Program-Level Objectives
Program-Level Objectives met with this assignment:
- Critical Thinking Skills
- Personal Responsibility
- Social Responsibility
- Communication
Course-Level Objectives met with this assignment:
- Explain the origin and development of constitutional democracy in the United States.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the federal system.
- Describe separation of powers and checks and balances in both theory and practice.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the federal government.
- Evaluate the role of public opinion, interest groups, and political parties in the political system.
- Describe the rights and responsibilities of citizens
- Analyze issues and policies in U.S. politics
SLO #2: Social Media and the USA Presidency. 70% of students will successfully research and evaluate how the office of the President and Vice President uses social media as a platform for their agendas. [ SLO #2 fulfills the following Program Level Outcomes: Communication, Critical Thinking, Social and Personal Responsibility, as well as the following Course Level Outcomes: 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8.]
Activity for assessment:
Is Social Media a good forum for elected leaders? How should they best communicate with the public? You’ll evaluate the President and Vice President on their use of Twitter and Facebook to implement their agendas.
- Read the Pew Charitable Trust article (http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2014/10/17/officials-urged-take-care-with-social-media) and develop a list of best practices for elected leaders’ use of social media.
- Spend two weeks (select a 14-day period, and be sure to state the dates in your paper) with the President and Vice President as they utilize social media:
Donald Trump:
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump
https://www.facebook.com/POTUS/
Mike Pence:
https://twitter.com/mike_pence
https://www.facebook.com/VicePresidentPence/
- What message or agenda are each conveying to “followers?” Discuss three (3) themes for each official. (for example: economy, environment, guns)
- Are they consistent with what’s on their “official” government pages?
(*to follow up on more specific information associated with each individual, place your browser arrow over ‘The Administration’ tab and you should have the separate offices drop down*)
5. Do these elected leaders have any more personal or social responsibility to the citizens and residents of the USA than the average Facebook or Twitter user? Why?
6. If you were the social media advisor to each man, what would suggest for each? Based upon your “best practices,” are they doing it right? What can each do to try to reach out beyond their base of supporters/followers?
7. How would you distinguish between what is truth v what are lies?
This assignment must follow MLA guidelines, be typed in Times New Roman, 12 pt. font, and be a minimum of 1000 words with a works cited page. The works cited are not included in the minimum word count. Any articles given in the assignment prompt MUST be cited in your works cited. You may also use other sources, but these are the minimum required. Without all of them, your paper is a 0.
