Paper One Assignment 150 Analyzing A Political Ca

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Paper One Assignment 150 Analyzing A Political Ca

Paper One Assignment

150 Points

Technical Requirements:

3-4 pages

12-point, Times New Roman Font

One-inch margins

Citations for all information beyond common knowledge

Objects of analysis may simply be described in the text (e.g., “In an advertisement titled ______, the campaign claimed …)

APA-style Bibliography and in-text citations

Grammar, spelling and syntax should reflect college-level work

Topic must be approved at least one week before the due date

Overview

You will be analyzing a political campaign.You may analyze a presidential, congressional campaign (U.S. House of Representatives or U.S. Senate,) or a Gubernatorial campaign.Your analysis should be organized around an argument about persuasion.That is, you should offer a thesis in the introduction and support it in the analysis.Your analysis should be based on official messages from the campaign: Web site, television advertisements, Email messages, social media, yard signs, television interviews, etc.

Here are some examples of acceptable arguments:

Candidate X’s campaign was focused on image, rather than substance.

Candidate Z has run an ethical campaign.

Candidate B has attempted to turn his inexperience into an advantage.

Getting Started

I would suggest you start by visiting the candidate’s official campaign Web site.It might also be beneficial to subscribe to the candidate’s social media sites and email lists.

Structure of the Essay

Introduction (no more than one page)

Set the scene by explaining the candidate’s background.Has she/he held office before?What type of degrees does she/he hold?How does the candidate explain why she/he is running for office?

You should also preview what sorts of communication you will be analyzing.

Finally, you should state your argument.

Analysis (no more than two pages)

This is where you prove your argument.The analysis should draw upon concepts discussed in class and/or the textbook.To make the analysis easier, I suggest one of these two formats:

  • The narrow approach: Focus on one type of media, such as television commercials.You would then analyze a few examples that support your argument
  • The broad approach: The focus is on the overall campaign.Each of your main points could be related to a different type of media used by the campaign.Again, the examples you analyze should support your argument.

Feel free to include quotations and vivid descriptions that help make your case.

Conclusion (no more than one page)

Briefly summarize your analysis.You should then offer your own insights about the political campaign process.For example, you might address some of the following questions:

  • What did you learn about politics while researching this paper?
  • Has your view of political communication changed?For the better?For the worse?
  • Are political campaigns good for democracy?Why or why not?
  • Should any aspects of political campaigns be changed?