Segment 1: "Political Polling: From Policy Gauge to Marketing Tool"
The following questions are based on the Marketplace feature "Whose Democracy is it?"
 Listen to segment 1 (05:35)
Listening Comprehension Questions
1) When Richard Nixon ran for president, what did he do that had never been done before? How did he "package" himself as a presidential candidate?
2) How did Abraham Lincoln's campaign try to make him more attractive when he ran for president in 1860?
3) According to the story, how has the marketing of presidential candidates changed since Nixon ran for president in 1968 and 1972?
Answer key
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Critical Thinking Questions
1) How is promoting political candidates different from promoting products?
2) Do you think the "packaging" of political candidates helps or hurts the process of democracy in America? Why?
3) Was Richard Nixon successful in his efforts to present himself as a likeable candidate? Why or why not?
Answer key
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Research Challenges
1) Find a television, print, or radio advertisement for someone who is currently running for an elected office. How has this candidate been "packaged?" What words or pictures have been used to create the candidate's image? Based on the advertisement, would you want to vote for this person? Why or why not?
2) Invent a fictional political candidate and brainstorm ways that you could create an appealing image for that person. Then create an advertisement for that candidate in any format you'd like (radio, print, television).
3) Read or watch Richard Nixon's "Checkers" speech. In what ways does this speech reflect an attempt on Nixon's part to package himself in a certain way?
Related links:
• Richard Nixon's "Checkers" speech
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Key Terms and Topics
Terms
• Pollster
• Deconstruct
• Inordinate
• Charismatic
• Pragmatic
• Disdain
• Artifice
• Candid
• Evoke
• Discredit
Answer key
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