Day 14

Public Opinion: Polling

Learning Targets:  Students will be able to....

• Explain how public opinion data that can impact elections and policy debates is affected by such scientific polling types and methods as:
• Type of poll (opinion polls, benchmark or tracking polls, entrance and exit polls)
• Sampling techniques, identification of respondents, mass survey or focus group, sampling error
• Type and format of questions

• Describe the relationship between scientific polling and elections and policy debates is affected by the:
• Importance of public opinion as a source of political influence in a given election or policy debate
• Reliability and veracity of public opinion data

When people note that more and more voters are cutting their landline phones and that more and more people are refusing to pick up phone calls from numbers they don't know, they are identifying problems that the polling industry has long struggled with and continue to try to adapt to.

-Kristen Soltis Anderson, 35 year old conservative writer and journalist

Opener:  Quickwrite - 3 minutes

Physicians often make life or death decisions about medical treatment based on the testing of just a few drops of blood.  Politicians often pin their entire career ambitions based on the outcome of a survey of just 1,000 voters.  

What are two critical considerations in both of these scenarios when experts examine these samples?


Activity #1: Polling - Mini-lecture

• Polls
• Opinion Poll
• Tracking Poll
• Benchmark Poll
• Exit Poll
• Sampling
• Probability sampling is the basis for most survey research. 
• If selected correctly, a randomly selected small sample of a population of people can represent the attitudes, opinions, or projected behavior of all of the people.
• The fundamental goal of a survey is reliability (to come up with the same results that would have been obtained had every member of a population been interviewed)
• Sampling error
• Selecting a Random Sample
• Considerations of geography
• Rural, urban, suburban
• Methodology
• Random vs. Representative
• Mail, landline, cell phone, email, online advert to take poll
• Demographics - Compared to census data
• Age
• Education
• Occupation
• Income
• Race
• Gender
• Voter registration status

Activity #2: -  Pollin' Probs - Worktime

With a partner, analyze each of the following polling questions and identify any potential problem(s) with each. Record these problems or questions in your notebook.

1. A random anonymous telephone survey of 2,112 people asked, “Do you support or oppose the the President meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un?” The answer choices were support or oppose.

2. A survey of 1,229 people exiting a local Wal-Mart asked, “Do you approve or disapprove of how Congress is handling the economy?” The answer choices were approve or disapprove.

3. A random online survey of 850 people asked, “How likely are you to vote in the 2020 primary election?” The answer choices were very likely, likely, unlikely, not very likely.

4. An online survey of 1,273 people asked, “Do you approve or disapprove of the legalization of marijuana?” The answer choices were: approve, disapprove, no opinion

5. A random telephone survey of 1,333 people asked, “What should be done to improve healthcare?”

6. A mail-in survey of 1,266 people asked, “Which party to you more closely identify with?” The answer choices were: Democrat or Republican

7. A random telephone survey of 1,319 people asked, “Don’t you agree that police officers in Kansas City are underpaid?” The answer choices were: Agree, Disagree, No Opinion

8. A survey advertised on Instafacechatweet of 1,285 people asked, “Do you favor lowering the drinking age to 18?” The answer choices were: Strongly favor, Favor, No Opinion, Oppose, Strongly Oppose

9. A random telephone survey of 1470 people in Kansas City asked, “Do you support the return of voting rights to people convicted of violent felonies?” The answer choices were: Strongly support, Support, No Opinion, Oppose, Strongly Oppose.

10. An online poll asked people if the death penalty should be repealed. There were 2,385 responses. The answer choices were: Repeal the death penalty, Keep the death penalty

2B - https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ig48R_3M4yHilvJ2Jdb_lsjfRxysFNPycBllh8u70Uc/edit?usp=sharing
3B - 
4B - 
1A - 
2A - 
3A - 

Close - N-50 - Public Opinion

LD - Data collected to measure the political opinions of private citizens regarding events and issues that influence which issues government officials choose to address.
SD - 
Examples - 
Non-Examples - 
Related Terms - 

Day 13

Political Ideologies and Beliefs: Political Socialization

Learning Targets:  Students will be able to....

