Research Project
In this project, you are asked to investigate your member’s background so that you can know how he or she would approach various policy questions and different political situations. The project has two parts. In the first part, you need to answer specific questions about your member and his/her district. In the second part, you are asked to use this information to put together
a campaign poster or brochure.
SOURCES TO USE
The answers to all of the questions are available online. I provide links on to many of the information sources. However, I also want you to look at either Michael Barone et al., The Almanac of American Politics, or Congressional Quarterly,Politics in America. These two books are essential for understanding your member and district. Instead of just providing data, as you can find on line, they provide written descriptions and inside analyses. REQUIREMENT:
I would like you to photocopy or download the information about the member and his/her district from one of these two books and submit it with your project.
PART I – BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Answer the following questions in the space provided. Do not turn
this into an essay or leave out sections.
General Information on Member
Representative’s Name:
State/District:
Party Affiliation:
Gender:
Race:
Age:
Religion:
Years in Office:
– Is there anything in the member’s background such as a previous career or military experience that may shed light on her or his Behavior?
B. Electoral Connection
– How close have his/her past two or three elections been? Give percentages and your interpretation. (Winning with less than 60 percent of the two-party vote is considered competitive.)
– Who are his/her major sources of campaign funds? Describe general trends in the sources and also list the names of some of the big contributors:
– What ties do these groups have to the members’ district?
– In addition to these contributors, who are his/her key supporters?Are they seniors, the business community, farmers, labor unions,particular demographic groups, or what? This question asks you to look beyond campaign contributions and try to find supporters in general. (With this question you will probably have to look at the Almanac of American Politics, Politics in America, or even some newspaper analyses . )
C. Activities on the Hill
– Leadership positions or Committee chairmanships:
– Committee positions:
– In general, what types of legislation has member sponsored in past?Explain.
– What legislation is member currently pushing? Briefly describe.
– What do the “Interest Group Ratings” say about the member’s voting behavior? Provide some specific ratings (scorecards) from interest groups and explain. I would specifically like you to describe voting record in ten areas: abortion, business, conservative/liberal issues, defense, economic policy, gun control, labor, taxes, campaign finance, and farming. (This is all available from www.vote-smart.org.)
Do not just list these ratings verbatim without any explanation. Tell me what they mean about your representative.
– Any other important characteristics worth noting? For example, does the Almanac of American Politics or Politics in America say if the member chairs or sits on any legislative caucuses, such as the Black Caucus or Pro-Life Caucus? If so, what ones?
D. Constituency & District Information – Economic
– How would you describe general economic condition of district? Is it a poor farming district filled with small family farms, a rapidly growing bedroom community, or something else?
– What is the per capita (or average family) income of your district? Is this above or below the national average?
– Describe major industries/businesses in district (describe in general terms and identify some of the major companies). What are the primary occupations? Are there any major employers or is it all small businesses? Are there any businesses in the district?
– Does much federal aid flow into district? What aid is directed to the district for welfare, social security, farm support, defense spending? (This information may be available from the U.S. census web site)
– Are there any military bases in district? Federal prisons? Describe.
D. Constituency & District Information – General
– Briefly describe location and geography of districting, including any major cities and important geographical elements.
– How would you describe the general social character of district, including population, race, age, and religion?
– How would you describe the district’s general political philosophies and concerns?
Any other important characteristics worth noting?
PART II – CAMPAIGN MATERIAL
For the second part of the project, I would like you to think about the information you gathered above and use it to help create either a campaign poster or a brochure about your member. I would like this poster or brochure to emphasize some of the key characteristics about this member that you think he or she would want to emphasize to voters. In doing this, you might want to include some key policy positions, as well as any relevant personal characteristics.
Requirements:
One way to make a brochure is to fold a standard sheet of paper into three sections. I want this to look as professional as reasonably possible, so don’t just scribble some material on a sheet of paper. Use a computer. You might think about printing your poster/brochure on some type of heavy stock paper. Be creative. But try to capture the key selling points about your character that would appeal to district voters.
Finally, you must incorporate a picture of yourself , and not the real Congress person, into the campaign material.( you can leave a space for the picture for me to add later )