POT 3302 Fall 2024

BEFORE COURSE PERCEPTION OF IDEOLOGIES

INTRODUCTION

Recall that the federal government now requires the submission of a very early exercise at the start of the semester to guarantee students’ active presence in the class and disburse financial aid.

The instructor is attempting to transform this requirement into a pedagogically meaningful exercise by (1) having students articulate a statement of their knowledge or perception of the subject matter before taking the course, followed at the end of the semester by (2) a statement of their knowledge or perception after taking the course. In this manner, it is hoped that students can reflect on what they have learned and what they would now like to learn in the future about the subject matter.

NOTE: Please complete this BEFORE exercise before opening the textbook. There is no right or wrong answer to this exercise. But do try to briefly articulate everything you already know about modern political ideologies.

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QUESTIONS TO ADDRESS in the BEFORE COURSE SUBMISSION

Take a minimum of 300 words (in total) to answer the questions below.

Separate and identify your answers with the corresponding question numbers (Q1, Q2, etc.).

There are no right or wrong answers to these questions. Simply answer the best you can without looking at the textbook.

It is important to do this assignment BEFORE reading the textbook. It is meant to have students articulate what they perceive or know about ideologies before they take the course. At the end of the semester, students will compare their understanding of ideologies with what it was at the start of the semester and take a measure of what they have learned.

BEFORE COURSE QUESTIONS

Q-1: Name and briefly describe as many modern political ideologies as you can and associate a political figure or a known personality to each of these ideologies.

Q-2: Do you identify with any of the ideologies you listed above? If so, why? If not, why?

Q-3: In your view, does having a strong commitment to a single political ideology help or hinder a person in gaining a good understanding of political issues and their possible solutions.

Q-4: In your view, is the deep partisan polarization observed today in American politics the consequence of sharp ideological disagreements among the general population? Or is it the consequence of other social forces and, if so, which ones? Explain or justify your answer.