How to Campaign for a Mock Election

How to Campaign for a Mock Election A mock election is a simulated election process which is designed to give students a deeper understanding of the election process. In this popular exercise, students participate in every aspect of a national campaign and then participate in the voting process in order to get a complete understanding of the democratic process. The components of your exercise may include: Discovering and filing the paperwork you need to submit to runSelecting candidatesOrganizing caucusesCreating a campaignWriting speechesDesigning campaign postersCreating polling boothsMaking ballotsVoting What Are the Benefits? When you participate in a practice election, you will learn about the election process, but youll also sharpen many skills as you participate in a simulated version of a national election: You will gain public speaking experience as you participate in speeches and debates.You can sharpen critical thinking skills as you analyze campaign speeches and ads.You can gain event-planning experience by getting involved in organizing the meetings and rallies.You can learn to communicate effectively as you develop campaign materials and events. Choosing a Candidate You may not have a choice about the role you play or even about the candidate you support in a mock election. Teachers will usually divide a class (or an entire student body of a school) and assign candidates. It is important in a mock election to make the process fair and to avoid hurt feelings and feelings of being ostracized. Its not always a good idea to pick the candidate that is supported by your family because students who are greatly outnumbered can feel pressured or ridiculed for supporting an unpopular candidate. Every candidate is unpopular somewhere! Preparing for the Debate A debate is a formalized discussion or argument. You must study the rules or processes that debaters follow in order to prepare. Youll want to learn what will be expected of you! Your school may have special rules to add to the general guidelines youll find online. Its also a good idea to watch your opponents campaign advertisements on YouTube (the real candidate, that is). You can gain clues about your opponents position on controversial topics. These ads will highlight his or her potential strengths and may even shed light on a potential weakness. How Do I Run a Campaign? A campaign is like a long-running TV commercial. You are really designing a sales pitch for your candidate when you run a campaign, so youll use many sales techniques in this process. Youll want to be honest, of course, but you want to pitch your candidate in the most agreeable way, with positive words and attractive materials. You will need to establish a platform, which is a set of beliefs and positions that your candidate holds on specific topics. You will need to research the candidate that you represent and write a mock-up of those positions in language that is suitable for your audience. An example of a statement in your platform is I will promote investments in clean energy in order to provide a healthy environment for future families. (See real platforms from presidential campaigns.) Dont worryyour own platform does not need to be as long as a real one! By writing out your platform, you gain a clear understanding of the candidate you support. This will help you as you design campaign materials. Using the platform as a guideline you can: Write a campaign speech Draw posters to support your issuesWith permission from parents, design a Facebook page for your candidateCreate a poll on Facebook or in Survey Monkey to get feedback from votersCreate a campaign blog with Blogger

Electroal College Reform Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Electroal College Reform - Research Paper Example Supporters of election reform want to eradicate the Electoral College system and substitute the one person, one vote which is more familiar and seemingly to some, a more democratic means. Under the Electoral College system the number of electors each state is allocated equals the number of its U.S. House Representatives it currently has plus two, the number of its U.S. Senators. (Kimberling, 1992). Persons in the smaller populated states maintain that if the electoral system were eliminated, presidential candidates would have no incentive to advertise or campaign in their states. â€Å"Why visit a small state with a media market that reaches, say, 100,000 people, when a visit to a large state can put the candidate in touch with millions?† (Gregg, 2001). The McConnell Center for Political Leadership at the University of Louisville studied the grounds for the public’s opinion that a direct, one-person-one-vote procedure would be fairer than the present system. The findings discredited common perceptions that eradicating the electoral system would improve the process. The Electoral College system isn’t usually a contention amongst the electorate unl ess an anomaly in the vote arises and it did fairly recently, in 2000, an event which moved the issue to the forefront of debate where it remains still. The simple truth is if the 2000 election were based on a popular vote, Al Gore would have won by about half a million votes. Many rightly cries foul but actually the Electoral College spared the nation from a substantial dilemma. Envisage the anguish of the nation in the event such a close outcome was determined by a simple majority. â€Å"With just a few hundred thousand votes separating the candidates, every vote in every precinct, in every state would have been worthy of a recount and every recount in every county subject to suit and countersuit† (Gregg, 2001). The outcome may still not be

