Overview
Western Illinois University can be a player in the upcoming presidential sweepstakes by hosting what may be the largest and most elaborate mock presidential election ever held on a college campus. The 2007 event will be patterned after two successful simulations conducted at the University of Iowa in 1976 (over 500 students) and the University of Missouri–Columbia in 1988 (over 1,800 students).
The WIU event will take place over five evenings in late October and early November of 2007 — nearly two months before the nation turns its attention to the Iowa Caucuses. The event will simulate the presidential primaries, caucuses, platform committees, national nominating conventions, the campaign and Electoral College vote. It will also involve several thousand WIU students, faculty, staff and alumni as they role play convention delegates, campaign workers, political strategists, news editors, print journalists, broadcast journalists, and members of the Electoral College. It will cut across disciplines by involving faculty and students from the Departments of Political Science, Sociology, Anthropology, History, Economics, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Art, Music, Drama, Communications, Library Science, Journalism, Parks and Recreation, African American Studies, Women Studies, Law Enforcement, Criminal Justice, International Studies, to name just a few. The extravaganza will also enlist the support of the College Democrats, College Republicans, Campus Greens and Campus Libertarians. The simulation will thus enable us to showcase what WIU is doing to promote civic engagement as part of the American Democracy Project. Finally, the event will draw national media attention to the campus and enable students to learn the presidential selection process first hand.
Objectives
A central goal of any American government course should be to teach students what “politics” is “really” all about. Yet, anyone who has ever taught a basic course on American government can testify that this goal is far easier to state than accomplish. Despite the most interesting readings, intense discussion or stimulating lectures, students often emerge from the classroom without ever having acquired a genuine feel for the realities of political life. Compounding this is the complex manner in which we elect the President of the United States. Studies repeatedly reveal that few Americans truly understand the seemingly long and convoluted process, and voter participation, especially among young people, appears to be waning.
The purpose this simulation is to help stem the tide by allowing students to learn about and participate in the presidential selection process through experiential learning. We believe that the Mock Presidential Election will not only promote a better understanding of the electoral process, but will stimulate student involvement in American politics as well. More specifically, the objectives of our Mock Presidential Election are to:
- Further the goals of the Western Illinois University Strategic Plan
- Foster civic education and engagement
- Showcase the students and faculty of Western Illinois University
- Engage students enrolled in the First Year Experience (FYE)
- Draw actual Presidential candidates and other political leaders to campus
- Generate positive public relations for Western Illinois University
- Attract students to Western Illinois University
- Encourage collaboration among faculty across Colleges and Departments
- Stimulate student/faculty interaction
- Train future civic leaders
- Engender political and social research
- Utilize the Western Survey Research Center
The 2008 Presidential sweepstakes: What’s at stake
The 2008 presidential election promises to be among the most exciting races in American history. This should be truly a wide-open race. For the first time in decades, there is no current or former President or Vice President seeking the Oval Office. It is also the first time that a woman, an African-American, a Hispanic, a person of the Mormon faith, a person twice divorced and the oldest candidate ever may have legitimate opportunities to become President of the United States. The pool of presidential hopefuls is quite large and diverse. To date there are eight viable Democratic party candidates and ten likely Republican party candidates. One must also consider the potential spoiler effect that either the Libertarian party or Green party could play in 2008. Hence, the 2008 presidential marathon could be groundbreaking for women, as well as ethnic and religious minorities.
To become President of the United States in 2008, a person must win a majority (at least 270) of 538 of the Electoral College votes (based to the total number of U.S. Senators and Representatives in the U.S. Congress, plus three for the District of Columbia). But first a candidate must secure his or her party’s nomination at the national convention in the summer of 2008. And to win the nomination, one must win a simple majority of the state and territorial (Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, Virgin Islands and Americans Abroad) delegates attending the national convention. The state and territorial delegates are selected by the respective states, either through presidential caucuses or presidential primaries. The rules and scheduling of state caucuses and primaries are complex and fluid. By tradition and law, the process begins with the Iowa Caucuses in January 2008, followed by the New Hampshire primary in early February, and so on until all of the states and territories have selected delegates to the convention. In 2008, many large states (viz., California, Texas, Illinois, Pennsylvania, New York) have announced that they will “front–load” the process by selecting delegates in early February. It is therefore possible that the respective Republican and Democratic nominees could be determined in February 2008. Of course, it is also possible that no candidate would receive a majority of the delegates needed to secure nomination, making the national nominating conventions truly wide-open and brokered affairs. Anything is possible in American politics.
