Name__________________________

Political Beliefs and Behaviors Unit Assessment Totally 10

Directions: You may choose questions from any category to score a total of 10. You may pick no
more than two questions from the Score 2 section. Make sure you staple all work together
with this sheet and label the questions you answered (example: Score 4, #2).
Assessment will be scored on a 50 point scale
Score 2:
1.) List 5 political socialization factors and explain in a complete sentence how each factor
influences a citizens political ideology.
2.) Define structural bias and ideological bias and write a sentence that illustrates an example
of each bias in mass media.
3.) Draw the state of Colorado and label voting demographics areas using these four
demographic groups: aging white farming, college towns, military bases, urban centers. Along
with labeling these areas, describe how each demographic area generally votes in elections
why.
4.) Draw a campaign flyer or poster for a current presidential candidate using at least 3
persuasive techniques. Label the persuasive techniques with arrows. Be as detailed and creative
in your poster as you can.
5.) Name 3 actual platform stances for both the Democrat and Republican party. Each stance
must be accurate, detailed and concise.
Score 4:
1.) Create 3 poll questions based on any issue you find important to the nation. One question
should show Liberal bias, one should show Conservative bias and one should be show limited or
no bias.
2.) Draw and Label the Iron Triangle. Label how influence is moved between each corner of
the triangle. You must label all six arrows of influence. You must use an example interest group
(Sierra Club, NRA, AARP, etc)
3.) Create a timeline of how a public opinion poll could translate into policymakers creating a
law. Come up with an issue poll and its results, then create a timeline of what occurs between
the public opinion of that issue and the creation of a law to address that issue. You may use any
issue you choose. Be specific in what each step of the process might look like.
Score 6:
1.) Create a storyboard of a Presidential campaign speech with 6 slides that illustrates at least 4
different persuasive techniques used in political speeches. Each persuasion technique should
be labeled underneath the slide it is illustrated in. Your storyboard must have a current
presidential candidate addressing a crowd and speaking on issues important to them with full
dialog of the speech.
2.) Write a policy or bill that would regulate or deregulate Campaign Finance based on where
campaign finance reform stands currently. Assume the role of a policymaker and craft your
legislation based around the ideas that money=free speech and corporations are people.
Your policy must be a paragraph in length and be supported by solid rationale.
3.) Write 2 paragraphs that describes what Interest Group and a Political Party do and how they
are different from each other.
Score 8:
1.) Using one of the two campaign speeches provided, write a summary of the persuasion
techniques used by the speaker. First, underline and label all of the persuasion techniques used
in either speech (there are at least 4 different techniques used in either speech). Second, write a
summary of why that candidate might have used those persuasion techniques and your opinion
of the effectiveness of the persuasion techniques on the target audience. Summary needs to be
half a page or more with proper structure, spelling and grammar.
2.) Write an opinion article for a newspaper that illustrates your personal stance on this
question: is there too much money in political elections? Your opinion article must include 5
events in the history of campaign finance reform (court cases, acts or law) and how they have
influenced your opinion of our campaign finance system. Your article should be at least one page
in length with proper structure, spelling and grammar.

3.) Write an analysis of mass media in politics. Address the question, is mass media living up to
its many roles in politics? You must use 8 or the 12 terms from this list in your analysis:
Watchdog Journalism, Attack Journalism, Pack Journalism, Yellow Journalism (sensationalism),
Partisan Journalism, Spin, Gate Keeping, Ideological and Structural Bias, Agenda Setting,
Common Carrier, Trial Balloon. Your analysis should be well structured and be at least a page in
length with proper spelling and grammar.