Assignemnt
Task 1: Political Parties - Party Platform
Welcome to this year's election! You have two candidates for your party's nomination and they both are generating a lot of excitement among potential voters. Your goal for this election is: A CANDIDATE FROM YOUR PARTY WINS.
You represent either Republicans or Democrats all across the country and you want to be the voice of your people in choosing the next president of the United States. You also want to support your candidates in any way to keep them winning and in line with the party platform.
What does your political party believe? The key to a good party platform is making things general enough to apply to many types of ideology but specific enough to be true for your party. The following questions should guide you to discover your party's heart.
Background Research:
1. According to Ch 8.1, what is a political party? What do they do for democracy?
An organization that seeks to achieve power by electing its members to office. You need multiple parties to have a vote or debate issues facing people
2. According to Ch 8.2, what is a two party system? What are 'third parties' and what is their role in American politics?
A political system in which two parties dominate the electoral process and control the government
3. According to the Introduction reading, what is the history of your party? What have you traditionally believed?
A party outside the two party system and it gives them more options to choose from while voting
4. Visit the official party website. What are the top five most important issue for your party?
RAISE INCOMES AND RESTORE ECONOMIC SECURITY FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS
CREATE GOOD-PAYING JOBS
FIGHT FOR ECONOMIC FAIRNESS AND AGAINST INEQUALITY
BRING AMERICANS TOGETHER AND REMOVE BARRIERS TO OPPORTUNITIES
PROTECT VOTING RIGHTS, FIX OUR CAMPAIGN FINANCE SYSTEM, AND RESTORE OUR DEMOCRACY
Party Base:
5. What kind of people vote for your party? Try to uncover some demographic data to answer this question. These people are your party base.
Vision for America:
6. What do the people of your party view as the best future for America?
7. What steps need to be taken to achieve that vision of the best America? What are the key things that need to be done or addressed this year that only your party candidates can do?
You now need to articulate the history, values, and vision for the future America into a handout to give to candidates, interest groups, and media. Your handout should be one full page that includes the following:
• Picture of party logo and one other picture of your choosing
• A brief history of your values as a party
• Your vision for the best future of America
• Key issues for this election year
Your handout must be thoughtfully done and visually appealing. It needs to look like you spent good time in creating it. Your flyer can be done in a number of ways. Word, Publisher, or other graphic design software will work. There are also several online resources (check out Canva). People need to be able to read it in one minute or less, so use clear font and shorter bullet points. First impressions make a difference!
Our class is going to throw a Networking Mixer for all the candidates, media outlets, interest groups, and political parties to get to know each other. You will be talking about your party's platform and vision for America with other people at the mixer. The media will be interviewing you as well. You will need to print 10 copies of your handout to distribute. While you are listening to other groups, you need to think about the following questions and answer them afterwards.
1. Which of your candidates most lines up with your party platform? Why?
2. Which of the opposing candidates seems like they will be hard to beat? Why?
3. Which interest groups are going to be your best allies in this election? Why?
4. Which interest groups are not going to be working with you in this election? Why?
STEP I: Your party's platform
Way to keep them winning and in line with the party platform.
What does your political party believe? The key to a good party platform is making things general enough to apply to many types of ideology but specific enough to be true for your party. The following questions should guide you to discover your party's heart. Use www.democrats.org or www.gop.com to see what the official party platforms are.
Background Research:
1. According to Ch 8.1, what is a political party? What do they do for democracy?
An organization that seeks to achieve power by electing its members to office. You need multiple parties to have a vote or debate issues facing people
2. According to Ch 8.2, what is a two party system? What are 'third parties' and what is their role in American politics?
A political system in which two parties dominate the electoral process and control the government
3. According to the Introduction reading, what is the history of your party? What have you traditionally believed?
A party outside the two party system and it gives them more options to choose from while voting
4. Visit the official party website. What are the top five most important issue for your party?
RAISE INCOMES AND RESTORE ECONOMIC SECURITY FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS
CREATE GOOD-PAYING JOBS
FIGHT FOR ECONOMIC FAIRNESS AND AGAINST INEQUALITY
BRING AMERICANS TOGETHER AND REMOVE BARRIERS TO OPPORTUNITIES
PROTECT VOTING RIGHTS, FIX OUR CAMPAIGN FINANCE SYSTEM, AND RESTORE OUR DEMOCRACY
Party Base:
5. What kind of people vote for your party? Try to uncover some demographic data to answer this question. These people are your party base.
Vision for America:
6. What do the people of your party view as the best future for America?
7. What steps need to be taken to achieve that vision of the best America? What are the key things that need to be done or addressed this year that only your party candidates can do?
STEP II: Write Your Party's Platform
You now need to articulate the history, values, and vision for the future America into a handout to give to candidates, interest groups, and media. Your handout should be one full page that includes the following:
• Picture of party logo and one other picture of your choosing
• A brief history of your values as a party
• Your vision for the best future of America
• Key issues for this election year
Your handout must be thoughtfully done and visually appealing. It needs to look like you spent good time in creating it. Your flyer can be done in a number of ways. Word, Publisher, or other graphic design software will work. There are also several online resources (check out Canva). People need to be able to read it in one minute or less, so use clear font and shorter bullet points. First impressions make a difference!
PART III: The Networking Mixer
Our class is going to throw a Networking Mixer for all the candidates, media outlets, interest groups, and political parties to get to know each other. You will be talking about your party's platform and vision for America with other people at the mixer. The media will be interviewing you as well. You will need to print 10 copies of your handout to distribute. While you are listening to other groups, you need to think about the following questions and answer them afterwards.
1. Which of your candidates most lines up with your party platform? Why?
2. Which of the opposing candidates seems like they will be hard to beat? Why?
3. Which interest groups are going to be your best allies in this election? Why?
4. Which interest groups are not going to be working with you in this election? Why?