Caf Walk Review Stations

Station 1) Political Spectrum and Socialization

L.T. I can describe my political ideology and why I believe that way
Task: Political Socialization Factors: Place each member of your group
on the provided Political Spectrum. Next, in a bubble on the paper, your
group needs to list someone or something that can influence your political
socialization and how it works (influence factor). Each group must list a
different influencing factor than any other group. Make sure you write
down what effects this influencing factor has on you.

Station 2) Public Opinion/Policy

L.T. I can understand how public opinion is expressed through polling
and policy
Task: Policy from Polls: Using the public opinion polls available, discuss
the findings of the one of the polls with your group and come up with a
policy (law) that could effectively address the publics majority opinion. Be
creative in your policy! Write your policy in a bubble on the paper.

Station 3) Demographics
L.T. I can understand how public opinion expressed through polls and
policy
Task: U.S. Voting Demographics: First Group draw a large map of the
United States and label an area of demographic importance. Be specific in
your demographic group and label why this group is important for
Presidential candidates to win and which way they might likely
vote. Each following group label another demographic group and who they
might vote for and why.

Station 4) Political Parties

(Web Research Allowed)

L.T. I can describe 3 roles of political parties

Task: What do Political Parties Do: As a group, read over the roles of
political parties and discuss and write a summary addressing the following
prompts: whether or not the major political parties are doing a good job in
performing their roles in the current election cycle. Also consider and
address whether or not political parties are losing power to influence voters,
and if so how?

Station 5) Platforms
L.T. I can name and understand 3 platform issues for both of the main
political parties
Task: Republican, Democrat Platform Stances: Have your group write
down 2 platform issue stances for EACH political party (Rep, Dem).
Issue stances must be detailed. Your group can add to other stances
written by other groups, or add more specifics to clarify the position.

Station 6) Interest Groups

L.T. I can name and understand 3 ways Interest Groups influence
public policy
Task: Create an Interest Group and Lobby: Each Group creates an
interest group (name of group on paper and select a lobbyist from your
group) and list a stance on any issue of national importance AND a way in
which their group could lobby a congress member (donate to campaign,
hunting trips, trips to Hawaii). Be specific in how you would lobby
congress.

Station 7) Campaign Finance Reform

L.T. Is money free speech? Is money in politics good or bad for our
democracy?
Task: Citizens United Written Debate: Read as a group the provided
summary of Citizens United. Discuss the result of this decision on our
elections and society as a group. Check the box yes or no if you agree that
Citizens United is good for our democracy. Then write a short opinion of why
your group thinks Citizens United was good or bad for our form of
democracy. Each following Group needs to read the opinion of the groups
before them and add their own opinion, building off of what was said before.

Station 8) Media
L.T. I can detect and define Structural and Ideological bias in mass
media
Task: Cartoon TV Pundit Debate: First Group, draw a cartoon of 3 TV
pundits (talking heads) and label each corporate bias, liberal bias, and
conservative bias. The cartoon should depict the three pundits debating
on a TV news program. Group one starts the conversation off between the
pundits by writing a text blurb out of one of their mouths arguing the
Conservative stance on Campaign Finance Reform. Each following group
adds to the conversation between the pundits by adding 2 text blurbs from
two of the other pundits. Lets see how far this goes!

Station 9) Campaign Ads

L.T. I can Identify and describe 3 persuasive techniques used in
campaign ads
Task: Create a campaign commercial storyboard: First Group selects a
persuasive technique and creates two storyboard boxes (panels) for any
current presidential candidate. Each following group discusses the

storyboard prior to theirs and uses a DIFFERENT persuasive technique to

add two more storyboard boxes illustrating their persuasive technique. The
goal is to get one solid storyboard that could be used for a campaign
commercial. Lets see how far we can go!

