Description
There are four analysis papers throughout the quarter. Each paper poses a number of specific questions, which will vary from paper to paper and reflect our current class focus. The prompts will be posted to the assignment website. The papers will vary slightly in length given that the prompts will differ. Most papers will run about 6-10 pages. There are usually 6 questions per paper and each question takes about a page or so to answer. Each question includes a detailed rubric for scoring. Please read these to know exactly what is being asked of your answer.
Citation/format
You should follow APA guidelines for citation and formatting practices. Please review the student conduct code (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.) regarding plagiarism before submitting your work, as any assignments that evidence academic misconduct will receive a grade of 0.0. Be careful about sharing your ideas or drafts with others, as all parties involved in a plagiarism case will receive no credit.
Questions
- Summarize Farah’s first chapter from No debate: How the Republican and Democratic parties secretly control the presidential debates. Each section of the chapter should get a few sentences. Conclude with a paragraph explaining why you agree or disagree with Farah’s conclusion, “The result of CPD sponsorship is major party candidates discussing their favorite issues in an entirely scripted manner. This not only makes for three hours of disappointing television, it causes widespread damage to our democratic process.”
- Find a public opinion poll published within the past few months. You can find these anywhere, but https://www.pewresearch.org/ (Links to an external site.) is pretty good about letting to see the methodology. Address the following issues.
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Identify who ran the poll.
Describe the poll’s questions and provide a link.
Describe the sample (probability/nonprobability, sample size, etc.). What population was the poll trying to draw conclusions about?
Explain what a margin of error is in general and identify the margin of error for this poll.
Explain what the confidence level is in general and identify the confidence level for this poll.
Render a judgment. Based on the above issues, is this a good poll? - Identify an example of online misinformation or disinformation. In your answer, describe the mis/disinformation and provide a link. Next, using the tools from Mike Caudield’s SIFT site and/or the France24 video clip, explain how/why the post is an example of mis/disinformation.
- The “actual malice” standard that the US uses to determine defamation has come under fire recently. This summer, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to take a defamation case, despite some Justices wanting to take on the case. Here’s a short article explaining the basics of the case. (Links to an external site.) Your answer should explain what defamation is and why public officials need to show actual malice. Next, explain why the “War Dogs” case fits into the existing definition. Finally, explain why you agree/disagree with Justices Thomas and Gorsuch’s calls to change the “actual malice” standard.
- Explain what the FCC is and what they do. Explain what the Fairness Doctrine was and how the FCC operated in the public interest to administer the Fairness Doctrine. Finally, do you think the US federal government should establish a new Fairness Doctrine? Why or why not?
Sample Solution