Image licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
During elections in the United States, many agencies run polls to predict who will win and by what margin. Using scientific methods, these polls are often somewhat accurate. Before the modern technique of polling, Americans used to place bets on who would win the election. Sometimes the loser would have to give up money, in other cases, the loser would have to do things like carry the winner around on his back or even eat a crow. Listen more to learn about the history of predicting election results and then debate: Should betting on elections be allowed?
Story Length: 3:19
© 2016 National Public Radio, Inc. Used with the permission of NPR. All rights reserved.
AIR DATE: 08/26/2016
September 12, 2016
5:16
One of the big issues of the 2016 presidential election is immigration. The two major party candidates, Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton have opposing viewpoints on the subject. As Trump launched his campaign, he promised to build a wall to keep Mexicans out, and then later stated that he would prevent Muslims from entering the United States. Clinton has proposed comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship. She sees immigrants as contributing to American society and the economy. Listen to hear more details about each candidate’s policy on immigration.
Read MoreAugust 15, 2016
3:45
After the Democratic Party databases were hacked recently, election tampering has become a major concern for election officials. In May this year, a security analyst hacked into a Florida elections website to show that the system is vulnerable. The online voter registration system in Illinois was shut down after a computer gained unauthorized access to data in the system.
Read MoreSeptember 14, 2015
4:42
The next U.S. President will be elected in November, 2016. But the race is already packed with candidates. There are more than two dozen major candidates who are seeking the job as president. Running for president is difficult and exhausting, so why would so many people want to run? There are many reasons, both legitimate and delusional. Without an incumbent president, a lot of people think they have a chance to win this election. Some candidates hope to bring attention to their message and some to cash in on their new celebrity. Listen to hear about this race and the reasons so many people are running for President this year.
Read MoreJanuary 3, 2014
7:17
There are over 7 billion people on Earth today, double the population 45 years ago. A famous bet was made between an economist and biologist to determine if a world at risk of overpopulation will adapt and survive. Listen to this story with students to learn the results.
Read More