Election Simulation Packet

cL&gs 5ffiT
The American Political process
ln this experiment you and your class will
learn a great deal about power, politics,
Sovernment, and the American Llection
process. You will actually have a role in an
election campaign. A campaign ,.i.i, ,o
Ine process by which a candidate tries to
get elected to public office. No matter whar
3.1? Iou
play in the campaign, your work
wtll be vital to the succiss -of tt. experiutent.
(Unnecessary absences during this
the media are directed to Data Base 5.
Everyone should become familiar with
Data Base I and Data Base 6. (For this experiment,
you should also refer to the GIossary
for important vocabulary words.)
When you have read the Data Base that
relates to your role, read all the other Data
Bases. This will help you understand the
perceptions and roles of the otber players.
You will need to know how they are going
to act in this experiment. It is to your advantage
to understand how all the roles are
to be played.
From there on, just do what you think is
appropriate. The moie you put into the
experiment, the rnore you will learn about
- -AJq SO,t AAA HOTA CAHa|2ATEt
I HlvF NEYER tEEil A CaxoiOATE,
ANO I OTF,NTTELY W'LL NSYEF
l€ A cAAJOrpAlE.
f
Miss Pcach-< uneq publishcn-H all Syndicat e
time will hurt the effectiveness of the ex-
periment for the whole class.)
- Once you have been assigned your role in
the experiment, study firsi the-Data Base
which is most important to your role.lf you
are a candidate, study Data Base l. If you
are a campaign manager, study Dara Base
?. A"d if you are a researcher, study Data
Base.3. P-eople in special interest groups
should refer to Data Base 4, while th'ose in
-UNLE5S,
tr cDuR*.
gt EoNe'
dfT THEiE
@uw 8,
ttrl5 AtJ
4tE
power, politics, government,
Arnerican election process. So,
effort. Get involved!
C-ontents
qr
#[,fi#
."{. t-.^i't
Data Base / The Candidate: How To R*;;
for Publc Office , ..
Data Base 2 The Campaign Manager in o
Election Campaign
Data Base 3 The Researcher in an Electim
Campaign -:.1*
Data 9iase"4 The Special Interest C*pi-F
an Election Campaign {ft
Data Base 5 The Media in an
Campaign
Data Base 6 A Guide for New Voten
0)

. Deta Base 1
The Candidate:
How To Run for Public Office
I
candidate is someone who runs for a
QS1;."11t elected. office. As the Candidate
for public office in this experiment, you are
the center of the campaign. The eyes of the
voters are on you aimost all the time. you
will find, as the campaign rolls along, that
the constant attention you receive has its
good points and bad points. Naturally, you
want the public's sttention so that they can
gel to know you and what you stand for.
]ut you must give up a certain "ro*tff'
rrivacy in order to win the election. Ya-.E-
)ampaign Manager and Researchcr riltS-
,ot be as visiUle to the public as you.t*{E
ampaign manager is responsible for QS
rverall running of the candidate's
raign. The researcher supplies tht 4
late with facts about the key issues. ?
Erson also communicates the
he people on the issues. It is the job
H
lil
Manager and the Researcher to
you look as good as possible ro rhe
To do.this they musr sray in the
d of the campaign. you, of
@urre, will be grving public appearances,
following the advice of your Campais-n
Manager and Researcher.
Before you c€n even run for public office,
you must take care of some "red tape" (official
procedures). Firsti ysu must file for
offrce. To do this you must obtain a petition
from your local Board of Elections. A peri.
tion is an official form requesting permission
from the goverament to run foi office.
It is filed with rhe government's Board of
Elections. (In this exercise, the teacher will
act as the Board of Elections official.) Be
sure to follow the instructions on the peti-
tion carefuily. You must get at least five signatures
on it. Hand the petition back to the
Board of Elections in completed form before
the deadline, which is stared at the bortom
of the petition. This procedure is called
fiiing your petition. When you have filed
]rour petition, you are officially in the race
for public office. You musr no'*'kickoff, or
begin, ;'our campaign.
There is no substitute for an effective
and attention-getting kickoff speech in a
campaign. Remember that first impressions,
in politics as in life, are very often the
most lasting impressions. So make your
kickoff a good one, giving an impression of
yourself as an outstanding Candidate in the
minds of the public. Here are some hints on
how to do this.
A candidate for office delivers a
kickoff speech. It is imponail b
make a positive impression earl,v
In a camparyn.
\

First, issue a public ststement' Arrln8e
(#ilil;1i'trtttl for a news-*{o'
;;,-t'i"l,i.rt you state beforc he class
ilil; have become a Candidatefor Pubffi#;.'s;.lit
th' title of the gSce, for
;;;1., ;ffi;'fd of Governor" or "the
;ru';'d;i;;; You and Your c^amPaign
il; -tttouia have a brief press release
;;l;i;;J ready to hand out to those who
$t"i"ii"..;;'"iy rePorter from the
;;i..'irt.die is a word'describing dl pub'
il;;;tnication forms' such
-as .nlvspa-
**,';;;-ines, radio and television' ln
both the Press release and in the
-public
statement You make, You should 1"t,9:
;;;ii; know the following: vou are senous
Ib#friJ'u ir" electiJn;-vou T: 3.''liil;
hold the oflice; whY You.thinx You
ild;fi;;;na 'h' i*'6* whY You de'
cided to run tor public office' You may also
rnention your conc€rn about several PPor:
ffi';;;tiems facing the people .It"ll"d
rr,; i;t;;;j' rto'"i"'' it lb us.uallY best
not to be too specific at this early stage in
your camPalgn.
'' - During'thi campaign le.t yourCampai gn
r.irJE ia out *ttit i*plt-*"ttt' You will
*"t. vour position on the key issues more
;;; ; itti ."*P.ign continuT' l.tt"*b"r,
yout goal is to be elected' You are
"reJ,i 6 r'1ru the wishes and expectationt
of your constituents (the peoplevour
classmates-you want to rePreseot)'
'Y; ;;;; this besr bY getting r6-tnow
what the voters *.nt you to do if they elect
vou. So lislen to the voters' then ac1 on
*h.t You think their wishes are' :-
' 'io,iwill also need to listen to special in-
"tttigt"tft-in atttt*ining key issues of
il;;;o;ign' A sPecial interest grouP is
;;;t;r;iltion of P*Ptt .conceled i1:'
a oariicular issue. They join together. to ln'
"d;;;;i;;;ki;s of iaws and Public Pol'
ffi .ne euu.t' lt,i-X""*Tr&."HJ,#:tr#
ts ed-'...'wt 'ii-in* ttp&,, lailtGl
Preiident -in I90l-1909)
the election of l9M'

