Unit 7: Public Opinion and Political Participation

Learning Targets:

1. Trace the development of modern public opinion research
2. Describe the methods for conducting and analyzing different types of public opinion polls
3. Assess the potential shortcomings of polling
4. Analyze the process by which people form political opinions
5. Evaluate the effects of public opinion on politics

Resources and Assignments:

• Unit 7 Terms

Chapter 11: Public Opinion and Political Socialization

• PPT Ch. 11: Public Opinion and Political Socialization

Chapter 13: Elections and Voting

• PPT: Elections and the Electoral College
  • Elections That Broke the Rules Questions
  • Reform Options for the Electoral College
  • Electoral College Debate: Informational Poster (for reference)
  • Electoral College Pros and Cons
  • Electoral College Debate/Essay (due February 5th)
• PPT: Political Participation and Voting
  • Wisconsin's Voting History
  • Trends in Voter Turnout Questions
  • Trends in Voter Turnout Graphs

Political Participation Questions: Demographics' Affect on Voting Behaviors and Voter Turnout

Chapter 14: The Campaign Process

• PPT: Political Campaigns
• PPT: Reaching Voters

Chapter 15: The News Media

• PPT Ch. 15: The News Media
• Beware of Bias: Analyzing Misleading Graphs
• Evolution of the News Media Questions
• Media Research Project (due March 2nd)
• These 6 Corporations Control 90% of the Media in America

Review:

• Review: Unit 7 - Public Opinion and Political Participation