POLITICAL PARTY AND CAMPAIGN GROUP PROJECT
ELECTION YEAR 2016
You will work with your group. Each group will divide the group tasks and roles between the group members as decided by group.
1. Each group will randomly be given an actual presidential/vice presidential
candidate. You will be in charge of running their campaign.
a. Republican Party candidates:
Donald Trump/Mike Pence
b. Democratic Party candidates:
Hillary Clinton/Tim Kaine
c. Libertarian Party candidates:
Gary Johnson/*Bill Weld
Note: Bill Weld has announced he will be dropping out. You
will need to find out the name of the new running mate.
d. Green Party candidates:
Jill Stein/Ajamu Baraka
2. Determine where your candidate fits on political spectrum.
3. Research: political parties, platforms/issues, interest groups, campaign
finance, campaign slogans, candidate polls, and campaign advertisements at
the library/learning commons. See attached sheet for Websites that may help:
Ø Topics 10 and 11 of your textbook
Ø Notes
4. List your party’s platform of at least 5 planks. Based on debates, commercials,
speeches, etc, does your candidate appear to have the same beliefs as their
party’s platform?
5. Write a 2-3 minute speech for your candidate which includes some of the
platform issues. Speech will be given during your oral presentation.
6. Campaign slogan-what is the actual slogan AND develop your own campaign
slogan.
7. Develop a campaign strategy for the election including:
Ø Marketing strategy-social media, tv ads, radio ads, newspaper ad, brochures, billboards, buttons, bumper stickers etc. You must write at least one television ad to perform or show in front of the class (may be pre-taped); where, when, how, how much, why of the amount of advertising has your candidate used
Ø Voters-who will you target? (factors to consider: age, socio-economic status, religion, area of country, urban/rural, education level, etc.). How will you target them? Why will you target them? Who is your candidate actually targeting?
Ø Fundraising-How much money has your candidate raised and spent? How have they raised their money? What kind of fundraisers?
Ø Which states has your candidate focused on? Why, how, and how much?
8. What interest groups, PAC’s, etc. support your candidate?
9. Complete a group evaluation form on your group. Your group members score
will be part of your grade.
10. Extra Credit: Write and perform a campaign song or jingle. You may write
an original song with music or you may choose music and write your own
words.
WEBSITES THAT MAY ASSIST YOU IN YOUR RESEARCH
Note: Some of these websites may no longer be available. You may use appropriate search engines and websites.
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/platforms.php
http://www.ontheissues.org/
http://www.procon.org/
http://www.vote-smart.org/
http://www.politics1.com/parties.htm
www.4president.org
typology.people-press.org/typology/
www.livingroomcandidate.org, (good for commercials)
www.Presidentsusa.net
www.fec.gov
www.usconstitution.net/consttop_pcam.html
www.politico.com
http://www.ushistory.org/gov/5c.asp
http://www.democrats.org/
www.gop.com
www.lp.org
www.gp.org
www.hillaryclinton.com
www.donaldtrump.com
www.jill2016.com
www.johnsonweld.com
Use the databases provided by the Learning Commons
Google political spectrum or liberal or conservative quiz, presidential campaigns, interest groups, etc
SAMPLE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN SLOGANS
Barack Obama / Change / John McCain / Country FirstGeorge W. Bush / Leave no child behind / John Kerry / Let America be America Again
George HW Bush / Read my lips, no new taxes / Ross Perot / Ross for Boss
Warren Harding / Return to normalcy / Calvin Coolidge / Keep cool with Coolidge
Herbert Hoover / A chicken in every pot and a car in every garage / Dwight Eisenhower / I like Ike.
Peace, Prosperity, Progress
Richard Nixon / Law and Order / Jimmy Carter / Not Just Peanuts
A leader for a change
Ronald Reagan / Let’s Make America Great Again
Others:
Don’t swap horses in the middle of the stream.
Kinder, Gentler Nation
Building a bridge to the 21st century
The Better Man for a Better America
Compassionate conservatism
Real plans for real people
SAMPLE PLATFORM ISSUES
Note: This list is not meant to be all-inclusive.
Abortion Rights Hiring of minorities and women
Gay rights Gay marriage
Prayer in public school Death Penalty
Mandatory “Three Strikes” sentencing Gun control/gun ownership
Healthcare Privatize Social Security
School vouchers Free trade
Immigration Military spending
Taxes Illegal drugs/war on drugs
Foreign policy Stem cell research
Education Balanced budget
Term limits Enforcement of consumer protection laws Crackdown on corporate crime
Electoral reform Repeal of “no child left behind”
Ban use of animals in experiments Environment
Creation of jobs Economy
Victim’s rights
There are just some of the issues that have or will come up as platforms in elections. Choose 5-6 (you are NOT limited to this list) issues that are important to your campaign to include in your platform.
REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT: WHAT AM I?
When deciding on your political party, look at the issues and see where you fit. Maybe you fit in one of the major political parties. Maybe you fit in a third party.
So, you’ve heard the words Democrat and Republican. But, what do they mean? Which political party best matches your views? Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between the parties because the issues are more complex than the messages of 30-second campaign commercials on television or 8-second “sound bites” heard on the evening news. Additionally, politicians are always trying to say things that are popular and most political discourse in the United States is filtered through both the lens of the media and the notion of an “either-or” two-party system.
It is also incorrect to suggest that all Democrats share the same beliefs or that there are no factions within the Republican Party. In general, Democrats are more liberal in that they favor progressive change in society, freedoms from government intervention into one’s private and social life, and regulations on economic activity and businesses. In general, Republicans are more conservative in that they favor traditional institutions and the status quo, restrictions on private and social activities, and freedoms from government controls over economic activity and businesses. Yet, not all Democrats are liberal and all Republicans conservative. For instance, people-or both parties and political ideologies-in the American South tend to be more conservative, while their neighbors in the Northeast and West Coast are typically more liberal. Also, not everyone adheres to the principles of the two major parties and there are several minor or “third parties” in the United States, although they rarely get their candidates elected.
Nonetheless, there are some noticeable differences in the political parties. In brief, Democrats tend to favor an active role for government in society and believe that such involvement-be it environmental regulations against polluting or anti-discrimination laws-can improve the quality of our lives and help achieve the larger goals of opportunity and equality. On the other hand, Republicans tend to favor a limited role for government in society and believe that such reliance on the private sector (businesses and individuals)-be it avoiding unnecessary environmental regulations or heavy-handed anti-discrimination laws-can improve economic productivity and help achieve the larger goals of freedom and self-reliance.
Below are some issues that are frequently discussed by the news media and politicians. Every four years during a presidential election, both major parties convene at a national convention and draft a platform, which is an agenda for the next four years and spells out their positions on the issues of the day. The current party platforms reveal the parties’ positions on the following dozen controversial issues:
Issues
1. Abortion
Democrats: Abortion is a woman’s right and should be legal.
Republicans: Abortion should be illegal and restricted by the government.
2. Flag Burning
Democrats: Flag burning is political speech and is protected by the
Constitution.
Republicans: Protect the flag from burning by a constitutional amendment.
3. Gun Control
Democrats: Favor/Gun control is needed
Republicans: Oppose/Gun control is unconstitutional
4. Natural Environment
Democrats: Strong regulations are needed to protect the environment.
Republicans: Strong environmental laws harm the economy.
5. Race Relations
Democrats: Strong anti-discrimination laws are needed.
Republicans: People and businesses can be trusted not to discriminate.
6. Minimum Wage
Democrats: Favor/Increase the minimum wage to help workers.
Republicans: Oppose/Do not raise the minimum wage because it hurts
businesses.
7. Healthcare
Democrats: Government should require universal access to healthcare.
Republicans: Private insurers are preferable to government mandates.
8. Taxes
Democrats: Increase taxes on the wealthy to pay for public programs.
Republicans: Cutting taxes for everyone helps the economy.
9. Military
Democrats: Cut military spending; expand veteran’s benefits; act in concert with
other nations and/or with support from NATO and the UN.
10. Death Penalty
Democrats: Oppose/It is not a deterrent and innocent people are in jeopardy.
Republicans: Favor/The death penalty is necessary and effective.
11. Gay Rights
Democrats: Favor/Gay rights and marriage are civil rights.
Republicans: Oppose/Marriage is a sacred trust between a man and woman.
12. Prayer in School
Democrats: Oppose/Violation of the separation between church and state.
Republicans: Favor/It is a religious right and our Judeo-Christian heritage.
Hour ______
Names of Group Members:______
______
GROUP PARTY PLATFORM
Instructions: Research the platform for your party. Write down (at least the top 5) the issues that the party believes are most important and position for each of the planks.
Candidate Name: ______
Position on the Political Spectrum: ______
Issue: ______
Plank: We believe ______
______
Issue:______
Plank: We believe ______
______
Issue:______
Plank: We believe ______
______
Issue: ______
Plank: We believe ______
______
Issue:______
Plank: We believe ______
______
Issue:______
Plank: We believe ______
______
Issue:______
Plank: We believe ______
______
Does your candidate appear to support the issues on his/her party’s platform? Why or why not? How are they the same? What are any differences?