out that issue.
repsre your "platform" on thc basis of
voten' wishes. A pletform is a list of
and priorities you and your Cam-
Team believe in and want to accomif
elected to office. The sratemenr in
platform are sometimes referred to as
The kickoff speech is your firsr bit of
rlicity. in. the carnpaign. publicity duririg
remainder of the campaign wilihave rJ
'come from other activities. in . ,"rp.ign
nrch as yours, in which the numbir of .o"-
is small, there is no substitute for
/ contact. Talk with the voters, ind.i_
ly and in groups. Try to convincc
that your ideas and their ideas are
m!c! alike and that you would do a
job for them if elected. [f your class-
siruation allows, other publicity .
tools
bc used. You and your tearn it oUa
: yrrh your teacher to see which oncs
bc available.
l. In an election campaign, public rcLr
Sos,-or p& is very imd.tani. rt. i*
PR refers to activities which frefp 1o,, sd a
gwd relationship with the pubtf e-'
l .. ":.rr_rs .rn aoscuule nec€sslty tn any
- Posters are an absolute n..ority in arry
j elcction. They are_the best way of keepini
I thc name of the Candidate and rhe isiues
I she or he represents in the prtri. ,yJi*-
. &g the entire campaign. Leaflets and hand_
. bills are effective, too. All of thesc forms of
PR should have one thing in *;;il;;
should be attractiv. .ni ,ir;l..- i;;i;
have ver.v little time to read detailed posters
and leaflets- So put just enough on yo*
material to.keep your name, qultfi."tio*,
and the main issues before the public. Aso,
do not flood the public with suih i""a""".
.:.n.,p.y?I,.. may think of your material as
.runx' ll they receive too much of it. you
(b not want this to happen.
?:yq Irc py g"q tuen popurar in
, u..w.s,. ,^rut.Ls. , ngse oultofas arc
Teddy
Jmm
Rodn'ctt's umpatgns.
. Qmprp buttons are anothcr *,ay of
keepi_ng your name constantly in the p,rUti.
eye. Simple buttons can be made of thi"k
plpcl with slogans marked on them with
telt tip pcns. The buttons can be anached
to dothing with pins.
Your mqlimportant pR is your personal
contact with the people ind 'lnterest
Groups. There are many ,.special intarot,,
groups, most of whom will have entirely.
o_pposite ideas about what your platform
shorlld hp Y^r,
^aah^r -t^^-^ -tr -. .r
Bru.vr ytscJc au oI Inem,
but you mus-t sarisry moir of rhem in "raae
ro De etecred. In.politics, it does not pav in
the end ro be di'shonest in your p.ornir* o.
unfair in-your methds -of orp.igning.
Ttr.e people who elected you U*j,rJ i,.v
believe in you will not reeject you if you Ao
no! carry out your promises.
Personal contact with the votcrs can be
done in many ways. your team- should

Ir
schedule mectings (through your teacher)
with special interest FouPs and voten' Be
on thi lookout for those Yoters who scem
to be most inlluential in getting other People
to vote their way. Get to know.these
peopte, so that they can help y9Y.*1 S.
iavor of othen in their circle of friends' If
possible. get endorsements from as many
gioupr tni inaitiauals as possible. F-.o'
Iorrit.nt is a public statement made by a
voter or $ouP of voters'that they suPPort
you fully in the campaign. The more people
you r"o get to endorse you, the more likely
it is that others will do so too.
Money is a necessary evil in any cam'
paip. Everything in the campaign will
h""l a pricc ug on it. Interest Groups-will
be given stage money by the teacher-. You
will- neC lo get that money in order to
"buy" the right to make Posters' buttons,
handbiils, etc. You will also need the
money to "buy" television and radio commercials,
to Pay your staff, and to take care
of many "expenses." You must Pay in advance.
The Treasurer will help keep track
of how the money is handled. This game of
politics then becomes more difficult. You
must penuade the Interest Groups to give
you money. You have to rely upon voters'
contributions in order to produce the PR
you need to spread the word of your candi'
dacy. (You may be interested to know that
irr real politics, moneJ is so impoitani in
waging a successful campaign that it costs
over five miliion doliars to beconre a U.S.
Senator in some states. The money sP€nt
on a recent presidential election is esti'
mated at over one hundred million doUars.)
Your Campaign Team is made up of your
Manager and Researcher. They are there to
help you. Use their talents as much as Possible
to make as many good contacts with
voters and groups as you can. They should
be doing most of the backgro*a *orf fo,
you, especially in researching_the.lgst posi- I
-tions for you to take. They should be talk- |
ing with the people and digging up facts in :
thi schml or conrmunity library. (You 3
school librarian will bc of great help to 1
you-if you ask for help.) You certainly
will not have time to do dl that work by
yourself, so rely on their information uld
advicc. In your spare time, especially afta
class, it would h wise to do some reading
on how candidates in the real world of politics
carry on successful campaigning. )
Before the end of the camPaign, Your
team should prepare for a debate agairut '=
youropponent(ffi) *
and a closing speech which you will defiva
on the day before the voters go to the polls
to cast their ballots. Both should be strory
outlines of your position on the key issuc,
combined with a rcquest for votes. Aftcr
your speech, your tearn will have a brir{
".ottrrt
of timl to talk to the voten to finl!
out what your chanccs of winning arc mil
to find out with what issues they agrec d
disagree. If you are winning at this P"ry[,
v*i"a yo* t."t should try to make 6d
voters' decisions as firm as possible. [f ycn
are losing, you may be able to gain votcsUl
changin{your positions on some issucs.Sc
c"t.fil io hold fast on those issues whi&
are your strongest source of support T9 i
whith you believe most strongly. Yar
changes of position must now U. p"U.n,cizeias
widely as possible. However,.bc
careful to avoii gtving the impressio! tlrd
you are panickirtg and insincere, and -tbd
you "t. fust trying to get a few quick'F:
minute votes. You muit change your rnil 'on
the issues only if it is in the best intq-i
oi the public. . :fg
.,S'.,0#i,1,:lxf ,i:iSili:i*:Jilt#fl
j

