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).

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?

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Program-Level Outcome 1: Communication Skills – to include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication

1. Written: Process and produce effective written communication adapted to the audience, purpose, and time constraints.

4. Listening: Comprehend, and analyze oral information.

Program-Level Outcome 2: Critical Thinking Skills – to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information

Program-Level Outcome 5: Personal Responsibility – to include the ability to connect choices, actions, and consequences to ethical decision-making

Program-Level Outcome 6: Social Responsibility – to include intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities

Course-Level Objectives met with this assignment:

3. Describe separation of powers and checks and balances in both theory and practice in

4. Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of Texas government

5. Evaluate the role of public opinion, interest groups, and political parties in Texas.

7. Identify the rights and responsibilities of citizens.

8. Analyze issues, policies and political culture of Texas.