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 believe in Christian morals and being fiscally conservative. As a republican I believe in being responsible for yourself, pulling yourself up by your bootstraps when you are down, and not depending on government programs to take care of you. I believe in good Christian morals, being pro-life for one. We cannot prove when life begins, and taking the life of a child (unborn or not) is murder. I also believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman. I have no problem with gays in theory, whatever makes people happy it doesn't impact me. However, to be married before God and be given tax deductions and benefits isn't right.
The following statement was written based on the prompt: “I’m a Republican because…”
I am a republican because I believe in core values that many republicans believe in. I fall on the conservative side of many things on the political spectrum. I believe in a strong sense of god and I approve of many political ideologies such as immigration, healthcare and economics that fall on the conservative side of the spectrum. This does not mean I do not think all democrats or people that believe in liberal politics are idiots as I think there needs to be balance for democracy to work. We need to follow policies that are moderate but leaning a little bit towards conservative politics.
The following statement was written based on the prompt: “I’m a Republican because…”
I am a Republican because I grew up in a Republican household. My values came from my parents who raised me. I believe in the American way, in the Constitution and freedom of speech. I believe that all men are created equal and that everyone has the right to vote their own mind. When it comes time to vote, however, I look at the candidates and try to decide their qualifications on their platforms and individual merit. I have voted for the democratic candidate when I felt that it was the better choice. I would not ever blindly vote a straight ticket as I feel that is irresponsible.
The following statement was written based on the prompt: “I’m a Democrat because…”
I am a democrat because I like to have things handed to me. I like to feel like I'm better than other people. I like creating drama and being noticed. I like sitting back and letting other people do my work, and I feel entitled to more of everything and better things than other people have. I like to be loud and obnoxious. I like saying I believe in things are so way out that people just stare at me with their mouths hanging open. Then I feel like I've succeeded. I just want attention and more of everything. It's just a great thing!
The following statement was written based on the prompt: “I’m a Republican because…”
To be honest, I truly don't know what is means to be a Republican or Democrat. That is hard to admit as I'm a college graduate in my early thirties. The reason I struggle with this is because it's never big so black and white to me. I find there to be a lot of grey area between the parties supposed beliefs, and in turn causes conflicts in my opinion because I am partial to both sides. There truly isn't one side that I completely agree with, but I do feel I may lean toward a Republican side because that is what everyone who knows me tells me.
The following statement was written based on the prompt: “I’m a Democrat because…”
I am a Democrat because I support the following - illegal immigration, abortion, gun restrictions, and racial equality. I feel immigrants should be able to live in the US regardless of what others believe. They should have the same freedoms Americans, and we should do what we can to protect them. I also support the fight for racial equality and to have less discrimination against minorities. Group equality should be a priority. The government must support this issue. I also support abortion and women's rights. I am in favor of banning guns and stricter laws regarding guns and their possession.
The following statement was written based on the prompt: “I’m a Democrat because…”
I am a democrat because I believe in the betterment and welfare of humanity. My beliefs are more on the understanding and empathetic side, compared to someone who is republican. I believe all Americans have the right to universal healthcare. I'm a democrat because I believe we as a country need to have gun control. There is no reason automatic weapons and weapons of war should be legal for anyone to purchase in this country. I believe people should have the right to citizenship in this country, as long as they are entering the country legally. I consider myself a democrat because I believe everyone deserves a fair shot at success, not just the top 1% of people who hold the wealth in this country.
The following statement was written based on the prompt: “I’m a Republican because…”
It was evident to me back in the day that the Democrats offered stagnation and decay at best. With all the doom and gloom it was refreshing to see someone like Ronald Reagan become president of the United States. He helped to usher in an era of peace, prosperity, and a positive energy that had been sorely lacking before. Even with their stumbles to this day the Republicans seem more in line with what the United States can and should be. Remember people the Founding Fathers decided on a constitutional republic rather than a democracy or some other sort of government. Now President Trump is carrying the mantle which all too many people in government seem to have forgotten which is to make and keep America great again for all citizens rather than special people!
The following statement was written based on the prompt: “I’m a Republican because…”
I am a Republican because my beliefs align with the beliefs of the Republicans. I am a Christian who is against abortion and believes in people helping people and less government control. I believe that if you want to go to college you need to pay for it. I believe that no one deserves a free ride and that every able bodied American needs to work. I believe that we should take care of our own people and not illegals. I believe that everyone should pay for their healthcare and that the working people should not have to provide for people who are too lazy to work. If you can't pass a drug test you don't deserve free anything. I also believe that marriage is designed for a man and a woman. We should live how God wants us to live since our country was founded by God.
The following statement was written based on the prompt: “I’m a Democrat because…”
I'm a democrat for a variety of reasons. One of my primary reasons for being a democrat is economic. I believe that people should be able to live off of the wage they're paid, and far too often increases in wage don't align with inflation. I also think that rich people could afford to be taxed a little more. I also am a democrat on a variety of social issues. For example, I believe that people in the LBGTQ community should have the right to marry. I also believe in background checks for guns. Lastly, and perhaps most obviously, I don't like many republican candidates out there (especially Trump), and I believe democrats offer better choices. I could write more, but I'm over 100 now and want to move on with the study.
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