Mr. Czerniakowski’s American Government students participated in simulated open and closed primaries in class this week, getting a first hand look at the differences between two of the many systems our states use to select a candidate for President of the United States. Students learned about the history of selecting candidates and voting in the United States, including places and times when owning land or property was a prerequisite for casting a ballot. They discussed superdelegates, caucuses, and why complaints against a rigged system by political party outsiders like Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump have spurred a movement towards making primaries more transparent and open.