Citizens United Summary

The Supreme Court overruled Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce and
portions of McConnell v. FEC. (In the prior cases, the Court had held that
political speech may be banned based on the speaker's corporate
identity.) By a 5-to-4 vote along ideological lines, the majority held that
under the First Amendment corporate funding of independent
political broadcasts in candidate elections cannot be limited. The
majority maintained that political speech is indispensable to a democracy,
which is no less true because the speech comes from a corporation. The
majority also held that the BCRA's disclosure requirements as applied to
Hillary Clinton; The Movie were constitutional, reasoning that disclosure is
justified by a "governmental interest" in providing the "electorate with
information" about election-related spending resources. The Court also
upheld the disclosure requirements for political advertising sponsors and it
upheld the ban on direct contributions to candidates from corporations and
unions.

Gallup Poll. Feb. 3-7, 2016. N=1,021 adults nationwide. Margin of error 4.

"Next, I'd like your overall opinion of some foreign countries. What is your overall opinion of
Syria? Is it very favorable, mostly favorable, mostly unfavorable, or very unfavorable?"

2/3-7/16

2/8-11/15

Favorable
%

Unfavorable
%

No opinion
%

12

80

14

74

11

"Next, I am going to read you a list of possible threats to the vital interests of the United
States in the next 10 years. For each one, please tell me if you see this as a critical threat, an
important but not critical threat, or not an important threat at all. The conflict in Syria."

2/3-7/16

Critical
%

Important
%

Not
important
%

Unsure
%

58

32

"Based on what you know or have read, do you think the U.S. military should be more
involved in Syria than it is now, is its involvement about right, or should the U.S. military be
less involved in Syria than it is now?" Options rotated

2/3-7/16

More
involved
%

Involvement
about right
%

Less
involved
%

Unsure
%

34

29

30

CBS News Poll. March 11-15, 2016. N=1,022 adults nationwide. Margin of error 3.

"Overall, in its efforts to fight terrorism, do you think the U.S. government has gone too far
in infringing on people's privacy, or has it not gone far enough, or has the balance been
about right?"

Too far
%

Not far
enough
%

Balance
about right
%

Unsure/
No answer
%

3/11-15/16

26

26

40

2/19-23/14

45

10

42

1/17-21/14

41

12

43

11/15-18/13

43

10

42

6/9-10/13

36

13

46

Bloomberg Politics Poll conducted by Selzer & Company. March 19-22, 2016. N=1,000 adults
nationwide. Margin of error 3.1.

"Which is closer to your view on the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare? It is
working relatively well, and it needs some fixes to be better. It is fatally flawed and should
be repealed and replaced."

3/19-22/16

It needs
some fixes
%

It should
be replaced
%

Unsure
%

50

46

CBS News/New York Times Poll. Jan. 7-10, 2016. N=1,276 adults nationwide. Margin of error 3.

"In general, do you think laws covering the sale of guns should be made more strict, less
strict, or kept as they are now?"
6/13 & earlier: "In general, do you think gun control laws should be made more strict, less strict, or kept as they are now?"

More
strict
%

Less
strict
%

Kept as
they are
%

Unsure/
No answer
%

1/7-10/16

57

10

30

Republicans

36

14

47

Democrats

82

12

Independents

53

11

31

"Do you favor or oppose a federal law requiring background checks on all potential gun
buyers?"

Favor
%

Oppose
%

Unsure/
No answer
%

1/7-10/16

88

10

Republicans

85

12

Democrats

97

Independents

84

12

Roles of Political Parties (what they do)

Political parties perform key tasks in a democratic society, such as

1. Soliciting and articulating public policy priorities and civic needs and problems as
identified by members and supporters
2. socializing and educating voters and citizens in the functioning of the political and
electoral system and the generation of general political values
3. balancing opposing demands and converting them into general policies
4. Activating and mobilizing citizens into participating in political decisions and
transforming their opinions into viable policy options
5. Channeling public opinion from citizens to government
6. Recruiting and training candidates for public office