Hey, Lets have a Party a Political Party!
Create your own Political Party and then Try to Win the Election!
After assessing your personal political orientation, you and some like-minded people have decided to start your OWN 3rd party. So
lets get together in groups of around five (more or less, this depends on the class size) and do the following:
1. Create a shared googledoc or slideshow presentation for your group. More instructions about that below.
2. Devise a name for your party, a slogan, a symbol, and find a theme song that represents the party and hopefully
would attract voters to your party. Take a look at what other parties have on their websites (theres a list of parties
on the class webpage under Chapter 5 also listed near the end of that document). Remember the donkey and the
elephant?
3. Create a PLATFORM - a platform is your partys ideas about what is the best way for our society and government
to deal with important issues- choose at least one issue from the list of topics below for each member of your
group. For example, if your group has 5 members, then your group chooses at least 5 issues from the list of
topics below or your own ideas.
4. In your groups - decide who will research each of the issues. One person per issue. This will become the go to
person to research and explain your partys position. On the googledoc/slideshow, please indicate which person in
your group researched which topic. For example: Immigration: Johnny Blowfish (thats a made-up student name).
5. Feel free to paraphrase (put someones information in your own words) your research, please dont cut and
paste- except when quoting an author - and, of course, marked by quotes.
6. Keep track of your sources. Please add aWorks Cited section in your googledoc/slideshow of any sources you
used in your research - if you used any. Upload the googledoc/slideshow to googleclassroom if asked
7. On googleclassroom make a copy of and fill out this accountability sheet as a group.
8. Plagiarism - not having a source listed - may lower your grade. Dont do that! More learning probably comes from
originality in this activity.
Feel free to help each other to form your groups opinions, come to a party consensus and compromise solutions even
when you might disagree- thats the way of party politics.
Platform ISSUES: (here is some that you might consider)
Economy, jobs, foreign competition, minimum wage and related items
Taxes, for the poor, the middle class, and the wealthiest
National defense/military spending
Foreign affairs, including the ones below
The military and humanitarian situations in Iraq and Afghanistan
The Syrian Refugee Crisis
The War on Drugs, including prescription drug abuse and addiction, other dangerous drugs, marijuana,
The War on Terror, ISIS, homeland security
Immigration, both legal and illegal (noncitizens who are already residents here, but without
documentation), building a wall, etc.
Healthcare, including the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare)
Protecting the environment, clean air/water, carbon footprint, climate change, recycling, other related
Energy policy, the promotion of different forms of energy
Abortion, reproductive rights
Capital punishment - death penalty
Eradicating poverty and the alleviation of it through food stamps and other welfare, including Sec.
8/subsidized public housing
Public schools, costs and effectiveness of in the 21st century including Vocational Schools, Community
Colleges, Public Universities. School-funding/charter schools/vouchers also.
Gun ownership and Second Amendment applications, including rights/responsibilities/control/safety
Civil Rights/Human Rights, including Womens Rights, Minority Rights, Gender Rights, LGBTQ+ rights,
Black Lives Matter, Dreamers, people historically oppressed, any other issues...
Other issues not listed above?
In your groups googledoc/slideshow, members of your group should type short descriptions that describe and explain your
partys ideas or positions on each of the issues that your group has chosen. For example, explain your partys opinion about capital
punishment (the death penalty). Again, take a look at how existing parties are already doing this. Below are links of some
well-known parties (in alphabetical order).
American Independent Party
Democratic National Committee
Communist Party USA
Green Party USA
Independent American Party
Libertarian Party
Reform Party of Connecticut
Republican National Committee
Socialist Party
Tea Party
The Next Thing to Do:
After all the members of your party have contributed their short descriptions of your party positions, we will have each group do a
short presentation to the class. Start your presentation something like this:
Dear Fellow Americans:
We represent the ___________________ Party...
(Continue briefly describing your groups ideas and why they make sense for America. Finally, ask for the voting publics (your
classmates) support in the upcoming election.)
Remember: Make a googledoc/slideshow, create a name, slogan, symbol, and a song for your party, each person has at least one
issue to research. Fill out the accountability sheet. Finally, make the presentation to the class.
When you are finished, make sure every members name is on the googledoc/slideshow and one person in your group should
upload it to google classroom.
Each group will take a turn presenting to the class. Students in the audience can then ask questions of the group for clarification.
This activity is not emphasizing class debate. However, conversations about the topics are encouraged if the discourse is civil. We
can do some fact-checking if the resources are legitimate.
Finally we will have an in-class anonymous mock election. Lets see who is the most convincing! Always do your best.
Thank you,
Mr. C.
P.S.
Dear Students:
Political opinions and party platforms are an integral part of politics in the United States and of learning about American
Government in this course. Every person in the class - in this activity it would be each party and every party member - is
encouraged to express opinions in a civil way. Some of the opinions they hear may be ones that they totally agree with, others may
be ones that they disagree with or find repulsive. On the other hand, please keep it in mind that giving ones opinion about
controversial topics does not give you or me or anyone the right to insult or humiliate anyone else. Please be respectful - in this
class for the sake of the learning environment - and outside of it for the sake of basic decency. Thank you.
