Just Vote No

What portion of 2016 Republican voters saw their vote as FOR Trump, and how many saw it as AGAINST Clinton?

1. How accurate was your prediction?

2. What story does the chart tell about the 2016 election?

3. Why do you think that is?

4. Let’s call 2016 a negative election. What are two consequences of negative elections?

5. Let’s say a POTUS wins mostly because their supporters voted AGAINST someone instead of FOR them. What must they do to maintain their voters’ support?

6. How much of a mandate do these “negative winners” have?

7. How does being a “negative winner” impact their ability to govern?

8. Explain the connection between negative voting and POTUS Trump’s current approval rating (38% according to Gallup)?

9. What do you think dating or marriage would be like if most people chose their partner based less on what they liked about them than on what they hated about other people?

10. Describe the change in voter motivation between the 2008 election and the 2016 election.

11. Why do you think that is?

12. How much did it have to do with the candidates themselves?

13. Based on demographics, what generalizations can we make about negative voters.

14. Explain whether your 2016 vote (or support, if you weren’t eligible to vote) more FOR or more AGAINST.

15. Donald Trump isn’t running for president in 2018, although in a way he is. In the midterm elections, how much will people be thinking about TRUMP when they decide who to vote for in Congressional elections?

16. Why do you think that is?

17. Do you think this will lead Democrats to win a majority of the US House?

Learning Extension

Read the Pew Article about the consequences of negative voting in 2016.

Action Extension

Talk to people you know and ask them whether their 2016 vote (or support, if they weren’t eligible to vote) was more FOR or more AGAINST. Share your results in class or online.

Plaid Shirt Guy Extension

This guy is in high school!