• Explain how the ideologies of the two major parties shape policy debates. 
• Explain how U.S. political culture (e.g., values, attitudes, and beliefs) influences the formation, goals, and implementation of public policy over time. 
• Describe different political ideologies regarding the role of government in regulating the marketplace. 

When people note that more and more voters are cutting their landline phones and that more and more people are refusing to pick up phone calls from numbers they don't know, they are identifying problems that the polling industry has long struggled with and continue to try to adapt to.

-Kristen Soltis Anderson, 35 year old conservative writer and journalist

Opener - Post yourself on the spectrum on the board!

Below are a series of issues. Take a minute and consider the each issue on the list and then place yourself in the appropriate quadrant by putting your post-it with your name written on it clearly on the political spectrum on the whiteboard.  We will work through these one at a time and then reset.

1. Environmental regulation
2. Public education
3. Healthcare
4. Immigration

Activity #1:  TIP-C+

Activity #2: Political Typologies Quiz - Think/Pair/Share

https://www.isidewith.com/political-quiz

or

https://www.people-press.org/quiz/political-party-quiz/

1.  Which question or questions did you feel failed to give you good options?  In other words, you didn't agree with either?

2.  Which words used in the quiz did you feel might be "unfair" or "biased"?  What word would you have used?

3.  Did the quiz ask more questions about "social" issues, or "government" issues?  In other words, was the quiz trying to determine your horizontal or vertical position on the spectrum we created in class last time?

Close: -  N-50 - Political Parties

LD - Political party is an organized group of people, often with common views, who come together to contest elections and hold power in the government. The party agrees on some proposed policies and programs, with a view to promoting the collective good or furthering their supporters' interests.

SD - 

Examples - Republican, Democrat, Green, Libertarian, Socialist?

Non-Examples - Interest Groups (NRA, AARP, etc.), PAC's, "Independents" 

Related terms - Elections, Primary, Caucus, Linkage Institutions, Conservative, Liberal, Moderate

Close - CPE

Day 12

Political Ideologies and Beliefs: Political Socialization

Learning Targets:  Students will be able to....

• Explain the relationship between core beliefs of U.S. citizens and attitudes about the role of government. 
• Explain how cultural factors influence political attitudes and socialization. 

We need to reject any politics that targets people because of race or religion. This isn't a matter of political correctness. It's a matter of understanding what makes us strong. The world respects us not just for our arsenal; it respects us for our diversity and our openness and the way we respect every faith.

     - Former President Barack Obama, State of the Union Address, 2016

Opener:  Below are the most common sources for the formation of political opinion.  Choose the 2 that you feel are/were the most influential in developing your political opinions and craft a an argument for why that might be.   Be sure to provide a line of reasoning for your claim that allows others to fully understand your thinking.  

• Peers
• Parents
• School/teachers
• Famous figure
• News Media
• Social Media
• Movies/shows
• Political Ads
• Other nation's policies

When you have finished, compare your list with your neighbor.  Make sure that you take the time to explain your top and bottom choices in your ranking to that person.

Activity #1: Statistical Analysis - TIP-C + M.C.

1.  Which of the following is a potential consequence of the trend present in the chart above?

     a.  Campaign fund raising will become less important in future elections as more voters turn to social media.
     b.  Social media platforms will likely be forced to comply with Federal Election Commission restrictions and              guidelines.
     c.  Younger voters will likely demonstrate an increased involvement in politics and elections compared to                  previous generations.
     d.  New forms of mass communication can influence how younger citizens choose to learn about and                      support candidates.

Activity #2: -  Political Socialization and Life Changes

Below are a list of common life events that can alter a person's political ideology.  Which 2 do you think are most likely to alter or change your thinking as you get older and your circumstances change?  Craft another argument and line of reasoning to explain your thinking.

• Graduating high school and/or college
• Receiving your first "real" paycheck
• Getting married
• Buying a home
• Having a child
• Inheriting wealth
• Financial strain
• Being a victim of a crime
• Retirement

Close - Student Current Event Analysis Presentations (CPE's)

Day 11

Political Ideologies and Beliefs: Political Socialization

Learning Targets:  Students will be able to....

