What’s the average? To be elected president of the United States, a candidate must be at least 35 years old. Use the Internet to find the ages of the last 10 presidents when they were elected into office. Find the mean, median, and mode of their ages. How do they compare with the ages of the presidential candidates in the 2004 election?
Polling for platforms. Each major political party decides on a platform at its national convention. Choose three issues in this election that are important to you and poll your classmates. Post your results. Compare your results to the candidates’ positions on those issues. Which candidate best represents your views?
Electoral College predictions. Punch ballots and the Electoral College played critical roles in the outcome of the 2000 presidential election. Check news resources and make a chart of all 50 states. Make your own Electoral College predictions state by state. Whom do you predict will be elected president of the United States?
Budgeting. The president must present a proposed budget to Congress. Pretend you are president of the student body at your school. You must present a budget for approval. Prepare the budget with the assistance of a student financial advisor. Interview your school’s principal. What is the school’s budget (revenues and expenses)? If the principal informs you that there is a shortage of revenue and 20% in cuts must be made for the coming year’s budget, what expenses will you cut? Draft a budget. Graph or chart your proposal. Defend your proposed cuts in expenses.