Gruen Nation: Series 2 - Episode 1 (ATOM Study Guide)

Please note: Gruen Nation is a spin-off series of The Gruen Transfer. The first season of Gruen Nation aired during the 2010 federal election and as a part of season 3 of The Gruen Transfer. The second season of Gruen Nation originally aired in 2013 during the 2013 federal election and as part of season 6 of the rebranded Gruen Planet.

An election campaign is a three-year stocktake sale where every item is sold as a bargain, but we all know they're defective and can't be returned. At Gruen Nation, our six-pillar plan guarantees that we won't talk policy. We're interested in how the big brands – Labor and Liberal, Nationals and Greens, Katter and Palmer – convince us to buy them.

Over four weeks, Gruen Nation host Wil Anderson and regulars Todd Sampson and Russel Howcroft will try to disentangle the twenty-four-hour multi-platform spin tornado that is Election 2013, asking the tough questions: Why does Tony Abbott want to be Martin Sheen? What led up to the moment when Kevin Rudd thought Instagramming his shaving cut would be a good idea? And if Polish politicians can make death metal campaign songs, why can't ours?

In this episode, the Gruen team examines:

• Featured political ads – global and national
• Sampson family
• Zimbabwean elections and Robert Mugabe
• Labor asking for donations
• The Sex Party
• The Christian Democrats Key 5
• USA Diane Benson ad

Curriculum
Gruen Nation has cross-curricula application across several Australian Curriculum subject areas. In particular, Gruen Nation has reference as a learning resource in:

• Civics and Citizenship
• Geography
• English

Additionally, teachers and students of Political Studies, Cultural Studies, Social Studies, Media Studies and Philosophy will also find the television program and supporting ATOM study guide valuable.