Road to the White House: Understanding Elections by Joaquin Andrade

PROJECT

Introduction Voting is one of the most personal decisions an individual can make. Selecting a person who will speak for you in government and who will voice opinions in your absence is an act of critical choice. Not everyone can go to City Hall, to the Statehouse, or to the Capitol, but we can elect people to go for us and for that reason we should be educated about that choice. To this end, Project S.E.D., Students for an Educated Democracy, focuses on teaching students to become educated and informed voters.

S.E.D. Students for an Educated Democracy

Project S.E.D. is a classroom-based voter education program designed to make the study of voting and the electoral process engaging and fun. Using elections as a model, the program helps students learn about the importance of voting and the mechanics of elections in a hands-on, interactive manner. Over the years, Project S.E.D. has continually developed new materials, such as resource books, to complement Mock Elections, voter registration, and educational activities conducted in high schools. Using the results and recommendations of surveys, focus groups and advisory committees of High School teachers and students, Project S.E.D. has designed books like this one, in order to provide a context and foundation for education about the democratic process. The materials and activities provided have been developed to educate our future voters and motivate them to become active participants in the affairs shaping their communities.

Contents Introduction Political Awareness Inventory Fact Sheet: A Brief History of Presidential Elections An Overview of the 2008 Elections Who's Who in 2008? Choosing a Leader Comparing the Candidates Finding the Facts: Candidate Debates and Forums Finding the Facts: Campaign Literature Finding the Facts: News Media Finding the Facts: Advertising Developing Campaign Strategies Simulating an Electoral Campaign Fact Sheet: Political Parties Distinguishing Differences in Political Parties Fact Sheet: Delegates and the Primary Election Fact Sheet: National Party Conventions Convening a Caucus A National Convention Committee Election Vocabulary The Basics About Voting About USHLI

3 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 27 28

2008 Edition: We designed this booklet specifically for high school social studies and history classes. It provides a framework for discussing voting, the electoral process, and the upcoming 2008 elections. These resources will help prepare students to be informed and influential “voters” in the Student Mock Election at their school. Boldfaced words are defined in the vocabulary listing at the end of the book. Activities highlight various aspects of the election process, which are explained in more detail in a series of fact sheets. Overall, Project S.E.D.'s materials can be used either for group or individual work. They are a starting point only and should be adapted to meet the needs of each class and curriculum whether the program is used as a "stand alone" educational unit or to supplement what is taught in other units. Discussing the upcoming election, researching the candidates, and simulating campaigns helps change what can be an intangible concept into an understandable set of facts and practices. With schools participating in our Mock Election, the Project S.E.D. curriculum helps provide a context for the actual voting process and its importance in a democratic government. The presidential primary can be a relevant, interesting event for students when they have the chance to learn first-hand about the direct and significant impact public officials have on our day-to-day lives. Thank you for your commitment to civic education. Please contact USHLI at (312) 427-8683 if there are any additional materials or resources we can help provide.

Understanding Presidential Elections is produced by the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI)) for schools participating in its civic education program, Project S.E.D., Students for an Educated Democracy. For more information about Project S.E.D. or USHLI, please contact: 431 S. Dearborn St., Suite 1203 • Chicago, IL 60605 • (312) 427-8683 • www.ushli.org © 2007 by United States Hispanic Leadership Institute No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without the consent of the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute, Inc.

– 30 –

PROJECT

S.E.D. Students for an Educated Democracy

3 4 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 27 28

Political Awareness Inventory: How much do you know? 1. The right to vote in the United States is guaranteed for a. everyone residing in the country. b. all persons 18 or older. c. all U.S. Citizens 18 or older who are registered to vote. d. all U.S. property owners 21 or older who are registered to vote. e. all permanent residents and citizens 18 or older who are registered. 2. The electoral college is a. made up of delegates whose votes technically elect the president and vice president of the United States. b. a University attended by new elected officials so they can learn do their jobs. c. an advanced school for political campaign managers designed to teach them to run more effective campaigns. d. a slang name for Potomac University, many of whose students are family members of elected officials. e. no longer a factor in U.S. politics, having been abolished by an amendment to the U.S. Constitution. 3. "Political Platform" is a phrase that a. designates any physical place where candidates stand to give speeches. b. is the name of the form that presidential candidates must file to get their name on ballots. c. designates a cluster of position statements endorsed by a political party's national convention delegates. d. is no longer a meaningful designation, having been forbidden by a constitutional amendment. 4. The right to vote a. is automatically forfeited if one is arrested. b. is so basic that there was no need to address it in the U.S. Constitution. c. has been expanded several times by amendments to the U.S. Constitution. d. has been guaranteed since 1787 for all U.S. citizens over age of 20. e. is available for anyone who pays. 5. To become a candidate for President of the United States, a person must a. be a U.S. born citizen at least 35 years old, and have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years. b. be a 25 year old U.S. born citizen with no criminal record. c. be a 21 year old citizen who has held elected office at the state level for at least 2 years. d. be a U.S. born or naturalized citizen, at least 30 years old, who has served in the U.S. Congress for at least one year. e. be a 30 year-old U.S. citizen with a law degree, who is an active member of the Bar in one of the 50 states.

Political Awareness Inventory, continued 6. Regarding "bias" or "slant" in information about candidates, which of the following five statements is most accurate? a. national newspapers such as USA Today and the Wall Street Journal have no bias because their reporters are highly skilled. b. local press coverage is the least biased because it is closest to the scene. c. CNN has no bias because it is international. d. news services, such as Reuters and the Associated Press, have no bias because they supply stories to many newspapers and TV stations. e. all information may be biased in some way and should, therefore, be viewed accordingly. 7. A "palm card" is a card a. read by astrologers to help political candidates decide which issues to stress. b. used by political candidates to inconspicuously hold notes for speeches. c. distributed to voters by a campaign or political party with the name of one or more candidates to vote for. d. given to generous campaign donors that allows them admission to the national Democratic or Republican headquarters office. e. containing the names of local dignitaries and party faithful that is handed to candidates by their "handler" upon arrival at a new campaign stop. 8. A group of people officially registered with the government who join together to lobby public officials and influence public policy on a specific issue is called a/an a. agenda. b. Political Action Committee (PAC). c. challenger. d. election judge. e. poll. 9. Which item in the following list would a campaign manager likely NOT do as part of a successful campaign? a. Maximize exposure by alerting the media about the candidate's appearance and press conference. b. Decrease advertising and candidates appearance in the last few days before the election to avoid burnout from over exposure. c. Survey and interview voters to learn about their concerns. d. Target "swing voters" to convince them to vote for the manager's candidate. e. Increase "name recognition" through advertising, press releases, and public appearances and speeches by the candidate. 10. Election judges are a. qualified voters who help conduct an election on election day. b. members of the judicial branch who specialize in hearing cases in which voter fraud is alleged. c. judges who hold their judgeships on a result of winning the seat in an election. d. academic researches who observe elections and report on the quality of the election. e. federal officials who inspect voting machines to certify that they are in good working order and ready to be used in an election. 1.c 2.a 3.c 4.c 5.a 6.e 7.c 8.b 9.b 10.a

