Homework answers / question archive / Party Platform Creation Activity This week we learned about the important functions of political parties

Party Platform Creation Activity This week we learned about the important functions of political parties

Writing

Share With

---

Party Platform Creation Activity

This week we learned about the important functions of political parties. You also had the opportunity to browse the Democratic and Republican Party platforms for your reading. In this activity, pretend you are in charge of your own political party and write a platform for your political party.

Your platform and reflection essay should be at least 1.5 pages long and address the following:

Part 1 - Your Platform

• Name your party.
• Identify and describe one domestic policy that your party would believe in. Give a paragraph description of that domestic policy. Be very detailed and specific in your description. (Domestic policy is anything that impacts how we live our lives within the borders of our nation.)
• Identify and describe one specific economic policy that your party would believe in. Give a paragraph description of that economic policy. Be very detailed and specific in your description. (Economic policy is all those policies that impact the distribution and exchange of property, wealth, and capital. Think about things that impact money and how much you have and how you can make more.)
• Identify and describe one specific foreign policy that your party would believe in. Give a paragraph description of that foreign policy. Be very detailed and specific in your description. (Foreign policy is how this nation interacts with other nations.)

Part 2 - Reflection Essay

Write an essay in which you compare and contrast each of your three policies, one at a time, to similar policies from the platforms of the Democratic and Republican parties. How are your policies similar to the policies of the two major parties? How your policies different from the policies of the two major parties? Be specific and include specific examples. Conclude your comparison and contrast essay by discussing which of the two major parties your political party most similar to?

Don’t forget to include a reference list.

Please note: APA formatting and citations rules apply to this and all essays in this course.

As with all weekly written assignments, submit your work as an attached file. Double-space your paper and use 12 point Times New Roman as your font.

Interest Group Consultant Simulation

In this activity you will be pretending to be a consultant for an interest group. You will be charged with helping that interest group better achieve its goals. Have fun and be creative in this activity!

Your paper should be at least 1.5 pages long.

• First, select an interest group from the following list that you will be consulting for (*you may only complete this assignment on one the listed interest groups):
• • Service Employees International Union
  • National Association of Realtors
  • US Chamber of Commerce
  • National Rifle Association
  • National Education Association
  • American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees
  • AARP
  • National Association of Broadcasters
• In the first sentence of your paper please state very clearly what interest group you have selected.
• Next, describe in your own words, what your selected interest group mission is. Do not copy and paste or quote the organization’s mission in your paper. Use your own words.
• Next, take that mission statement and rewrite it in a new short one sentence “elevator pitch” that you think would be more effective. Feel free to get creative.
• Look up your selected interest groups website. What is the web address? What are the strong aspects of their website? What could be improved about their website?
• Look up your selected interest group on social media. What is good about their social media presence? What could be improved about their social media presence?
• Look up your selected interest group on OpenSecrets or the Federal Elections Commission website and discuss your findings. How much money does your interest group have? What is that money being spent on? Are they using their money effectively? How could they spend their money to better accomplish their goals? Use facts, not off the cuff opinions. 
• Come up with at least one completely original idea that could be use to improve your selected interest groups efforts. Describe this idea in detail. What specific goal would this idea seek to accomplish? What types of resources would this idea need. How would this idea improve the organization’s efforts to achieve its mission.
• Finally, be sure to provide a reference list and cite where sources are used in the essay.

Please note: APA formatting and citations rules apply to this and all essays in this course. APA uses third person perspective, so phrase like "I think" or "in my opinion" should appear nowhere in the essay.

As with all weekly written assignments, submit your work as an attached file. Double-space your paper and use 12 point Times New Roman as your font.