United States Government: Democracy in Action

Unit 6: Participating in Government

Big Idea Activity

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Does the election process result in the best leaders in office?

Assignment: Conduct a Campaign
Conduct a campaign and hold an election for president of the classroom.

Step 1: Review the factors that influence voters' decisions. Complete the chart below with details about each factor.

Step 2: Organize into two political parties. Your teacher will provide the basis for organization.

Step 3: Gather into your political party and summarize your party's position on the following issues: (1) aid to the poor; (2) responsibilities of the United States to the rest of the world; and (3) socialized healthcare. (Your teacher may assign alternative issues.) The summary of your positions on these issues will become your party platform.

Step 4: Hold a closed primary election within your party to decide your party's candidate for the "general" election. Before doing so, summarize the methods of nominating a party candidate in the chart below. Then have party members cast their ballots for the candidate.

Step 5: Campaign for your party's candidate. Schedule stump speeches throughout the school (during lunch, between class changes, after school, at school events). Create and distribute paper buttons, ribbons, and pamphlets with your party's platform. Schedule a debate between the two candidates and utilize propaganda.

Step 6: Set up a bipartisan canvassing board to create ballots with nominees' names, set up posters explaining when and where to vote, and to register voters. After the polls close, the canvassing board will count the ballots.

Step 7: Hold the election.

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After the election, use information from the activity to write a short essay answering this question: Does the election process result in the best leaders in office?