UNIT 4: POLITICAL PARTICIPATION  READ THE FOLLOWING SECTIONS FROM THE MARGIN NOTES.
Voting Behavior Campaigns & Elections
WATCH THE FOLLOWING POWER POINT PRESENTATION.  A new screen will pop up.
Use the scrollbar on the side to navigate.
[This may take a few minutes to download.]
(OPTIONAL) READ THE FOLLOWING CHAPTER FROM THE TEXT. 10
OPTIONAL DOWNLOAD:
ACTIVITY #3 RUBRIC
In the simulation you are
about to play, you have just accepted a position as a campaign field organizer
for a candidate for the House of Representatives. You are to head the
get-out-the-vote (GOTV) campaign in Allen County, a small but crucial part of
the congressional district. In the last election, the county had below-average
participation. It's not an easy place to get out the vote and, with the race so
close, every vote counts. Your goal is to get out enough votes in your county to
win the election for your candidate. (This simulation takes place in Indiana but
the issues involved are the same for those of us in other states.)
Below are some points to keep
in mind during the simulation.
-
After
you use the link below to go to the simulation, you may or may not see the
following messages.
-
1-2 messages about changing your screen settings – ignore them
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a
message about pop-ups – this one may require you to allow pop-ups for
the simulation
-
a
message about flash player – just follow the instructions to update your
flash player
-
To
begin the simulation, use the Enter link. Depending on your
internet speed, it make take a moment to begin.
-
Throughout the simulation you will see a Help link in the
upper right corner. If you are confused about how to navigate or etc, use
that link.
-
Do
NOT use any of the "email answers to your instruction" options. The emails
won't reach me!
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The
simulation has five sections.
-
Introduction – provides the information you need to start working. Pay
attention to the information in the center screen and in all of the
links provided there and to the left of the center screen.
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Step 1:
Planning Your Strategy – Use the information given to respond to every
decision you must make.
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Step 2:
Campaign & Competition – Use the information given to respond to every
decision you must make.
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Step 3:
The Final Push – Use the information given to respond to every decision
you must make.
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Mission
Completed: Decision & Review – Now that the campaign is finished and the
votes are in, you will find out if your candidate won or lost. WARNING:
Since the decisions you make determine the election outcome, you cannot
complete the simulation if you skip any of the previous steps. You CAN
ignore the reporter interview in this section, however.
-
The
simulation takes some time to complete and is much more interesting if you
don't try to rush through it. If you cannot complete it in one session, use
the Help link for options on how to keep your work.
When you are ready to begin,
use the following link to access the simulation.
Getting Out the Vote
After finishing the
simulation, use what you learned to answer the following questions.
1.
What are the challenges in motivating people
to turn out on Election Day?
2.
What were the most difficult problems you
encountered?
3.
When you're trying to get out the vote, do
different groups of people require different approaches?
4.
Did your candidate win or lose, and what role
do you think your decisions played in that outcome?
5.
In your opinion, are voting restrictions are
harmful to the democratic process?
Write a brief essay based on your answers to the 5
questions above. Your essay should be thorough, specific, include relevant
concepts from the course material and be free of spelling & grammar errors.
By the deadline shown in the
Course Schedule on the main page of the syllabus:
-
Send your
essay addressing the
questions given above in the
body of a new
email to
dramyglenn@earthlink.net.
-
Put only your name and Activity #3 at the beginning of your email.
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Be careful to use the correct subject line.
-
Late essays will lose one point per day late, including weekends and holidays.
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