By: Garrett Honeycutt

How people use literacy to bring about change? What certain ways political figures utilize literacy to win peoples opinion over. Why do people have certain political views? What influenced people to have those views? How much the government withholds from society? What is civil literacy? How are change, politics, and civil literacy all connected?

Change: is to make or become different. The want to experience something new. Influences from people, media, and personal beliefs. Financial income (i.e. going from middle class to winning the lottery) Lessons learned (i.e. getting kicked out of school due to failing grades)

Politics

Going from high school to college is a change that most kids find very difficult at first because it causes them to CHANGE the way they do a lot of things such as:

Living off of a budget Studying Attending classes w/out a parent to tell them to go

The want to fit in often drives people (mostly teens) to CHANGE the way they:

Talk
Dress Carry themselves (temptations)

Social media often stereotypes certain people which forms opinions in the viewers minds that they might not have had before.

Kids that grow up with little money to their name, are motivated to get a good education so they can provide a better life for their kids than what they had. In a since, they are CHANGING their own destiny in order to control it.

This is a common way of bringing about change to a person.

Jail Getting fired (lazy) Getting kicked out of school (cheating)

This was used in President Obamas 2008 presidential election campaign slogan CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN

Because people saw the word Change they saw something to believe in, thus giving them new hope for the next elected president.
This is an example of how change can be related to politics on a minor stage.

A person who shows integrity. A person who shows strength under pressure. A person who is caring towards a nation.

Voters arent guaranteed these traits when they vote for an elected president, but they vote based of off how well the presidential candidates carry themselves:

Confidence
Eloquent speech What they can do to help the citizen

Liberal: open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values.

Conservative: holding to traditional attitudes and values and cautious about change or innovation, typically in relation to politics or religion.

Holding to traditional values. Economic Ideas: taxes shouldnt be increased, wages should be set by a free market. Military Standards: increased spending. Stand on Gay Marriage: oppose. Stand on Abortion: should not be legal.

Stand on death penalty: large majority support this.

Symbol: Elephant. Color: Red Famous Presidents: Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Richard Nixon

Open to new opinions and disbanding traditional values. Economic Ideas: Favor minimum wages and progressive taxation. Military Standards: Decreased spending. Stand on Gay Marriage: Support Stand on Abortion: Should not be made legal.

Stand on death penalty: Strong support.

Symbol: Donkey Color: Blue Famous Presidents: Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama

Each major presidential address begs a number of questions:

What prompted the speech? How was it drafted, and by whom? Did the president write it himself, or was he a passive recipient of someone elses ideas? How did the speech develop and who influenced its development? What were the circumstances under which it was delivered? What was its impact?

Presidential speeches often are written to catch a large variety of audiences attention from the citizens, to foreign nations, to members of congress.

Early Presidents utilized the help of writing advisors for insight on their speeches. A few of them are:

Washington Monroe Jefferson

Other Presidents were considered prolific writers and didnt need the assistance of others:

Wilson Teddy Roosevelt JFK

http://voicesofdemocracy.umd.edu/kennedy-inaugural-address-speech-text/ Ask not what your country can do for you---ask what you can do for your country-JFK Even after 50+ years after JFK used this line in his speech, it is still a trademark on human society today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjiSLd3NEUM

(Debate Video)

After the debate a poll was cast to see who won the first debate, 46% said Romney, 22% Obama, and 32% said tie.

http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/cbs-news-instant-poll-romney-wins-firstpresidential-debate/ (Poll Voting)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGmf7L0jxFc

(Debate Video)

After the debate poll was cast to see who won the final debate, Romney 23%, Obama 53%, and 24% said tie.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/poll-decisive-win-for-obama-in-final-debate/ (Poll voting) Over the course of the first presidential debate to the last debate, American citizens changed their opinion from Romney to Obama. This is an example of how presidents use literacy to bring about CHANGE in peoples mind.

Civil Literacy: knowledge of how to actively participate and initiate change in your community and the greater society. Citizen power as a check and as a means to create answers for peaceful CHANGE.

Politics, change, and civic literacy all tie in together over the basic concept of CHANGE.

Politics CHANGES peoples opinions through civil literacy.

Civil Literacy is used by politicians to get their points across in a way that stands out to citizens who want CHANGE. CHANGE is influenced by people, media, and the want to reach goals that are set by a person.

http://www.history.com/news/the-presidents-speech-from-first-draft-todelivery

http://www.diffen.com/difference/Democrat_vs_Republican
http://voicesofdemocracy.umd.edu/kennedy-inaugural-address-speech-text/