Fact Sheet: A Brief History of the Presidential Election Process At one time the United States was so small, and the electorate so limited (white, male, property owners over age 21), that candidates in local elections could talk to voters personally to solicit their vote. However, it was difficult to distribute information to anyone beyond a few days horseback ride. There were no political parties and no networks to communicate to all voters. So in presidential elections, it was decided that only a few people from each state would actually vote for president as representatives of the rest of their state's electorate. As defined by the Constitution, each state chooses electors to participate in an Electoral College. This body elects the president. Each state's voters select a number of electors equal to how many U.S. senators and representatives it has in Congress. Originally, electors met in their home states and casted two ballots each for president. The person with the second highest number of votes was automatically vice president. In 1804, a Constitutional amendment changed the electoral college process so that all electors cast one ballot each for president and one for vice president. The authors of the Constitution developed the electoral college because they did not think the electorate-at-large would have enough information to make an educated decision about electing the president. Additionally, the authors wanted to avoid having any single group dominate the election. If the members of congress, or state legislators, or governors chose the president themselves, they would likely over-power the president. Because the Constitution is based on checks and balances, the authors decided to develop a separate election body to choose the president. Technically, this is still how the president and vice president are chosen. But as the country grew geographically and numerically, groups formed to protect their interests. Presidential elections began to change. Political parties first developed after the presidency of George Washington (1789-1797) to serve the interests of groups of people. In a short time, the members of Congress in these parties also began to meet in small caucuses to nominate their presidential candidate every four years. Each Congressional caucus would choose a nominee for president to represent the party. Then that nominee and the members of the political party in each state would try to persuade the electors to support that candidate when they voted for president in the electoral college. Until the early 1800s, the electors to the Electoral College were usually selected by the legislature of each state. But with the expansion of political parties, more states began to allow the electors to be selected by popular vote. In these elections, after the Congressional party caucuses chose their nominee for president, voters would choose the electors who would vote for the nominees in the Electoral College. By 1824, voters in most states could select electors to represent their preference for President. Today, in most states, a slate of electors is chosen by each political party for its presidential nominee. Then in the November general election every four years, voters decide which candidate they prefer. Based on who receives the most votes from the electorate, the slate of electors representing that candidate will cast the official ballots for the state in the Electoral College. As the nation grew, political parties became more and more important in identifying candidates and helping them get elected to office. Over time, National Conventions replaced congressional caucuses. At a national convention, delegates from across the country (instead of members of Congress) would choose a nominee for President. The convention process began at a local level where party members selected delegates to attend a state convention. The state convention then chose delegates to attend a national convention. Delegates from every state then selected the party's presidential candidate at the national convention. This process still exists in a varied form today. Over the years, the contest among party members to choose candidates became more and more intense. However, this process bypassed most citizens. Usually, only active party members participated in local and state conventions. By the early 1900s, a movement existed to open the party system to more voters by establishing primary elections. These elections allowed almost all voters to cast a ballot to choose delegates to elect the presidential nominee for each party. The presidential primary election is used in most states today.

If all this seems confusing, the rest of this book will break down the information needed to better understand elections. There are fact sheets, activities and suggestions on how to learn about the candidates in this election. You will set up a simulated campaign to prepare for a mock student election at your school. The activities and classroom campaign can help inform you and your fellow students about the candidates for the 2008 election. 8

An Overview of the 2008 Elections Races for the nominations of U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, President and Vice President of the United States, as well as State Legislators, serve as excellent models to learn about government. In the upcoming Primary Elections occurring in almost every state, voters of each major political party (and some minor or third parties) will choose nominees for each political office from among many people of the same party. Candidates in the United States usually choose to run for office as either Democrats or Republicans because these two parties provide more financial and networking support to candidates. At the time of this publication, nine national candidates are competing for the Democratic nomination for President, while ten national candidates are competing for the Republican nomination for President. To run for President, a candidate must be at least 35 years old, a U.S. citizen born in this country, a resident of the United States for 14 years, and must meet requirements set by law and the Federal Election Commission, or FEC. Any candidate running for federal office must present specific documents to the FEC, including a statement of candidacy, lists of financial contributions, and other information to be eligible to run for office. To participate in a state primary and have her or his name appear on the ballot on election day, a presidential candidate must submit petitions along with another statement of candidacy to each state's election officials. The petitions are used to gather signatures of registered voters in the candidateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s party as proof that a candidate has the support of enough voters in the state. Each state sets its own requirements for a candidate to be on the ballot for primary elections. Political parties typically use primary elections to allow voters who identify with the party to select nominees to represent the party in a general election. Usually in a primary, the candidates from each party receiving the most votes for a particular office, will run against each other in the general elections. But in a presidential election, voters in each state are actually just indicating their preference for President. Their votes will be represented by delegates for each political party who meet at a national convention after all the state primary elections are over. At the convention, the delegates will cast ballots to express the presidential preference of voters in their state. Republican Party delegates will meet for their National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota from September 1-4, 2008. Democratic Party delegates will meet for their National Convention on August 25-28, 2008 in Denver, Colorado. The candidate receiving the most delegates at each party's national convention will compete in the general election on November 4, 2008. In this election, each nominee will try to win the support of voters nationwide in order to receive the votes of the electors in each state who technically choose the president. A total of 538 electors will represent voters in their state in the Electoral College, the process officially established by the Constitution to elect the President and Vice President of the United States. Although much focus in 2008 is on the candidates for President, candidates for Congress and state and local offices will also be on the ballot. The candidates elected to these offices often have a great impact on the dayto-day lives of people, because they create many laws impacting communities. In fact, because these officials are direct representatives of people in each state or district, they are often more accessible to voters and can have a more direct effect on voters than an office such as President. Like candidates for the presidency, those seeking nomination for the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives or for the state offices also must submit petitions and meet age and residency requirements. Candidates for U.S. Senate must be U.S. Citizens at least 30 years old, and residents of their state; candidates for U.S. representative must be U.S. Citizens at least 25 years old and residents of their state. Candidates for these offices from the same political party will run against one another in the primary election. Nominees chosen during the primary election from each political party will run against one another and will be elected directly by voters in the general election on November 4, 2008.

Who's Who in 2008 Being an informed voter begins with knowing what offices are up for election and which candidates are running. Use this worksheet to see how many candidates you know of who are running in this election as nominees for president and/or Congress for your state. Use media sources to learn the names of as many candidates seeking office as possible, including their party affiliation, what their current job is, and what their main message to voters seems to be. Work individually or in groups. Your teacher may offer extra credit to the group or individual that finds the candidates running for Congress in your district or that finds the most answers overall.

Name of candidate

Party affiliation/ Nomination desired

Current occupation

Main message to voters

Choosing a Leader Every four years the American public chooses its president. Who this person will be depends on the type of person that citizens of the United States want to see as their leader and the issues that this person says he or she will address. Students can have a big role in choosing the President and other officials, such as Senators and State Legislators. You can register and vote if you turn 18 by the next election and are a U.S. Citizen. You can tell eligible friends and family members to register and vote, and you can help them decide who to vote for. Most importantly, you can learn about the candidates, write letters to them about your views, and volunteer to help the ones you like. But before you choose who to support, it is important to understand your beliefs and what type of leader you want to see in government. Use this activity to think about what you look for in a leader.

List four qualities you look for in a leader:

List four other qualities you would look for in someone seeking public office:

_____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________

____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________

Do you think all voters look for the same leadership qualities in elected officials? Explain. ________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________ List four issues that are important to you today: ________________________________________

____________________________________________

__________________________________

______________________________________

Do you think the President and Congress should respond to these issues? Why? How? ________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________ Consider the personal characteristics below. Circle those that you think should affect a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s decision about who she or he supports for president or Congress. Cross out those that you think should not matter. Race/Origin Religion

Marital Status

Personality

Looks/Appearance

Gender

Education Family

Past Employment

Age

Background

Do you think people are concerned with the characteristics that you circled? Explain. Which characteristics, if any, should concern voters when electing public officials? Why? ________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

ANALYSIS: Which of the following do you think is most important in choosing a person for public office: leadership qualities, action on current issues, or personal characteristics? Which is the least important? Explain your view. Then split into three groups representing each point of view and have each group present its view on which of the three aspects is most important in choosing public officials. Decide as a class which aspect is most important. 11

Comparing the Candidates What are the candidates' positions on the issues? What are the differences among them? The positions candidates take on important issues help voters decide whom to support on election day. When you have learned about the different candidates running for office, it often helps to gather all the information you have and place the candidates in a line-up. By looking at all the candidates together, you can best decide for whom to vote. Use this chart to list some major candidates running for presidential or Congressional offices and compare their stands on the issues important to you. Use additional paper to write about other candidates.

