{"id":2181,"date":"2020-10-29T12:00:14","date_gmt":"2020-10-29T16:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/connect.apsanet.org\/raisethevote\/?p=2181"},"modified":"2020-10-27T16:39:36","modified_gmt":"2020-10-27T20:39:36","slug":"the-presidential-election-postmortem-preparing-students-for-election-outcomes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/connect.apsanet.org\/raisethevote\/2020\/10\/29\/the-presidential-election-postmortem-preparing-students-for-election-outcomes\/","title":{"rendered":"The Presidential Election \u201cPostmortem\u201d: Preparing Students for Election Outcomes"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"By Athena King<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 2020 Presidential Election has been described by academics, pundits, and reporters alike as perhaps the \u201cmost important election in our lifetime.\u201d There are those who give full-throated support of President Trump and the current administration, despite his unorthodox behavior over the past four years. At the same time, there are those who support his opponent, Joe Biden, who promises to restore integrity to the position and unify the country in the wake of myriad phenomena that mark the year 2020 as \u201cpeculiar,\u201d to say the least. On November 3, voters will descend on polling places around the country to determine which of these two men will lead the country (and represent the US to the rest of the globe) beyond 2020. The aftermath of the 2020 Presidential election promises to be an interesting experience for the political science profession and our students.<\/p>\n

Just as a medical examiner performs an autopsy to determine a person\u2019s cause of death, political scientists, news reporters, candidates, pundits, and laypersons alike will conduct their own postmortem of the 2020 election.<\/strong> And just as the medical examiners hope learning the cause of the death will bring a measure of comfort to survivors (and aid law enforcement in an investigation), those conducting an \u201celection autopsy\u201d hope to explain why one candidate\/party lost and the other was victorious. Many students will want to discuss the results of the election and express their elation (or despair) at the result. It is important to allow students to \u201cprocess\u201d the election and its results, as it is possible this is the first time many have voted. Instructors \u2013 especially in political science \u2013 will want to \u201cdeconstruct\u201d the election results, primarily addressing (a) the popular vote, (b) states won\/lost by each candidate, and (c) the Electoral College. Some will proceed further, addressing turnout percentages based on race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, and religion. Still others may choose to prognosticate the future of the country based on election results. Regardless of the degree of detail the instructor plans to impart, it is important for political science instructors to hold space for students to process the election results in the days following the election. The following suggestions can be used to address the 2020 Presidential Election results and examine how voters and the electoral system came together to create the outcome.<\/p>\n

The Election is Over: How Does It Make You Feel?<\/strong><\/p>\n

First, students will want to talk about the election \u2013 especially if they are in a political science class (although students in other disciplines will also likely want to talk about it.) Some students may be very happy with the outcome; others may express sadness, anger, or confusion if their candidate(s) or party does not win. These attitudes may be stronger in students who voted as opposed to those who did not.<\/p>\n

Students happy with the electoral outcome should be sensitive to those who are not; instructors are encouraged to maintain existing standards of civility and protocol when students are expressing their joy \u2013 i.e., no gloating, name-calling, or threatening words or gestures. If the course is one where students tend to take sides on an issue and engage in (possibly contentious) debate, there are usually standards put in place in the syllabus, and instructors generally set the tone for discourse.<\/p>\n

The Angry Student(s)<\/strong><\/p>\n

At the same time, some students may express sadness, anger, or confusion; they may feel as if their candidate\/party has been cheated out of victory. They may feel as though the \u201csatisfied\u201d students should serve as a proxy for the otherwise faceless individuals who may have voted against their candidate\/party. Because many institutions are conducting \u201cvirtual\u201d classes because of the COVID pandemic, many classes are meeting online through Zoom instead of in person. As such, some students may be more willing to express their anger\/animosity (and possible threats) than they would be in person. Instructors should be conscious of students\u2019 emotional responses to the election and do their best to cultivate a respectful and safe environment for students across the political spectrum.<\/p>\n

“I Don\u2019t Really Care, and I\u2019m Glad It\u2019s Over”<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some students are bound to be apathetic \u2013 especially if they did not bother to register and vote (or tried to but were denied the opportunity to cast a vote). These students are likely to say things such as, \u201cI really don\u2019t care who won \u2013 my life won\u2019t get any better\u201d; \u201call politicians are the same\u201d; or, \u201cmy vote does not matter\u201d. Political science instructors (especially those who teach US Government) would be remiss if they did not discuss four things in particular:<\/p>\n