With many young people using social media as the primary source of news, it’s no surprise that they experience confusion, frustration, and apathy when it comes to politics. The political campaign system is, at best, complicated and, at worst, devastating to candidates on both the personal and professional level.

 

Students in Mr. J.D. Lister’s Advanced Placement Government classes at Bridgeport High School are having a unique opportunity to explore the intricacies of political campaigns as they compete in a school-wide mock election.  Seven Presidential candidates, along with their Vice-Presidential candidates, their campaign manager, press advisor, policy expert, public relations advisor and media advisor have spent the last month promoting their platforms to the entire student body.

 

“I think many Americans only see the surface of political campaigns,” said Lister. “They see the attack ads, the speeches and the debates, but don’t understand the countless hours that went into pulling off a successful campaign. This project gives students insight into that process and allows them to both appreciate the process and to see some of the flaws within the system.”

 

Lister’s two AP Government classes act as a sort of primary in the mock election.  Within each class, small groups of students nominated a Presidential candidate and Vice-Presidential candidate.  Next, the campaign teams were formed and they created fictitious political parties in order to eliminate bias and conflicts and to give students some creative freedom.  

 

The parties then built their platforms, with each including the same issues of alternative energy/traditional energy, nuclear weapons proliferation, the economy, immigration, healthcare, and campaign spending.

 

After platforms were completed, each group received a copy and the press advisor’s planned questions for campaign launch day.  Each candidate gave opening speeches and opened the floor to questions from the press advisors.  Next, they put up their propaganda, including flyers, posters, and even magnets and stickers. Media teacher, Brad Bonenberger, and his Indian Insider staff helped promote the project and each of the parties created brochures, fictitious newspapers, and plans for a fake media event.

 

The last steps of the project are the primary and the general election, both to be held after the holiday break.  The primary election will feature speeches from the candidates in front of various classes at BHS. Once winners have been determined in each class, they will prepare for a debate during homeroom in the auditorium.  Final voting will take place and a new AP Gov President will be named, with the distinct honor of having his or her face photoshopped over John Adams on a poster in Lister’s room.

 

Although Lister provides guidelines for the project, it is up to the teams to work together effectively in order to pull off a successful campaign. They must not personally attach another candidate, although respectful disagreements on policy are acceptable.  They also must divide the work among their entire team and be held accountable for their contributions.

The campaign project has brought out the best in the candidates and their teams.  For Dylan Iaquinta, it has given him the opportunity to get out of his comfort zone and promote real solutions to real issues affecting our nation.  It has also challenged him to make compromises and to value each team members’ input.

 

“Our platform reflects my personal beliefs and focuses on a slow and economically sound transition to renewable energy sources, redirecting funds, decreasing immigration and implementing tax reform,” said Iaquinta.  “Healthcare costs must also be decreased to make it more accessible to everyone.”

 

For Nicholas Allen, the project has not only educated him about politics, but has helped him grow as a person.  He has learned to respect his peers during the race and assessed his own strengths and weaknesses.

 

“Our team is very strong in terms of time management,” Allen said.  “I have found, however, that I need to work on my response times during a debate.  I prefer to think through my response and use my words wisely, but time doesn’t permit that in a debate.”

 

Allen’s team focused much of their efforts on healthcare reform and the project sparked an interest within him to consider politics in a new light.

 

For Andrew Jimmie, the project was foreshadowing for his future. He would like to pursue politics in the future and discovered that public figures are subject to more ridicule and scrutiny that he imagined.

 

“The work and stress of the campaign trail has taken a toll on my sleep patterns, but the project has challenged us to research policies from around the world that have helped shape our platforms,” he said.

 

Jimmie’s team looked to Europe for inspiration with health care and created a unique proposal where states, not federal government, would allocate funds and/or taxes to pay for the services. 

 

“This would lead to a smaller bureaucracy, more efficient healthcare, and a better connection between doctors and patients,” said Jimmie.

 

As the only woman candidate, Paisley Addington recognizes she has a unique perspective and she embraces the opportunity to gain leadership skills and expand her comfort zone. 

 

“The process has been much more strenuous than I would have thought, but very rewarding,” she said.  “I gained a better appreciation for all politicians and the difficulties they face as they interact with people who may not align with their opinions.”

 

Because the election is at a high school level, Addington noted that many voters tended to back their friends, regardless of the platform.  In order to make a memorable campaign, she filmed her commercial at Walt Disney World, which she says symbolizes the American dream.

 

Utilizing resources to elevate alternative energy and environmentalism took the forefront of their strategy, but they also wanted to improve the economy and lower health premiums. She also acknowledged the challenges that accompany immigration.

 

“This project made me thankful that I have the freedom to run for office and vote,” she said. “It made me want to be more intentional in the political arena and keep up on daily news and elections.”

 

Owen Hess is following in his brother Derek’s footprints as he campaigns in the project.  The amount of teamwork needed in order to launch and run a campaign was eye-opening and he has learned about some issues that were off his radar prior to the project.

 

“We want to eliminate the current divide in our country, so our platform uses compromise and unity as themes, without sacrificing our liberties,” he said.

 

Jackson Jacobs has always been very passionate about politics and feels this project has given him an opportunity to strengthen his political philosophy and debate his beliefs. He credits his team with the campaign success, noting that it has taken a lot of energy and time.

 

“My platform focuses on individual liberty, low taxes and small government,”said Jacobs.  “We also plan to reverse the subsidies given to fossil fuel industries and invest in nuclear energy at no cost to taxpayers.”

 

One big lesson that Branner D’Amato has learned during the project is that finding answers is no simple task.

 

“You can look at a problem over and over and think you found a solution, but truly, more problems arise from that,” he said.  “Our campaign found a lot of success in asking for input from others, whether it be teachers or other students.  We talked through the issues and researched each one, which led our team to create well thought-out solutions.”

 

The team plans to rework the budget, with a focus on medical care and rebuilding social security.  They dove into some very serious issues and had civil conversations about policies, making the entire group more involved in politics.

 

The feedback Lister has received on the project over the years has been overwhelmingly positive.  

 

“The students are very competitive and energetic and I love getting their opinions when it’s all over,” said Lister.