Singapore Students Look at American Elections - 2004

October 20, 2004

 

Over 250 students from the Changkat Changi Secondary School participated in a special U.S. Embassy speaker program October 20 to learn more about the American political system and the 2004 elections. Speaking first, American diplomat Qiana Bradford described the U.S. political process in broad strokes, walking her listeners through the election calendar -- explaining the significance of state primaries, party conventions, national debates, survey polls, and College Electors. That set the stage for an eyewitness account, a ‘Dateline USA’ report on this year’s race for the presidency by Sujadi Siswo, a MediaCorp News' Senior Producer just returned from a State Department "Leaders" program that looked at the 2004 Campaign. He spoke about the ethnic diversity, individual patriotism, and political passion he encountered throughout the country, describing many of the challenges facing both candidates and election officials. Reaching out to a young and non-traditional audience --students at one of Singapore's most prestigious secondary schools -- Ms. Bradford and Mr. Sujadi shared their insights into this year’s national elections, offering the students both the theory and reality behind American politics. Changkat Changi Secondary School is an “American Connection” program partner.