We’ve developed these slides for use in educational settings. Please let us know if you use them in your classroom (nelsonmr@illinois.edu); we’d like to hear from you! Thank you! Access the FREE Google slide deck here or download as a .pdf file.
Looking for more information about political advertisements? Here are some additional resources to consider:
| Source | Description | URL |
| Factcheck.org | The Annenberg Public Policy Center offers a fact check website relating to political speech and more. This project monitors the factual accuracy of political parties and groups in TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news. | https://www.factcheck.org/about/our-mission/ |
| Federal Election Commission | Requirements for advertising and disclaimers in political advertisements. | https://www.fec.gov/help-candidates-and-committees/advertising-and-disclaimers/ |
| Google: Ad Transparency | Google offers information about political ads shown through Google since May 31, 2018. Search by candidate name, number of times the ad was shown, or money spent. | https://adstransparency.google.com/political?political=®ion=US |
| Living Room Candidate | Museum of the Moving Image‘s digital archive of presidential campaign commercials from 1952 to 2020. | http://www.livingroomcandidate.org |
| Online Political Ad Spending | Comprehensive overview of campaign contributions and lobbying data, including searchable database covering fundraising, sponsors, and analysis of officials, campaigns, and major contributors. | https://www.opensecrets.org/online-ads |
| Politifact | The Poynter Institute offers a fact check website where you can see the latest political campaign and advocacy ads and how they fared on the truth-o-meter. | https://www.politifact.com/ad-watch/ |
Have you registered to vote?
Registering to vote is a straight forward process and should be done ahead of the first election that you vote, or if you have moved, changed your name, or changed your party affiliation. Want to know more? Visit https://www.usa.gov/voter-registration now for more information.
Do you know about the next election in your area?
Stay informed and on top of deadlines so you don’t miss the chance to vote! Check out the U.S. Vote Foundation for information on election officials and voting in your state.