Impact of Social Media Use by Elected Leaders

Is Social Media a good forum for elected leaders

SLO #2 Social Media and the USA Presidency

Is Social Media a good forum for elected leaders? How should they best communicate with the public? You’ll evaluate the President and Vice President on their use of Twitter and Facebook to implement their agendas.

1. Read the Pew Charitable Trust article (http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2014/10/17/officials-urged-take-care-with-social-media) and develop a list of best practices for elected leaders’ use of social media.
2. Spend two weeks (select a 14-day period, and be sure to state the dates in your paper) with the President and Vice President as they utilize social media:

Donald Trump:

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump

https://www.facebook.com/POTUS/

Mike Pence:

https://twitter.com/mike_pence

https://www.facebook.com/VicePresidentPence/

1. What message or agenda are each conveying to “followers?” Discuss three (3) themes for each official. (for example: economy, environment, guns)
2. Are they consistent with what’s on their “official” government pages?

https://www.whitehouse.gov

(*to follow up on more specific information associated with each individual, place your browser arrow over ‘The Administration’ tab and you should have the separate offices drop down*)

5.Do these elected leaders have any more personal or social responsibility to the citizens and residents of the USA than the average Facebook or Twitter user? Why?

6.If you were the social media advisor to each man, what would suggest for each? Based upon your “best practices,” are they doing it right? What can each do to try to reach out beyond their base of supporters/followers?

7.How would you distinguish between what is truth v what are lies?___________________________________________________________________________________________________

Program-Level Objectives met with this assignment:(PLO: 1.1,2,5,6)

1: Communication Skills-to include effective development, interpretation and expression of ideas through written, oral and visual communication

1.Written: Process and produce effective written communication adapted to audience, purpose, and time constraints.

2: Critical Thinking Skills-to include creative thinking, innovation, inquiry, and analysis, evaluation and synthesis of information

5: Personal Responsibility-to include the ability to connect choices, actions and consequences to ethical decision-making

6: Social Responsibility-to include intercultural competence, knowledge of civic responsibility, and the ability to engage effectively in regional, national, and global communities.

Course-Level Objectives met with this assignment:(CLO: 1,2,3,4,5,7,8)

1. Explain the origin and development of constitutional democracy in the United States.

2. Demonstrate knowledge of the federal system.

3. Describe separation of powers and checks and balances in both theory and practice.

4. Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches of the federal government.

5. Evaluate the role of public opinion, interest groups, and political parties in the political system.

7. Describe the rights and responsibilities of citizens

8. Analyze issues and policies in U.S. politics

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