Philosophy Compare Derrida and J.L. Austin's views on langauge Essay

Philosophy Compare Derrida and J.L. Austin's views on langauge - Essay Example Austin's ideas precede those of Derrida, and in many ways may be seen as the foundation that Derrida and his fellow post-structuralists seek to dismantle. The basis of Austin's ideas is that language can be divided between two broad categories. These are performative acts and performative utterances. Take the example that I have just stood on your toe. Two possible verbal reactions are possible. One, I say "I apologize for stepping on your toe". Alternatively, I might say "I am sorry for stepping on your toe". The first sentence is an example of a performative act: I have performed the 'act' of apologizing for stepping on your toe. The second sentence is not an act however - as I am just stating what I feel about stepping on your toe. I may be apologizing, but on the other hand I may not be - it may be just what I feel on the inside. This appears to be a very simple distinction, but from this basic premise, Austin moves into increasingly complex examinations of the structure of language in the form of acts/utterances. Essentially, the words that we use rely upon a whole series of other facts, realities, possibilities and assumptions in order for them to have meaning. For example, I say to you, "I am going to marry you tomorrow". In some ways this is a performative act - it is a direct statement of what I will do, as opposed to a feeling. However, the act definition depends upon a number of outside factors. It remains an act if we are both unmarried, if you the opposite gender from me, if we are both of age, if we live in a place where you can get a marriage license within 24 hours . . . . etc. But if either of us is already married, or perhaps we are already married, if we are the same gender etc. then the act becomes an utterance because there is no way of the act really occurring. From this start, Austin moves through a detailed examination of performance acts and utterances, and eventually uses his analysis to counter some of the very bases of all philosophy. One of his most important arguments is that the obsession of philosophy with whether something is "true" or "false" is in fact what he calls a "tyranny" (Austin, 1976). Because any statement depends upon the hierarchy of facts, realities, feelings that was outlined above, the idea that it can be easily categorized as "true" or false" is absurd. It all depends upon the overall environment within which the statement exists. Austin calls this "a dimension of assessment" (1976). While eventually Austin rejects the idea that all language can be divided between performative acts and utterances, the basic structure remains in place. A particular sentence is either an act or it is an utterance. This is what can be referred to as a Cartesian worldview of opposites. Derrida comes from a very different viewpoint. As the very title of his famous book suggests, he seeks to understand the world from the "margins" of philosophy. He seeks to philosophize from the point of view of what he calls both/and (Derrida, 1985). For Derrida the attempt to divide language into either/or reduces the situation through simplifying it. He finds it much more interesting if a word or sentence can be both an act and an utterance. Derrida works through a system of paradox in which the speaker, far from using words that reflect his intention, in fact has his intention determined by the words that he is using. This is the direct attack that Derrida lays against the ideas of

Modern Presidents and their Policies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Modern Presidents and their Policies - Essay Example As great a plan the New Deal seems to be, its' constitutionality was challenged in the Supreme Court. Initially, it was deemed unconstitutional. The role of the government is limited, to prevent it from becoming a totalitarian or dictatorship. Part of the limited powers includes that government's interference in businesses be as minimal as possible. However, the New Deal was a plan proposed in need to combat the Great Depression. It was when Roosevelt threatened to increase the number of Judges on the Supreme Court that the Supreme Court reversed its' decision and granted the New Deal constitutional. The New Deal had three components: direct relief, economic recovery, and financial reform (Keith, et al 289). The direct relief component was aimed toward the approximately one-third of the population that was hardest hit by the Great Depression. The economic recovery component was designed to restore and stabilize the economy overall. Lastly, the reform component was to bring about changes that would correct the instability of the market that was caused by the Depression. As part of the direct relief, many programs were created. ... Many of the major economists praised these work relief programs, calling them, "appropriate responses to the critical situation" (Keith, et al 658). The economic recovery can in part be seen in almost all aspects of the programs. The financial reform, however, was specific in programs such as the National Recovery Administration, the regulation of Wall Street, the Agricultural Adjustment Act farm programs, the insurance of bank deposits (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation 1933) and the Wagner Act which encouraged labor unions (Keith, et al 658). Overall, the New Deal had successes and failures. For example, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation reestablished the American faith in banks. The CWA, Civil Works Administration, had about four million workers, which of course was a great success. Some of the programs were even designed for minorities, like the Indian Reorganization Act which proved to have a positive outcome for the Native Americans. One of the best programs was probably the one designed for decreasing unemployment, known as the Works Progress Administration (WPA) (Keith, et al 709). The WPA provided work for approximately eight million Americans. Their projects included mostly construction and repairing of schools, hospitals, and the like. Aside from achieving programs dedicated to economic reforms, the New Deal passed a law, Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 that banned child labor and set a minimum wage (Keith, et al 708). The New Deal did indeed have a lot of successes. However, there were a few limited failures as well. For instance, the Social Security Act was established to provide pensions for workers in old age, benefits to victims of industrial accident, unemployment

