RocktheVote

2016

Democracyworkswhenpeopleclaimitastheirown.

BillMoyers

Democracycannotsucceedunlessthosewhoexpresstheirchoicearepreparedtochoosewisely.The
realsafeguardofdemocracy,therefore,iseducation.

FranklinD.Roosevelt

Overview
Manyofyouarefollowingthiselectionclosely,andithasbeenincrediblydivisiveandattimes
tumultuous.ArecentGalluppoll(2016)findsthat66%percentofAmericansthinktheelectoral
processisbroken,andtheBipartisanPolicyCenterreportsthatjustover57%ofAmerican
citizensactuallyvotedintheprevious(2012)presidentialelection.Whatdoesthissayabout
voterengagementandourthestateofourdemocracy?Howcanwebringaboutpositivechange
inourcountry?

AsthefutureofAmerica,youwillselectandstudyanissuethatisimportanttothe2016election.
Youwillresearchanddiscusstheissuewithparentsandcommunitymembersatourexhibition.
Togetherwewillexamineourprivilegesandresponsibilitiesasmembersofourdemocratic
community.Theprimarygoalwillbeforyoutounderstandtheimportanceofhavingavoicein
thepoliticalprocessandhowwecanworktogethertoimproveourdemocracy.

EssentialQuestions
Whatiscivicengagementandwhatdoesitlooklike?
Whydopeoplechoosetovoteornotvote?
Whocaninfluenceelectionsandhow?

ProjectSkillsandGoals

Studentswillbeableto...

RelatedStudies

Analyzemajorcomponentsofthepresidential
electionprocess.

Goal#1:Classroomwewillunpackvarious
conceptspoliticalscientistsusetoanalyzewhy
electionsunfoldthewaytheydo:fromthestructure
ofelectoralpolitics,theroleofmoneyandspecial
interests,aswellasthemedia.

Compareandcontrastthe2016electionwith
electionsinU.S.history.

Goal#2:SignificanceHowdoesvoterturnoutinthe
2016electioncomparetopastelections?Howdoes
themodernstruggleforvotingrightscompareto
votersuppressionthroughoutU.S.history?Howdo
theissuesvoterscareabouttodaycomparetothe
past?

Developandrefineessentialquestionsthatguide
yourstudentdrivenresearchforthesymposium.

Goal#3:ResearchYouwillusehistoricalresearch
aswellasyourowndatacollection(e.g.,interviews
andsurveys)tobetterunderstandanissuethat
shapesmodernpoliticaldiscourse.

Presentinaprofessional,publicforumthe
significanceandrelevanceoftheseissuestoUS
politicsthenandnow.

Goal#4:SymposiumYouwilldesignandoffsite
symposiumthroughwhichyoueducateandpersuade
aboutkeyissuesinAmericatoday.Issuesselected
areyourchoice,butyoumustrunaprofessional
symposiumthatbotheducatesandinvitesthepublic
toengageintheseissues.

Applyconceptslearnedinpoliticalsciencetothe
planningandexhibitionofoursymposium.

Goal#5:TurnoutJustaspartiesseektorockthe
vote,sotoomustyougetparticipantsfromdifferent
groupstoturnouttoyoursymposium.

Comparativelyanalyzeourprocessesand
experienceswithvotersintheelection.

Goal#6:NarrativeandDataWewillcomparethe
storyofparticipantsinthiselectionandyourown.
Wewillinterviewparticipantsandtestour
hypothesestotrackandcomparetheAmerican
electoralexperience.

PoliticalScientistsIdeastoUnpackandConsider
Duringthenexttwomonths,wewillexaminemajorconceptsfrompoliticalscienceasameansto
betterunderstandpresidentialelections.Specifically,wewillinspecthowthesepoliticalactors
andstructuresshapenationalpoliticsandtheracetobecomethePOTUS.Youwilladdtopicsthat
interestyoutothelistwehavebrainstormedbelow.