A nayor (ridtt) greas vkian fron lryn- ,1fter thc campaign is wer a
Fliticia? often realizes tlu w* l:us W begun. Communication with the
ppb doa not stop whm tle dedio,t is r*in
but sit back with your team and writ for i
results. lf you w'in, that's fine. It is the
goal of every politician to,win thc election.
But if you lose, do not feel badly. Yon havc
eccomplished some Fear things if you and
team have worked hard on thc cam.
paign. Ft*L you made a name for purself.
'our
The voten will rememberyou the ncrt time
you run for public officc. Sccondly, 1ou
garnd E great deal of knowledgc ebout
yourself and others-and the world of poli.
tics-from your experiencc. furd pcrhaps
Eost inportantly, you have contributed to
Se efledvc functioning of govenrmeni by
running for oflice. lf you had not opposed
the other Candidate, he or she could easily
have been elected without grving the public
any choice. [n that case, everTone would
have been the loser.
There are a few last words of advice.
Make it a point for you and yow team to
keep in constant touch with your teacher
I information on meeting times with
loupr and voters, for hinrs * ho* to conduct
yow campaign, and for scheduling
parts of the classroom and other school facilities.
Next to your Campaign Team, your
teacher wiU be of greatest hclp to you. (Do
Dot expect lour teacher to take sides,
though. She q hc will gtve )ou help only
wtren pu spccifically ask for it.)
Frnally, onc of the most important pieces
of advicc for you and yow tcam mernbers is
this: COMMUMCATE with one another.
You cannot win if pu and your team are
pulling in rnany difrerent directions. If the
voting public has the impression that your
team is disorganized, you are bcaten even if
your opponeot is ner a partiorlarly gmd
canciiciare. Sdck together and work as a
team, and yo: sdl be amazed at the resr_rlts. '
C'ood luck to you and your team. May
the best Candidate win.
\

'7
l
Data Base 2
The Campaign Manager
in an Election Campaign
As the Campaign l\{anager, you have one
major goal: You must guide your team to
victory. To do this you must l ) help your
Candidate make the best possible apiear_
ances and 2) publicize the Gndid-ate's
strong points. You are your Candidate's
primary backup person, the one she or he
will rel-,,- on to make all arrangements for
pubiiciw, meetings with various groups
and individuals, finances, and spe-eches.
You are, in facr, the Candidate's right_hand
person. Wirhour your full supporr ind one_
L"-J-^f rrurrursu-psrLsuI rr
cIIorI, your Candidatg
calt:rcl ,.,.,in. In gcneral, vou are in charge ol
selling your Candidate to the voring pu"Uti..
Here are some hints on how to be'a Canr_
paien Manager:
l. First. your Candidare musr file a perition
to run for office. A petition is an official
form obtained from the Bureau ol Elections.
a parr of the U.S. government. 0n
this exercise, your reacher represents ,h. I
Bureau of Elections.) your Candidate nrd
fill -l
in the information on the perition, h.;; {
a specified number of voters (five) ,ign ii,_il
and hand it back to rhe Bureau of Eieciion^ _E
by the deadline stated on rhe fonn. yo 'fl
must make certain that your Candidate !
:i,':.''ii : ; ffj j T ;:;H'# : J:i i,:1T I
to enter the campaign. ,.
2. Once the petition is filed. or handed .
back to the Bureau of. Election, ;n .om- €
pleted form, your Candidate is then in tbe
race. Now vou must work closely with thc.
Candidate on the kickoff ,p...-h. This b
your Candidare's first officlal public ali
pearance as a candidate for office, so everf
thing must go righr. The public's first iff
pression of your Candidate is a lasting or
So prepare for it carefully. Arrunr.'*
your teacher for a kickoff speech (cal il
"news conference") in whiih your C^anr
date will state publiciy for thl first f
that she or he is a .rnJidate for public
fice. Specify the tirle of the offiL, olt
has been determined in advance
ciass discussion.
You should aiso *o.k closely with'
?ndidate ; ;;;; ;';d.f ;;J,,"JI
This should be ready to hand out to
who.want it. particularly reporters from
media. (Media describes aiipublic co
nications forms, such as TV, radio,
nerc qn.l ma-^-i-^^ r r ,t r. r ..
rer r, qrrv rirotsdz.lltc5. / ln tng KlcKoIi
and press re]ease the Candicjaic s.. *j,.i ,..1
the public know thar he or she is sicnra:
about winning the election, rhat he or shct'
quaiified ro hold the office, and why he !(
she decided to run for office. The
date should also state a deep conc€m
several imporranr problems ficing rhr p{
lic at this time. These are called liey
but ir is usually best not ro be too s
0-