Issue

Your Position

Candidate Position Name ________________

Candidate Position Candidate Position Name Name _______________ _______________

ANALYSIS: Which candidates have addressed the issues that are most important to you? Do you agree with their positions and/or do they agree with yours? _________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________ What do you think the most important issue is to voters in this election? Which candidates seem to have the most widely accepted position on this issue?

____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________

Finding the Facts: Candidate Debates and Forums Debates can be one of the best ways to learn about where the candidates stand on issues. Use this resource sheet to analyze the candidates in a debate on television, radio, or in a community forum. If you do not get a chance to watch or hear the debate live, transcripts of most debates can easily be found on the internet. List the issues important to you and describe how the candidates address those issues. Then list the qualities you think are important in a candidate and how each person does or does not display them in the debate. Use the questions provided to analyze your findings. Use a separate page if there are additional candidates. List the main issues that are important to you. Then fill in the blanks for each candidate about how she or he addressed the issue, or if she or he did not. Use another page for additional candidates, if needed.

Issue

Candidate #1 _______________________

Candidate #2 ______________________

List the qualities in a candidate that are important to you. Fill in the blanks for each candidate explaining how she or he displayed the quality, or if she or he did not. Use another page for additional candidates.

Quality

Candidate #1 _______________________

Candidate #2 ______________________

ANALYSIS: Based on the candidatesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; performance in the debate, who would you vote for? Has your decision changed after hearing the candidates debate? Who, in your opinion, "won"? Why? 13

Finding the Facts: Campaign Literature Campaign materials can provide voters excellent information about the candidates, their background and their positions on the issues. Such materials come in many varieties and use several techniques to generate voter support. Like other paid ads, campaign literature may target specific groups with particular messages about a candidate to inform them of what she or he would do for that group if elected. Select one piece of campaign literature to analyze, including letters from candidates, brochures, flyers, postcards, fact sheets, and other forms of general or direct mail. (Do not select advertisements from the media or articles and stories.) Try to figure out what this material is trying to tell voters about the candidate, whether distortion techniques are being used, and whether specific voters are being targeted.

Candidate's Name: _______________________________ Office Sought: _____________________________ Format of the campaign literature: ____________________________________________________________ Describe the basic content of the piece (issues discussed, background, endorsements, etc.): _____________

____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ Describe the techniques used to provide the information to voters and catch voters' attention (quotations or messages from the candidate, slogans, catchy statements, questions with answers, etc.):

____________________________________________________________________________ Does the material seem to appeal to a certain audience/group of voters? Which one? How? _____________

____________________________________________________________________________ What techniques do you see used in this material to attract voters' attention and support that you have seen in other forms of campaign literature or advertising?

____________________________________________________________________________ Do you think the piece is effective in generating voter support? How? Are you likely to support this candidate after reading this literature? Why or why not?

____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________

Finding the Facts: News Media Learning about the candidates in an election is not always an easy task. But when voters are informed about who the candidates are, and where they stand on the issues, they can make better decisions for whom to vote. The news media (newspapers, television and radio) usually run stories about the candidates as the elections near. They can help provide a different view about the candidates compared to campaign information, which is always biased in favor of one candidate or another. Use this page to record the information you discover about a candidate of your choice through the news media. Then use the questions below to analyze the type of information you find.

Date and source of information (name of newspaper, station, and/or web address):

__________________________________________________________________ Subject of news story: ______________________________________________________________________ Candidate(s) covered: ____________________________________________________ Office Sought:________________________ Party Affiliation: ______________________ What did you learn from this news piece?

__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ What did you learn about the candidateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s platform(s), position on issues, or plans if elected?

__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ What had you heard or read about the candidate(s) covered here before you read/saw/heard this story? (i.e., education, experience, current employment, position on issues, etc.)

__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Describe the attitude of the news piece and the attitude of the reporter toward the candidate(s).

__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Would you consider the treatment of the story fair or biased toward a particular candidate? Explain.

__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Where else have you seen information about the candidates? How does the attitude, bias, and depth of coverage of this piece compare to those sources?

Finding the Facts: Advertising Advertising can be one of the most informative sources on candidates and, at the same time, can be quite misleading. Campaigns use paid advertising to help increase a candidate’s name recognition and positive image among voters and to provide voters with reasons to vote for the candidate. But the techniques for providing this information must be watched carefully for distortion and inaccuracies. Answer the questions and review the advertising techniques listed below to analyze a radio, television, or website ad you hear or see about a candidate of your choice.

Time and station on which ad was aired: _____________ Type of ad (radio, TV, website): ______________ Is the candidate's campaign paying for the ad? ___________________________________________ Candidate(s) named in ad:_________________________________________________________ Office Sought:_______________________ Party Affiliation:______________________________ Describe the content, style and quality of the advertisement (Who was the announcer or website developer? What was said or shown? What images, pictures, or keywords were used?):

__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ What was said specifically about the candidate who sponsored the ad? Did you learn anything about the candidate's platform, position on issues, or plans if elected?

__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Advertisements may use a variety of techniques, including some which may seem to distort the information presented. Place a (+) or (-) mark next to those positive (those you approve of) and negative (those you disapprove of) techniques you noticed in the advertisement: ____ straight talk from a candidate ____ a slice-of-life view of the candidate, with activities from a typical day ____ an appeal to voter’s emotions (which may/may not use facts) ____ a straight attack on a candidate’s opponent ____ a comparison, contrasting two or more candidates ____ words or ideas that "sound good" (which may/may not have substance) ____ a series of campaign promises (which may/may not be realistic) ____ a testimonial or endorsement from celebrities, “plain folks”, or others Were there particular strategies used in the ad that you liked or thought effective? Those that you disliked or thought ineffective? Explain.

__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Was there a particular group of voters that seemed to be targeted in the advertisement? Explain.

__________________________________________________________________ What was your impression of the candidate sponsoring the ad before you saw/heard it? Have your opinions changed about any of the candidates?

__________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ 16

Developing Campaign Strategies Defined below are some of the major components used to guide and publicize a campaign and convince voters to support a particular candidate on election day. Also provided are suggestions about how to adapt some of the components for a campaign simulation. Use those which best suit the campaign for your school. Do not hesitate to call a candidate's official campaign to get more detailed information. And do not forget to list the candidate's name, party affiliation, and the date and location of the Mock (and real) election on any campaign materials you develop so students know for whom, where and when to vote.

Campaign plan The written outline or calendar of all strategies to be used in the campaign to generate voter support. To develop your campaign plan, create a calendar listing the day of the mock election and work backwards to describe all the campaign strategies to be used and when they should be started and completed.

Platform The statement of proposed action, plans, and positions on issues developed by a candidate. Platforms describe why a person is running for office and what she or he would do if elected. Because you are simulating the campaign of a real candidate, first try to find that person's own platform and then do some research about your candidate to restate the platform with a focus on those issues most important to students. Be sure everything is based on fact!

Position papers A formal description of a candidate's view and proposed action on a particular issue. Choose which issues you are writing about and get information from the campaign, newspapers, brochures and other resources. Then, write out your candidate's position (the actual one, not made up), along with quotations you might find from the candidate about key issues. You may also include information about the person's track record on the issues you choose, if she or he was elected to office before. Have copies ready to share with other students.

