Access to English: Social Studies

Focus I: The Great American Decline?

Americans wait in line in front of a food bank Americans wait in line in front of a food bank In his bid for the Presidency in 2016, Donald Trump ran on the campaign slogan “Make American Great Again!” Baked into that phrase was the implication that an earlier America had been greater – a greatness from which it had declined. This appealed to a substantial number of Americans who clearly felt that the American Dream had passed them by. Foremost among these pessimists were Trump’s strongest supporters – white American men without higher education. Fully 68% of this group voted for him. What did Trump promise that led them to vote for him?

Read more in Access to English: Social Studies, pp. 324-334. Then work with the tasks in the textbook and here on the website.

How politically polarized media is driving our alternative realities

This film examines how Americans pick their news sources and the impact that has on how they perceive the world around them.

Kurt Andersen on Donald Trump and Fantasyland

Andersen (see p. 331) interviewed on BBC Newsnight.

Textbook Tasks

Articles and Resources

Going Further

Links