By Amin Kef Sesay – Sierra Leone
The U.S. Department of State Foreign Press Centers’ “Elections 2020: Virtual Reporting Tour of the United States and the American Electoral Process,” implemented in cooperation with Meridian International Center, an eight-week long virtual program designed to enable journalists from around the world to cover the 2020 U.S. elections remotely, has commenced and is ongoing.
On the 21st September, 2020 when the Day 1 session took place, it was hosted by Dr. Mark J. Rozell, an expert on the U.S. Federal Government system, the Presidency, Politics and Elections.
He solidly laid the groundwork for future tour briefings with an overview of the U.S. Federal Republic’s electoral system and aspects that impact on the American elections.
He dilated on the US electoral system with special emphasis on federalism and election in the United States.
According to him the US does not elect the entire national Government in just one year.
He disclosed how every two years the US elects the House of Representatives and 1/3 of the Senate and once every four years the President is elected.
Dr. Mark J. Rozell pointed out that for this year’s (2020) election the President, members the House of Representatives and 1/3 of members of the Senate will be elected.
“In a federal system as the one we have in the US, there are various elections for State Governors, State legislative bodies, Counties, Cities, Townships and other local offices,” he disclosed.
He stated that during the 18th century, the founders of the United States devised a decentralized system of Government to prevent one group from having extensive political power and to weaken the federal level authority and give more powers to the State and Local Governments.
Dr. Mark J. Rozell maintained that the President wins an election and claims a mandate to govern. He also underscored that two years later the nation elects another new set of members of Congress and the majority is gained by the opposition party to constrain the President’s authority for the next two years.
According to him State and local elections are held during various times but pointed out that residents in States elect their Governors and other top state officers the year after the presidential election is held but in Virginia they are held every year.
Dr. Rozell is the author of, “Federalism: A Very Short Introduction” (Oxford University Press, 2019) and eight other books on U.S. Government and Politics, including the Presidency, Religion and Politics, Media and Politics, and The Impact of Interest Groups in Elections.
He has lectured extensively in the United States and abroad in Austria, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Italy, Poland, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, and Vietnam.
He regularly briefs on “Federalism” for participants of cultural exchange programs sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
Day Two of the Virtual Briefing was based “Welcome & Orientation Session” and it was held on the 22nd September 2020.
It availed the opportunity for us, the participating journalists, to virtually meet members of the Meridian team and some of the Foreign Press Center staff.
In addition instructions were given as to how we can access the virtual tour content, did a demo of the Canvas platform, offered a Zoom tutorial, and gave a chance to ask any questions.
Day 3’s Session, which took place on the 23rd September, 2020 was hosted by Dr. Bradley Jones, a Research Associate at Pew Research Center, where he primarily works on U.S. public opinion about politics.
In his briefing, he provided an overview of demographic statistics and trends of the U.S. Electorate—factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, generational divides, and regional differences—that may shape U.S. presidential and congressional election outcomes in 2020.
Pew Research Center is a leading, nonpartisan “fact tank” informing the public about the issues, attitudes, and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis, and other empirical social science research.
Pew’s website contains a wealth of information and statistics related to U.S. political trends and public opinion. It is a great resource for journalists who wish to understand more about various aspects of U.S. society.
The U.S. Department of State Foreign Press Centers’ “Elections 2020: Virtual Reporting Tour of the United States and the American Electoral Process,” implemented in cooperation with Meridian International Center, is an eight-week long virtual program designed to enable journalists from around the world to cover the 2020 U.S. elections remotely. The Virtual Reporting Tour includes on-the-record press briefings with political scientists, elections experts, analysts, pundits, and exclusive access to interviews, video, and still photography from key battleground states. The views expressed by briefers are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Department of State or the U.S. government. The participation of briefers in this program does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendation of their views.
The Virtual Reporting Tour includes on-the-record press briefings with political scientists, elections experts, analysts, pundits, and exclusive access to interviews, video, and still photography from key battleground states.
The U.S. Presidential Election Reporting Seminar is a 12-day professional study and reporting tour is designed for working print, broadcast and online journalists.
This special seminar enables participating journalists to report before, during and after the U.S. presidential election from key States in the American electoral system.