Opinion poll/"Straw" poll A question or series of questions asked to voters to learn their views on current issues and/or which candidates they plan to vote for on Election Day. Polls are like mini-interviews with voters conducted at the beginning of a campaign to understand what issues are important to voters and for what type of candidate they would vote. They are also used at any point in a campaign to see how well known a candidate is to voters and whether voters plan to support that person on Election Day. You may do your own poll of student voters to learn about their concerns. You can conduct polls to help determine what kinds of materials you need to develop in your campaign. You may also ask a sample of different students who they plan to vote for in the Mock Election to see if you can determine, in advance, whom students will support in the Mock Election.

Press release A written announcement to the media to generate publicity about an event, situation, etc. If you have a school newspaper, your campaign and others might want to share information about your research on the candidates and the upcoming Mock Election. You might write a press release about a specific event (a school debate among different surrogate candidates) or an announcement ("Candidate A favors year-round school to promote education"). Whatever you choose to write about, it should be based on fact, should tell the "who, what, where, when, and why" of the story and should include quotes from the actual candidate.

Campaign brochure/literature A printed promotional piece developed by a campaign to provide information about a candidate to voters. Printed campaign materials can take many forms (brochures, flyers, booklets, etc.) and campaigns often develop several types. Decide which of several possible formats you want to use for your piece. Then determine what information you want to include in the material, including specific reasons why voters should support your candidate and where and when they can vote. You may want to use a picture of your candidate, a slogan, quotes from the candidate, etc. Make copies to share with other students. 17

Developing Campaign Strategies, continued

Direct mailing A printed campaign piece sent to a group of targeted voters about a particular issue of importance to that group. Direct mail is one of the most effective types of campaign material because it is sent to specific voters about an issue the campaign knows is important to them. If your campaign does research or interviews with student voters to learn about their specific concerns, you might develop materials for those particular voters. For example, if bilingual education is important to many voters, but not all, a specific mailing (a letter, brochure, flyer, etc.) about the candidate's position on the issue can be developed especially for those people to get their support. Develop your piece like any other campaign brochure and distribute to your targeted voters.

Radio/TV advertisement A paid promotional piece to provide information about a candidate, usually to generate support from a widespread audience. Radio and television ads are very important to large campaigns because they are an effective way to get general information about a candidate to many people. Advertisements are usually short and catchy to reinforce the name of the candidate and leave a positive impression with voters. If you want to develop an "advertisement" and have access to audio or video recording, decide what information you want to give voters, including your candidate's name and the details of the election. Then develop a script (and storyboard showing the visual frames, if a "television ad") and record. Your ad should be limited to about one minute. Play your ad for other students to convince them to vote for your candidate.

Candidate debate or forum A public meeting of two or more candidates, conducted under predetermined guidelines, to discuss issues important to voters. Debates and forums offer an excellent way for voters to learn about and compare candidates' positions on the issues by allowing voters to ask questions of candidates directly or through a moderator. A forum allows candidates to share their own position on the issues, while a debate allows time for candidates to present their own views and then refute or rebut the views of their opponents. If you want to conduct a debate or forum, your campaign and others should select two or three key issues and research your candidates' positions on them. Then choose surrogate candidates to represent each campaign and speak for one or two minutes on each of these issues (you can record your responses in advance). You and your opponents may also choose to develop opening and closing remarks to convince voters to vote for your candidate. Select a moderator and a timer to make sure each candidate gets the same amount of time to speak. Allow candidates to take turns speaking about the issues. If you decide to have a debate, after all candidates have addressed an issue be sure to allow each to have 30 to 60 seconds to respond to any challenges brought up by opponents.

Canvassing A form of direct voter contact where volunteers or the candidates make personal door-to-door visits to voters to share information and ask their support. Talking individually with voters is a great campaign technique because it allows the candidate or campaign to respond directly to voters' questions or concerns. Canvassing door-to-door can be done in school either with individual students at lunch, in study hall, in division, etc., or with entire classes. You may provide students with campaign literature you developed earlier or make a brief presentation about the candidate and why voters should support her or him. Don't forget to give your voters the details of the mock election and remind them to vote.

Get-out-the-vote postcard or poster A printed campaign piece used to promote the name of the candidate and remind voters to vote. Getting people to vote on election day is the true measure of a successful campaign. A simple way to remind voters is with a postcard or poster listing the details of the election, the candidate's name and maybe a slogan or picture of the candidate. These materials are not designed to provide much information to voters, but instead just reinforce the name of the candidate, her or his party affiliation and the election day. You might hang posters or hand out postcards on the day of or day before your mock election to remind students to vote for your candidate.

Simulating an Electoral Campaign Getting the word out to voters about a candidate is what campaigns are all about. Simulating a campaign can be a great exercise to understand more about elections and specific candidates running for the 2008 presidential nomination for their party or for Congress and state legislative nominations. Described below are the major steps and strategies used in campaigns to reach voters and generate voter support for election day. Use them as a guide for your own campaign to help educate other students in your school about candidates who will be on the ballot on Mock Election Day. You may choose to break up into groups and have each student serve as a campaign staff member for one of the candidates on the ballot.

All candidates need to develop and implement plans to target voter support, increase the number of supporters, and remind supporters to vote on election day. The combined strategies to accomplish these goals (including raising money to fund the effort) is known as a campaign. Campaigns are designed to get information out to voters about a candidate, including the person's experience, background, record, and position on key issues. Use these general guidelines to understand the typical steps in a campaign, and use them to model your own school campaign simulation for a 2008 candidate of your choice.

Step One: Establish a campaign committee Even before a candidate files the petitions for office, a campaign committee is established to "test the waters." This central committee consists of advisors, public officials, and professionals who help the candidate determine if there is enough voter support to launch a campaign. Information on voters, their preferences for candidates, and their positions on key issues are researched to see if there is a sufficient political base of voters. Using this research, the committee will provide support and advice to the candidate and will help get a campaign started if she or he runs.

Step Two: Develop a written campaign plan Once a candidate decides to run, the first step for any campaign is to develop a timetable in which to plan and implement the campaign strategy. Included in the calendar are key dates: the deadline to file papers to be eligible to run for office, the day the candidate announces her or his decision to run, fund-raising events, press conferences, speeches, advertising campaigns, and Election Day. These dates also reflect deadlines for publicity plans used in the campaign strategy, such as mailings, printing brochures or other campaign materials, and calling or visiting voters. In your campaign plan, work backwards from the date of the Mock Election at your school. The official primary election varies from state to state. Find out when the primary elections are in your state. The mock election will be about two weeks before election day (check with your teacher for details). Then fill in the dates of different deadlines, events, and activities you plan to use to get the word out to students at your school about the candidate of your campaign. Use this as a guide for all the campaign work you do.

Step Three: Assign tasks to staff and volunteers to implement the plan Large campaigns, such as those for President or Congress, often have the following staff members to plan and implement the campaign strategy: • a campaign manager, who oversees the entire strategy and who is the "right hand" of the candidate, • a research director, who learns about the electorate and helps the candidate develop her or his position on issues, • a finance director, who creates a budget and raises money for the campaign, • a media/publicity director, who organizes all press coverage and paid advertising, • a staff coordinator, who assigns staff tasks, recruits volunteers and coordinates the campaign office, and • a scheduler, who manages the candidate's personal calendar and appearances. Campaigns for President, which usually have a national office and offices in different states, may have more than one person in each role. As you develop your campaign strategy, you may choose whether you want to have different students assume different jobs (especially, a publicity director, a research director, even a "stand-in" or surrogate candidate if desired). Otherwise, as a group you can share the responsibilities of your campaign plan.

Simulating a campaign, continued

Step Four: Identify and understand prospective voters. Successful campaigns focus on specific voters for their support. Often a campaign identifies prospective voters and conducts research to understand key issues that are important to them. This research is used to target voters and to help a candidate develop a platform (or statement about the candidacy) and positions on issues. Because you are simulating a campaign, you do not need to do all the research that a real candidate would. But it is good to interview prospective student voters to find out what issues are important to them. You can target these issues in your campaign strategy and in any platform or position papers you create.

