Grade Level

9–12

Time Required

135-140 minutes (can be split across multiple class periods)

Standards Alignment (C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards)

D2.Civ.1.9–12

Distinguish the powers and responsibilities of local, state, tribal, national, and international civic and political institutions.

Alignment Explanation:

• Students analyze how national political parties use platforms to influence presidential elections and federal policy.
• The lesson situates party platforms within the structure of national government and electoral politics.

D2.Civ.5.9–12

Evaluate citizens’ and institutions’ effectiveness in addressing social and political problems at the local, state, tribal, national, and/or international level.

Alignment Explanation:

• Students evaluate party responses to issues such as civil rights, labor, housing, and foreign policy.
• Group research assesses how effectively parties adapted their positions between 1948 and 1980.

D2.Civ.8.9–12

Evaluate social and political systems in different contexts, times, and places, that promote civic virtues and enact democratic principles.

Alignment Explanation:

• Students compare party positions across historical eras (1948–1980).
• The lesson emphasizes continuity and change in political ideology over time.

D2.Civ.10.9–12

Analyze the impact and the appropriate roles of personal interests and perspectives on the application of civic virtues, democratic principles, constitutional rights, and human rights.

Alignment Explanation:

• Students confront assumptions about party ideology through blind platform analysis.
• Reflection questions require students to consider bias, perspective, and historical context.

D3.1.9–12

Gather relevant information from multiple sources representing a wide range of views while using the origin, authority, structure, context, and corroborative value of the sources to guide selection.

Alignment Explanation:

• Students analyze primary-source party platforms and timelines.
• Group research integrates multiple historical sources for presentations.

D3.4.9–12

Refine claims and counterclaims attending to precision, significance and knowledge conveyed through the claim while pointing out strengths and limitations of both.

Alignment Explanation:

• Students argue which party authored each platform and justify their conclusions with evidence.
• Group presentations require interpretation and defense of historical claims.

D4.1.9–12

Construct arguments using precise and knowledgeable claims, with evidence from multiple sources, while acknowledging counterclaims and evidence weakness.

Alignment Explanation:

• PowerPoint presentations and class discussions require students to present historical arguments supported by evidence.

Objectives

Students will be able to:

• Identify how party platforms have historically been adopted by the Democratic and Republican parties to establish issue positions and propose policies during presidential election years.
• Understand the historical relevance of party platforms for analyzing policy trends and the evolution of party positions over time.

Materials

• 1948 Democratic Party Platform
• 1948 Republican Party Platform
• Computers or tablets with internet access
• PartyPlatforms.com quizzes
• U.S. Historical Timeline (PartyPlatforms.com)
• Presentation software (PowerPoint or Google Slides)

Lesson Procedure

1. Introducing the Topic (10-15 minutes – Whole-Class Discussion)

Teacher-Led Discussion Questions:

• What is a party platform?
• What purpose does adopting a party platform serve for a political party?
• When do you think party platforms are adopted?
• What kinds of issues would you expect to see within a party’s platform?

Teacher Notes:

• Provide a brief historical overview of party platforms (use History of Party Platforms reference).
• Emphasize that platforms reflect both ideology and political strategy.

1. Platform Quiz Activity (10 minutes – Individual)

Student Activity:

• Students complete both quizzes on the PartyPlatforms.com website.

Debrief Questions:

• Was anyone able to get a perfect score?
• What surprised you the most about taking the quizzes?
• Was it difficult to determine which party said what?
• Were you able to correctly identify when a quote was said?

Purpose:

• Challenge assumptions about party ideology.

III. Analyzing the 1948 Party Platforms (45 minutes)

Step 1: Platform Reading (15 minutes)

• Divide the class into two groups.
  • Group A reads Platform A.
  • Group B reads Platform B.
• Party name and year are redacted from the platforms to be read so students do not know which platform belongs to the Democrat or Republican party.

Step 2: Platform Identification (15 minutes)

Discussion Prompts:

• What year do you think this platform was written?
  • What clues helped you determine the year?
• Raise hands:
  • Who thinks Platform A is Democratic? Republican?
  • Who thinks Platform B is Democratic? Republican?

Follow-Up Questions:

• What language or issues led you to your conclusion?
• Were there any positions that challenged your expectations?

Research Questions (Whole Class):

• Who was the President in 1948? Which party did they belong to?
• Which party-controlled Congress in 1948?
• How might divided government have influenced the platforms in 1948?
• What issues were referenced in the party platforms from 1948. Write issues on smartboard.

