Indiana University's 40,000 students form a powerful voting bloc that can swing the outcome of elections in Indiana's ninth Congressional district one way or another. In 2008, student votes helped put President Obama in the White House and contributed to Democratic majorities in Congress. But, this year, many IU students don't even know there's an election taking place that could determine which political party gets a majority in Congress.
The portion of the ninth Congressional district that contains the IU campus is a young, urban and diverse place with voters of many different persuasions. But, the southern section of the district near Kentucky is very rural and tends to have people with more conservative political views. Many voters in that area are fed up with the way things are going in Washington and are protesting against their current representative in Congress, Democrat Baron Hill.
Back at the university, political student clubs like the College Democrats and College Republicans are trying to get out the vote for their candidate. But, they're fighting an uphill battle and are dealing with what Democrats have dubbed an "enthusiasm gap." So far, the Republican candidate for Congress, Todd Young, is the only candidate who has had a big presence on the IU campus, while some members of the College Democrats have criticized their candidate for failing to court the youth vote.
Quotes
"They haven't accomplished anything. We have got too many career politicians. They're out of touch with the American people." - Roger Kierman, Indiana citizen
"Fear is as present in the 9th District as it is anyplace in the nation. And people in the 9th District are concerned that Pelosi and Obama and other Democrats are taking this country in the wrong direction." - Morton Marcus, economist, Indiana
"I really think it's important to keep Democrats in Congress so that he has the time and Democrats have the time to make those changes, so that the country can actually see that it's been worthwhile." - Indiana University student
“We won Indiana. Indiana went blue by 11,000 votes. And we registered 11,000 people on this campus. So, something that we like to say is, that felt like a direct impact for us.” - Kelly Smith, Indiana University College Democrat
Warm Up Questions
1. What are midterm elections?
2. What role does Congress play in the U.S. government?
3. Where is Indiana?
Discussion Questions
1. What are the boundaries of your Congressional district? Who is running in the election in your district? What kinds of people live in your district?
2. If you were a member of a college political club trying to get out the vote for your candidate, what tactics would you use? Why?
3. Why do you think it’s easier to convince people to vote in years when there is a presidential election? What do you think has changed between 2008 and 2010?
Additional Resources
Lesson Plan: Strategizing the 2010 Midterm Elections
