Government 2306

Course-Level Student Learning Outcomes (SLO)

For all Assessments, the following general requirements hold:

(1) Assignments should be 2-3 double-spaced pages, with reasonable (12 pt.) font and reasonable (1 inch) margins.

(2) Citations to the material and in-text citations are required(MLA style).

(3) Assignments should be turned into eCampus (for the collection of artifacts for scoring).

Assignment One:

Why not you?  Why not now? 

For this project, you will hypothetically be running for office.  Choose whether you would like to run for the Texas House of Representatives OR the Texas State Senate.  We will be doing the project in chunks, as we cover the material in class, so tasks may be assigned out of sequence.

Preparing to run: SLO #1

1.  Know your district.  Go to:  http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/Home.aspx, and discover the district number, and who represents you in the Texas house or state senate. Which political party is your state house/state senate representative affiliated with? (if you choose to run as a House or Senate representative, check the district that you want to run for.)
2. Go to your current representative’s page, and look at the district analysis documents.
   1. What does your district look like (in terms of population, age, education, employment, election results)?
   2. What issues arise based on the district’s demographics (this will help you think about your platform)
   3. Is your district gerrymandered? http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/Info.aspx?rpts=maps

Your Platform, and Party Politics: (you have to take both surveys!)

1. Know yourself.  Take these surveys to identify your political leanings:
   1. http://www.people-press.org/quiz/political-party-quiz/ (Political party quiz)
   2. http://www.people-press.org/quiz/political-typology/  (Ideology quiz)
   3. Submit screenshots of your results (both surveys). Explain your results.  What do they say about you?
2. Given your results, and your previous district analysis research, what is your platform?  Choose at least 3 issue stands to develop.
3. Compare your issue stands with the official party platforms of your party:
   1. Texas Democratic Party platform:http://www.txdemocrats.org/our-party/texas-democratic-party-platform/ 
   2. Texas Republican Party platform: https://www.texasgop.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/PERM-PLATFORM.pdf
   3. Where do your ideas align with the party?
   4. Where do your ideas diverge from the party?