TCGWTLY
hets only jusf begun... *,nrrzirr,, r
PSg.^owr15.o*
fdris early dare in
frour ream's R.r"^'!^t campaign' You and
f *"'l'r''T *? #i:!.;; "#.'..T,'., il :
fyhat d.';;",'h,T,:t: 3nd to" exactiv
l.make p"tr,.".'#i*',ltli vour candidare
[rh. ;;;i;:;':;:,T:"keY issues crearer As
lyou,i""'*', ii""Jl"i fegome clearer ro
;PIan ihe .r;;*"':,lo,.nt'P the Candidate
s.ia res *r,.,^ ri"..'Ul?j j;;: 3e jla rro,nx
treve in
ottu
and t€iilll
want b€-
tc if eJecied.
j.. In , ,rutr-'.rn.'"^i::to'ish
Il:'.,r'. "", u.,"' personal :i::T,l,l'.1, Ji, contacl l'lXli:
is
stituents most irhnn"to^, r^
;l." .:-::l-'rusr rmporranr. con_
,.p..r.nt';t t^your candidate will
p.i*"'ni,":::t'.to' "'f"'lpr' lJo your best, as Camtt'."u".iol,
neetinss w: ]fi .;# XT::9: th
r'rroups
a.t.. g.io..';;; tor your candi-
,,j ie talks to rhem, try to
i ""^ _'! ?! o. i e r. m a n a g €
ts otl€ oJ lhe bu

;
Prep.aration of campaigrt posters is a
oas;c rask people can do rc help
support a candidate.
b Posters, handbills, and leaflets. These
are absolute necessities in anv election.
They are the best wav, next ro tuttons, of
keeping the Candid.r.., n.nr. unJ ptrt_
form before rhe public at all times. Make all
these forms of pR simpie and alo,aus to_
rhe-point. Remember. people usualii, 6e
nor take rhe tinte ro I".rd long and detailed
posrers. Ieaflets, and handbiils. So pur on
rhem jusr your Candidare.s name, quutin.u-
.;^-. ^-J .L
ijons, anc ihe ntain issues. One u,arning:
Do '.^r tlo::i rhe pubiic r^ irh this o,rjrren
i:rarerial. Flooding rhe volers with rhem
rr'ra\ create a negative attirude tou,ard the
r,rarerial and thev nrav dismiss ir as ,.iunk.,,
It may hurt rather rhan help uoul. bandi_
dare by' irritaring voters.
426 Unir 8
c Finding out the issues. This is m
the job of your Researcher, but vou ,lroufA
also be acrjve in finding out what rh.-kfi,
112es are in th_is camplign and r..poffi
them to .rtour Candidate ind R.r;;;;#
Together you will work out , ptrtio* Oi
please the grearest number of voters.
, d Financing the campaign. Ertenthingfr.|
the camp_aign will have a-pric. ,rg on iL .
lnteresr Groups wilj have a speciallpe d
money, distribured bv rhe t.rih.r. yo,r *m
have to ger ir in ordei ro ,,br)... rhe righr b
make burrons. hdndbills, and leafleti and
to broadcasr radio and TV *.rrug.r, da
The game then becomes more dificult, r
well as more realistic, because you mrd/'
then rely on contributions from f""e f
@

L'
to produce the PR materials you
. (You may be interested to know that
real politics, money is so imporrant in
glng a successful campaign thar it costs
over five million dollars to become a U.S.
Senator in some states. And the money
spent on a recent past presidential eiection
is estimated at over $100,000,000.)
e Endorsemenfs. An endorsement is a
public statement by a person or group rhar
supporls your Candidate and is a deciaration
to vote lor him or her. You should trv
to get as many endorsements as vou can.
The more vou have, the more likely others
8re to endorse or vote ior your Candidate.
dividuais and groups can heip in other
, too. Thev can work to convince other
:ers to support your Candidate. They can
heip prepare and distribute PR materials.
They can help research the key issues.
cio not be afraid to ask for their help.
people who are most involved in your
lidate's campaign will feel that they
have a stake in your candidate's winning
the election. Therefore, they will be more
eager to get others to vote for your
Candidate.
4. Shen the campaign poiiricking is winding
to a close, take a poll oi rhe vorers to
see *'hat the chances are of your Candidate's
victory. The best time to do this is
probably on the day before the election. If
it looks like your team willwin. try to make
Jour supporters' promises oi vores as firm
as r.csihle lf il r'. -J reerrrrv, -^ ..
-rl :e,::'s lhat vour Candidate
might los: the election, may be
"'-ou
able to gain some votes by having your
Candidate change .her or his position on
some issues. But be careful to hold firm
on those issues which are the srrongest
source of support. Those positions which
are changed must be done for the public
good, hot just because vou want to pick up
a few last-minute votes.
5. In your politicking, be on rhe watch for
those individuals who seem most interesred
in the campaign and your Candidare. if you
can get them to join you, they are often influential
in winning others ro your side. Try
to get such persons as involved as possible
in your Candidate's campaign.
5. You and the Campaign Team may rvanr
to come up with slogans. campaign songs,
and other gimmicks to help draw artenlion
away from your opponent and focused on
your Candidate. In all these arrangements.
keep in close contact wirh your reacher.
Next to the persons in your campaigl ream,
your teacher is the grearesr source of heip
to your team. He or she will give you information
on meeting times with groups and
individual voters, hints on how to conduct
your campaign, and details concerning the
scheduling of parts of the classroom and
other school facilities. (Your tea'cher will
give help onJy when asked, and should not
be expected to take sides.)
7. Finaily, one of the most important
pieces of advice for you and the Campaign
Team is this: COMMUNICATE with one
another. You and your Candidate should
know exactly what each other is doing. The
same, of course, applies ro vour Researcher.
You cannot win il you and your
team are pulling in different directions. If
the voters have the impression that your
team is disorganized. vou may- i,,c bcatcrr
even if your opponenr is not a particulariv
good candidate. Stick togerher ro u,inl
If your Candidate wins, congratularions.
You did a fine team job. If he or she does
not win, do not feel badl5,. You accomplished
some great things, if you gave onehundred-percent
effort to the campaign.
Political Science 427

