Web+resources

= Website resources = These resources can be accessed on the internet. Some sites may be blocked on the MTPS network.

//Media Literacy//
//FactCheck.org// Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania puts out this website to monitor the factual accuracy of statements made by and advertisements on behalf of major U.S. political figures.

//The Living Room Candidate// This site is an archive of Presidential TV ad campaigns from 1952 through 2008. Organized by the American Museum of the Moving Image. Includes teacher resources and an ad maker that allows students to edit an ad from a campaign or create one using historical footage with their own video, images and sounds. A list of additional online resources provides information on politics and advertising. The lesson plan on what makes an effective ad is useful for structuring student analysis of political ads.

4President.org This is a guide to presidential campaigns from 1960 to the present, with a focus on campaign advertising. Be sure to check out the clip of 'Peace Little Girl (Daisy)' - the most famous of all campaign commercials.

Public Funding of Presidential Elections The Federal Election Commission has a website to provide access to campaign finance information, and a series of interactive presentations helpful for understanding the rules surrounding financial contributions.

//Voter Information//
A nonpartisan research center promoting civic and political engagement of American youth between the ages of 15-25.
 * Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE) **

** Center for Voting and Democracy ** This site encourages "education, research, analysis, and organization" to get people to the polls. They advocate for inclusiveness and the democratic process and provide information on fair voting and representation.

** Declare Yourself ** Provides voter registration information searchable by state. Answers common voting questions such as voting in primaries when you are registered as an Independent, how to register, who is eligible and more! Political news, public opinion polls, primary results & ways to set up a campus voter registration drive.

** Rock The Vote ** Rock the Vote has combines efforts from those in the entertainment community with youth activities to encourage young people to be involved in the political process.

** The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) ** Website for this "independent, bipartisan commission created by the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002... It issues guidance about HAVA, adopts voluntary voting system guidelines, audits the use of HAVA funds, and provides best practices and resources to election officials throughout the nation." Find background material, information for election officials and voters, documents on voting system certification, reports, and related resources. Background documents also available in Spanish.

//Voter Registration//
America Votes In 2004, voter registration was at an all-time high but voter participation has dropped. Over 69% of voters cast a ballot in the 1964 election, but most presidential elections are closer to 50%. Midterm elections are much lower. In Italy, over 92% of voters vote. Ten other countries have a higher percentage of voter turnout than the United States. In countries like Belgium and Australia, voting is considered a mandatory responsibility of citizens.

State of New Jersey Department of State Voter registration and election information for New Jersey voters.

//Electoral college // [|Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections] Every four years there is an election for president in the United States. You can access information about past presidential elections at Dave Leip's Atlas of Presidential Elections. There are many maps and graphs for you to view on each election. You will be able to access election information by year, by state, by primary, and by office. Click onto Election Information in the Index at the top of this page for additional Historical Information and the U.S. Presidential Election Process.

[|U.S. Electoral College] Information on the role and history of the U.S. Electoral College in electing the President.

//Election 2012//
// [|Campaign 2012] // is the Washington Post's introduction to the Republican candidates for the U.S. Presidential election. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Read the latest news stories about the different candidates and then examine each one in-depth. For each candidate there is a brief introduction and an overview of key campaign moments. You can also discover where each candidate stands on issues such as the economy, energy, foreign policy, health care, Medicare reform and social issues. Look at featured blogs and columns.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: verdana,arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">[|Election 2012] [|Which Candidate Should be President in 2012?] Information from the Procon web site. Examine the views of U.S. Presidential candidates on 25 issues. Begin with a one minute overview and take a quiz to see which candidate might be the best match for you. Brief biography and notes on each candidates views, look at the pros and cons by category. See if you would qualify to run for president of the United States.
 * Keep track of what the world thinks of the 2012 presidential candidates at the Gallop Poll web site. The site offers election news stories about all of the candidates as well as about the current U.S. president and different public opinion polls to support the stories. You can track the image of each of the GOP contenders week by week and compare notes about if they are recognized by Republicans and if they are supported by them. ||

//Presidential Candidates//
Barack Obama (D) campaign site

Mitt Romney (R) campaign site

// Official Political Party Sites //

 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** Democratic Party ** >> // http://www.democrats.org //
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** Democratic Socialists of America ** >> // http://www.dsausa.org //
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** Green Party ** >> // http://www.gp.org //
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** Libertarian Party ** >> // http://www.lp.org //
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** Reform Party ** >> // http://www.reformparty.org //
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** Republican Party ** >> // http://www.gop.com //
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** Tea Party ** >> // http://www.teapartypatriots.org/ //