TopicsfromPoliticalScience

Executive&theConstitution

SpecialInterestGroups

CampaignFinance

Primariesvs.Caucuses

ElectoralCollege

Gerrymandering/Redistricting

Viability&Delegates

TwoPartySystem

PoliticalParties

3rdParties

MediaCoverage/Horserace/Bias

VoterSuppressionandVotingRights

PublicOpinion&Polling

Activism

VoterTurnout

PoliticalAdsandPersuasion

Lobbyists

Cleavage

StudentGeneratedTopics

Readings
TheInventionofWingsbySueMonkKidd
Excerptsfrom

GiveustheBallot:TheModernStruggleforVotingRightsinAmericabyAriBerman
2

ExcerptsfromWhatYouShouldKnowaboutPolitics ButDont:ANonpartisanGuidetotheIssues
thatMatterbyJessamynConrad
Weeklynewsarticles(e.g.,NYTimes,NPR,WallStreetJournal,TheAtlantic)

CommonCoreStandards(seelink)

Process/Products:
1. Part1:CivicEngagementinLocalCommunity
a. CommunityInterviewsandCaseStudies:VoterEngagementandConfidencein
PoliticalProcess
b. NationalVoterRegistrationDay(September27th)atCSUSMwithLeagueof
WomenVoters
2. Part2:YouthVoicesSymposium
a. Research,DataCollection,andAnalysis
b. Positionpaperinresponsetostudentgeneratedessentialquestion
c. FinalProducts(e.g.,speech,honorsproducts)
3. Part3:ElectionNightWatchParty,November8th
a. ResearchatExitPollsandPeriscopingLIVEtoHTHNC
b. AnalysisofResultsandVoterTurnout
c. Reflectionsonprojectandfutureofdemocracy

TheSymposium
TheculminatingexhibitionforthisprojectwillbeasymposiumheldoffsiteonSaturday,
November5th
priortoelection.Thesymposiumwilladdressissuesthatarekeytothiselection.
Thesymposiummustaddressallsidesofanissue,includingtheperspectivesofmajorparties,
thirdpartiesandactivists,andthestatusofthisissuenowincontextofU.S.history.The
symposiummustalsoengageanaudienceindiscoursesurroundingtheissue.Todoso,youwill
needtousewhatyouhavelearnedaboutvoterturnouttogenerateanaudiencethatyoucan
simultaneouslyeducateandengageindialogueatthesymposium.

HonorsOptions
Forhonorsthissemester,yourworkwillbeintegratedintoourprojectwork.Thegoalofhonors
istoaddinteractivityanddepthtooursymposiumortoincreasevoterengagementinour
community.Youwillbeexpectedtopresentyourhonorsworkatoursymposium.Allhonors
studentsmustalsokeepaweeklylogtodocumenttheirhonorswork.

Option1:TheGreatDebateSymposiumandElectionWatchPartyLeadershipTeam(weekly
lunchmeetingsrequired)4students
Thisteamwilldetermineourexhibitionlocation,publicity,andformat.Youwillbe
responsiblefororganizingallaspectsoftheeventandcommunicatingregularlywithDr.
Cochranaboutyourprogress.YouwillalsobeaskedtoorganizeourElectionNightWatch
PartywithMr.Youngsteam.
Inadditiontoorganizingtheseevents,achallengeoptionistoalsowatchandanalyzeone
3

ofthepresidentialdebatesorreadandanalyzeabookofyourchoosing.

Option2:YouthandPoliticsDocumentary(weeklylunchmeetingsrequired)4students
Yourgroupwillcreateadocumentaryaboutourproject,youthperceptionsaboutlocal
andnationalpolitics,andwhatyouthfeelismostimportantforourdemocracy.Youwill
needtocompleteastoryboard,writeascript,interviewprotocol,andbuildintimefor
peercritique.

Option3:RaceandPoliticsStudyTeam(weeklylunchmeetingsrequired)6students

Yourstudentteamwillstudyhowracehasimpactedthisyearselection.Youwill
determinethefocusofyourresearchandyourfinalproductincollaborationwithDr.
Cochran.YouwillalsoattendalecturebyCornelWestatCSUSMonFriday,November4th
at6:00pm.

