Polls and Politics
Last Updated: 11/10/09
Vocabulary for Polls and Politics
Lectures
Ideology and Opinion in America
Assignments
Due Monday 11/2 - Write down the basic positions of your ideal political party. Place your beliefs on the left-right political spectrum and indicate where, approximately, you are on the spectrum. List your ideal party's beliefs on issues such as taxation, foreign policy, gun control, abortion, Iraq and Afghanistan, size of the military, eduction, health care, business regulation, civil rights, science, NASA, etc.
Due Wednesday or Thursday 11/4 or 11/5 - Read the book section. Answer Qs 1-5 on p.118, and 1 and 2 on p. 124.
Due Friday 11/6 - In groups write fifteen unbiased, measurable poll questions in a group. You should do three questions each, from any of the three broad issues. For each topic, one question should be yes/not, one should be rated 1-5, and one should be multiple choice. Your goal is to actually measure opinion, with WSHS students being your target audience. (If you were absent, write 3 questions each for 3 topics.)
Due Monday 11/9 - Write 15 biased and or leading poll questions for the WSHS population. At least 10 of the questions must be political in nature. From your question I should be able to tell what issue you are pretending to poll about, and it should be clear how you hope the respondant will answer. (2 leading examples on the abortion issue: a. Should women be denied the right to control their own bodies; and b. Should a woman be allowed to kill her unborn fetus. Both questions lead to particular answers about the issue.)
Due Monday 11/9 - Single-victor district math worksheet.
Due Monday 11/16 - Read the book section on money in elections. Do questions 1 through 6 on page 202. In addition, answer the following question, as number 7: "Obama refused public financing, but raises hundred of millions in small bits from average people. Is that democratic? Explain."
Due Monday 11/23 - Proportional representation math worksheet.
Due Monday 11/23 - Answer the questions for The War Room, which we watched on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Due Tuesday 11/24 - Unit Test for Polls, Parties, and Politics
Readings
The War Room - 1993
Unit Links (Not Required)
None at present.