Tools
Public broadcasting producers and stations have created the following Election 2008 online resources to keep Americans informed and fully engaged as we move toward November. You can learn about issues and candidates with Ballotvox, Budget Hero, Campaign Audio, the Idea Generators, and You Decide. Track the candidates' progress with the Interactive Map. Find out how your views align with those of the candidates using Select a Candidate and the Vote by Issue Quiz. Share your point of view using Ask Your Lawmaker, Get My Vote, the Idea Generators and You Decide. We'll help you stay informed so you can exercise your civic rights.
The majority of these tools were created as widgets that anyone can embed on their personal, blog, or class Web pages. Feel free to grab the code and share them.
They were made possible with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).
Ask Your Lawmaker- This tool allows user to pose questions to specific legislators and vote on other users’ questions. Capitol News Connection journalists will track down the lawmakers, pose the most popular and best questions, and post the answers on the Web site.
Ballotvox- This site features user-generated audio, video and commentary related to the elections. It's a great resource for finding out what the public thinks about the issues and candidates.
Budget Hero- This engaging and journalistically sound game encourages players to think through the complexities and challenges of the federal budget and the major policy issues of the 2008 election. Can you be a Budget Hero by staying true to your values while creating a sustainable government?
Campaign Audio- This module includes a collection of audio clips from public radio stations across the country. The clips are organized by topic and theme to make them easily searchable.
Get My Vote- This site invites user-generated audio, video and/or text commentaries regarding personal political convictions and what it will take for candidates to earn users’ votes. Users can rate, review and discuss other people’s submissions. National Public Radio and its public broadcasting partners will use selected commentaries on air. (Individual video and audio clips on this site have public embed codes.)
Idea Generators- These tools give citizens a method for collectively identifying critical issues and sharing possible ways of addressing them. They provide extensive background information on the issues in addition to soliciting public opinions.
Interactive Map- This map enables users to track primary and caucus results, read analysis from the NewsHour and National Public Radio, and get information on upcoming contests. With the You Predict game, users can make predictions about which candidate will win the most electoral votes in particular states and the general election.
Let's Get Political Quiz- Designed specifically for students, this quiz helps users learn about the various components that make up our political personalities and to learn about their own styles of civic engagement. Users can print their results to share with others.
Select a Candidate- This survey tool shows which candidates are most aligned with a user’s views and opinions regarding critical campaign issues.
Vote by Issue Quiz- This quiz allows users to find out how their views line up with those of the candidates. The quiz is based on direct quotes from the candidates themselves.
You Decide- This online devil's advocate activity fosters critical thinking about issues of national debate. The tool is designed to expose users' to different perspectives informing critical campaign issues. After considering various perspectives, users cast a vote.