Step Five: Raise money to get the message out. Fund-raising is critical to a candidate's campaign. Usually a variety of strategies are used to raise money, including direct solicitation letters, public events, parties, private dinners and receptions. Personal meetings between the candidate and political funders or interest groups also occur. You need not worry about fund-raising for your campaign; however, you can simulate a fund-raising event if you wish and allow classmates to contribute play money to the campaign(s) of their choice.

Step Six: Implement the advertising strategy. Political campaigns can attract publicity or pay for it. Unpaid media coverage, such as news stories on television or in the newspaper, can be attracted by sending out press releases or holding press conferences or news events. Publicity that is paid takes many forms: newspaper, radio or television advertisements; printed brochures and campaign literature; direct mail to target voters; billboards and signs; and specialty materials, such as buttons, pens, stickers, t-shirts, etc. The types of strategies used depend on the budget of the campaign and are written into the campaign plan. Some strategies to consider for your campaign simulation include posters, brochures, "radio ads" (as an announcement over the public address system), and so on. The techniques that can be used to generate publicity about a candidate are endless if the campaign is creative.

Step Seven: Implement the direct voter contact strategy. Campaigns use a variety of strategies to have direct contact between the candidate/candidate's representatives and voters. Door-to-door visits, phone calls from volunteers, speeches or public appearances by the candidate, presentations at meetings, and public forums and debates with other candidates are just a few such techniques. If your campaign designates a student as a surrogate "candidate," you might want to try some of these strategies.

Step Eight: Get-Out-The-Vote The most important part of a campaign strategy is the final effort just before the election to remind supporters to vote on election day. Campaigns usually call voters, send reminder postcards, distribute posters or flyers, and even offer to drive voters to their polling places--all to get out the vote. Your school campaign could include any of these techniques to remind your fellow students to vote in the Mock Election at your school.

Step Nine: Watch the results come in and prepare for the next election. Election night after all voters have cast their ballots is an exciting and tense time for the members of any election campaign. Results are publicized by the media, beginning after the polling places close. Parties are usually arranged by a candidate to thank the staff and volunteers for their support-whether there is a victory or not. Many candidates who do not win on election night will take their campaign experience and run again for another office at a later time. For winning campaigns in a general election, a candidate will prepare to assume her or his newly-won office. In a primary election, if a candidate is nominated to represent her or his party, then the campaign must develop a new plan for the general election. In a presidential primary election, there are primary elections in many states before a national convention for the party is finally held to nominate a presidential candidate. Therefore, a winning election will be one in a series of elections before the nomination is finally won.

Fact Sheet: Political Parties Political parties have helped presidential candidates get elected to office since they began. Originally, they served mostly as groups of like-minded politicians who voted together on political issues and for presidential candidates. Over time, parties have publicized their beliefs, attracted members, and developed active party organizations. Political parties still serve current elected officials who develop networks, committees, and caucuses to support the work they do in government. Today, party organizations exist also to involve voters in elections and recruit and elect candidates at every level of government—from the precinct level, where voters cast their ballot, to the federal level, where a national convention is held and policies are decided. The two major parties in the United States, the Democratic Party and Republican Party, have dominated campaigns, elections, and politics since the early part of this century. Their ideologies and views on the role of government have kept them fairly different since they began. They stayed distinct even after the Great Depression when a realignment occurred among parties and party members. The Democratic Party originally developed as a faction of Thomas Jefferson’s old DemocraticRepublican Party in the late 1820’s. At one time, the party favored a limited national government. In the 1930’s Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt created many government programs. Since then, the Democratic Party has favored a strong national government as a way to address issues of equality and opportunity for many groups. The Republican Party was established in the 1850’s in opposition to slavery. Originally, its members favored a strong national government to boost economic growth and the abolition of slavery. Since the 1930’s, the party has favored a limited national government with few restrictions to limit individual growth and expansion in the economy. Many third parties have formed over the years. Like major parties, third parties identify candidates to run for elected office. Usually these parties have evolved to address an issue or ideology that party members do not find in the major parties. Their success in electing candidates, especially at the federal level, is limited compared to the Republicans and Democrats. However, third parties are important to remind major parties, officials, and candidates that some voters do not share their perspective on government and current issues. Stronger third political parties that receive the most number of popular votes for presidential candidates include the Libertarian Party, the Natural Law Party, the Socialist Party, and the Reform Party. Usually only major parties have the membership and resources to establish an extensive, multi-level organization. A party organization is the network of paid staff and party volunteers who maintain a structure to develop and promote a party agenda or platform, support current public officials, engage voters in elections, and carry out political activities to elect candidates who share party views. The backbone of any party organization is at the precinct (voting district or ward) level where precinct captains help oversee party activities among voters and party members in the district. The volunteer precinct captain is selected by local party officials to register new voters, get information to voters about the party and party candidates, recruit and work with party members, and get-out-the-vote on election day. Party organizations also rely on other active members who support the party by making contributions to the organization, volunteering for campaigns of candidates representing the party, and serving as an official of the local, state or national party to help run the organization. Most party members elected as party officials serve as a party committeewoman or party committeeman in their local party. These people are selected by voters in their district to coordinate party affairs at the local level. Each of these committees also choose a representative to serve on the county committee, which directs party affairs at the county level. A similar committee exists at the state level, where one woman and one man from each Congressional district serve on the state central committee. The state committee is critical, not just for coordinating party business and activities for the entire state, but because it chooses (directly or by delegates) party members to serve on the national committee. This body is the highest level of the political party organization and is comprised of one woman and one man from each state's organization. Members are chosen either by the state committee or by delegates to the national convention. At the head of the national committee is the national party chairperson, usually a paid, professional politician. Together, the chairperson and national committee set agendas for the party, help recruit party candidates, support current elected officials, and oversee party activities and business including running the national party convention. This process is then mirrored at the state, county, and local levels where the party coordinates activities, including raising money, endorsing candidates, conducting state or local conventions, running campaigns, and setting local agendas. The impact of political parties in the United States is widespread. Many voters use parties to help them make sense of government and to collect information about elections and candidates. Additionally, voters often refer to a candidate's political party affiliation when choosing for whom to vote. Party affiliation can help voters understand some basic beliefs candidates hold because of the publicly-stated ideals and opinions of each political party organization. Often these views are shared by the people who identify themselves with the party and will provide a guide for voters when making a decision on Election Day.

Distinguishing Differences in Political Parties Voters often wonder what the difference is between the beliefs and platforms of the major political parties in this country. In some ways, Republicans and Democrats are similar in their views about government and current issues, while in other ways there are clear differences. This activity gives you a chance to find those differences. The information provided in each box is taken from the Republican and Democratic Party Platforms developed at the last national conventions in 2004. These are brief summaries, but you can find the complete Democratic Party Platform at www.democrats.org/agenda.html and the Republican Party Platform at www.gop.com/Issues/. The platforms for each party developed in 2008 may be quite different. But to begin to clarify the differences in the parties and see how your views compare, write in your own opinion in the boxes on each of the issues presented. Then use the questions below for a class discussion or brief essay to analyze your findings.

Democratic Party Position

Republican Party Position

Role of Government

Government must decrease bureaucracy but continue to provide programs to help people help themselves. Government must be efficient and flexible, must promote tolerance, provide opportunity and foster community empowerment.

We must end government that is oversized, centralized and intrusive to people. Government must foster individual freedom, hard work, self-reliance, personal initiative and economic freedom by eliminating unnecessary, restrictive programs and bureaucracy.

Family and Community

Support should be provided for working parents by allowing flex time and unpaid leave. Assistance should be provided for families to care for their elderly and childcare must be improved and made more affordable. Responsible fatherhood is also a priority.

