What is your political ideology and why (where’d it come from?)?Objective:To identify your current political ideology and reflect upon your own political socialization

Length: Approximately2 pages (12-point font, double spaced)

Grading:You will be graded on full completion of the assignmentbelow. I’m asking you to think critically about your own political ideology and socialization. You should reference and define relevant terms when necessary (political socialization, agents of socialization, politics, etc). Grading will also take into account quality of your work (length, spelling/grammar and effort).

Assignment

• Take the “Political Typology” test found here: http://www.people-press.org/quiz/political-typology/
  • Note: Pew’s study/quiz is of their own making. They use the phrasetypology instead of ideology to highlight the fact that they are identifying broad categories of political thinking rather than specific ideology. Like all academic enterprises, their methodology and results are up for debate. Please take note that Pew MADE UP these typologies to help classify and sort people based on their political lens.
• Read your results carefully (I recommend printing them) and complete a 2-page reflection on the following:
  1. Part 1: Reflect on the findings of the political typology test.
     • Summarize the findings – what typology was assigned to you? What does it mean?
     • Are you surprised or does this confirm what you already knew?
     • What are some interesting insights? Big takeaways?
     • Do you agree with all of it or do you see areas where you feel oversimplified?
  2. Part 2: How has your political ideology been affected by your “political socialization?” (See lecture notes and reading).
     • What factors have had the greatest effect on your political attitudes and opinions? Explain why the factors you identified are important.
       • Think about: family upbringing, education, media influences, major events in your life, peer groups, geography, religion, etc.
       • How will your knowledge of your own socialization impact how you listen and interact in this class with those that see things from a different perspectives?