LibGuides: POL 120: American Government: Assignment

Visual Project Assignment

Changes in the United States that impact policy
- For this choice, students are to find 6 changes that are occurring in the United States in 2016 that impact how the government makes decisions about law and budget. In the first section of the class, General Terms, we discussed several of these changes. The visual should use pictures that show the change and how it impacts policy. If a student chooses aging a picture of a senior citizen is not enough to express how aging impacts policy. The student would need more visuals to show this impact.
Security vs. Liberty
- http://www.pbs.org...
- On this website, there are 4 videos and 3 stories about liberty and security. Each one shows advantages and disadvantages for favoring one over the other. Your visual project should show two reasons why security is more important and 2 reasons why liberty is more important. The picture must be carefully chosen to illustrate what the student is trying to say about each topic.
Interest Groups
- Select an interest group. There are bunches listed at this URL. After choosing an interest group, create a visual that answers the following questions.
  - What is your interest group?
  - Where is the interest group based?
  - Who is the current President of the group?
  - When, where and why was it founded? Who founded it?
  - What is the purpose, issue of your interest group?
  - How many members does your interest group have?
  - What does the interest group do for its members (members services)?
  - What issues does it support? How does it justify (defend) that position?
  - What issues does it oppose? How does it justify (defend) that position?
  - What legislation has it supported and opposed in recent years?
  - What presidential candidates has it endorsed, if any?
  - What presidential candidates has it donated money to? How much?
The New President
- Create a visual that illustrates the new President's position on the following 6 topics:
  - Gun Control
  - Immigration
  - How to best boost the economy
  - Climate Change
  - Same Sex Marriage
  - Healthcare
- The student should carefully choose pictures that illustrate the views on these topics.
Presidential Ads
- http://livingroomcanidate.org
- For this choice, students should click on the above link. To the left side is a list of years. This site shows presidential ads from 1952 to 2012. Click on the year and the candidates the ads will pop up for viewing. Select one set of ads from the 1960s, the 1970s, the 1980s, the 1990s, and the 2000s. Prepare a visual that illustrates the general tone of each decade and how the ads change from decade to decade. Analyze the ads; this is not a discussion of what the ads say, but how it is said and the visual that are used.
President Obama Timeline
- President Barak Obama became president in January 2009. This choice requires the student to create a visual that starts with his inauguration and concludes with January 2016. The student should include visuals that represent his success and failures in domestic and foreign policy. There should also be visuals that represent a few personal things about the president. There should be a minimum of 25 entries on the timeline.

This project must be a visual illustration of the topic. It can be a PowerPoint, Prezi, YouTube video, website, or a poster. If another presentation method is chosen, it must be first approved by the professor!
The visual is not a shortened essay. The pictures that are chosen should illustrate the points that are being made about the topic.
The choice of pictures is VERY important to this project!
Creativity should play a role in this project. A PowerPoint with a white background is not very creative for example.
A work cited page is mandatory. It can be placed anywhere on the project.
There is not a minimum number of slides or pictures, bu the student will be graded on how thoroughly the topic is covered. 5 slide will not get the job done.
The student is encouraged to use Study Rooms in the Rose Library.
The due date will be announced in class.