Political Party and Campaign Group Project

POLITICAL PARTY AND CAMPAIGN GROUP PROJECT

You will work with your group. Each group will divide the group tasks and roles between the group members as decided by group.

(Suggestions: Candidate for President-note this person should be responsible for more than just giving the speech, Marketing Director/Public Relations Manager,

Speech Writer, Campaign Manager/Fundraising, division of research)

1.Pick a presidential and vice presidential candidate-fictional or real and

complete the following tasks.

2. Determine the party he/she represents-this may be Democrat, Republican or a

third party and where they fit on political spectrum.

3. Research: political parties, platforms/issues, interest groups, campaign

finance, campaign slogans, candidate polls, and campaign advertisements at

the library. See attached sheet for Websites that may help:

Topics 10 and 11 of your textbook

Notes

4. Develop a platform (beliefs/policies/issues) for your candidate.

Minimum: 5 issues. Include any interest groupsand PAC’s involved.

Tell me what your group believes about the issue and how you

tend to support or change it.

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. Develop a campaign slogan.

7. Develop a campaign strategy for the election including:

Marketing strategy-social media, tv ads, radio ads, newspaper ad, brochures, billboards, buttons, bumperstickers etc. You must write at least one television or radio ad to perform or show in front of the class (may be pre-taped);

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.

Fundraising-who will you target and how will you conduct your fundraising? How much money do you need to raise? What types of fundraisers will you have?

Which states will you focus on, why, how, and how much?Be aware of which state are blue states, red states, and swing (purple) states.

8. Extra Credit: Write and perform for the class a theme or campaign song. You

may write an original song with music or you may choose music

and write your own words. Only the group members that are

involved in the writing and/or performance of the song will

receive extra credit.

9. Complete a group evaluation form on your group

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.

typology.people-press.org/typology/

(good for commercials)

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 ObamaChange

John McCainCountry First

George W. BushLeave no child behind

John KerryLet America be America Again

Ross PerotRoss for Boss

George H.W. BushRead my lips, no new taxes

Warren G. HardingReturn to normalcy

Calvin CoolidgeKeep cool with Coolidge

Herbert HooverA chicken in every pot and a car

in every garage

Dwight EisenhowerI like Ike

Peace, Prosperity, Progress

Richard M. NixonLaw and Order

Jimmy CarterNot Just Peanuts

A leader, for a change

Henry ClayWho is James K. Polk?

Benjamin HarrisonTrade, Trade, No Free Trade!

James BuchananSave the Union

Ronald ReaganLet’s Make America Great Again

Theodore RooseveltA Square Deal for Every Man

William McKinleyFull-dinner pail

William HarrisonTippecanoe and Tyler Too

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 NATOand 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: Reach consensus on what your group believes are today’s five most important political issues and write a plank reflecting the group’s position on each issue. In addition, select a political significant party name place your party where you think it belongs on the political spectrum.

Party 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 ______

______

Issue:______

Plank: We believe ______

______

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 Legislation

Hour______

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

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 or radio script

campaign slogan ______/5 points

Oral/Video presentation of television or radio ad ______/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: if your group members give you a D or F,

your overall score will reflect this grade along

with the evaluation score.

Extra Credit:

Sing or perform campaign song_____/0-10 possible points

TOTAL ______/100

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 you raise money for your campaign?

____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 ______, so 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,

you should 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 slogan

Suggestions:

• You may draw all of your marketing samples on one page or use multiple pages (billboards, yard signs, buttons, etc)
• Research cost of advertising-make sure you are communicating with fundraising, so they know how much money you want to spend and you know how much money they are planning on raising.
• Slogan should be on some or all of your marketing samples
• States you plan to use your marketing. Red states, blue states, swing states? Are you going to spend money/marketing in states that you have no chance of winning?
• 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.
• 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. 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.
• How much money do you need to raise? Also talk to your marketing people to find out how much money they think they need.

___typed voting strategy (which voters and states are you targeting and

why)

Suggestions:

• Research red states, blue states, swing states. Which states do you want to target? Which states do you want to ignore because you have no chance of winning (so you will only use minimal funds and marketing).
• Which voters will you target? Why? Consider age, socio-economic status, religion, etc.

2. ____copy of speech (typed)

3. ____One copy of platform-you may either write on the form provided or you

may type all of the required information in the format provided.

4. ____Group evaluation form (I’ll give these to you at the end of the

presentations)

5. ____Extra Credit Campaign song (identify tune/existing music, typed copy of\

words)

6. ____ Interest group chart

7. ____ Works Cited Page

8. ____ One clean copy of your scoring guide with everyone’s name and hour.

Attach this to the front of the papers you are turning in to me.

Check your scoring guide for a complete list.

You may present this in power point format, but I will need a copy of the powerpoint or you will need to share google slides with me.