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?

He worked with experts who helped him develop a "personality" that they thought would help him win the election. They tried to make him seem popular and likeable.

Photographs of him were airbrushed to make him look more attractive.

Much of the process has remained the same. However, attention has turned to making the candidates' opponents look as unattractive as possible.

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Critical Thinking Questions

1) How is promoting political candidates different from promoting products?

Since candidates are people, they change over time in ways that many products do not. The goal of marketing candidates is to increase their chances of winning an election; the goal of marketing products is to increase sales and profits. It is easier to discredit people than products.

Helps: Enables voters to relate more easily to a candidate in order to determine whether their views are compatible with the candidate's views. Hurts: Distorts the true natures of candidates running for office, encourages "flip flopping" on issues, decreases the substance of political messages while increasing their flashiness.

Yes and no. He used print and television in new ways, responding to the research provided to him by pollsters about what the public wanted in a president. On the other hand, he wasn't comfortable in the "casual" outfits he was asked to wear, and his obvious discomfort made voters realize that he was pretending to be something he wasn't.

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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

• Pollster
• Deconstruct
• Inordinate
• Charismatic
• Pragmatic
• Disdain
• Artifice
• Candid
• Evoke
• Discredit

Pollster — someone who collects data on public opinion, often to advise candidates
Deconstruct — To take apart
Inordinate — Unnecessarily excessive; unreasonable
Charismatic — Charming; having a leadership style that encourages loyalty
Pragmatic — Practical, useful
Disdain — To look upon something with scorn or intense dislike
Artifice — Something clever but artificial
Candid — Frank and open; honest
Evoke — To bring out
Discredit — To cause disbelief in the accuracy or authority of something

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Click on these links to find further instructional ideas and study guides for the material on the Marketplace site.

Segment 2: "A Peek into the Minds of Political Donors" Listen (04:51)

Segment 3: "A Day in the Life of Political Fundraisers" Listen (04:25)