Post 4: Analyze a Political Ad

This is the season for campaign ads. Find a campaign ad to analyze. Places you can search for ads include Youtube, candidate webpages, or news articles about campaign ads. Include a link to the ad you analyzed and answer the following questions:

1. What techniques is the ad using to try to persuade voters to vote for the candidate?

2. Are these techniques successful in the ad?

3. Fact check at least 1 piece of information in the ad. Does this ad accurately or inaccurately reflect the candidate or their opponents' record?
You will need sources for the third point at a minimum.

You can analyze any current campaign ad you want. It has to be from 2015 but it can be for any local, state, or national race. It can be from a candidate or from an interest group, Super PAC, or PAC.

Have fun with this! Due Saturday, 10/31st.  And Happy Halloween!

Respond to someone from Post 3

This week your task is to respond to a classmate from post 2.  You can pick someone you AGREE with or you DISAGREE with.  Either way you need to use at least one new piece of evidence to support or attack their argument.  You should write a minimum of a paragraph adding to their argument or taking it a part.  It could be helpful for you when trying to understand their argument to read the sources they used. I look forward to reading your posts.

Your post is due by midnight on Friday, October 23rd.  

Post 3: Due 10/9

This week we're covering the world of campaign finance.  Since the Citizens United v. FEC decision this issue has become a hot button issue for some.

Read this article on the proposals some candidates have offered on campaign finance and do some independent research on campaign finance.  Then answer the prompt below:

What do you think of the current rules on campaign financing in national elections?  Should they be changed?  If so how?  If not, why?

Please post by class on Friday, October 9th.

This article:  http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/09/09/npr-reality-check-on-campaignfinance-reform-it-would-be-difficult-and-slow

Info about the 2016 Presidential election & the money the candidates have raised so far:

http://www.fec.gov/disclosurep/pnational.do

http://www.opensecrets.org/pres16/

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/us/elections/election-2016-campaign-money-race.html

http://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2015/08/28/434708855/charts-2016-presidential-campaign-finance-fundraising