USA and Puerto Rico Essay Example for Free

USA and Puerto Rico Essay It is a matter of fact that USA is one of the most powerful countries situated in North America, whereas Puerto Rico is only the territory of the USA, although with a status of Commonwealth. Puerto Rico is situated in the northeastern Caribbean. It is necessary to underline that the nature of political debates between USA and Puerto Rico is ongoing subject not only within two states, but also in United Nations. (Morris 1995) The USA is a constitutional republic having the oldest constitution in the world. USA government is representative democracy and operates through the congressional system specified by Constitution. The government is thus represented by three branches: legislative (Congress is made up Senate and House of Representatives), executive (the President and the Cabinet), judiciary (the Supreme Court). (Scott 1983) Puerto Rico has approximately the similar government, however, differences are evident. Puerto Rico’s government is Republican system made up of three branches as well as the USA’: legislative (Senate and House of Representatives), executive (governor), judiciary (court). The difference: executive branch in USA is president, whereas in Puerto Rico is governor. (Morris 1995) USA economic system is capitalist mixed economy presented by corporations, private firms and individuals performing macroeconomic decisions. (Scott 1983) Puerto Rico’s economy can be described as agricultural, whereas in USA the agriculture plays a minor role. USA largest economic sector is services employing three quarters of labor force. The country is rich in natural resources such as precious metals, petroleum and coal. (Scott 1983) Puerto Rico doesn’t have so strong economic potential and its main contributor is crops, especially sugar. However, the economic conditions in the country have been improved due to investments in technology, petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals. (Morris 1995) In conclusion it is necessary to say that USA compared with Puerto Rico has stronger economic and political potential and more significant influence on global scale. (Morris 1995) References Morris, Nancy. (1995). Puerto Rico: Culture, Politics, and Identity. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers. Scott, John Anthony. (1983). The Ballad of America: The History of the United States in Song and Story. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press.

