GOVT 2305 Unit 4
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Unit 4: Political Participation

 

 

A.  Read the following selections from the Margin Notes by clicking on each link.

 

B.  Watch this presentation. When you click on the link below, a new screen will pop up. Use the scrollbar on the side of the new screen to navigate. You need Adobe Reader to view PDF files.

 

C.  (Optional) Read the following chapter from the textbook.

Chapter 10

 

D.  The following Optional Links are designed to help you do better in your course but they are not required.

 

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E.  Activity #3: Getting Out the Vote (10 points)To Do NoteGetting Out the Vote

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 voter turnout. It's not an easy place to get out the vote but, with the race so close, every vote counts. Your job is to get out enough votes in Allen 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 things to help you with the simulation.

After you go to the simulation, you may or may not see the following messages.

  • 1-2 messages about changing your screen settings – ignore them

  • 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 may 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 instructor" options. The emails won't reach me!

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.

  • Step 1: Planning Your Strategy – Use the information given to respond to the decisions you must make.

  • Step 2: Campaign and Competition – Use the information given to respond to the decisions you must make.

  • Step 3: The Final Push – Use the information given to respond to the decisions you must make.

  • Mission Completed: Decision and 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.

When you are ready to begin, use the following link to access the simulation.

Getting Out the Vote

https://k12database.unc.edu/files/2016/09/GetOuttheVote10.pdf

https://campuselect.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Get-Out-the-Vote.pdf

After finishing the simulation, use what you learned to write a brief essay based on your answers to the 6 points below. Your essay should be thorough, specific, include relevant concepts from the course material and be free of spelling and grammar errors.

  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 harmful to the democratic process? Why?

  6. Make specific and detailed connections to course content. Always include course concepts in your work. If you're reading your margin notes and watching the presentations, you'll have plenty of material from which to choose on every activity.

 

Activity Submission Instructions

By the deadline shown in the Course Schedule on the main page of the syllabus:

  • Send your essay addressing the 6 points given above in the body of a new email to dramyglenn@gmail.com.

  • Put only your name and Activity #3 at the beginning of your email.

  • 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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Copyright © 1996 Amy S Glenn
Last updated:   03/06/2024 2100

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