7
\
t.
'\
...
sitionEXTRA!l
.\ewspaper headlines refled a campaign manager,s d,ream *^, ,*r,.
First, you helped your Candidate make a
name for himself or herseif. The voters wili
remember the Candidare the next rime he
or she runs for office. you are aiso known
lor the qualiry of work you did in the campaign.
Secondly, you and _vour Candidate
probably got ro know eaih other betrer
than most people ever will. you and the
resr of .rhe team gained a grear deal of
knowledge about yourselves -and others_
and the.worici of politicr-f.; ;;;'.-p.rlpn.o
.{ ^,{ ^ . !- ..- ^
r=r;_:. . \tC p_,;ops l]tosi importantiy, you
and your ream have contributed ro it. etfective
funcrioning of governm.nily you.
parucrparlon in this campaign. Wirhout
your opposition the other Candidate could
have been eiected wirhout giving the vorers
428 Unrr 8
'l'Ht' Cttrl^sEA REcoLD -=
t^, * r 6 4'
r -l-- 8
- ---""--
Ufq$gffi
what they wanted. In that case, everyoDci
would have been iosers.
. Good luck to you and your ream. May.
the best Candidate win! :;
rl
o

F
f)
I
i.
(_
Data Base j
The Researcher
in an Election Campaign
f:jh. Researcher for your Campaip
l.ur,. your job is to help i.i,""r'il"A-
.11.^1.**. you shoura *EiL iLr.r, *lt
rrrc u?ndrdate and rhe Campai gn Managa.
Provide him with in. info.ration neccssary
for the Candid"r. i" ,"a.;;;;#L
key, or major, issues in tt,.;rJirie;ly#j
.r. r'L uarupartil. ,"H
$osition is a very inrportant one. The Ci
Sidate must know as rnuch as possible
'about I
t[s key issues. He or she must be
'able to take a stand on them and'talk intel-
Iigently to the voters about them. The Candidate
will not be able to do this unless you
detail a_complere picture of each imporiant
issue. Your team needs informaiion
'order in
to win.
I What are key issues? Key issues are
iproblems abour which the vuers feel
[itrongty. Of course, not all voters believe in
Ithe same solution to any one issue. For ex-
[ample,
a key issue today is whether or not
[$ere should be gun control. The use of
[iuns in crime and murdei has increased
$remendously. Citizens as well as law en-
I
forcers are alarmed about this problem.
Some people urge this solurion: ajl o*nership
of guns by private individuals should
be outlawed, and only police and the mili_
tarT should be allowed io o*n and operate
firearms. They favor strict gun control.
Others argue that all guns should nor be
outlawed. Guns are a source of enjoyment
to hunters and others who use grrni in a
sport. These opponents to gun control are
just as concerned about guns and crime,
but they feel strongly that guns should not
be outlawed. Other opponents of gun con_
trol claim that the ownership of firearms is
a right of every citizen of the United Stares
protected by the Constitution. Some people
believe there is another solution to the gun
control issue. They feel that gunowners
should have their firearms licenied by the
government. If gunoryners were licensed,
they could be identified in the event of a
shooting or crime. So, although various
groups are concerned about the abuse of
guns, they disagree completely on the best
solutions to the problem. Cun controi is
certainly a key issue. It is likely to be an
unresolved issue for some time.
Gun control is only one key issue. your
Candidare will have to know a lot about
this issue and many others. At the very beginning
of the campaign you, the Campaign
Manager, and the Candidate *urt git together
to work out campaigt, rt."t.ry. Together
you will decide what the kev issues
are. You will have to determine what the
voters think your Candidate should do
about each of the issues. you will work
closely with the other Campaign Team
members in writing a campaim nlatfcrm,
The platform is a list of thing. ti,u rarrr.ridate
believes in and will do if elc.cred. you
and the Campaign Manager will have to
talk to the voters individually and in groups
Political Science 4n

I
to determine whch issues they want your
candidate to supPorr.
Not all key issues will be obvious at the
beginning of the campaign. Many of the
issues will emerge as the campaign runs
its course. You must be on the alert for
any issues that arise. Supply your Candidate
with the information necessary to keep
him or her well prepared. This is one reason
why you will be working daily throughout
the campaign with the Candidate and
Campaign Manager.
One source of information in the research
process is the voter. You will listen
to voter arguments for and against certain
solutions to rhe key issues. Some of your
time will be spent in the library looking up
\hese parTphle.t-s sugest lif;ereyt kinds of issues candidates may suppoft.
Can lou identifi some of them?
430 Unit 8
'#tr
facts on the key issues to make your Candidate's
speeches, posters, handbills, and
other public relations .(called "PR" or,
"publicity") devices strong and to the
point. The public is much more likely to
elect someone who knows what she or he is
talking about than one who does not know
the key issues and has not prepared a platform
on them. It is also necessary to make
your Candidate's positions on those key
issues attractive to the voters. The public
is not going to elect a person to office
who holds solutions to key issues in which
they do not believe.
It is fairly easy to research the issups if
you know where to go to find inform.ltton.
A good place to starr is your community or
1
*
fi
-n
al
fl

