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Background and Context
These Government & Elections resources will help students develop a thorough understanding and make connections between historical events, current conversations, and current policy proposals surrounding the issue. This section includes all of the context and content previously included in Close Up’s public policy chapters.
Current Issue Debates
Current Issue Debates are framed by a central question and followed by historical context, an overview of both sides of the topic, and discussion questions to facilitate deliberation in the classroom.
Available for Middle & High School
Available for Middle & High School
Available for Middle & High School
Available for Middle & High School
Available for Middle & High School
Videos from Policymakers
Brought to you by ASP HOMEROOM, through a collaboration between Close Up Foundation and A Starting Point, these supplemental videos are an introduction to policy areas that provide an opportunity for students to hear different perspectives directly from lawmakers.
State Representatives Jasmine Clark (D-GA) & Robert Dickey (R-GA) April 16, 2021
Congressman Jodey Arrington (R-TX) January 6, 2021
Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) October 26, 2020
These ready-to-use Government & Elections lesson plans can be utilized in conjunction with any of our resources to enhance the quality of student discourse in the classroom. Our supplemental Civic Readiness Guide provides a recommended lesson plan sequence for using our Current Issues resources.
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Podcast | December 14, 2020
This episode of Building Bridges looks at the history of the Civil Rights movement in the United States with one of its original leaders, Dr. Frank Smith.

Post | November 17, 2020
On Saturday, November 7, most major media outlets declared Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 presidential election.1 While the Biden team has already begun its informal transition, it has not yet been granted access to intelligence briefings, office space, or other elements of a formal transition.2 This formal transition cannot happen until the General […]

Videos | November 13, 2020
During this Close Up Conversations webinar Close Up’s, Joe Geraghty, discusses ‘US Foreign Policy in the Next Four Years’ with Ambassador Richard Schmierer, Chairman of the Board, Middle East Policy Council. Foreign policy is consistently one of the biggest issues going into any election, and there are implications whether there is an administration change or […]

Podcast | November 13, 2020
This episode of Building Bridges looks at the three of the most controversial elections in American history.
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Podcast | November 2, 2020
This episode of Building Bridges looks at the three-decade partnership of the Close Up Foundation and the Civil Rights icon, Representative John Lewis of Georgia.

Videos | October 28, 2020
During this Close Up Conversations webinar, available on-demand, Close Up’s, Mia Charity, discusses ‘LGBTQ Equality’ with Bob Witeck, President of Witeck Communications, Inc. Communications and strategy expert Bob Witeck will discuss LGBTQ rights, focusing on his decade in the Senate, and on the role of corporations in advocating change and acceptance based on his 27 years working […]

Post | October 15, 2020
What is the Electoral College? In 2016, more than 138 million people voted in the general election, but only 538 of them directly voted for president and vice president.1 The reason that both of these statements can be true is the existence of the Electoral College. The Constitution says that rather than voting directly for […]

Videos | October 15, 2020
During this Close Up Conversations webinar, available on-demand, Close Up’s, Eric Adydan, discusses ‘The Art of Political Storytelling’ with Kenny Cunningham, COO of Article III Project.