Starter Match the political party with their leader

Starter Match the political party with their leader 1. SNP 2. SNP Westminster 3. Scottish Conservatives 4. Conservatives 5. Scottish Labour 6. Labour 7. Scottish Greens 8. Scottish Liberal Democrats 9. Liberal Democrats a. Richard Leonard b. Jackson Carlaw c. Patrick Harvie & Lorna Slater d. Nicola Sturgeon e. Boris Johnson f. Jo Swinson g. Ian Blackford h. Willie Rennie i. Jeremy Corbyn

Elections and Campaigning

We are learning to… • Describe the various campaign methods used by political parties in Scotland • Explain why some political campaigns are more successful than others I will… • Accurately describe the methods used by a political party during an election campaign. • Explain the various ways success is measured during political campaigns. • Explain why some campaigns are far more successful than others.

Elections in Scotland Elections to the Scottish Parliament take place every 4 years, and election day is always the first Thursday in May. So far there have been 5 elections to the Scottish Parliament (1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2016) with the next scheduled for Thursday 7 th May 2020.

Why Campaign? In the weeks leading up to an election, candidates and the political parties they hope to represent make use of a number of different campaigning methods to try and persuade the electorate to vote for them and their party. Each political party in Scotland spends a tremendous amount of money on campaigning, although there is a degree of control over how much can be spent. The Electoral Commission (an independent body which oversees all elections in the UK) limited spending on the 2016 Scottish Parliament election campaign to £ 1, 516, 000 for each party between January 5 th 2016 and polling day (May 5 th 2016).

Campaign Spending by political party: 2016 Scottish Parliament Election Campaign

Copy the diagram below Use of the media Publishing a Manifesto Hustings Election Campaign Methods Canvassing – telephone calls Leaflets/ Posters Canvassing – door to doors

Leaflets /Posters Both political parties and individual candidates will put up posters and send out leaflets during an election campaigns. This is a quick and easy to inform voters what each candidate and each party stands for and what they intend to do if elected.

Canvassing – door to doors Canvassing is one of the most traditional campaign methods still used today. In the weeks leading up to an election, candidates and local political party supporters/members will go door-todoor in their local areas, speaking to locals about their voting decisions. Imagine Ruth Davidson or John Swinney turned up at your door – its not an impossibility! Canvassing gives candidates and parties the opportunity to speak with locals and gain a clear idea of the issues which actually matter. They can then factor this into the rest of their campaign so as to try and gain as many votes as possible overall.

Starter 1. Why would Political parties spend a significant amount of money on their election campaign? 2. Which political party spent the most in the 2016 election campaign?

We are learning to… • Describe the various campaign methods used by political parties in Scotland • Explain why some political campaigns are more successful than others I will… • Accurately describe the methods used by a political party during an election campaign. • Explain the various ways success is measured during political campaigns. • Explain why some campaigns are far more successful than others.

Canvassing – telephone calls Much like traditional canvassing – except over the phone! This is particularly used in very rural regions (to save time on travel etc).

Publishing a Manifesto A manifesto is a party’s unique vision and plans in document form. Essentially the policies and promises a party makes about what they will do if elected. Parties will publish a new manifesto for every election campaign. Although many promises/policies will remain the same, up -to-date manifestos will often include new “flagship” policies and inform potential voters, in detail, about the party’s vision for the country,

Hustings A hustings is a meeting, held by a candidate or candidates within a constituency. This is an opportunity for local people to directly ask questions on local issues and policies.

Use of the media, in an effective manner, is now essential for all political parties/candidates when it comes to campaigning. Media usage typically includes: - Websites - Highly active Social media accounts (Facebook/Twitter) - Party Political Broadcasts - TV/Radio/Newspaper interviews - Televised Leaders Debates Using the media effectively can make the difference between the electorate knowing about your party and its goals. However, poor media tactics can be HIGHLY costly for individual candidates and political parties alike.

