Website Link: http://partyunity.weebly.

com/
Names: Guadalupe, Sarah, Vang, Juan, Enrique, Trevor, Chris, Erika, Angel,
Cristobal, Talia, Michael, Sam

Mock Election Project

US Government

Party Website Must Checklist:

Party name, slogan and symbol
Unity Party, Make America One Again

Party thesis statement

The Unity Party believes in doing what is best for the people and
having peaceful relations with other countries.
List of Party leadership
List of party positions on 3-5 domestic issues
Border Security: Our party strives to unite and have good
relationships with the neighboring countries. We should concentrate
more on increasing security at the border. Building a wall is a waste of
money and time when we can focus on using a more focused and
organized approach at securing our borders.
Minimum Wage: Raising the minimum wage to many people means
they will earn a bigger salary. Although that is the case we want to
focus on the unintended consequences that come with raising the
minimum wage. Companies will make less profit from paying their
employees more thus increasing the prices of their products which end
up costing the consumer. We want to keep the minimum wage where
it is because even though you will earn money you will be spending
more money.
Health Care: For the everyday hard working American, it is difficult
to pay for Medical. We believe in making Healthcare more affordable.
It is our plan to make it easier for new parents to pay any medical
bills, regarding their children, by making their healthcare free until
the age of 5.

List of party positions on 3-5 foreign policy issues

Vang Illegal Immigration/ US borders: Many undocumented people
entering (coming to our country) the US - are running away (or
 leaving) from their home country due to their war torn countries,
Drugs, terrorism, etc. We shouldnt deny families and people who
might revolutionize our country because of our fear that being
different is bad. The process of acquiring proper documentation such
as Tourist visas, Work visas, and Permanent Residency takes a long
time. We would like to make the process a little faster while still
keeping the proper measures such as background checks. Making this
process easier and more organized, which will also benefit the US
economy.
Enrique Relations with Russia: The US should have a friendly
relationship with Russia in order to keep a close eye on them. This
will ensure that no fear of possible wars would happen. Also not
allowing any news or social media to spread accusations or false info
without proper evidence should be allowed to spread unchecked to
prevent any issues with Russia. As said before Keep your friends
close and your enemies closer.
Sarah World trade issues / NAFTA / Chinese relations / TPP: We
plan to be more organized with world trade to save time and money.
Involving China, we should continue to keep our current connections
since a majority of our products come from them.
30 to 60 second commercial
Three- 30 second mini-interviews where the President addresses positions on
domestic issues (use research/position paragraphs)
Health Care
Minimum Wage
Border Security
Three- 30 second mini-interviews where the President addresses positions on
foreign policy issues (use research/position paragraphs)
Illegal Immigration/US Borders
Relations with Russia
World Trade Issues
Put website link in the Mock Election Drop Box

I. Introduction
The Mock Election Project is a practical experience in electoral politics. Each class
member will become part of a political party for the purpose of this project.

Each party shall elect six leaders:

1) Party Chair - Michael Solorzano
2) Presidential Candidate - Juan Valdovino
3) Vice Presidential Candidate - Angel Andrade
4) Foreign Policy Chair - Enrique Lopez
5) Domestic Policy Chair - Erika Gutierrez
6) Communications and Media Director - Sam Villa
7) Rank-and-File Members - Guadalupe Gonzalez, Vang Thao, Sarah Wilson, Chris
Fong, Cristobal Valdovino, Trevor Thomas, Talia Vargas

The party leaders will organize the party and its campaign, develop the platform, and
carry out specified tasks. The party leaders will each chair a platform committee which
will be comprised of rank-and-file members of the party. Rank-and-file members will
write a research/position (1 paragraph) on a selected platform of domestic and foreign
policy issues. Party leaders will then edit the research/positions into a coherent party
platform.

II. Mock Election Sequence

1. Break up into groups of 8 to 12 (no more than 5 total groups per class)
2. Name your political party.
3. Decide where your political party will stand on the political spectrum.
(Liberal/Moderate/Conservative/Socialist/Libertarian/etc.)
4. Elect your six party leaders, everyone else is a Rank-and-File Members. Carefully
read over your tasks.
5. Prepare a thesis statement that describes what your party is all about.
6. Create a party platform by choosing 3-5 Domestic issues and 3-5 Foreign Policy
Issues and creating positions on them.
7. Prepare a slogan for your campaign.
8. Each member carry out your job descriptions listed below, by researching,
reading current events, creating campaign paraphernalia, and planning and
making your campaign commercial.
9. Your party will be required to share your website campaign commercials and
issues videos in class. The websites will be shown in class by the
Communications and Media Directors.
10. View the campaign commercials of another class look at their websites.
11. Each student will vote on the candidate of his or her choosing from the other
class. The party from each class with the winning party will earn extra credit.

III. Job Descriptions

A. Party Chair
The Party Chair is in overall command of the party campaign. This person should be well
organized and have the respect of the members of the party. The Chair must develop an
agenda for and preside over in-class meetings of the party. The Chair must make certain
that each member has policy position research topics as soon as possible, must coordinate
the platform committee, must coordinate the various platform positions, and meet all
deadlines set for the project. The Chair will evaluate the effort of each party member and
recommend grades for each member.

B. Presidential Candidate
The Presidential Candidate is the chief spokesperson for the party. This person should be
articulate and have the ability to get votes. The Presidential Candidate must be the most
visible member of the party during the campaign (perhaps introducing him or herself to
the voters) and will be the lead speaker during the party platform videos. The
Presidential Candidate will chair the platform-writing committee and will assist the Party
Chair in the editing of policy position paragraph into a cohesive party platform.
Candidates will assist with policy position paragraphs.

C. Vice Presidential Candidate

The Vice Presidential Candidates job description is similar to the Presidential
Candidates except that the V.P. will be the secondary spokesperson for the party.
Candidates will assist with policy positions.
 D. Foreign Policy Chair
The Foreign Policy Chair will be in charge of the development of the Foreign Policy
portion of the party platform. The F.P. Chair must make sure that all rank-and-file
members in the Foreign Policy Committee have appropriate policy position research
paper topics and must coordinate the theses to ensure a consistent party platform. The
F.P. Chair will assist the Chair in writing the party platform and will provide information
to the Presidential and Vice Presidential Candidates.

E. Domestic Policy Chair

The Domestic Policy Chairs job description is similar to the Foreign Policy Chairs
except for a focus on domestic policy issues.

F. Communications and Media Director

The Communications and Media Director will plan a 30-60 second campaign commercial
and see to it that it gets filmed, uploaded, and prepared to air. This person will also be in
charge of coming up with campaign slogans and design pertinent campaign website and
other paraphernalia. This person will help with the party platform where the Party Chair
deems fit. Finally, the director will be in charge of filming the commercial and speeches
and uploading it to the website.

G. Rank-and-File Members
Those persons not selected as one of the party leaders will be rank-and-file party
members. Rank-and-file members must join the platform writing committee and select
policy position based on the party platform topics as soon as possible. The thesis of each
position created should be consistent with the party platform. The Party Chair will
determine when the research/position paragraphs will be due. Rank and file members
will assist in creating a website AND research for writing paragraphs based on the party
positions.

IV. Platform Issues (choose 3-5 Domestic issues and 3-5 Foreign Policy issues and
create one paragraph positions)

Possible Domestic Issues

1. Economy / federal budget deficits / specifics for spending on programs
2. Affirmative Action
3. Balanced Budget Amendment
4. Civil Liberties / Patriot Act / Privacy
5. Education
6. Health care
7. American job loss
8. Tax code (progressive vs. flat, etc.)
9. Abortion
10. Energy policy / Fracking / Oil Production
11. Crime / death penalty
12. Border Security
13. Immigration reform (ideas for new laws, Obamas executive order from 2014,
etc.)
14. Environment/EPA
15. Entitlement Programs: Social Security / Medicare / Medicaid
16. Firearms
 17. Minimum wage
18. School vouchers
19. Welfare spending
20. Malpractice lawsuits
21. Religion in the public sphere
22. etc.

Foreign Issues
1. Military/defense spending
2. Syrian Crisis (Assad regime, civil war, refugees, etc.) What should the U.S. role
be?
3. Iran (nuclear deal, other issues)
4. Afghanistan
5. Terrorism (Not simply ISIS)
6. North Korea
7. World trade issues / NAFTA / Chinese relations / TPP
8. Africa / AIDS
9. Israel / Palestine
10. Climate Change (natural cycle or man caused?) / Kyoto treaty
11. Illegal immigration / U.S. borders
12. United Nations
13. Relations with EU
14. Relations with Russia
15. Countries who persecute religious minorities
16. etc.

IV. Conclusion

The Mock Election project is intended to provide students with a hands-on experience in
campaigning. While this project should lend itself to humorous and witty campaigning,
grades will be determined primarily by the quality of the academic research and the
articulation of a fully developed party platform. Also, all who participate fully and work
well in class will see a positive grade as a result.

It is expected that the platforms will focus on national issues that are currently defining
public debate.

V. Example Websites
1. http://alliedfreedomparty.weebly.com/
2. http://compparty.weebly.com/
3. http://bullmoosefiesta.weebly.com/
4. http://msarmiento500279.wixsite.com/harrisonemery
5. http://chamberistsrepublicans.weebly.com/