Can you tell the difference between real and fake Democrats and Republicans?
You’re about to see 10 statements that people wrote based one of two prompts: “I’m a democrat because…” or “I’m a republican because…”.
We randomly assigned each person to one prompt or the other, so they didn’t get to choose. (We offered them a bonus if their statement sounded convincing.)
That means some of these statements are real — the person is explaining why they belong to their actual political party. Some of these statements are fake — the person is pretending to belong to the opposite political party.
real statements: Democrats claiming to be Democrats, or Republicans claiming to be Republicans.
fake statements: Democrats claiming to be Republicans, or Republicans claiming to be Democrats.
Your job is to judge whether each statement is real or fake.
The following statement was written based on the prompt: “I’m a Republican because…”
each person in society should be responsible for their own place within the society. In my opinion, the government's sole role is to enable people to secure the benefits of society for themselves, their families, and for those who are unable to do so for themselves. In addition, I am a strong supporter of the right to bear arms. I had a family member who was the victim of a home invasion and had they not had a gun in the home I do not know whether or not they would be here today. I am also a strong supporter of strict immigration laws. Immigrants who enter this country illegally should not be provided with the same benefits that legal citizens are. We pay into the system for a reason and illegal immigrants have no right to free load on the backs of other hard-working citizens.
The following statement was written based on the prompt: “I’m a Republican because…”
I am a religious person. I believe that the government should be smaller and people shouldn't be able to take advantage of the system. I believe that every child is a gift from God. Those who weren't born in our country but choose to come over shouldn't be allowed benefits. If we had the wall then less immigrants would be able to come through. If they come over they should only be allowed basic needs and necessities. I believe that we should fight battles wisely and keep our military at its best. I think Democrats want to take our guns and I won't let that happen on my watch.
The following statement was written based on the prompt: “I’m a Republican because…”
I am a Republican because it assigns well with my values. It lets me be who I want to be. Republicans stand for the value I believe in. It stand for who I am. The Republican party has strong beliefs about many issues. These beliefs align well with the beliefs I have about many different political issues. The democratic party is too different from my beliefs. I don't believe many of the things the Democratic party does. I have my own beliefs. But these veliefs do align well to the republican party. I can't imagine being anything but a Republican.
The following statement was written based on the prompt: “I’m a Republican because…”
I am a Republican because I share in most of the beliefs of my party like not taxing the wealthy more and people should have the right to bear arms. I support free market and free enterprise. I value Christian beliefs. I support restrictions on labor unions. I totally support President Trumps proposal to build a wall and keep illegal immigrants out for good. It is time for Americans to reap the benefits of our own great country. I believe civil rights are individual rights and does not guarantee equality. National security should be our top priority above all else.
The following statement was written based on the prompt: “I’m a Democrat because…”
I am a Democrat because I believe in economic fairness, equality under the law, the American dream, and that we are capable of solving our common problems when we unite as one people. I am a Democrat because I believe that the Constitution applies equally to everyone in this country, immigrant or billionaire. I believe that every citizen deserves unfettered access to the polling place with no barriers to voter registration. I believe in equal pay for equal work. I am a Democrat because I choose hope over fear and progress over mindless clinging to the past. I am a Democrat because there are things I would refuse to do and actions of others I would not overlook in order to remain in office. I am a Democrat because I believe that every American is free to be religious and equally free not to be. I believe that all medical procedures should the choice of the patient in consultation with their doctor.
The following statement was written based on the prompt: “I’m a Republican because…”
I am a Republican because I believe in a more conservative government with fewer rules and regulations. I fell we should be taxed less and our dollars used for more important things than just paying for those who do not work or choose not to work. I am 100% behind President Donald Trump and his policies. He has given us the greatest economic boom times in many, many years. He gave us all a tax cut and also started the process of making the IRS more simplified, including filing our taxes. I am also against all illegal immigration and feel the border wall must be built now to protect all of us.
The following statement was written based on the prompt: “I’m a Democrat because…”
I believe in helping others and looking out for those who cannot help themselves. The Democratic party has more prominent welfare beliefs and understands that we must give something to those who are struggling. Additionally, Republican beliefs restrict the freedoms of a lot of Americans, such as the strong pro life stance limiting the freedoms of women, as well as their terrible immigration policy which is brutally hurting tons of innocent men, women, and children who are seeking to escape terrible atrocities in their home countries. Another reason I identify as a Democrat is because I believe in stronger gun control. There is absolutely no reason that any non-military citizen should need to own an automatic weapon that is designed to kill people, and the justification that it is our ""second amendment right"" is completely ridiculous. A 250 year old document written in a completely different time, when guns were single fire muskets that take upwards of 30 seconds to reload should not be used as justification for why someone today can own a gun that is designed to kill as many people as quickly as possible.
The following statement was written based on the prompt: “I’m a Republican because…”
I am a republican because I believe in a small federal government. I believe there should be less taxation and less control of federal government in local and state affairs. We should be able to choose how we would like to do things, including what we spend our money on, who we decide to hire and how and if we choose to serve others. I believe the constitution put things in place to protect our rights from a big government, like the right to bear arms and we should be highly skeptical of anyone trying to repeal these things kept in place to protect us.
The following statement was written based on the prompt: “I’m a Democrat because…”
I am a Democrat because I believe in Democrat values like helping the poor, fixing the climate, and keeping peace through out the world. I am a progressive Democrat and believe we need to keep progressing as a country. Health care needs to be accessible for all. We need to start doing more for our climate because we are destroying it at a rapid pace. Right now I am very interested in Kamala Harris because she did great in the debate and put a spotlight on Biden's issues. I really think she will do good against Trump in a debate as well. Whoever the Democratic candidate that is elected in the primary I will vote for though.
The following statement was written based on the prompt: “I’m a Democrat because…”
I am a DEMOCRAT because I believe in fairness and equality. For too long, our government policies have tended to increase income inequality and reinforce the disadvantages that some members of our populace face. For example, Black citizens are more frequently arrested and incarcerated, and face harsher penalties, even though studies show that Black and White citizens tend to commit crimes at the same rate. Similarly, educational advantage leads to economic advantage; but public schools in poor districts tend to be poorly rated and have fewer resources. Meanwhile, public schools in affluent districts continue to give more to the children of affluent parents. The goal is not to punish any group, but to raise the total standard of living so that everyone benefits. Those who have the least will benefit the most.
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