SUMMARY
The presidential candidates were on the campaign trail Wednesday laying out their plans to tackle one of the most consequential issues of the election, the economy. Lisa Desjardins reports from North Carolina.
View the transcript of the story.
News alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.
KEY TERM
tariff — a tax on goods imported from other countries. Tariffs can be used to protect U.S. companies from overseas competition, but can lead to higher prices and "trade wars," where other countries impose tariffs on U.S. goods and make it more difficult for U.S. companies to sell their goods overseas.
WARM-UP QUESTIONS
- Where are the candidates campaigning, according to this story?
- What are some of economic policies proposed by Kamala Harris?
- What are some of economic policies proposed by Donald Trump?
- How does the economy rank in terms of importance to voters?
- Why do voters have mixed opinions on the current state of the economy?
FOCUS QUESTIONS
After watching this segment, what do you think would be the major differences between the economic policies of Harris and Trump administrations? How do you think the lives of people across the U.S. would be impacted by these policies?
Media literacy: Why do you think there is such a focus on a single state (North Carolina) in the second half of this segment?
Alternative: See, Think, Wonder: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What would you want to learn more about?
FOR MORE
What students can do: Visit the "issues" websites of each candidate. As a class, discuss:
- What policies or issues does each candidate prioritize?
- What tone or mood does each site use in framing the issues?
- Who do you think is the primary audience that each site is appealing to? How can you tell?
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