Step 4: Issue Comparison (15 minutes)

Key Issues to Analyze:

• Housing
• Social Security
• Civil Rights
• Segregation
• Statehood
• Israel
• China
• United Nations
• Arms Control
• Taxes
• Tariffs
• Labor

Discussion Prompts:

• What positions did each party take on these issues?
• Which positions surprised you the most?
• Which issues are still relevant today?
• Using the U.S. Timeline, what recent or ongoing events influenced these issues?

1. Issue Analysis Project (60 minutes)

Group Work:

• Divide students into 8 groups.
• Each group selects one issue from the 1948 platforms.

Research Timeframe:

• 1948–1980 (use PartyPlatform.com website issue pages)

Guiding Questions:

• How did Democratic and Republican positions on this issue change between 1948 and 1980?
• What caused these changes?
• How did electoral politics influence party positions? For example, was a party’s response to an issue based upon having control of the Presidency or Congress?
• How did external events (wars, social movements, economic changes) impact these positions?

Product:

• A PowerPoint presentation summarizing findings.
• Each group presents to the class.

1. Debrief and Reflection (10 minutes – Whole Class)

Discussion Questions:

• After seeing all the presentations, what surprised you most?
• Did any party positions change in ways you did not expect?
• What does this tell us about the role of party platforms in American politics?

Optional Exit Question:

• Why are party platforms useful tools for understanding political change over time?

Assessment

• Participation in discussions
• Accuracy and depth of platform analysis
• Group presentation quality and historical reasoning
• Informal observation and exit responses

1. Individual Home Assignment

Create a Political Party Platform

Overview

Political parties use platforms to explain their beliefs, outline policy proposals, and persuade voters. In this assignment, you will step into the role of a political party and write a party platform based on a realistic election scenario that is no longer than five (5) pages.

Your goal is to explain why your party should lead the country and how it would address the major challenges facing the United States.

Your Scenario

You will be assigned one of the following political scenarios:

• Option 1: Party Alpha holds the Presidency and Congress
• Option 2: Party Beta holds the Presidency and Party Alpha holds Congress
• Option 3: Party Alpha holds the Presidency and Party Beta holds Congress
• Option 4: Party Beta holds the Presidency and Congress

Your platform should reflect the political reality of your scenario, including whether your party is in power or in the minority.

Common Facts (Use These in Your Platform)

All parties must respond to the following conditions:

The Economy

• The economy has been strong for the past four years, but concerns are growing.
• Inflation has increased in the last six months, raising grocery prices.
• The stock market has doubled over four years but has recently dipped.

Income Inequality

• Income inequality remains a major issue.
• The wealthiest Americans now hold over 50% of total wealth.
• The minimum wage has not increased in 20 years.

Military & National Security

• The U.S. has been at peace for the past decade.
• Military spending has been significantly reduced.
• The country has achieved its first balanced budget in 25 years.
• Concerns are growing about military readiness.

Climate Change

• Climate change remains controversial but increasingly impactful.
• Recent events include:
  • Wildfires in the western U.S.
  • A once-in-a-century flood in the Tennessee Valley
  • A hurricane causing $50 billion damage to Florida

Key Election Issues

• Regulation of Artificial Intelligence
• The economy
• Taxes (increase, decrease, or remain the same)
• Military spending

Your Task

Using the facts above, write a platform for your assigned party (no longer than five pages).

Your platform must include:

1. Party Message (Introduction)

• Explain why your party is best suited to address the challenges facing the country.
• Explain why your party’s approach is better than the alternative party.
• Use persuasive language similar to real party platforms.
• Be creative.

2. Issue Positions

Clearly explain your party’s position on each of the following:

• Artificial Intelligence regulation
• The economy and inflation
• Taxes
• Military spending
• Climate change

3. Policy Proposals

• Propose at least one specific policy related to at least one of the issues above.
• Your proposal should explain:
  • What the policy would do
  • Why it helps solve a problem
  • How it fits your party’s philosophy

Requirements

• Length: No longer than five (5) pages
• Written from the perspective of a political party (not personal opinion)
• Clear, organized, and persuasive
• Uses evidence from the provided facts

Skills You Are Practicing

• Civic reasoning
• Political analysis
• Persuasive writing
• Understanding how party platforms respond to real-world conditions