Government should discourage illegitimacy and teen pregnancy by prohibiting welfare to minor mothers, enforce harsher child support requirements; government should also strengthen parents' rights in overseeing their children's education.

Education

Discipline, character and safety must be emphasized in our schools. Charter schools should be promoted because they provide innovative solutions in education. Every American should have the opportunity to earn a college education.

Academic standards should be raised through increased local controls and accountability to parents. Families should be given the opportunity to change schools in order to increase safety, performance and close achievement gaps. Literacy should be emphasized.

Affirmative Action

Affirmative action programs are important to provide opportunities to all people. The way to lift this nation is to continue to expand opportunities for everyone who wants to achieve.

Instead of promoting the best qualified candidates, affirmative action only provides set-asides and quotas that create reverse discrimination.

Crime

Focus should be given to ending recurring patterns of crime, and especially to reducing drug abuse and gang activity. Racial profiling must be strictly banned. Emphasis should be placed on ending hate crime, the protection of children and the elderly and crime prevention

There is a need for stronger sentencing standards, increased law enforcement, decreased exemptions for time in jail, effective death penalty laws, harsher penalties for criminals, removal of criminal aliens and vigilance against terrorism.

Economy/ Taxes

The publicly-held national debt must be wiped out and Social security must be protected. Taxes need to be cut so families can help pay for college education and guarantee the first two years of college education. Foreign trade barriers need to be lowered while insisting that foreign companies engage in fair trade

Taxes should be lowered as a foundation for lasting prosperity. Incentives should be given to promote businesses and $1,000 per child tax credits should be given to parents and the marriage penalty should be eliminated. Capital investment and savings should be fostered.

ANALYSIS: With which positions do you agree the most for each issue? With which position on each issue do you think most voters agree today? Which platform (set of positions) do you think most voters support today? If you could, how would you change one of the party positions on an issue of your choice? 22

Your Position

Fact Sheet: Delegates and the Primary Election In current American elections, most candidates running for office identify with a political party, usually either the Republican Party or Democratic Party. When many candidates of the same party seek the same elected office, there is sometimes a need to narrow the field of candidates and choose just one nominee or representative. Some states will use a caucus of party members to choose a nominee for president and other offices. Another more commonly-used process is a primary election. Like a political caucus, the purpose of a primary election is for party members to choose one candidate to run for each elected office. Nominees of different parties then run against each other in the general election. Usually, in primary elections at the state or local level, voters choose from among many candidates of their party, and the people receiving the most votes for each office are directly elected as the nominees for their political party. In presidential primaries, voters may express their preference for a candidate seeking the nomination for president—but their votes are not counted directly toward the candidate. Instead, the votes are represented by delegates at the national convention of each political party. The candidate who receives the most delegate votes at the convention is chosen as the nominee. This process is a combination of practices once used by political parties (only active party members choose the nominees) and a desire to include more people in elections (all voters express their preference for president). Delegates are selected based on the rules of each state’s political parties. The number of delegates each state Republican and Democratic Party can send to its convention was determined at the national convention four years earlier. Some states only allow official party members to choose delegates during a local or state convention or caucus. If this delegate selection process is used, then any primary election in the state serves as a preferential primary. Other states require that delegates run on the ballot. In these states, delegates must gather voters’ signatures on petitions just like candidates running for office. In this type of delegate selection primary, usually the names of the delegates appear on the ballot along with the name of the candidate they will support if chosen for the national convention. Many state parties may send additional "at-large" delegates to the convention who may be uncommitted delegates to a candidate. Voters or political parties in each state also designate alternate delegates to attend the convention if a regular delegate cannot go. The distribution of delegates’ votes for presidential candidates is decided in one of two ways. Often there is a proportional distribution of delegate votes based on the number of votes candidates receive in each state and/ or Congressional district. In other states, the candidate with the most votes will receive all the delegates’ votes. This form of delegate distribution is known as “winner-take-all.” Like the delegate selection process, each state’s political parties decide how delegates are allotted to the candidates. Except for the uncommitted delegates (who are usually public officials or elected party officials), most delegates must cast their votes for president at the national convention to reflect their state's voter preference for president. Candidates pay careful attention to the number of delegates each state sends to their party’s national convention. This number is calculated based on the population in each state and the usual number of voters favoring each party in the states. Candidates typically develop campaigns in many states and compete in their primary elections in order to win delegate support. Often states with many delegates have a lot of influence on candidates and host highly contested primary elections as candidates try to win enough support to receive their party’s nomination. States with early primary elections can have a great influence on the future of a candidate’s campaign. The Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary election (traditionally the first in the nation) are often seen as tests of whether a candidate can get enough support from voters to continue a competitive campaign. These states represent very different types of voters and offer candidates an excellent testing ground before they begin campaigning in other, larger states. Furthermore, if candidates do not get much support in these early elections, they can consider whether to remain in or drop out of the race for office perhaps saving valuable resources for a future campaign.

Fact Sheet: National Party Conventions In non-presidential elections, political parties may have a small role in elections by providing candidates with campaign money, making endorsements, or getting information out to voters. In presidential election years, parties have the large task of sponsoring a national convention. A national convention is a meeting of delegates for each political party who were selected by parties and voters in the state primaries and caucuses. These delegates get together to develop a platform for the political party and to nominate a candidate to run in the general election. They also adopt rules to govern the national party and approve the members of the national committee selected by each state. At one time, conventions made basic party decisions. Today conventions ratify platforms and policies worked out in committee, often before the convention. Committees of party members from each state who are selected by a party's national committee help to accomplish many tasks that once were part of the convention itself. The particular committees vary between the Republican and Democratic parties, but the general topics they address are similar. Before the convention a rules committee meets to propose rules to govern the convention and decide party matters, such as the number of delegates at the next convention. Also a credentials committee meets to review the authority of each state's delegation. This is to ensure that the group of delegates receiving credentials at the convention are the ones actually chosen by voters in each state. Credentials are the authorization of a delegation's presence at the convention and are needed to vote on party issues and the presidential nominee. Finally, before the convention, a platform committee meets to draft a platform for the party, which is a written set of priorities to guide the presidential nominee and party members. A platform includes the promises a party stands on, such as positions and proposed action on issues. The draft of the platform developed by the platform committee aims to represent the many different groups identifying with the party and is written by a balance of representatives, men and women, from different states, perspectives, and groups. Although the platform is not binding, it does provide a rallying cause for party members and a way to distinguish each party's general agenda. The components of the platform, known as planks, are approved individually by the convention delegates. When the convention begins, the chair of the national party turns the convention over to a temporary chairperson who delivers the keynote address, setting the stage for the business that will follow. Then the permanent chairperson of the convention takes over. The preliminary party business is completed, including approval of the national committee members, the credentials of delegates, and the party platform. As these matters are decided, delegates have the opportunity to caucus with other state delegations and candidates about the upcoming nomination. Candidates seek the votes of uncommitted delegates to strengthen their support or gain support for their preferred vice presidential nominee. At one point before the rise of primary elections, these informal caucuses played a significant role in conventions, since many bargains and deals were made between candidates and delegates in the process of gathering enough delegates to win the nomination. Today, primary elections determine the distribution of most convention delegates to candidates. Often because television and other media trace the results of each state's delegate selection process, many people know who the likely nominee will be even before the convention nomination process. But without doubt, the most important and exciting aspect of the national convention remains the nomination of the party's presidential candidate. When the convention chairperson announces the call for nominations, excitement builds among all delegates. A candidate must have a minimum level of voter support to be nominated at the convention. In the Republican Party, nominations are made by a representative from selected states where each candidate received high support. In the Democratic Party, nominations are made by an individual supporter of each candidate. In both cases, when the speaker places the candidate's name in nomination she or he will give a nominating speech. Then a speech is given to second the nomination. These speeches were once used to convince delegates to vote for a particular candidate. Today, most delegates are bound to vote for the candidate they identified and voters preferred in the primary election. When all nominations are made, a roll call of all states occurs in which a spokesperson from each delegation announces its balloting, or distribution of votes. As the ballots are cast and a tally of votes is recorded, the expectation rises in the convention until one candidate finally receives a majority of the delegate vote. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote on the first ballot, the roll is called again until a candidate is nominated. At this point, candidates' supporters can start soliciting delegate's votes, because previously committed delegates would be free of their pledge to a candidate; however, for the last 40 years, a nominee has been selected in each party by the first roll call ballot. The final step before the acceptance speech of the new presidential nominee is to nominate a vice presidential candidate. Often each presidential candidate identifies the person she or he would prefer to be the vice president before the convention, and usually the delegates nominate that candidate after the presidential nominee is chosen. The nominees chosen from each national convention will campaign against one another until the general election. Therefore, the nomination of vice president at the convention is important in creating a balanced ticket, a team of candidates that will appeal to the many diverse voters whose support is needed to win the election of president and vice president in November. After the vice presidential nominee is chosen (states vote by roll call just as they do for presidential nomination), the nominee delivers an acceptance speech. Then the presidential nominee delivers an acceptance speech. The remarks here are more than just words of thanks for the nomination. The speech must serve as a rallying point for party members and a call for unity, especially from among those who supported other candidates, as the party tries to win the general election. Without near total support of the party after receiving the party nomination, a candidate will not have the resources to attract the wider support needed to make it to the White House.