Alternative Energy Vehicles Essay example -- Exploratory Essays Resear

Alternative Energy Vehicles Interested in alternative-energy driven cars? Here is a brief synopsis of the existing technologies, some of the problems surrounding each of them, and suggestions for further reading. There is no question that pollution from automobiles is a major problem in industrialized countries and is increasing in developing nations. And the number of cars is increasingly rapidly: in the United States, the automobile population has increased 6X faster than the human population and 2X faster than the number of new drivers (Motavelli, 2000). At the same time, the average fuel economy of the 2001 fleet decreased to 20.4 miles per gallon, the same it was in 1980. This decrease is fueled by the growing trend in inefficient SUVs. As over 50% of the USA’s oil comes from overseas, the dangerous level of waste promoted by inefficient vehicles makes this more than simply an environmental issue. What are some of the long-term renewable solutions to the political and environmental dangers that pollution and inefficiency pose? Battery-powered vehicles. There are several electric car models on the market in the making. As of now, their economic viability is restrained by the relatively short distance that can be traveled between recharging and their lower-than-average maximum speeds. Considering the advantages that standard cars have over battery-powered cars, there is little economic incentive to buy battery-powered cars, but their environmental benefits are enormous. Although it requires factory pollution to create the electricity necessary to charge the vehicles, it would take 13 electrical cars to equal the emissions produced by one standard car (Motavelli, 2000). Research is continuing to make battery-pow... ...t cars. Suggestions for further readings: Borroni-Bird, Christopher E. Designing AUTOnomy. http://www.sciam.com/print_version.cfm?articleID=00034FE5-BA99-1D80-90FB809EC580000. 2002. California Air Resources Board. Major Automotive Fuel Cell Programs http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/zevprog/fuelcell/kalhammer/techreport/sec3_3.pdf. 2002 Fantes, Francisco. Solar Hydrogen Energy: Mining the Oceans for the Holy Grail. Harvard Science Review, winter 2002. Hubler, Shawn, Chalk One Up for Hybrids. Http://www.calendarlive.com/printedition/calendar/cl_et_hubler26mar26.story. 2002. Motavelli, Jim. Forward Drive : The Race to Build â€Å"Clean† Cars for the Future. San Francisco : Sierra Club Books, 2000 Nice, Karim. How Hybrid Cars Work. http://auto.howstuffworks.com/hybrid_car.htm 2002. Sierra Club, Energy Fact Sheet. Http://www.sieraclub.org/energy/factsheet.asp 2001

Lipids: Fatty Acid and Amp

The measurement of parameters such as oil and fat content help define product quality for many agricultural and food products. These values are widely used to determine energy content and to calculate the proportions of other food components. In addition oil and fat content significantly affect the texture, perceived quality and the flavour of products. (Whitney, Rolfes, Crowe, Cameron- Smith, & Walsh, 2011).An accurate and precise quantitative and qualitative analysis of lipids in food is important for accurate nutritional labelling, determination of wether food meets standard identity, and to ensure that the product meets manufacturing specifications (Nielsen, 2010). AOAC International (2007) state â€Å"the sample preparation for the lipid analysis depends on the type of food and the nature of the lipids in the food. â€Å" Several preparatory steps are common in lipid analysis. They act to aid extraction by removal of water, reduction of particle size, or separation of the lipi d from bound proteins or carbohydrates (Min &Ellefson, 2010).To analyse lipids it is necessary to first isolate them quantitatively from nonlipid components. Extraction of lipids from source materials, such as food, animal and plant tissues or microorganisms essay writer uk, should be carried out in a manner that avoids changes in the lipids or leads to formations of artefacts (Christie, 1993). It might be necessary to deactivate enzymes that might hydrolyse lipids via heat treatment. (Vain, & Nairn, & Reid, 1991). Precaution must be taken to minimise oxidation of lipids, especially those with polyunsaturated fatty acids.Use of antioxidants might prove beneficial when dealing with extractions of lipids with highly unsaturated fatty acids (Carapace &Garcia, 2000). Carapace et al, (2000) state the accuracy of direct solvent extraction methods greatly depends on the solubility of the lipids in the solvent used and the ability to separate the lipids from complexes with other macromolecu les. The lipid content in food determined by extraction with one solvent may be quite different from the content determined with another solvent of different polarity.Fisheries and Aquaculture department (1986) concluded that solvent extraction techniques are commonly used for the determination of fat content. However they tend to be slow, cumbersome, and require highly skilled personnel. In addition, many of the often-hazardous chemicals used are becoming increasingly unacceptable according to international environmental standards. Despite these issues, solvent extraction continues to be used as a reference measurement for quality control. Nielsen (1994) acknowledged the validity of the fat analysis of a food depends on sampling and the preservation of the sample before analysis.An ideal sample should be as close as possible to its intrinsic properties to the material from which it was taken. Pomeranz and Meloan (1994) states â€Å" a sample is considered satisfactory if the prope rties under investigation correspond to those of the bulk material within the limits of the test. â€Å" Min and Ellefson (2010) note organic solvent methods, which include Goldfish a continuous method, Soxhlet as a semicontinuous method and Folch as a discontinuous method are commonly used to determine the total lipid content of food.They also note the major uses of these methods include extracting the fat prior to GC analysis, quality control of formulated products, determination of fat content in product development, verifying when fat content is