• Explain the relationship between core beliefs of U.S. citizens and attitudes about the role of government. 
• Explain how cultural factors influence political attitudes and socialization. 

We need to reject any politics that targets people because of race or religion. This isn't a matter of political correctness. It's a matter of understanding what makes us strong. The world respects us not just for our arsenal; it respects us for our diversity and our openness and the way we respect every faith.

     - Former President Barack Obama, State of the Union Address, 2016

Opener:  ASAP in your notebook

As soon as any man says of the affairs of the State "What does it matter to me?" the State may be given up for lost. 
― From "The Social Contract" by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, an 18th century political philosopher


Activity #1: Political Ideology and Socialization Interview

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yPL6GCaNO3o0kDTJg81QdURJuKc28FoaGPQfsBlnoQE/edit?usp=sharing

Activity #2: -  Political Socialization - Quickwrite

In no more than 3-5 sentences, explain how expanding the right to vote to American citizens over the last 150 years has influenced how we form our political views.

• 15th Amendment - Granted all men the right to vote
• 17th Amendment - Direct election of Senators 
• 19th Amendment - Granted Women the right to vote
• 26th Amendment - Changed voting age to 18
• Voting Rights Act 1965 - Removed obstacles for voting (tests, taxes, etc)

Close - Student Current Event Analysis 

Day 10 - CR/CL Test Corrections!

Civil Liberties and Civil Rights

Learning Targets:  Students will be able to....

• Explain how the U.S. Constitution protects individual liberties and rights.
• Describe the rights protected in the Bill of Rights.
• Explain the extent to which the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the First and Second Amendments reflects a commitment to individual liberty.

Through the U.S. Constitution, but primarily through the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment, citizens and groups have attempted to limit national and state governments to prevent them from infringing upon individual rights and from denying equal protection under the law. 

However, it has sometimes been argued that these legal protections have been used to slow reforms and restrict freedoms of others in the name of social order.

Opener:  Pick up one of the test correction forms from the table in the front of the room.


Activity #1 -  Test Corrections

Remember that you can recover up to 50% of the points possible by completing the form.

Activity #2 - Reflective Questions

Before you leave today, make sure that you respond to the three questions below in your notebook:

1.  Which do you believe benefits society more, the limitations placed on government in the Bill or Rights, or the protections provided to citizens through civil rights legislation?  Explain.

2.  Describe a hypothetical scenario in the next 10 years in which the US government might have a legitimate and compelling interest in limiting a citizens protections under the Bill of Rights.

3.  Match each of the following legislative acts to the portion of the preamble that it might accomplish.

• Civil Rights Act of 1964
• Espionage Act of 1917 (Schenck)
• Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
• Patriot Act

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Close:  N-50 - Enfranchisement

LD:

SD:

Examples:

Non-Examples

Related terms

Day 6 - To make up for lost time, we've gotta get to work ASAP!

Civil Liberties and Civil Rights

Learning Targets:  Students will be able to....

• Explain how the U.S. Constitution protects individual liberties and rights.
• Describe the rights protected in the Bill of Rights.
• Explain the extent to which the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the First and Second Amendments reflects a commitment to individual liberty.

Through the U.S. Constitution, but primarily through the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment, citizens and groups have attempted to limit national and state governments to prevent them from infringing upon individual rights and from denying equal protection under the law. 

However, it has sometimes been argued that these legal protections have been used to slow reforms and restrict freedoms of others in the name of social order.

Opener:  ASAP

No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

• 14th Amendment - Ratified in 1868

Activity #1 -  Civil Rights Mini-Lecture

• Reconstruction and Jim Crow
• Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
• Does segregation violate the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment?
• Homer Plessy purchased a ticket for, and sat in, a rail car reserved for white passengers
• Court found segregation constitutional
• Establishes "separate but equal" standard
• Brown v. Board of Ed (1954)
• Can "separate" be "equal"?
• Segregated Schools
• Plessy reversed
• Separate is inherently unequal 

• Suffrage and Civil Disobedience
• Boycotts, sit-ins, marches
• Focus on peaceful demonstration and use of the media 
• Montgomery Bus Boycott, March on Washington, Birmingham 

• Civil Rights Legislation 
• The Civil Rights Act of 1964
• Makes discrimination in any place of "public accommodation" illegal
• Private clubs and organizations not included
• Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972
• Focus on equality for women in education and athletics 
• The Voting Rights Act of 1965
• Removes any obstacles and requirements designed to discourage voting

Activity #2 - Create a timeline in your notebook that correctly orders the following events.

