1. Go to the link below and find the voter turnout for the past years elections.

• Graph them in Create a Graph using a Line Graph.

http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson197.shtml

• Do you think the voter turnout is good or bad? Why or why not?
• What things can be done to increase the number of voters their are for the next election? What does a person need in order to vote in the United States?

2. The only requirements a presidential candidate must have are that he or she is at least 35 years old, is a natural-born citizen of the United States or was a citizen at the time the Constitution was written, and has lived in the United States at least 14 years. (Of course, when choosing the best person to lead the country, voters base their decisions on other important factors as well.) Make a T-chart of possible candidates and those who could not run.

• Determine which of those people would be eligible to run for president in the current election: Oprah Winfrey, Nathan Hale, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Pope Benedict XVI, Britney Spears, Albert Einstein, Mark McGwire, Steven Spielberg, Sammy Sosa, Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx and Beatrix Potter. Pick two other celebrities of your liking and check their eligiblity. Check their answers at sites such as infoplease.

• Do you think these are fair requirements for the office of president? Why or why not?

• What additional requirements do you think should be added to this list? For example, should there be an educational requirement—college graduates only—or should anyone of any educational level be allowed to run?

3. Return to the BLOG: Would you want to be president? Why or why not? What do you think you could take to the presidency that is currently missing?