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…”
I am a republican because I believe that each individual person is responsible for themselves and for their place in society. The government should be there solely to aid people in that regard. Additionally, the government should step in solely when society cannot function at the level of the individual. Society should be generally focused on the individual, local, community, and state level; not the federal level. The best government for the people is one that is closest to the people, and as such the government should not interfere unless they are needed. Our country should work first and foremost to protect national freedom first, while working to spread peace, freedom, and human rights in the world.
The following statement was written based on the prompt: “I’m a Democrat because…”
I am a Democrat because the Democratic party shows compassion for others and care for everyone. My feelings about gun control, equality and care for the poor and working class are all similar to Democrats so I identify with the party on these and many other issues this country is facing. I also feel they are not judgmental of others no matter their sexual orientation, race, income or religion. The Democrat party is similar to me as a person and I respect and support most of the decisions they make. I identify with the party as a person because they respect and care for others, including those in need.
The following statement was written based on the prompt: “I’m a Democrat because…”
I am a Democrat because I believe our country is in a fast decline based on the current leaders in position. I look forward to voting in the next election and hope that the outcome will generate a fresh, new approach to the vision of America. There are a multitude of well-qualified candidates that are lining up to take on the responsibility of putting America back on the right track. I am confident that our Party will have a high voter turn out when it's Election time and that we will be victorious in filling the House, Senate, and Presidential seat!
The following statement was written based on the prompt: “I’m a Democrat because…”
I AM A DEMOCRAT BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN WHAT IT STANDS FOR. THE EQUAL RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTRY. I FAVOR GOVERTMERNT SPENDING ON THE WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE. HEALTH CARE, WELFARE, FOODSTAMPS, UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS, BENEFITS THAT SUPPORT PEOPLE IN NEED. I BELIEVE THE FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT SHOULD PROVIDE FOR THE POOR,SICK, OLD AND DISABLE. I BELIEVE WE CAN ONLY PROSPER IN THIS COUNTRY WHEN PEOPLE CAN PROSPER. PEOPLE MUST HAVE THE MEANS OF MAKING A LIVING BY OBTAINING JOBS, SO THEY CAN BUY WHAT THEY NEED FROM BUSINESS. I BELIEVE IN THE PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT, THAT IDENTIFYS AS BEING A DEMOCRAT.
The following statement was written based on the prompt: “I’m a Democrat because…”
I am a Democrat because I agree with many of the positions they take, especially in terms of social issues. I don't agree with many of the positions of the RNC, who have largely been taken over by zealous evangelicals and people only out for themselves without acknowledgement of the need to preserve this great society those before us have built. I also just think that the RNC does a horrible job of offering the public good, viable, and qualified candidates. I hate Trump, hated Romney, hated Palin (although I didn't hate McCain, even if I disagreed with him on many issues), and wasn't a big fan of Bush either. I also think that continuing to espouse the value of Reagan voodoo economics is very stupid and part of the reason for so much economic disparity in the US.
The following statement was written based on the prompt: “I’m a Republican because…”
I believe in traditional family values. My family has always been Catholic, I have always been Catholic, and I always will be Catholic. While I don't completely agree with everything point on the platform, the Republican party is really the only choice for those who identify with their traditional christian views. Further I believe everyone should work for what they have. Social assistance programs do have their place, but their use and expansion has become ridiculous. There needs to be stringent rules in place to qualify for these programs and strong accounting of the management of these programs to make sure everything is run correctly. The modern democratic party is incapable of making tough mature decisions like this. It is full of young, inexperienced and naive people who should not have as much power as they do.
The following statement was written based on the prompt: “I’m a Democrat because…”
I am a Democrat because I believe in equality and equal opportunity for all people. I agree with their principle of majority rule and that everyone rights are not dependent on race, religion, gender or sexual orientation. I agree with their principles of tax for benefit rather than cut taxes and provide less services. My views are more close to the democratic ideology than the republican or libertarian ideologies. I believe in everyone's rights to achieve success by hard work and dedication. I believe in inclusion rather than division. I believe in participation and representation rather than apathy and control.
The following statement was written based on the prompt: “I’m a Democrat because…”
I am a Democrat because, I agree with equal rights for all. I believe that people should be able to live the way that they feel is right. I also feel that woman should be able to choose what is right for their own bodies. I also believe that if the government wants more people to persue higher education, then there should be some kind of help for those people. Many people want to go to college, but simply can't afford it. I come from a long line of republicans. I am the first person in a few generations to vote democrat. It is hard, but I have to stand for what I believe.
The following statement was written based on the prompt: “I’m a Democrat because…”
I am a Democrat because I value the original principles this country was founded on. These principles include accepting people as they are and treating people equally, as that is what acceptance is. As a woman, a child of immigrants and a person of color, the Democratic party's culture of openness and tolerance directly and indirectly benefits me in many parts of my life. The Democratic party is also less tolerant of bigoted behavior than the Republican party is. The current president reflects upon this country extremely badly, yet the Republican party stands behind him with loyalty despite his diverse shortcomings.
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.
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