• Slavery is abolished
• Voting age changed to 18
• Women granted the right to vote
• Brown v. Board of Education
• 14th Amendment
• Civil Rights Act of 1964

Activity #3 - Scenarios - Which of the civil rights acts or precedents that we have discussed, if any, are being violated in the scenarios below?

1. A local chapter of the boy scouts refuse the admission of girls.
2. A private catholic school refuses to admit a Protestant student.
3. Two boys decide to try out for the girl's volleyball team.
4. An owner of a chain of Cuban restaurants will only hire Cuban chefs.
5. Congress passes a bill that requires Selective Service registration to vote.
6. Clay county requires a paid property tax receipt for voter registration.

Close:  Student CWE presentations

Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Day 5 - Supreme Court Simulation Prep Part II - B day ONLY

"Being on the Supreme Court is rather like taking the veil; you just sit there and try to get the right answer as other people argue in front of you. It's not nearly as exhilarating as the Executive Branch."

--Justice Antonin Scalia at Columbus Citizens Foundation dinner, Oct. 8, 2005

Learning Targets:  Students will be able to....

• Explain the principle of judicial review and how it checks the power of other institutions and state governments.
• Explain how the exercise of judicial review in conjunction with life tenure can lead to debate about the legitimacy of the Supreme Court’s power.
• Explain how other branches in the government can limit the Supreme Court’s power. 

Opener:  Is the execution of a minor a violation of the 8th amendment's prohibition of "cruel and unusual" punishments?

Activity #1: Case Prep and Mock Trial

Today we will prep and conduct trials for both of the cases below.  Each student will have 30 minutes to PERP both cases and prepare for their specific roles

Korematsu v US
Engle v Vitale


Activity #2:  Simulation Prep  and Execution

• Attorney - Prepare a 3-5 minute argument for the court on behalf of your client
• Remember that this is a legal argument that draws from the Constitution and amendments.
• Justices - Prepare questions to ask to the attorneys
• The purpose here is to be able to ask clarifying questions to the attorney's during the hearing.
• Court Reporters - Prepare a template for your brief article that you will write following the case
• It's going to happen fast and having a sound method for how to quickly organize and record arguments and comments will be key.

Close:  CPE

Day 5 - Supreme Court Simulation Prep Part II - B day ONLY

"Being on the Supreme Court is rather like taking the veil; you just sit there and try to get the right answer as other people argue in front of you. It's not nearly as exhilarating as the Executive Branch."

--Justice Antonin Scalia at Columbus Citizens Foundation dinner, Oct. 8, 2005

Learning Targets:  Students will be able to....

• Explain the principle of judicial review and how it checks the power of other institutions and state governments.
• Explain how the exercise of judicial review in conjunction with life tenure can lead to debate about the legitimacy of the Supreme Court’s power.
• Explain how other branches in the government can limit the Supreme Court’s power. 

Opener:  2 Questions

Is the execution of a minor a violation of the 8th amendment's prohibition of "cruel and unusual" punishments?

How is the decision reached in Schenck v US similar to the case of Korematsu v US (detainment of Japanese American citizens)?

Activity #1: Case Prep and Mock Trial

Today we will prep and conduct trials for both of the cases below.  Each student will have 30 minutes to PERP both cases and prepare for their specific roles

NYT v US
Engle v Vitale

Activity #2:  Simulation Prep  and Execution

• Attorney - Prepare a 3-5 minute argument for the court on behalf of your client
• Remember that this is a legal argument that draws from the Constitution and amendments.
• Justices - Prepare questions to ask to the attorneys
• The purpose here is to be able to ask clarifying questions to the attorney's during the hearing.
• Court Reporters - Prepare a template for your brief article that you will write following the case
• It's going to happen fast and having a sound method for how to quickly organize and record arguments and comments will be key.

Close:  CPE