1. Unit 2 – Rhetoric, Debate and Political Campaigns: the 2012 U. S
Unit 2 – Rhetoric, Debate and Political Campaigns: the 2012 U.S. Elections!

2. Topics…
Rhetoric: the use of language as a persuasive tool (Ethos, Pathos, Logos)
Media: how political messages are conveyed.
Money and Politics: $$$$$$$$
Fallacies: how errors in logic pervade political speech
Polls: predicting outcomes, voter disenfranchisement
Ethos, Pathos & Logos - The modes of persuasion are devices in rhetoric that classify the speaker's appeal to the audience.
Aristotle's On Rhetoric
Disenfranchisement = not interested or connected

3. Topics, continued…
Art, artists, and protest: the role of artists in U.S. politics.
Social and independent/alternative media and U.S. politics: new forms of political speech
Advertising as major part of political campaigns.
The Political Spectrum: how issues are framed and contextualized

4. TOK Questions! (Your favorite things in the universe!)
What’s more important in political speech, style or substance?
How should citizens analyze speech and debate? What should we focus on?
What’s the effect of money on (U.S.) politics? Should it have any effect at all?

5. TOK, continued…
What is a citizen’s responsibility in an election? How should they participate?
Is advertising useful or harmful to the election process?
How do our own political views shape and/or influence how we view other people’s views?

6. Cartoons!

10. Quotes!
“True Terror is to wake up one morning and discover that your high school class is running the country.” - Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

11. “Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber” - Plato

12. “If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything
“If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything.” - Mark Twain

13. “Half of the American people never read a newspaper
“Half of the American people never read a newspaper. Half never voted for President. One hopes it is the same half.” - Gore Vidal

14. “Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.” -
 Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

15. “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”- Voltaire

16. “The Aim of an Argument. should not be victory, but progress
“The Aim of an Argument ... should not be victory, but progress.” - Joseph Joubert

17. “Hitler and Joseph Goebbels understood that if you say something loud and long enough many people will believe it.”  - Bill O’reilly, The O’reily Factor, Jan 24, 2000
Joseph Goebbels - one of Adolf Hitler's closest associates and most devout followers, he was known for his zealous orations and anti-Semitism.

18. Important Vocabulary
Liberal - believing that government should be active in supporting social and political change
Conservative - believing in the value of established and traditional practices in politics and society
Ideology - the set of ideas and beliefs of a group or political party
A comprehensive list will be on the course website following today’s class

19. Factors That Determine Placement
Two major factors shape political views.
The first is how much change a person is willing to have within their society and government.
The second deals with how much government involvement in the economy a person calls for.
Others also bring in the question of how much freedom from government authority a leader is willing to give the people.
Write on the board: The Political spectrum – Where do you stand?
A person’s views on the issues help determine where they fall on the political spectrum.

20. Political Labels
To see where you stand, you would have to figure out where you stand on a number of social (people-related), economic (money-related), and

21. Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King
What is a Liberal?
Liberals believe that the government should be actively involved in the promotion of social welfare of a nation’s citizens.
They usually call for peaceful, gradual change within the existing political system.
They reject violent revolution as a way of changing the way things are, often called the status quo.
Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King

22. Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT) is generally seen as a moderate.
What is a Moderate?
Moderates may share viewpoints with both liberals and conservatives.
They are seen as tolerant of other people’s views, and they do not hold extreme views of their own.
They advocate a “go-slow” or “wait-and-see” approach to social or political change.
Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-CT) is generally seen as a moderate.

23. What is a Conservative?
People who hold conservative ideals favor keeping things the way they are or maintaining the status quo if it is what they desire.
Conservatives are usually hesitant or cautious about adopting new policies, especially if they involve government activism in some way.
They feel that the less government there is, the better.
They agree with Jefferson’s view that “the best government governs least.”
There are far more categories
Sen. Barry Goldwater (R-AZ) is widely regarded as the father of the modern conservative movement

24. There are far more categories, and no two spectrums are the same because of people’s beliefs and opinions, but this is a very basic spectrum.

25. Moderate Conservative
Strong Liberal
Moderate Liberal
Moderate
Strong Conservative
Moderate Conservative
1. Create five columns on the board, labeling them as follows from left to right: “strong
liberal,” “moderate liberal,” “moderate,” “moderate conservative,” and “strong
conservative.” Ask students to characterize themselves as one of the five without your
explaining the meaning of the terms and tally their responses under each column.
2. Distribute the Student Handout Ideological Survey. Ask students individually to respond
to each of the statements on the survey by placing a “A” for agree or “D” for disagree in
the column labeled “agree/disagree.” Students should write nothing yet in the column
labeled “L/C.”
After the students have completed the survey, go through the survey with them and reveal
which statements are conservative and which are liberal using the list below. As you read
through the list, have the students code their responses by placing an “L” for liberal and a
“C” for conservative according to the nature of their response. For instance, if a student
responds to a conservative statement with “A” then she/he should place a “C” in the last
column. If responding to the same statement with an “D” the student would place and
“L” in the column.
1. C L L L C
2. L L C C L
3. C C L C L
4. C C C L L
5. C L L C C

