains 20 lesson plans for teaching economics principles in high school civics and government classes.
During the lesson, your students will evaluate historic economic performance using macroeconomic indicators: inflation rate, unemployment rate, growth rate of real income and the misery index. Your students fill in a chart that compares the misery index, economic growth rate and the results of elections between 1960 and 2008.
Step 2: Helpful Background Information
To Help You Teach The Lesson
a) Quite a Few Things Influence How People Vote...
Voters are attracted to candidates for a number of reasons: personality, policy issues and party loyalty are some of the more common reasons.
b) ...But Nothing Has As Strong An Influence As the Economy
Still, the economy is the single most important factor that influences how people vote.
If the unemployment and inflation rates are high -- which, combined, give us the 'misery index'-- the incumbent candidate (or their party) loses.
If disposable income is increasing and people "feel" wealthier, they will vote to keep the incumbent candidate around.
That's why the phrase "people vote their pocketbooks and wallets" is an accurate way to forecast presidential election outcomes.
Voters are attracted to candidates for a number of reasons: personality, policy issues and party loyalty are some of the more common reasons.
b) ...But Nothing Has As Strong An Influence As the Economy
Still, the economy is the single most important factor that influences how people vote.
If the unemployment and inflation rates are high -- which, combined, give us the 'misery index'-- the incumbent candidate (or their party) loses.
If disposable income is increasing and people "feel" wealthier, they will vote to keep the incumbent candidate around.
That's why the phrase "people vote their pocketbooks and wallets" is an accurate way to forecast presidential election outcomes.
Step 3: Okay, You're Ready to Teach the Lesson
Here Are Some Terms You Should Know
The misery index is a key concept of this lesson plan, and is calculated by combining the unemployment rate with the inflation rate.
Disposable personal income is another key macroeconomic concept your students will explore.
Don't worry, all these terms are explained in the lesson plan. You can also download a handout of these terms, and more, for your students:
Terms and Concepts Handout (PDF, right-click to download)
Disposable personal income is another key macroeconomic concept your students will explore.
Don't worry, all these terms are explained in the lesson plan. You can also download a handout of these terms, and more, for your students:
Terms and Concepts Handout (PDF, right-click to download)
Step 4: Additional Online Lesson Plans That Combine Civics and Economics
These Lesson Plans Help You Extend and Reinforce the Lesson
Voting is a very important part of citizenship. Use these lessons to introduce more civics and economics content:The Economics of Voting: What Do You Mean, My Vote Doesn't Count? -- Explores the costs and benefits associated with voting in national elections.
The Economics of Voting -- Students try to answer the question: Why do so many voters stay away from the polls on Election Day?
The Mystery of the Voters Who Don't Vote -- Why don't more Americans vote?
Link Love
Links Related to the Lesson Plan
A nifty little one-stop shop to the links from this lens
- To What Extent Do Economic Conditions Influence Election Outcomes?
- PDF of the lesson plan
- Glossary of Terms
- PDF of the terms and definitions your students should know; use as a handout
- Inflation
- definition of economic concept 'inflation'
- Disposable Income
- definition of economic concept 'disposable income'
- Unemployment Rate
- definition of economic concept 'unemployment rate'
- Wikipedia: Misery Index
- learn more about the misery index
- The Economics of Voting: What Do You Mean, My Vote Doesn't Count?
- additional online lesson plan on the economics of voting
- The Economics of Voting
- additional online lesson plan on the economics of voting
- The Mystery of the Voters Who Don't Vote
- additional online lesson plan on the economics of voting
- More Civics Lessons from EconEdLink.org
- find more civics and government lesson plans at EconEdLink.org
- American Civics: Understanding and Participating in Government
- a lens on civics
Check Out These Other Lenses
For a deeper understanding of Civics, StuMax has links to Civics sites and a focus on the Constitution and Bill of Rights at his lens, American Civics: Understanding and participating in Government
Books of Interest
Find More Lesson Plans for Teaching Economics, Civics and Government
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by troydwhite
I work for a non-profit educational publisher that teaches K-12 teachers to teach economics and personal finance (try saying *that* three times, reall... (more)
