POL 201 week 5 DQ1

Party Platforms and Winning Elections. Political parties mobilize voters to win 

elections and implement policy goals. Parties use their stated policy goals (i.e., their platforms) as a way to 

mobilize voter support. Generally, in order to be successful in a two-party system, parties must have policy goals 

across a broad range of issue areas to appeal to a broad range of voters. 

Before writing your initial post, review the assigned resources, which can be downloaded from your online 

course. 

For this discussion, you will identify one issue area that you want investigate. Use the assigned resources required 

for this discussion to gather information about the goals and proposals, in that issue area, of three political parties 

– the Democratic and Republican parties and a third party. 

In your initial post of at least 200-250 words, summarize each of the three parties’ policy goals in your issue area. 

Compare and contrast the parties' goals in that area. Evaluate each party's goals from two perspectives: 

a. Your own political philosophy, values or ideology. 

b. How effective each party's goals are likely to be in mobilizing voters to support the party's candidates on 

the national level. In making your assessment from this perspective, consider what influence the factors 

which underlie the two-party system have on each party's ability to use its policy proposals to generate 

voter support. 

Justify your conclusions with facts and persuasive reasoning. 

Fully respond to all parts of the question. Write in your own words. Support your position with APA citations to 

two or more of the assigned resources required for this discussion. Please be sure that you demonstrate 

understanding of these resources, integrate them into your argument, and cite them properly. 

By Day 7, respond to at least two of your classmates' initial posts. Your peer responses each must be at least 75 

words. They must demonstrate critical thinking (e.g., ask a relevant question about your peer's post while 

explaining why your question is significant, or state a perspective that contrasts with your peer's while explaining 

or justifying your position).