Assignment Task: Your paper should address the following:
Propose detailed reforms, tactics, or innovations aimed at boosting moderate candidates. Identify at least 3. Your strategies could involve electoral system reforms (e.g., ranked-choice voting), changes to campaign practices and financing, messaging techniques (ie, influencers), institutional reforms (e.g., open primaries, nonpartisan primaries), or grassroots mobilization strategies, influencers, civic engagement education for K-12 and college, etc.
Using the answers from above, come up with an essay using the below information.
Diagnosis of the Problem: Briefly explain why moderates are currently disadvantaged in American elections. Consider factors like closed primary elections (where independents cannot vote), gerrymandering legislative districts, campaign finance, party dynamics, affective (emotional) polarization (Dyck and Pearson-Merkowitz book), media environments (social media, podcasting, AI, influencers), US plurality election rules, and voter behavior.
Strategic Plan: Propose detailed reforms, tactics, or innovations aimed at boosting moderate candidates. Identify at least 3. Your strategies could involve electoral system reforms (e.g., ranked-choice voting), changes to campaign practices, messaging techniques, institutional reforms (e.g., open primaries, nonpartisan primaries), or grassroots mobilization strategies, influencers, civic engagement education for K-12 and college, etc.
Evidence and Case Studies: Support your arguments with two evidence-based case studies from published research, campaign case studies, or examples of successful (or failed) efforts to elect moderates.
Critical Analysis: Discuss the potential trade-offs, limitations, and unintended consequences of your proposed strategy. Are there risks of backfiring? What stakeholders would resist your proposals? Need Assignment Help?
Normative Reflection: Conclude by considering whether increasing the election of moderates is always desirable. Reflect briefly on what "moderation" means in a polarized society and whose interests it might serve.