Political Ideology
What is your political ideology and why (where’d it come from?)? Points: 20 Objective: To identify your current political ideology and reflect upon your own political socialization Length: Approximately 2 pages (12-point font, double spaced) Grading: You will be graded on full completion of the assignment below. I’m asking you to think critically about your own political ideology and socialization. You should reference and define relevant terms when necessary (political socialization, agents of socialization, politics, etc). Grading will also take into account quality of your work (length, spelling/grammar and effort). Assignment Take the Political Typology test found here: https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/quiz/political-typology/ Note: Pew’s study/quiz is of their own making. They use the phrase typology instead of ideology to highlight the fact that they are identifying broad categories of political thinking rather than specific ideology. Like all academic enterprises, their methodology and results are up for debate. Please take note that Pew MADE UP these typologies to help classify and sort people based on their political lens. Read your results carefully (I recommend printing them) and complete a 2-page reflection on the following: Part 1: Reflect on the findings of the political typology test. Summarize the findings – what typology was assigned to you? What does it mean? Are you surprised or does this confirm what you already knew? What are some interesting insights? Big takeaways? Do you agree with all of it or do you see areas where you feel oversimplified? Part 2: How has your political ideology been affected by your political socialization? (See lecture notes and reading). What factors have had the greatest effect on your political attitudes and opinions? Explain why the factors you identified are important. Think about: family upbringing, education, media influences, major events in your life, peer groups, geography, religion, etc. How will your knowledge of your own socialization impact how you listen and interact in this class with those that see things from a different perspectives? Important Note from me (read before starting the assignment): It does not matter to me what your politics are. The focus of this class, in addition to learning “stuff”, is about analysis, critical thinking, comparing and contrasting ideas, and self reflection. No one will be graded based on their ideas. You will be graded on supporting your ideas with evidence, presenting them in an organized way, demonstrating that you’ve learned the material, and your ability to be presented with competing/new ideas and information, and allowing this to “complicate” your thinking. It is ok to change your mind. It is ok to question or disagree with others. Here are some examples of what I’m talking about where I contrast good analysis with opinion:
