We have a presidential election year right around the corner. It may not be getting as much attention as Covid-19, but all of the issues related to the pandemic and the response (as well as unrelated issues) will play a role in the strategies that the presidential candidates will utilize.
Given that you will likely be voting in 2020, your final project in this class will be to objectively compare and contrast the major candidates, and, if you so choose, the potential third party/Independent candidates running, if one emerges.
You will be producing an analytical memo that follows this basic outline.
- Background, education and work/political experience for each candidate.
- Scandals associated with the candidate, if any. For some candidates, this might be a multi-pager, so concentrate on the ones that are factual in nature or most highly covered or most critical to voters.
- Economic policy
- Health care policy
- Education policy
- (YOUR CHOICE of POLICY) to match your interests (for example, are you concerned about the environment, immigration, taxation, etc.)
- Current polling (see resources below)
- Summary of your findings and your assessment (this means, objectively, who do you think will do better in the race to win electoral college votes across the states and territories.
Make sure that you do not plagiarize material. Cite your sources. Include quotations if exact wording is taken from a source. Any reference format is acceptable so long as you use only one and do so accurately.
These may be turned in early, but are due by July 31 (so that we have time to read and grade them).
Each of these candidates comes from a very different background…. Go into their story. Use resources like magazine articles, biographies, etc. But make sure you do not use partisan sources. Those tend to embellish and leave out material.
These can include anything from Stormy Daniels and Tara Reade to questions about campaign finance problems and civil lawsuits. Some candidates will have more; others less. Again, avoid using sources like Breitbart or
What was their economic policy prior to the pandemic? What are they talking about now? Bringing back the economy? Dealing with global recession? Dealing with the trillions in debt the U.S. has?
Then…with the other policy areas listed and your own policy choice. You may do more if you wish.
Then after policy, switch to the competitive situation: how are these candidates doing in the polls?
Real Clear Politics has the collected polls of multiple sources. This is from the nomination phase of the process, but it shows you what is out there. You may use Gallup and other reputable polls, but this is one of the best as it also averages all the polls giving a better idea of a more reliable trend.
You could also look at polling that breaks down the demographics of their support. Where do they draw most of her support from?
Trial heats of one versus the other are going to be a big part of what you see, but there will also be polls looking at their negatives, their scores on competence or trusthworthiness. Those are interesting as well.
How much money have they raised? How are they spending it?
