Journey Towards Democracy:
Involving Students in the Political Process

September 29, 2004 | 2:00-4:00pm EST

Discussion Questions
The following questions can be used to further explore topics discussed in the webcast.

Trends in Electoral Politics

• Are political groups targeting students and younger voters this election year? How? Is this different from years past? What has dictated this change?
• In what ways does this year's political campaign differ from previous years? Why do you think these changes have occurred?

Defining and Implementing Change Through Political Action

• What can students do to define their concerns clearly? What strides have been made on your campus to do this?
• How can student groups make sure that the major political campaigns are focusing on the issues that are important to young people?
• What are students, faculty, and other college groups doing to get involved in effecting change in this year's election process?
• Do you know where your candidate or party stands on your concerns? What about issues such as educational funding, the draft, jobs & outsourcing, marriage laws/definition of marriage, health care, and international health & human rights issues such as Aids, genocide, and free trade?
• How can changes within your institution affect the national and global political climate? In the past, student activism has played a role in eliminating campus gear manufactured in sweat shops and eliminating campus investments in South Africa that in turn allowed apartheid to be dismantled. What are the political issues of today and what are campus groups doing to effect change?
• Has your political awareness changed this year through world events, electoral campaigning, or participation in student groups? What are some effective ways to increase political awareness among college students?
• Think about recent international elections in which the disenfranchised changed the political landscape of their countries: Venezuela, India, and Peru to name a few. As U.S. Citizens how do we learn about these events in the current news broadcast system or through other venues? How can we apply lessons learned to our own political system?

Technology and Communications in Electoral Politics

• How can web technology affect this year's election? How do specific technologies target specific populations? What are the ramifications of this kind of marketing? How does the use of technology disenfranchise groups with limited or no access to the web?
• The 2000 election debacle in Florida led to the Help America Vote Act of 2002 and the implementation of new voting equipment. Are you comfortable with the paperless voting systems? What are the pros and cons of this equipment? How can the actual act of voting be made easier (new equipment, internet, phone, etc.) and take into account concerns about security and fairness?
• What kinds of political messages do different kinds of technologies bring to what audiences? What communications methods target students most successfully-TV, Cable, Instant Messenger, Web, Newspapers? Why?
• How can you decipher the different "spins" that are placed on issues and analyze information in a critical manner, distinguishing facts from rhetoric and innuendos?

Voting Rights and Access

• Does the U.S. provide fair and equal voting rights to all citizens? Do members of minority groups and individuals from working class backgrounds have the same opportunities to participate in electoral politics as other groups? Do you think these groups deserve voting rights: immigrants who work and pay taxes; 16-18 year olds; reformed felons? Why or why not?
• Do think most U.S. citizens understand how the electoral college works and how it impacts the outcome of an election? Are you aware of alternative forms of representative democracy such as proportional representation or instant runoff voting? How would implementation of these systems affect your willingness to vote?