Analyzing Election Campaign Narratives

Objective: The primary learning objective of this worksheet is to familiarize students with different types of election campaign narratives and their objectives and to enable them to identify and analyze these narratives within a given text.

Content and Methods: The worksheet introduces five key election campaign narrative types: Hero Stories, Crisis Narratives, Issue Ownership, Negative Campaigning and Image Restoration Strategies. Each type is defined, and its typical objective is explained. The content is contextualized with an article about a chosen Campaign. The methods involve matching narrative types to their objectives, matching specific statements from the newspaper article to the narrative types, and an open-ended task requiring students to find another narrative in the article, assign it to a type, and hypothesize its goal.

Competencies:

Understanding of political communication strategies
Ability to identify and categorize different campaign narratives
Critical reading and analysis of political texts
Application of theoretical concepts to real-world examples
Formulation of hypotheses about communication goals

Target Audience and Level:

Grade 10 and above

99 other teachers use this template

Target group and level

Grade 10 and above

Subjects

HistoryPoliticsEnglish

Preview

Analyzing Election Campaign Narratives

USA! Trump Will Fix It!

In a whirlwind of slogans, Donald Trump's 2024 campaign has gripped the nation with promises to "Make America Great Again" and "Never Surrender!" The former President, known for his fiery rhetoric, has taken aim at the crises of inflation, border security, and global uncertainty. With chants like "USA!" and a theme song "God Bless the U.S.A.," Trump rallies have become a spectacle of nationalism and resolve.

Trump at a rally in Rochester, New Hampshire, in January 2024. Source: Wikipedia

Trump has addressed inflation as a nightmare, promising sweeping economic reforms and a return to energy independence under the mantra "Drill, baby, drill." His campaign has been marked by attacks on his opponents, framing them as part of a corrupt elite that has failed America. Trump claims he will fix it, invoking his past experience to reassure voters of his capabilities.

His knowledge on trade and border security has been highlighted, as he vows to impose tariffs and expand deportations, making America safer and more prosperous. Despite facing legal troubles, Trump positions himself as a political martyr, using these challenges to rally his base.

The campaign has seen Trump promise to restore American values, with pledges to end diversity programs and roll back transgender rights. Trump’s strategy focuses on the public’s grievances, presenting himself as the answer to their struggles. His rhetoric remains a blend of patriotism and fierce opposition to the Democratic candidates, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.

Analyzing Election Campaign Narratives

Election Campaign Narratives are stories that politicians use to explain why people should vote for them. These stories help voters understand who they are and why they are the best choice. Here is a list of five very important and often used narrative types:

1. Hero Stories 🦸

A hero story is when a politician presents themselves as the "hero" who will save the day. They tell stories about the good things they've done or how they will help solve a big problem, like improving schools or making neighborhoods safer.

2. Crisis Narratives 📉

A crisis narrative is used when the candidate talks about a big problem, or crisis, that needs to be solved right away. They explain how the crisis is affecting people and how they are the best person to fix it. It could be about a serious issue like bad roads or unsafe communities.

3. Issue Ownership 👩‍🎓

In an issue ownership narrative, the candidate focuses on a specific problem or issue they are really good at solving. For example, one candidate might focus on improving education, while another might be known for protecting the environment. They "own" that issue because they are seen as the best at handling it.

4. Negative Campaigning 🤬

Negative campaigning is when a candidate talks about their opponent in a bad way. They might say their opponent did something wrong or isn't fit for the job.

5. Image Restoration Strategies 😇

Image restoration strategies are used when a candidate has made a mistake or done something people didn’t like. The candidate tells a story to explain what happened and how they’ve learned from their mistakes. They try to fix their image so people will trust them again.

📋 Task 1: Find out about the objectives that the five types of campaign narratives typically pursue by matching the five types to their objective description.

📋 Task 2: Match the statements extracted from the newspaper article to the five types of election campaign narratives.

📋 Task 3:

Sample Solution for Teacher:

Campaign Narrative Analysis

Newspaper Article: "More than 2 million older people wish they had someone to spend time with at Christmas" (Age UK campaign)

Another Campaign Narrative:

The article prominently features a narrative centered around the widespread issue of loneliness and isolation among older people during the Christmas period, exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis and the absence of loved ones.

Assigned Narrative Type: Crisis Narrative

Hypothesis about the Goal:

The Age UK campaign is employing a Crisis Narrative to highlight a significant societal problem: the pervasive loneliness and isolation experienced by millions of older people, particularly during a time traditionally associated with togetherness. The narrative presents this loneliness as a "crisis" ("difficult and lonely," "distressing loneliness," "hardest day of the year").

The goal of this narrative is to:

Evoke empathy and concern in the public by presenting compelling statistics and relatable scenarios (e.g., "Christmas brings up memories of a loved one who has passed away," "sacrificing social expenses").
Create a sense of urgency that this is a critical issue needing immediate attention and action ("needs to be solved right away" implied through the severity of the statistics).
Position Age UK as the essential solution provider to this crisis. By framing the problem as urgent and widespread, Age UK implicitly presents itself as the most suitable entity to offer "friendship and advice services" that are a "lifeline."
Mobilize public support and donations by making individuals feel that their contributions are crucial to alleviating this crisis for vulnerable older people. The narrative aims to make voters (or in this case, potential donors/supporters) feel that Age UK "understands the problem and has the solutions to get things back to normal" for these individuals.