Convening a Caucus The primary election is the major way that voters express their preferences for the presidential nominee of their party. But some states use a caucus, or meeting of party members, to choose their nominees. Caucuses in different states and at different levels have varying rules; but generally the practice they follow begins at the precinct (voting district) level, where delegates are selected to represent certain candidates in a county caucus. Delegates at the county level choose delegates for the state. Then state delegates choose delegates to attend the national convention where the party nominee is chosen. In 2004 the Democratic nomination for president was highly contested. Use the caucus method to see which candidate your class would choose as the nominee if you could.

SCENE: Your class now represents the Democratic caucus of Kane County in your state. The county will send 10 delegates out of 100 to the state convention. At the state convention, 40 delegates will be chosen to attend the Democratic National Convention in July where the Democratic presidential nominee will be announced. You must decide which candidates will receive the delegate votes from your county. Step One: First select a chairperson of the caucus to keep track of the time and votes for each candidate. Then make a list of Democratic candidates on a chalkboard or paper in front of the class. Step Two: Next split into preference groups for each of the candidates. (There does not need to be a group for each candidate if there is not enough interest in some candidates.) Divide the number of students in your classroom by 10 to find the minimum number of members needed in a viable preference group. (For example if a class of 30 students has 4 viable preference groups, and groups have 6, 6, 9, and 9, members, then each group would be entitled to 2, 2, 3, and 3 delegates. Preference groups would get one delegate for every 3 members.) A group that does not have the minimum number of votes will not receive any delegates in the convention. Supporters of each candidate must try to attract other caucus members to their preference group to remain viable and go the state convention with as many delegates as possible. Step Three: After no more than 10 minutes, preference groups must be selected. A spokesperson from each group must report the number of members it has to the chairperson. The chairperson will then announce which groups are viable and which are not. Once a voter joins a viable group, she or he is committed to that group. Step Four: If there are unviable preference groups and voters are no longer committed to a viable candidate, then the chairperson may then allow the spokesperson of each viable group to make a presentation to persuade all the newly uncommitted voters. The presentation should discuss the qualities of each candidate, the issues the candidates support, and why voters should support the candidate and join the preference group. Step Five: At the end of the presentations, the chairperson divides the caucus again into preference groups. Uncommitted voters may join new preference groups. The spokesperson must report to the chairperson the new number of caucus members. Step Six: The chairperson announces the number of votes each viable group has received. Now the 10 delegates for Kane County are divided proportionally among all the viable candidates. Step Seven: In an actual caucus, once the delegate distribution is announced, the preference groups will decide which members of the group will be delegates to the state convention. The delegates names are reported to the state party chairperson. The process then repeats itself at the state level where delegates are selected for the national convention. If other classes hold a caucus, you may hold a "state caucus" to decide how many of the 40 delegates each candidate would receive at the national convention. ANALYSIS: When you finish your class caucus, compare the results to other classes who held a caucus. How do the results compare? Why do you think they are similar/different? What would the results be if your class represented a state? Which candidate would receive the most delegates? Do you think this result will be the same as for the Mock Primary Election your school will hold? Explain. 25

A National Convention Committee Among the most important purposes of a national convention, besides electing the nominees for president and vice president, is to adopt the party platform which sets an agenda for all party affairs and candidates. This party platform is worked out in a committee of party members before the convention and then approved by delegates during the convention. Developing a platform requires great compromise from the different groups represented. See whether your class can develop a party platform to suit all "party members" and represent the party goals. SCENE: Your class represents the platform committee of the American Political Party. All of you are party members from different states who represent different interests and who must work together to write a platform that will appeal to the entire party, will attract new voters to support America Political Party candidates, and will motivate voters to become members of the party themselves. You have a few guidelines. First, you must develop a position for the party on the following issues: 1) crime [including crime prevention, prisons, punishment, etc.], 2) education [including public schools, colleges, job training programs, funding, etc.] and 3) the economy [including taxes, the budget, creating jobs, encouraging business, etc.]. Your position should include priorities (the most important goals) for each issue and your plans or proposed action for each issue. Second, you must begin your platform with a statement of the overall goals for the party which is based on the following mission statement of your party: The America Political Party believes in promoting equal opportunity for all people by encouraging the work of responsible politicians and government programs that help people help themselves. The America Political Party believes the national government should not be too big or spend too much of the taxpayers money. The America Political Party believes in tolerance of others, hard work and personal responsibility, individual freedom, and government protection of its citizens.

Each student should assume the role of a party member, representing a different state and different interest group. Examples include: a farmer from Iowa / a teacher from New York a business person from Illinois / a social worker from Florida a doctor from Maryland / a clergy member from Nebraska an oil rig owner from Texas / a university professor from Oregon a lawyer from Georgia / a rancher from South Dakota a laborer from Michigan / a civil rights activist from California a local government employee from Virginia / a banker from Massachusetts

You may also develop your own roles. After students have decided the role they will represent, they must determine what their position will be on each of the key issues (crime, education and economy) as a representative of their state and interest group. One person should be selected as the chairperson of the committee to convene the meeting. This person will call everyone together and then ask people to divide into four subcommittees. A subcommittee should discuss each issue and write a platform statement about the plank, or issue. One subcommittee should also discuss the party's view of the government and write an introduction for the platform. A chairperson should be selected for each subcommittee to conduct the subcommittee session. In the subcommittee, make a list of priorities for the issue being addressed. Each student should present his or her views on the issue, based upon the role she or he is playing. Then the subcommittee chair should lead a discussion on issues that should be included in the plank and what their priorities should be. As the subcommittee discusses each of the ideas, one person should take notes so that members can eliminate undesired views and expand the opinions on which they agree. When the main priorities are agreed on, be sure to include what action the party should take on the issue. The final plank should be written, and the chair should prepare to present it to the rest of the committee. When the subcommittees are done writing their planks, the committee chair should reconvene the committee and have each subcommittee present its plank (or the introduction). If possible, share copies of each plank or write the main points of each plank on the chalkboard or a large piece of paper for all committee members to see. Committee members should discuss the planks and then vote on each statement presented in the plank, eliminating or modifying statements as needed. A final copy of the entire platform may be written and copied for all students to share. In an actual platform committee, the platform would be presented at the national convention and approved by the delegates attending. 26

Once you become educated about elections, get involved! Help with a campaign, teach others how to get information about candidates, and most importantly, register and vote when you are eligible. * The Illinois General Primary Election is February 5, 2008. High School Juniors and Seniors in good academic standing are eligible to become paid election judges on election day. You may visit the websites of the following election jurisdictions for more information if you live in Cook County, Illinois: Chicago Board of Elections: www.chicagoelections.com/studentjudgeofelection.htm Cook County Clerk: Sue Ellen Colón, 312-603-1099 *If you live in a County other than Cook County, Illinois, you may check with your local election authority for the opportunity to become an election judge in your area. To be elected: Nominees for U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, state representative's, state senators and delegates for the national conventions which will nominate candidates for president and vice president of the United States.