("
library. To research currenr topics,
first to the Rcaders' Cuide to periodical
rcrgure. This is an index of all major
agazine arricles. All articles are lisred by
ic, author, and dare of publication. The
'd catalog may also be of help, especially
researching issues which were also im-
'portant in the past. such as pt_lllution. Ask
your librarian for help.
i Information on the key issues can^be
gathered from many orher sources. Xsk
family and older friends for their
ints on the key issues. Listen to
and TV neu's commentators and
per columnists and personalities.
are usually informed about issues.
I news people may be willing to talk to
Consider interviewing them.
An excellent source of arguments pro
con (especially in city areas) can come
m associations, clubs, and other groups
ich have an interest in a particular kly
For example, both the National Rifle
iation and the Sierra Club have an
interest in the gun iiltre, but disagree on
possible solutions to the problem. Vou will
probably not have time ro write such
groups for information. But you can visit
nearby offices and hdadquarters, or phone
them for information. A good place to
check for organizarions is thi yellow pages
of your area, or that of Washington, D.-C.,
New York, Los Angeles, or any Jther major
city. Listings found under theieading..As-
.^^:^.:^--tt ! .r a/ rr
otJLr.i.t(Jns tn Ine I;!lc'v rages should pro_
vide you with several good sources for your
research. Do not be afraid to approach
these organizations. Most of them aie anxious
to talk with young people who are concerned
about the same issues for which
they work hard day after day.
. The job of Researcher is not an easy one.
As in the job of Campaign Manager, much
hard work is needed to be successful. To
help your Candidate win, you have to give a
great deal of effort. You and your team will
learn much about one another, about the
world of politics, about the kev issues in
the community and the Uniied Srares
today, and about your class.
If your Campaign Team wins, congratulations!
It is, of course. rhe goal of iverv
Campaign Team to work togither for the
election of its candidate. If you Iose, don.t
feel badly. Your team has done a grear job,
if you all gave one-hundred-percint effort
to the campaign. You have srrengrhened
the American political process by your participation.
You have made a name for your
Candidate if she or he decides ro run in
another election. You have made a name
for yourself as an excellent Researcher and
team player. And most importantly, you
and your team proviteci the other Candidate
with opposition. Without opposition
the other Candidate could have won easily
without giving the voters a choice. In thai
case, everyone would have been losers.
Good luck to you and your team.
\

I
Data Base 4
The Special Interest Group
in an Election Campaign
A special interest gtoup (most often called
simply an "interest group") is an organization
of people who believe in the same values
and who unite to reach a common goal.
Some examples of interest groups today
include the following:
the American Medical Association, which
tries to promote the best interests of the
medical doctors of this country
r$lIt
rEb!
l#imx
the National Rifle Association, which,
among other things, fights against the
laws controlling the own-rship ind use of
firearms in our country
the Audubon Socibry, which artempts to
inlluence legislarors to pass bills piotecting
our environment
Other interest groups can be found in the
Yeilow Pages of the telephone directory
. under the heading "Associations." Since
many interest groups have their headquarten
in New York Ciry and Washington,
D.C., the Yellow Pages of those cjties are
especially helpful.
. Each interest group has a member5hip,
large or small, which is very interested in a
specific key issue. When a key issue comes
ww
l^abo1 unions [orm a strong.specialinterest {oup. candidates will often try
to win the endorsement of labor. These peoile ianied lJnite,d tlutomobile
Worken signs supporting Carter for preiident in 1976-

F
up.in an election campa.ign, there is o
an interest group b€hdd i;. i";;;;,';
.,. ..i: i1nu.nT. candidates to r.opi' t
l.yt If a candidare supporrs rhe viec6
an interest goup, tfr"t.'g.oup ;; ;;;#
ff^Tidigare's.campaiin
in *""r *"yr:
one way. is by donatid-G;;;; *i";';
the candidare,s camprilrllt *r,i, i"i A
money to run a successfirj campaign, so thc
,T:_n.y donated by the uo,.r, fL.frairy
lnterest groups and their constiruencies) i
always welcomed by candiciates. j
3!o.uta first dete:znine your prioritic
Make a lisr. of priorities y"" *i"fa *
either Candidare, or' bo,t'a;"djl;i-.
I"Ie part ,
of the campaig.n. Tr/ to convii
In, !hi: exercise, your Interest Gnry
both Candidares," .i"t?'L",p;; *i
which favor your priorities. you will be
venimoney (not the real stufi unforrr:-
Itely) to use in the campaign. pretend that
money has been raised by members of
r Interest Croup. In order to do the
ost good for your Interest Group and its
iorities, the money shouid be spent.
ging onto the money past the election
s€rves your group no purpose. you and
yoru group are going to have to derermine
early in the campaign just how you *'ill use
tbis money. When the Candidares rnake
requests for money from your Interest
roup, you wiil want them to make certain
in exchange for your contribu- 1
If the Candidates do not agree with
ur views, you may choose to wait awhile.
time goes bn, the Cand.idates wiil neeC
and more money. They may be willto
change their positions on the issues
in the campaign. Therefore, it may be
your group's advantage to wait before
ring generously.
In addition to egrving money, your group
help a Can{,[date who suppo.tr-youi
s by endorsements. An endoruement is
a public statement of support for a.particu- r
lar candidate. An
'voters
endorslment telis otheri
that you and your group are solidly
behind a candidate. tt is a promise that she
or he wiil get your vote. Itli in rurn a promire
by you that you will help that ."niid"t.
in the campaign. A succissful campaign
-
depends on this kind of relationship.
Your group can also work for a Candidate
by becoming part of the Candidate's
Campaign Team. tn.r. is always a lot to do
tn a campaign. Ask the Candidate or his or
her Manager if there is anything you can
do. As an added bonus, you *iii be involved
in the inner workings of a cam-
Paign. That is where much of the political
Iraction
is.
\