26. 21-25 Liberal responses = Strong Liberal
16-20 Liberal responses = Moderate Liberal
21-25 Conservative responses = Strong Conservative
16-20 Conservative responses = Moderate Conservative
10-15 of either responses = Moderate
5. Chart the students’ responses on the board underneath the earlier tally. If there is a
change, ask students to theorize about what may have caused the change.
6. Explain to the students that any ideological survey is imperfect in that it is not
sophisticated enough to cover the entire gamut of a political belief system, and that they
should continue to examine and hone their political beliefs.

27. Political Ideology: Liberals vs. Conservatives Representative Party
Democratic Party
Conservative
Republican Party

28. Political Ideology: Liberals vs. Conservatives Business
Some government regulation of business needed
Agrees with the following:
Affirmative Action
Labor Unions
Conservative
Little government regulation
Pro Business
Does not agree with the following:
Affirmative Action

29. Political Ideology: Liberals vs
Political Ideology: Liberals vs. Conservatives: Taxes and Social Spending
Liberals
Increase
Used to support social programs in the states like
Welfare
Medicaid and Medicare
Homeless shelters
Free clinics
Shelters for battered women
Soup kitchens
Conservatives
Decrease
Social programs in the states should be supported through charities state taxes
“Trickle Down Economics”

30. Political Ideology: Liberals vs. Conservatives Abortion
Pro – Choice (For)
Conservative
Pro – Life (Against)

31. Political Ideology: Liberals vs. Conservatives Defense Spending
Decrease
Use more for social
spending
Conservative
Increase or maintain

32. Political Ideology: Liberals vs. Conservatives Death Penalty
Against it (Anti)
Would like to see it banned by the national government
Conservatives
For it (Pro)
“Eye for an eye”

33. Political Ideology: Liberals vs. Conservatives Government Size
Big national government
More government involvement
Conservatives
Small national government
Less government involvement
Bill Clinton
Ronald Reagan

34. Political Ideology: Liberals vs. Conservatism Foreign Relations
Negotiate first
If U.S. in imminent danger, take action with allied support after all alternatives have been rejected
Conservative
Negotiate first
If U.S. is in imminent danger, take pre-emptive action, even if allies do not support us

35. Political Ideology: Liberals vs. Conservatives Same Sex Marriage
Believe it should be legal
Not a moral issue, but an equality issue and it is protected by the Constitution
Conservatives
Believe it should not be legal
Support a Constitutional Amendment to define marriage
Is a moral issue tied to religion

36. Political Ideology: Liberals vs
Political Ideology: Liberals vs. Conservatives Attitude Towards Criminals
Liberals
Want rights of accused protected first and foremost
Interested in finding out “why” person committed crime
Conservatives
Want rights of victims protected first and foremost
Not concerned with “why” person committed crime

37. Political Ideology: Liberals vs. Conservatives Doctor Assisted Suicide
Believe it should be legal and protected by the courts
Individual rights issue
Conservatives
Believe it should be illegal and not protected by the courts
Suicide not an individual right protected

38. Political Ideology: Liberals vs. Conservatives Minimum Wage
For it – would like to see it increased
Believe national government should set it to protect workers
Conservatives
Against it – would like to see it end
Believe it is too much regulation on business

39. Political Ideology: Liberals vs. Conservatives Social Security
Believe it should be left in the hands of the federal government
Conservatives
Believe it should be privatized

40. Political Ideology: Liberals vs. Conservatives Health Care
Should be 100% provided by the national government
Conservatives
Should continue to be de-regulated and left in the hands of independent, competing heath care providers

41. Political Ideology: Liberals vs. Conservatives Personal Responsibility
Believe government sometimes needs to protect us from ourselves
Conservatives
Believe people are responsible for their own misfortune
Should not rely on government for handouts

42. Political Ideology: Liberals vs. Conservatives Religion
Want to keep clear and strict separation of church and state
No religion in government policy
Conservatives
Would like to implement more religion into government policy
Views largely based on religion
And for fun, a video…

43. What do you look for in the President?
In your small group, brainstorm/discuss what you look for in the President
Physical appearance?
Age?
Married?
Experience?
Etc. etc. etc.

44. What issues matter to you?
In your small group, brainstorm/discuss what issues matter to you and why
Education?
Free education?
National security?
Etc, etc, etc
If needed… create a brainstorm on the whiteboard of issues that are important to students