posc. MB tw

please do each part in different document or i will consider it as missing part

part one

About

SIM – Bridging is an Assignment where you explain how the Political Actor you are representing thinks abstractly, strategically, and tactically. Additionally, you are asked to explain the connection between the status quo and network by answering three questions.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=izglTUlOAug%3Fstart%3D1706

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Estimated Time

An estimated 2 hours is needed to complete this activity.

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Political Actors think Abstractly, Strategically, and Tactically

Political actors are not just conceptual objects that bounce around and connect in our minds. Political actors exist in the real world in the form of individuals and institutions.

Political Actors in the real world think abstractly, strategically, and tactically.

Thinking (Links to an external site.) means employ one’s mind rationally and objectively in evaluating or dealing with a given situation.

While abstractly (Links to an external site.) means something that concentrates in itself the essential qualities of anything more extensive or more general, or of several things; essence.

Strategy (Links to an external site.) means a plan, method, or series of maneuvers or stratagems for obtaining a specific goal or result. So, thinking strategically means employing one’s mind rationally and objectively towards a plan, method, or series of stratagems for obtaining a specific result.

Lastly, tactics (Links to an external site.) means any mode of procedure (i.e. the plan, method, or series of stratagems) for gaining advantage or success.

EXAMPLE OF A NON-POLITICAL ACTOR THINKING

Imagine a non-political actor, say yourself.

What is at least one abstract idea you think about? Let’s say the idea is love ❤️.

With this abstract idea of love ❤️ in our mind, what would be a strategy to achieve this abstract idea?

• A few strategies arrive in our mind, such as learning how to write poems ✒️, or learning how to bake heart-shaped cookies ?, or how to grow bridge red roses ?.

Now, that we have some strategies, the question is what do we think about tactically? Well, it’s about translating these strategies into concrete action steps.

• So, it’s maybe taking a creative writing course, submitting draft poems for review, and reading them out loud to your teacher and classmates.
• It could be finding a step-by-step recipe for cookies, buying the needed ingredients, and following the measurement and mixing steps.
• Or, it be visiting to your local nursery and taking a 1-hour course on successfully planting, growing, and trimming roses.

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Bridging Concepts of the Status Quo and Network

In addition to considering how your represented political actor thinks abstractly, strategically, and tactically, we also can bring together the conceptual objects of the status quo and network together.

Now, you can think about how your represented Political Actor would bridge the status quo and network together, or you can personally consider how to bridge the status quo and network together.

The idea of bridging together the status quo and network may imply “adding” the ideas in your mind. However, bridging can also be down by “subtracting”, “dividing”, or “multiplying” the concepts together.

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Instructions

STEP 1: RESPOND TO 3 QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT YOUR POLITICAL ACTOR THINKS ABSTRACTLY, STRATEGICALLY, AND TACTICALLY ABOUT AND WHY

I’d like for you to consider how your Political Actor you chose to represent thinks abstractly, strategically, and tactically.

Please answer the following three questions:

1. What does your Political Actor think abstractly about and why?
2. What does you Political Actor think strategically about and why?
3. What does your Political Actor think tactically about and why?

These are open-ended questions with no “right” or “wrong” answer, so please be creative, use your imagination, and don’t overthink it.

STEP 2: RESPOND TO 3 QUESTIONS ABOUT BRIDGING THE STATUS QUO AND NETWORK

Remember that the status quo is defined as the “current state of affairs” where there are keepers and changers. And we can have the status quo on 1-dimension, 2-dimensions, or 3-dimensions policy space.

Furthermore, recall how a network can be organized and relationships between political actors can be denoted either as positive, neutral, or negative.

In the context of the simulation, please answer the following three questions:

1. Why is it important to keep the concept of the status quo and the concept of the network distinct?
2. Why is it important to bridge the concept of the status quo and the concept of the network together?
3. How can you bridge the status quo and network together?

These are open-ended questions with no “right” or “wrong” answer, so please be creative, use your imagination, and don’t overthink it.

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Rubric

Rubrics are “a guide listing specific criteria for grading or scoring academic papers, projects, or tests”. Every assessment in the course has a rubric. A table of this assessment’s rubric is provided below for students. However, this table is not accessible for some screen readers.

For students using a screen reader, an accessible version of the rubric table can be accessed by scrolling down further or clicking on the three vertical dots in the upper right corner of the assessment and selecting “Show Rubric”.

If you need additional help, visit How do I view the rubric for my assignment? (Links to an external site.)