The basics about voting...

How can you help register others to vote? Registered voters can become trained by local Board of Elections or city hall to be a deputy registrar.

Who is eligible to vote? Any United States citizen who is at least 18 years old by the time of the next election and who registers by the deadline will be eligible to vote on Election Day.

Where do you go to vote on Election Day? Polling places, the location where you vote on Election Day, are usually located in schools, churches, or other public buildings in your neighborhood. If you do not know where your polling place is located, call your local Board of Elections or City Hall. If you cannot get to your polling place on Election Day, call the proper election officials to get an absentee ballot. These ballots must be returned by mail by a given date.

Where can you register to vote? Visit any local Board of Elections Office, City Hall, City Clerk, or local village township to register to vote. You can also register with a volunteer deputy registrar, a person certified to register people to vote. You may also register to vote by mail by visiting your Secretary of State’s webpage for a downloadable form. How do you register to vote? Generally, all you need to register to vote is to provide your name, current home address, birth date and identification information. An original signature properly dated should be included on the voter registration card and turned in to your local election official. You will receive a voter registration card by mail.

How do you know for whom to vote? As the elections approach, candidates will distribute campaign literature and run advertisements to inform voters. The media will also run news stories about the candidates. Read the newspaper and magazines. Listen to the radio. Watch candidate debates on T.V. Review the materials which the candidates send. If you don't receive any materials, contact the local political parties to obtain the phone numbers of the candidates' campaigns so that you can call them yourself:

Do you have to re-register before each election? No. Once you register, your registration is maintained as long as you vote at least once every four years and have not changed addresses. If you move, change your name, or if four or more years have passed without voting in a single election, you should register again. If you are unsure whether you are registered, call the elections officials in your area.

Democratic National Committee (202) 863-8000 www.democrats.org Republican National Committee (202) 863-8500 www.rnc.org

Is there a deadline to register to vote? Yes. Deadlines vary from state to state, please check your local Board of Elections Office or City Hall.

Libertarian Party (202) 333-0008 www.lp.org

distortion techniques

Election Vocabulary

strategies used in advertising to twist or bend information as a way to change people's opinions or behavior; these techniques are often used in campaign ads and materials

ballot punch card used by voters to mark the candidates they wish to vote for; also the book or list of candidates running for election (the act of voting is sometimes referred to as “casting a ballot”)

district geographic political area used for voting from which representatives are elected to government

balanced ticket candidates who run for office together to complement each other's qualities or background; presidential candidates usually select a vice presidential candidate to "balance" the campaign to attract a wider pool of voter support

election process of choosing public officials by voting

Election Day

call for nominations

day set by law when people go to their polling place to cast a ballot for candidates seeking nomination or public office

procedure in a national convention when the names of nominees are announced to all delegates

elector

campaign

voter; also representative selected by voters or party members in a state to vote in the Electoral College

candidate’s strategies and plan of action to provide information to voters and win voter support

Electoral College

campaign committee group of people who guide or advise a candidate in running a campaign for office

body of electors who meet in their own state to cast ballots to elect the president and vice president; the ballots are then sent to Washington D.C. to be counted in front of the Congress

campaign plan

electorate

the specific set of strategies and/or written guide about how the candidate will convince voters to support her or him on Election Day

body of voters

endorsement public statement of support for a candidate

candidate person who seeks elected office

federal related to national government

canvassing soliciting or asking voters to vote for a candidate, often with oneon-one visits or phone calls by campaign staff

Federal Election Commission government organization that monitors the finances and activities of candidates seeking federal office

caucus meeting of political party members to decide party matters or choose candidates

general election election among the nominees of different political parties selected in a primary election to choose the officials who will take office

central committee group of political party officials that decides the affairs of the party at the county and state level and that may endorse candidates seeking election

get-out-the-vote

credentials

ideology

papers showing authorization; in the case of a national party convention, the authority to attend the convention and represent the state's voters

ideas or way of thinking of a group of people that impacts their views and opinions, especially related to government

efforts conducted by candidate’s campaign to remind people to vote on Election Day

majority more than half; a majority of votes needed to win presidential nomination by a national convention and election by the Electoral College

credentials committee members of the national party convention that meets to review authority of each state's delegation to ensure the chosen delegates are the ones that were actually elected by the voters

national committee group of party members from each state elected to run the national organization of each political party

delegate person selected to represent other voters to cast a vote on their behalf at a party convention

national convention meeting of political party members every four years to decide national party business, approve a platform for the party and elect nominees for president and vice president

Democratic Party one of two major national political parties founded in 1828 as a faction of the Democratic-Republican Party

nominee

primary election

a candidate selected in an election, caucus or convention by members of a political party to run for office in the general election

election used by political parties to elect internal party officials and to select party nominees to run for offices in general elections

realignment party affiliation political party with which a voter or candidate identifies

shift of voter's party identification from one party to another, or a shift in a party's views and ideology

party committeewoman/committeeman

registration

person elected by members of a political party to help organize party affairs and represent party members in a central committee

process of completing forms by voters (U.S. citizens at least 18 years of age) to be able to vote on Election Day

party organization

Republican Party

internal political party structure or network overseen by elected party officials who coordinate party members and sponsor party activities mostly to elect party candidates

one of two major national political parties that was founded in 1854 originally in opposition to slavery

roll call

petition

order in which states vote in a national convention

form used for collecting signatures from registered voters by people seeking elected office

rules committee

single issue or position in a platform

members of the national party convention that proposes rules to govern the convention and decide party matters such a number of delegates at the next convention

platform

slate

plank

statement of priorities and promises of a political party adopted by delegates at the national convention; the platform is made of planks on various issues

list of candidates or delegates supported for election by a political party

swing voters

platform committee

undecided voters who could vote for any party/candidate and who will determine the outcome of an election

members of the national party convention that draft a platform for the party to set written priorities to guide the presidential nominee and party members

target strategy to identify key voters who share qualities or beliefs and generate voter support by focusing on issues important to those voters

political base group of voters and supporters from which a candidate can expect to draw voters, volunteers and contributions

third party

political party

minor political party often organized around a specific issue or ideology not found in the major parties in the U.S.

association of people who share similar views about government and public issues who work together to identify, support and elect candidates to office

uncommitted delegate

location where a voter casts her or his ballot on Election Day

official delegate to a national convention who is not bound to vote for a particular candidate based on voter support

popular vote

viable

polling place

total ballots cast in, or process of using an election in which most of the population (of eligible voters) can participate

term for preference groups in a caucus that have at least the minimum number of voters to win party delegates

precinct

voter support

subdivision of a district for voting purposes

commitment of a voter to vote for a candidate

precinct captain

ward

party worker selected by committeemen to help keep in touch with the voters in each precinct

geographic political areas in a city used for voting and in which political parties often establish party organizations

preference group

winner-take-all system process of distributing all delegate or electoral votes to the candidate receiving the most votes in an election

group of voters who favor a candidate in a political party caucus

preferential primary election where voters cast a ballot for their preferred candidate which is not counted directly but is represented by the vote of delegates

OTES

– 28 –