'Dqta Base 5
The Media in'an Election
Campaign
One o[ the most exciting roles during an
election campaign is rhai o[ a member oi
the Media. 'i1,.-t..* Media refers to ali
forms of public communications-newspapers,
t.dio, television, rnagazines' etc' A
member of the media may be a rePorter'
a news commentator or announcer, a publisher
of a magazine, or a columnist'
-
In this e*.rJire you are a member of the
Media. It is your 1oU to rePort to the people
what the candidates are saying and doing'
It is important that you bring to the public's
attintion tuih as you can about all
^,
Candidates. The voters need a lot of inior'
mation on which to base their votes' The
more they know about iach Candidate' the
more wiiely they will be able to choose'
How can you supply this very important
service for ihe p.opt.f First, get together
with your fellow Media Persons' You
should act as a team. Decide how you will
rePort the election campaign' For example'
you may decide to publish a daily magazine
or newspaPer in which you inform voters
about the iecent Progress of the campaign'
You should discuss this idea with your
teacher. It is less important to have a good
looking publication ihan it is to do a thorough
job ol reporting. (Perhaps a duplicatinfmachine
can be riade available ior 1'our
us'e.) Feei free to interview the Candidates
and Interest Groups about where they
stand on the key, or main. issues' You mav'
for example, want to ask the lnterest
Groups *htt progress they are making in
convincing Candidates to accePt their
points of -vie*. Candidates may be asked
irow they wili go about carrying out their
Political Science 433

f;T
Ioday's candidates know that rheir use of the media can affect the
of an oulcome
ele.ctio.n. .4ppearing on talk shois and raking pan in debares
u'aj's poLutctans
are
make use of tela,ision.
campaign promises, o, plrrfono, if elected.
,{sk questions about anv issues of possible
interesr ro the voters ri,hich are aiso re]e_
Vant to the campaie.n.
A rape recording ol an inren,iew wjrh a
Candicaie, or his or her Campaig-n N{anaEer,
mav be played in ciass is i ..radio
broadcasr." Y'ou should gel your teacher's
n--*i^-:--.^ r- -r
iJcirnlsslon ro do this. li vicieoraping faciiities
are available. you could inrer.r,ierv rhe
Canciidares on a T\,, sho*, rup.J lor plu"_
back in rhe class period.
,, )'our \1edia group musi also selecr one
.\recla person to be a modei-ator. She or he
u ill moderale rhe debare scheduled lor the
final pan ol rhe campaign.
The *,avs for rhe Media ro cover the elec_
iion cantpaign are endless. The lr,ledia has
434 L nir 8
a
an important role. The course of the campaign
and the outcome of the elecrion
could be influenced by, vour choice d
words. It could even be influenced b1,yor:r
lacial expressions w.hile reporting rhe campaign.
)ust remember one rhins: Be as fair
and impartial as vou can.
G)
\

Data Base 6
A Guide for lVew Voters
,A,lter vou have participated in rhe campaisn
as a cirizen and member of a special
Interest Group, and you have listened to
the Candidates' platforms (their promisa
and beliefs) on the key issues, it will bc +
time to vote. How are you going to voU?J
P'::";rlng io e rrs/ .r'or;,- -rlrsl
'.o:e ls both u rigltt tnd a
resoo nsibiiir1,,.
fl
thoice really mean *'hat he or she sa'.,s, or
it obvious thar rhe Candidare cares onlv
roul your vote, but does not care about
ru and your beliefs?
Does the Candidare asree w,ith vou on
e kel,issues you feel most strongjr- abour?
nffi
-FHffi
No Candidare can or will asree wirh vou
iully on all issues, so be seiecrive. Decide
what issues are rnost important to ,v-ou.
then choose the Candidate " \6so ''io'"^
come closest to vours.
3. Does the Candidare express her or his
views clearly. or does she or he rend to
hedge on those issues about ,.vhich vou leel
strongly? Make 1,our Candidate take a firm
stand, promising ro support rhe issues vou
r-\
)lF
FF
l-..

think are most imporrant. Look for clues
thar the Candidate might be making promises
ro orher people which conrradicr those
made ro you. Such a candidate would not
be a good pubiic official if elecred ro office
and does not deserve your vote.
4. Does the Candidate work well with
orher people? Does she or he seem to be
able to lead rhe Campaign Team (Researcher
and Campaip lvlanager) and ger
ir all together, or does she or he seem to be
disorganized and poorly prepared? Does
the Candidare seem to like working and
ralking with her or his constiruenti (the
people she or he will represent if elected_
including you)? Or, does the Candidate
seem ro view you only as a steppingsrone to
getring elected? A good candidare likes
people and is weil organized and prepared.
5. Some people vote for a Candidate because
she or he is good looking, popular,
seems aiways to be at the right piaces ar rhe
righr time with the "in" people, and other
such reasons. But you onJy have one vote.
You should consider seriously investing
your vote in the Candidate who really
wants ro supporr whar you believe in, That
Candidate will probably do the best job for
you in office.
In the lasr election, miliions of .{mericans
wenr to the polls to vote. And millions
did not. Consider what would happen if
you and others in your class did nol uot.
lor any candidate in this election exercise.
Could you be sure rhar the Candidare vou
favored would win?
ln the real world, what mighr be rhe outcome
if you did not regisrer and vote?
Would you have any right to complaia
about the governmenr if you did nor bother
to register and vote?
The type of government we have in the
Unired Stares has been in exisrence for 200
years. It works. Bur it works best onlv whd
we put the. best people into of$e. frf.ybcjj
you would be a good candidate lor office iff!
the near future. Think about it. {
#
-,^\
Go)