When the media is used irresponsibly…

Starter. Attracting specific voters https: //www. theguardian. com/comm entisfree/video/2016/apr/28/snpscottish-labour-elections-politicsvideo Q 1. Where did Humza Yousaf campaign in 2016 to win the ‘labour’ safe seat? Q 2. When did Humza Yousaf get the chance to speak to constituents? (Be specific to campaign methods) Q 3. What issues did Humza Yousaf speak to constituents about? Q 4. Why do you believe specific women hustings are held? Q 5. The SNP will target specific voters, who are these people? Q 6. Why has Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP came under fire? ? Q 7. How are potential candidates held to account?

Complete the following K/U questions Point Explain Example Describe, in detail, three methods used by political parties during an election campaign (8) Extension World Power- USA Answer questions: Q 6, Q 8, Q 10

Source Question Complete one Support and Oppose from page 37 in your source booklet. Remember you must use the structure provided to gain all 10 marks!! Leaner conversations will also take place today regarding the USA end of unit test!

Example P. E. E P- One method used by political parties during an election campaign, to gain votes, is by telephone canvassing. E- This is much like traditional canvassing however is done over the phone. E- This is particularly beneficial for parties to reach voters whom live in rural areas. Saving a lot of time on travel, however still ensuring that these potential voters are targeted by election campaigns.

Why are some campaigns more successful than others? The success or lack of success of an election campaign is relatively easy to measure: ELECTION RESULTS. However, it is important to be aware of two key things when looking at the success of campaigns: - Success will be considered very different for small vs large political parties. - Success in one campaign does not always guarantee success in future campaigns.

Copy the diagram below Use of the media Party Membership Success of Campaigns? Party Activists in the Constituency Party Leadership Levels of Funding Party Image

Use of the media Some political parties’ election campaigns are successful because of their use of social media. This allows them to reach a large number of voters and tell them about their policies. Most political parties now have Facebook and Twitter pages. The SNP has over 232, 000 followers on Twitter. The higher the level of funding a political party has, the bigger and more sophisticated a campaign it can run. The Scottish Conservatives spent more on campaigning in the 2016 election than any previous and this lead to great success for them; more MSPs than ever before and now the 2 nd largest party in Holyrood. Levels of Funding

Party Membership If a political party has a high level of membership, chances are it will be more successful. This is due to the fact that party members will not only vote for the party themselves during the election but will usually attempt to persuade others to vote for their party as well. The SNP has had a surge in membership in recent years, rising from roughly 25, 000 to over 125, 000. Linking to the above point, if a political party has very active members at the constituency level, this will help their campaigns to succeed as these members are far more likely to help campaign, therefore raising the profile of candidates and their party before an election. Party Activists in the Constituency

If a political party has a growing, positive image in the public’s view then their chances of Party having a successful campaign are far greater, Image as the public are more likely to pay attention/listen to their policies. The Scottish Conservatives have seen their profile, as a strong opposition to the SNP, grow in recent years – hence their success. Likewise, the Lib Dems in Scotland have suffered due to the UK level coalition with the Conservatives. Similarly, if a party is seen to have a strong and likeable leader then they will be more likely to be successful in an election campaign. Party Again, Ruth Davidson and Nicola Sturgeon are examples of strong, well liked leaders. Leadership On the other hand, the leadership of Kezia Dugdale, before she resigned, was often considered weaker in the eyes of the public.

Task 1. 2. 3. 4. Answer the following questions in as much detail as possible. Give 3 methods of campaigning, describe them and provide an example of each. Which methods of campaigning do you think will appeal most to a) older voters and b) younger voters. Give reasons from your answers. Why are some political parties more successful at campaigning than others? Make 3 points in your answer. Look at the 2016 Scottish Parliament Election results – which parties had successful campaigns and which did not? Give reasons for your answers.

Possible Exam Question Explain, in detail, the reasons why some political parties’ election campaigns are successful during Scottish Parliament elections. You should give a maximum of three reasons in your answer. 8 - 2017 Nat 5

I can… • Accurately describe the methods used by a political party during an election campaign. • Explain the various ways success is measured during political campaigns. • Explain why some campaigns are far more successful than others.