Option4:PresidentialDebateAnalysis
Youwillanalyzethepresidentialandvicepresidentialdebatesaswellasthemediasrole
inprovidingpoliticalcommentary.Youwillresearchcandidatespositionsontheissues
andcomparetohowtheydiscusstheseideasduringthedebates.Youwillbeexpectedto
watchthepostdebatecommentaryfromatleasttwodifferentnetworksand
compare/contrasttheiranalysis.Followingeachdebate,youwillwritea23pageanalysis
thatcanfocusoneitherthecandidatesperformancesorthemediascoverage.

Option5:ProtestArt(SeeDr.Cochranifyouareinterestedsowecandiscussnextsteps.)
Thiswillinvolvestudyingandwritingaboutthehistoryofprotestartwithafocusonthe
20thcenturyaswellascreatinganoriginalpiecethatwillbedisplayedatourexhibition.

Option6:BookAnalysis
Youwillselectandreadaworkofliteraturethatsupplementsourprojectwork.After
readingthebook,youwillcompleteawrittenanalysisofthetextanditsimplicationsfor
thecurrentelection.YoumusthaveyourbookapprovedbyDr.Cochran,andyoushould
keepnotestodocumentyouranalysis.SeeDr.Cochranifyouwantideasforbooksto
read.

Option7:StudentProjectProposal
Youproposeyourownprojectforapproval.Yourprojectshouldincluderesearchanda
writtencomponent.

Option8:GreatElectoralRaceChallenge(https://greatelectoral.wordpress.com)
Competeinateamof35studentsinthisnationalcompetitionsponsoredbyMikva
Challenge.

Option9:LetterstotheNextPresident(https://letters2president.org/)
Thiscouldalsobecombinedwithanotheroption.
4

DraftofProjectCalendar 1

Week1:September6th9th

Foundationsofgovernment
Federalism
Constitution

Week2:September12th16th
PowerofVoting
HistoryofVotingandSuffrage
Movements
WheredoIStandontheIssues?

Week3:September19th23rd
VotingRights
VoterParticipation(Demographic
Analysis)
DistrictingandGerrymandering
CommunityInterviews

Week4:September26th30th
VoterRegistration
ElectionProcess
Primaries,Caucuses,Conventions
PoliticalParties
GeneralElectionandElectoralCollege

Week5:October3rd7th
MoneyandPolitics
CampaignFinanceReform
CampaignsandPoliticalAds

Week6:October10th13th
TheMedia
PoliticalPunditry

Weeks78:October17th28th
CivicEngagement
3rdPartiesandActivism
SpeechWriting,CritiqueandRevision
PublicOpinionandPolling

Week9:YouthVoicesSymposium
Finalspeechesdue
Honorsdue
DressRehearsal
SymposiumExhibition

Week10:ReflectionsandWatchParty
SymposiumReflection
ElectionNightWatchParty

Datesandcontentaresubjecttochange.

PROJECTCALENDAR

MONDAY

TUESDAY
5

LaborDayNo
School

12
Groupformation
andidentificationof
issues
19
ProjectResearch
Begins
(Readingsonthe
Issues)
26
PresidentialDebate
#1

PositionPaper
Writing
10
PresidentialDebate
#2(Sunday,
October9th)

WEDNESDAY
6

FRIDAY
8

14

15

13

16

20

21

23

22

27

28

VPDebate

11

SLCsHalfDay

FinalPosition
PapersDue
24

12

13

19

SLCsHalfDay
PositionPaperDraft
2Due
20

SLCsHalfDay

18

25

30

29

NationalVoter
RegistrationDay
CSUSM10am2pm

17

31

StaffDayNoSchool
forStudents

THURSDAY

DoublePeakHike(no
class)

PSAT

PresidentialDebate
#3
26

DraftofSpeechesdue
forCritique

FinalSpeechesand
HonorsDue

PositionPaperDraft1
DuePeerCritique
14

FallHoliday
NoSchool

21

StaffDay:
AppFestforSeniors

27

28
DraftofHonors
ProductsDuefor
Critique

DressRehearsals

DressRehearsals

CornelWestCSUSM
HonorsOption6pm

Symposium,November5th