HanOOUC E tv:1
AGTIUAL GA$WPAOGN t[TERA,TL]RE ANALVSOS
AME PER.
Get a piece of campaign literature from the teacher. Describe it on this sheei. Get another piece and
-'"-''fat the process on another sheet.
1. ldentify your piece of campaign literature. (Who or What is it for?)
2. How does try to capture your attention? What the "hook?"
3. What the main message? ls there a saying Motto on
4. What methods does the liierature use to convince you to vote for this
person or issue?
5. Describe any pictures. What is the purpose of each picture? Are they a
usef ul device?
6. What colors are used. Any ideas why these colors are used?
7. What did you like best about this campaign literature?
B. What did you like least about this campaign literature?
9. Based on this piece of literature, would you be persuaded to vote for
this person and/or issue? Why?
, \.,. Additional comments:
@

- : -'^-
, '\- -:
S:-:e.::'::.?:.ae':': 7
C_ai'npaign money: lnteresi groups have all the rnoney. Candidates must soiic:: -i1cne,i ici
corz'!paigning from these groups who will expect support for their position:
lo cuttons = 5100 Badio ad or newspaper ad (full page) = $10C0
1 coster = $500 T. V. Spot = S50C0
Cancioates, researcher and manager:
1. Plan your winning strategY
2. lnvestigate and determine your stand on the issues.
3. Solicjt funis from special interest groups whose position you can suppori,
4.7uy and make buttons, posters.
5. ?lan T.V. anC radio spots, news releases.
6. Set up interviews with the press.
1. ?:ecare kick of{ speech for (date)
3. rrepare for Cebate (date)-
-
"'Manager. Keep
ron;r^c nf 'rr-n
gives you money
and hcw ycu '..:se ii.
Sceclai lnteresi GrouPs:
'1. D€fine your position on the issue. Research carefully your position anC iie pcsrrcn ci 'taur
c:pcn?nt. WRI;= lT CUT.
2.'i,'nat questions cc ycu wanl to ask the caniidates? Write out at leasi inre:.
3. tlan your sii'ategy to get supporl for your position. How can you ccnvince ihe canciCai:s airc
iha'icl€s io jcin you?
.1. Give a reporter an interview, write a news reiease, buy an ad, buy anc make a ccsier. Ciier
SS :c :he cancrdate rvho u;ill suppct't your pcsition.
5. Keep reccrCs of how you spend your money.
Alajlr people
'1. 'ilhat are the issues of this campaign?
2. 3esearch the issues. lnterview the candidates about the issues. lntervie'ry the the special
Lnterest groups and write an article giving both sides of an issue.
3. itiake up questions to ask the candidates about ihe issues at their Kick Cff sceech. Ycu "vill ce
iha incderator cf the debate and will decicje whicn questions will be asked of the
oa:cicates. Soiicii questions from special interest grps.
-i. Plan a newsoaper. Ask others to write articles. Plan an intervier,v rviih a candicale tc leco:e
a ire',^/s story. Take a poll to see which canoidates and issues are mcst pcpular. \Vlre up 313 i'-i'
cii 'tour newspaper.
Fega:cing money and scheduiing activities:
The Teacher is the treasurer and the media scheduler. You must buy all campaign iterns tlrougi
lne l€acner. She/He will keep a record of who spent what money, where they gct it, etc.. Tne
t€acner will alsc arrange for the printing of the newspaper, T.V. and raCio acs. SherHe is tne
unDraseC moderator of all activities.
/'- \
@u

,,
Candiclate Report C-arcl
ISSUES
My priorrty
Example:
student atd
My positlon
I am lor govammentsponsored
student aid
Candidate A Candidatc B
i
l
CanAldlte C
LEADERSHIP OUALITIES lwant... CandidateA i Candidate ts Candidate C
E:ample:
honesty, flexibttity
1
2.
My Choice:
Now that you have thought through your choices, DO SOA,TETHINCI
1. gack the caricjidates you believe
in.
2. Talk to your friends and class_
mates about ,,your" candidate.
3. Don't be afraid to ask questions
at candidate meetings, at rallies
Credlts:
This pamphlet is paft of .tte League of Women Voters Educatjon
Fund project, ',Agenda tor secu"rity: it*iir'2i.,, Funding for
tle prot€t is ,crovided by the w. Atttor-Ji,i"r-Fiundation, tnc. of
Chadoftesviile, virginia and the ani o. e,iJcitnerne T.
MacArthur Foundation.
Researched and written by Kara Mccailum and Deborah
Goldman, LWVEF
and when a campaign worker
rings your doorcell.
r. Cail televrsion and raoio stations 6.
to praise or criticize campaign 7.
spots.
5. Be a letter writer. Tell candidates.
.-C.=L.,
Order from:
newspaoers and party leaders
how you ieel aoout the issues.
Voiunteer to work on a campaign.
When you turn 1g, reEister to
vote. Then, on eiectjon day go to
the polls and vote!
l?.?9u" of Women Voters ol the tJnited Stares, tT3O M Strcet,
NW, washington, K,20036. (zoz)tz*1g6s. puo. #81a, 7s6
(50c lor members). euantity d/scounts avajlable.
The LWEF campanion pamphtets How to Wstch a Debate
(P_ub #819, ZSc/sAc for members)and pick a Candidate /pub.
H259, 10/$7.s0 minimum order)are also avahbla';ir.t/l=.;
League of Women yolsrs at tha above aaaress. _/
l
l
l