Proposal Guidelines For a Fair and Neutral Townhall
Humanities
Develop a 3-4 page Paper…Using the template attached
Support each guideline with at least one reference using APA format and style from the references listed below.
Research-based guidelines for neutral and fair public debates and media coverage, in your role as a consultant, to ensure that the voters make up their own minds as free of social influence as possible. The concepts and principles of social perception, social interaction, and social influence can be applied to any social or professional setting.
Research theories of social psychology and strategies for minimizing social influence in political debates. Some suggestions for keyword searches include (but are not limited to): debate format analysis; moderator influence; the impact of social and mainstream media; self-presentation and visual influence; minimizing bias; presentation style, and voter perception.
INSTRUCTIONS
You are a political consultant to a “better government” citizen group, such as the League of Women Voters. You have been hired to develop guidelines for holding neutral and fair public town hall–style debates, covered by social and mainstream media, to ensure that the voters make up their own minds as free of social influence as possible.
Deliverable
The first part of the proposal is an executive summary, which should be about one page in length.
The Executive Summary
The purpose of the executive summary is to:
- Provide a concise analysis of the problem.
- Explain the rationale.
- Report the main conclusions.
The first two subheadings constitute the executive summary portion of your proposal:
Analysis of the Issue: Social Influence and Politics
- Analyze how social psychology theory can be applied to identify and reduce sources of social influence in a debate setting.
- Write an introductory paragraph or two.
Analysis of the Issue: Perception and Bias
- Assess how social context (relationships, groups, and culture) influences perception and behavior in a debate setting.
Proposed Guidelines
- Write research-based guidelines for fair public debates and media coverage.
Guidelines for Fair Public Debate
- Integrate principles of social psychology and research to develop guidelines for fair public debate.
- References: Your references may include both scholarly literature and practitioner sources. Support each guideline with at least one current reference.
Available References to use for paper.
- Van Lange, P. A. M., Kruglanski, A. W., Higgins, E. T. (2012). Handbook of theories of social psychology. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
- Huber, J., & Payne, J. (2011). Introduction to the special issue bridging behavioral decision theory and social psychology. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 21(4), 373–375.
- Turcotte, J. (2014). The news norms and values of presidential debate agendas: An analysis of format and moderator influence on question content. Mass Communication and Society, 18(3), 1–20.
- Mullinix, K. J. (2015). Presidential debates, partisan motivations, and political interest. Presidential Studies Quarterly, 45(2), 270–288.
- Spurr, B. (2015, August 10). Social media’s influence up for debate: Some observers say data from popular web forums not a reliable bellwether. Toronto Star, p. A6.
- Buturoiu, D. R., & Lupescu, L. (2015). Minimal effects or not yet? Do media still have a role on audiences’ political and social involvement? Sfera Politicii, 23(2), 58–65.
- Turcotte, J., & Paul, N. (2015). A case of more is less: The role of gender in U.S. presidential debates. Political Research Quarterly, 68(4), 773–784.
- Matthews, N. C. (2015). The influence of aggressive communication and biological sex on debater-judge conflicts in parliamentary debate. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 1586871.
- Klofstad, C. A., Anderson, R. C., & Nowicki, S. (2015). Perceptions of competence, strength, and age influence voters to select leaders with lower-pitched voices. PLoS One, 10(8).
- Chen, P. G. (2015). Taking campaigns personally: The big five aspects and political behavior. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 3728248.
- Beattie, L. A. (2014). 2008 presidential election Hispanic voter turnout increase and the role of television viewing. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 1558518.
- Butori, R., & Parguel, B. (2014). The impact of visual exposure to a physically attractive other on self-presentation. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 31(4), 445–447.
- Leary, M. R., & Allen, A. B. (2011). Personality and persona: Personality processes in self-presentation. Journal of Personality, 79(6), 889–916.
- Turcotte, J., & Goidel, R. K. (2014). Political knowledge and exposure to the 2012 US presidential debates: Does debate format matter?Political Science & Politics, 47(2), 449–453.
- Mullinix, K. J. (2015). Presidential debates, partisan motivations, and political interest. Presidential Studies Quarterly, 45(2), 270–288.
- Andina-Díaz, A. (2007). Reinforcement vs. change: The political influence of the media. Public Choice, 131(1/2), 65–81.
- Dilliplane, S. (2014). Activation, conversion, or reinforcement? The impact of partisan news exposure on vote choice. American Journal of Political Science, 58(1), 79–94.
- Wicks, R. H. (2007). Does presentation style of presidential debates influence young voters’ perceptions of candidates? American Behavioral Scientist, 50(9), 1247–1254.
