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Assignment | Political Typology Beyond Red vs. Blue (Plank): Getting Started

GOVT 2305 | Prof. Matt Plank (Fall 2023)

The Assignment (Research Portion)

Your Goals

  • 7-9 pages total (7 pages minimum; 12 pages max)
  • MLA citations
  • Copy of your own political typology report (first page only)
    • Discuss: pick 6+ issues and explain how they connect to you
  • Assign 3 politicians of your choosing (from the list!) to a political typology. Give at least 6 examples (based on your research) of their stances to justify your choice.

Choose any 3 of the politicians listed in your assignment. Classify each into a SEPARATE, SINGLE typology. Explain, using examples from your research, why you chose the group that you did for each individual -- what policies have they supported? how do they tend to vote?

 

Read More About the Types

 

Pro-Tip! Research Tip!

These typology labels aren't universal. Focus your research on your selected politicians as liberal/progressive or conservative, and then make the connection to the above typology yourself. 

  1. What are the key facets (characteristics) of each type?
  2. What broader issues relate to those facets? (Environment? Crime?)
  3. How does your politician tend to vote on those key issues? 
    1. This is where you're going to have research a little more broadly on their leanings.
  4. Now, connect that stance on those issues back to one of the eight types. Your paper will revolve around justifying the connection you've made.

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