Essay Questions

What path did Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez take to become a member of the House of Representatives?

Only 29 when she was elected to the House of Representatives (becoming one of the youngest congresspeople to have ever been elected), Ocasio-Cortez was a full-time bartender living in an apartment with her boyfriend, Riley Roberts. Initially, she was considered a big underdog to 10 term incumbent Joe Crowley. However, she worked tirelessly during the day and on her days off to campaign and beat Crowley for a seat in the House of Representatives, shocking many.

Why did Joe Crowley pose such a great threat to Ocasio-Cortez?

Crowley had a wide base of support in New York as he had been in office for 20 years and won 10 elections. When Ocasio-Cortez initially said she would challenge Crowley, most pundits and laymen alike thought she was insane for challenging Crowley and would garner very little, if any, support -- especially since Crowley was so widely liked. Really, she had everything working against her.

How does money play a role in elections?

Ultimately, money is oftentimes the deciding factor in elections. Money enables candidates to advertise more, to travel and canvas more, and to hire more people for their campaigns. And the more people that know about candidates and their messages, the more likely they are to win said elections.

All of the candidates pictured in the film didn't have a lot of money. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, for example, had hardly any money. However, unlike most candidates, she was able to win her election by allocating her money and time efficiently and by being more likable than her opponent in the primary -- Joe Crowley.