______
______
Interest Groups
An INTEREST GROUP is… A “faction” of individuals working together to promote a common cause.
Interest Groups work through…Lobbyists / PAC- Political Action Committee
Individuals who interact with elected officials to advocate for their group/cause / Organized collaboration of individuals that advocate for their cause/ group by creating TV ads, reaching voters, working with elected officials
Instructions: Choose five (5) of the following types of groups to research: business groups, labor groups, agricultural groups, professional groups, groups that promote causes, groups for the welfare of certain individuals, religious organizations, or single-issue groups.
List the official, complete name of the group in the left column, the type of group and the overall purpose of the group, and the types of legislation they are trying to impact.
Name of Group / Type/Purpose/Goals of Group / Impact on LegislationHour______
Names of Group Members:______
______
Candidate Name:______
Candidate Party:______
Scoring Guide for Political Party and Campaign Group Project
See front page of assignment to determine everything that should be included.
Group evaluation form ______/5 points
Campaign Strategy-Label each section in report ______/5 points
Typed ______/5 points
fundraising strategy and sources ______/10 points
voter strategy ______/10 points
marketing strategy-includes samples or drawings of ______/10 points
bumper stickers, buttons, billboards etc, yard signs,
brochures, and copy of tv script
campaign slogan ______/5 points
Oral/Video presentation of television ______/10 points
(include a typed transcript)
Oral presentation of candidate speech/typed copy
Speech (include hard copy) should include platform issues, ______/3 points
show knowledge of political party & position on political spectrum_____/3 points
lasts 2-3 minutes, ______/3 points
and be persuasive to the voter. ______/3 points
Written platform (minimum 5 issues) ______/10 points
Interest Group Chart ______/10 points
Works Cited page ______/5 points
Average grade from other group members ______/8 points
(note: your group grade will also be reflected in the
whole project grade. E.g. if you didn’t carry out
your work, you will not benefit from the work of
the rest of the group)
Extra Credit:
Copy of song/jingle & perform campaign song _____/0-10 possible points
TOTAL ______/105
PRELIMINARY CAMPAIGN PROJECT CHECKLIST
Presentation: You may share this information in the order of your choice.
____ Introduce your candidates, party and position on political spectrum
____ platform issues
____How did your candidate raise money for their campaign? How much did
your candidate spend? What kinds of things did your candidate have to
spend money on?
____Show your bumper stickers, etc (marketing)/slogan
____share your marketing strategy
____which voters/states did you target?
____candidate speech (2-3 minutes)
____commercial (in person or pre-taped)
____song for extra credit
· Make sure all electronic devices work prior to presentation.
· You will begin as soon as roll is taken on the day(s) we give presentations. Make your presentation plans before class begins.
· If a group member is going to be absent, make sure the other group members have all of the material. Failure to be prepared when called may result in a reduction of points for the entire group.
What do we turn in?
1.____Typed campaign strategy-Heading should be CAMPAIGN STRATEGY.
Then, LABEL EACH SECTION (E.G. MARKETING, FUNDRAISING,
VOTING, write in paragraph format, then include examples.
___Marketing strategy and all samples
___Copy of script for television ad (typed)
___Campaign slogans
Suggestions:
*You may draw all of your marketing samples on one page or use multiple
pages (billboards, yard signs, buttons, etc)
*If you cannot find out how much your candidate has spent, research past
campaign spending.
*Slogans should be on some or all of your marketing samples
*Where do you plan on using your marketing?
*Examples:
*yard signs in yards of supporters all across the country.
*Rallies
*States you plan to use your marketing. Red states, blue states,
swing states?
*Are your ads going to be clean and focus on the issues? Or are
they going to be attack ads? Why?
___typed fundraising strategy
Suggestions:
· Research how much it costs to run for president.
· Research fundraising strategies of past or current presidential candidates. Check donation limits.
o What types of fundraising are you going to use? Money from interest groups? If so, which ones? What does the interest group support and/or expect in return for their financial contributions? A few examples of fundraising: $1,000/plate dinner with the candidate. These are usually held in a large banquet hall that holds a lot of people. Donations from people who want bumper stickers, buttons, yard signs, etc to help defray the cost of those items. Benefit concerts. Letters/postcards to constituents/voters or corporations asking for donations. Funding from your political party.