Methods To reach POTENTIAL VOTERS

The Point: We need votes  Running for office is one thing, getting elected is another. Candidates have to reach out to their voters to get their point across. People have to be informed so they know why to vote. This is done with a variety of techniques in a variety of ways.

 Radio  Newspaper  Canvassing  Internet  Television (Most popular method) Why would T.V. be most popular? There are different methods used to reach potential voters:

 Interest Groups are groups of people who advocate a certain change  The primary goal of Interest Groups is to Influence Public Policy. Special Interest groups hire LOBBYISTS to influence legislators to support the groups ideas and desires. Interest Groups

“If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.” Thomas Jefferson (1816)

What is the difference between a duty and a responsibility?  Duty: obligatory task, something that you HAVE to do.  Example: Military Service, paying taxes, obey the law  Responsibility: moral, legal or mental accountability; something that you SHOULD do. Example: voting, volunteering your time, running for political office

Responsibilities of a Responsible Person  Taking care of oneself  Supporting one’s family, caring, educating one’s children  Accepting accountability for one’s actions  Adhering to moral principles  Considering the rights/interest of others  Behaving in a Civil manner

Responsibilities & Duties as a Citizen  Obeying the laws of society  Paying taxes  Respecting the rights and liberties of others  Being informed/paying attention to public issues  Deciding whether/how to productively contribute to society.  Participating in Civic Groups  Performing Public Service  Serving as a Juror

Types of Ads

There are 9 types of ads  NEGATIVE - One candidate portrays the other in an unfavorable light.

Testimonial  Bono from U2 tells about his work in Africa while lobbying the U.S. government to send aid to the continent.

Bandwagon  Organizations persuade young people to vote by showing celebrities who support their causes.

WARM AND FUZZY  Candidates make the viewer feel good about the country or his/her campaign. 

Name Calling  Campaigns that criticize opponents.

HUMOROUS AD  Humorous - Candidates elicit a laugh or smile from the viewer.

SCARY AD  Scary - Candidates evoke images of fear (usually combined with a Negative ad).

Plain-Folks Appeal  Looking like an “Average” American, appealing to help people to influence the vote.

GLITTERING GENERALITIES  Glittering generalities seek to evoke emotions without making any commitments or putting the speaker in a position where they may be challenged or criticized. If people are taken to a place where they accept vague statements, then suggestion can be used to replace rational argument and clear evidence.

 “Ladies and Gentlemen, it is with the greatest pleasure that I welcome you to this most auspicious of occasions. We are gathered here on the brink of a challenge to which we must all rise in concert, for not to do so would be to accept despair, which I will never do and I know you will never accept”.

Writing Prompt  Do political advertisements impact a political campaign? If so, how?  Do the images you see impact what you think? Please answer both questions