Criteria	Ratings	Points
Think Abstractly What	YesMissing	7.50
Think Abstractly Why	YesMissing	7.50
Think Strategically What	YesMissing	7.50
Think Strategically Why	YesMissing	7.50
Think Tactically What	YesMissing	7.50
Think Tactically Why	YesMissing	7.50
Step 1 Quality: Subjective evaluation by Professor	01 – Superb02 – Excellent03 – Great04 – Good05 – Insufficient	0
Why Keep SQ and Network Distinct	IncludedMissing	150
Why Bridge SQ and Network	IncludedMissing	150
How Bridge SQ and Network	IncludedMissing	250
Step 2 Quality: Subjective evaluation by Professor	01 – Superb02 – Excellent03 – Great04 – Good05 – Insufficient	0

Rubric

SIM – Bridging

Criteria	Ratings	Pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeAbstractly What	7.5 ptsYes0 ptsMissing	7.5 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeAbstractly Why	7.5 ptsYes0 ptsMissing	7.5 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeStrategically What	7.5 ptsYes0 ptsMissing	7.5 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeStrategically Why	7.5 ptsYes0 ptsMissing	7.5 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeTactically What	7.5 ptsYes0 ptsMissing	7.5 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeTactically Why	7.5 ptsYes0 ptsMissing	7.5 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeStep 1 QualitySubjective evaluation by Professor	0 pts01 – Superb0 pts02 – Excellent0 pts03 – Great0 pts04 – Good0 pts05 – Insufficient	0 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeWhy Keep SQ and Network Distinct	15 ptsIncluded0 ptsMissing	15 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeWhy Bridge SQ and Network	15 ptsIncluded0 ptsMissing	15 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeHow Bridge SQ and Network	25 ptsIncluded0 ptsMissing	25 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeStep 2 QualitySubjective evaluation by Professor	0 pts01 – Superb0 pts02 – Excellent0 pts03 – Great0 pts04 – Good0 pts05 – Insufficient	0 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomePOSC 121 EvaluateEvaluate the similarities, differences, and relationships between the Senate, House of Representatives, the Presidency, the Bureaucracy, Judiciary, the Media, and the Publicthreshold: 3.0 pts	4 ptsExceeds Mastery3 ptsMastery2 ptsNear Mastery1 ptsBelow Mastery0 ptsNo Evidence	—
Total Points: 100

part two

About

SIM – Network is an Assignment where you explore the concept of networks, situate your Political Actors in a network, and explain the whether the relationships between the Political Actors in your network are positive, neutral, or negative.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=izglTUlOAug%3Fstart%3D1311

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Estimated Time

An estimated 2 hours is needed to complete this activity.

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The Concept of the Network

The concept of the status quo is central to any simulation, as you read earlier. Another central concept to any simulation is a network. A network is “an interconnected or interrelated chain, group, or system” (Merriam-Webster (Links to an external site.)).

EXAMPLE: YOUR SOCIAL NETWORK

For example, a social network consists of you, your family, your friends, and your colleagues. Below is a visualization of this social network.

But, is your social network limited to just your family and friends?

No, your social network extends to the family of your family, or the friends of your friends, or the colleagues of your colleagues. Now, if this is the case, how would the above network image change?

There are several ways the network would change, for example, include:

• From your Mother we can add a line to her sister (or your Aunt).
• From your New Friend, we can add a line to her Father (or your new friend’s Dad).
• From your POSC Professor, we can add a line to his former employer a U.S. Congressman (or my Professor’s old boss).
• From your Writing Tutor, we can add a line to her boss (or the Writing Center Director).

Networks are all around us, and it is important to recognize that you a part of a network.

EXAMPLE: AN ECONOMIC NETWORK

Another example is an economic network. Below is a visualization of an economic network as operationalized by the Caterpillar Inc.

The economic network depicted above involves Caterpillar Bulldozers (Links to an external site.). I use this as an example because my 2-year son is interested in these objects.

Now, these bulldozers don’t just appear out of thin air. They are manufactured by the Caterpillar Inc. (Links to an external site.).

However, Caterpillar Inc. may have economic or business relationships with “makers” of components of the Caterpillar Bulldozer.

For example, Caterpillar Inc. may have relationships with steel makers, engine makers, tire makers, and drive system makers. These makers manufacture specific components that the Caterpillar company contracts for.

This is another example of a network.

EXAMPLE: U.S. TRADE NETWORK

Trade is a popular topic in US Government and Politics. The salience of trade is pronounced during times of political conflict between leaders of countries.

Trade consists of imports (items brought into a country) and exports (item sent out of a country).

The United States trades with almost every country in the world. The following document shows an Export.Gov report of year 2018 Exports from the United States to countries all over the world.

Actions

You will observe that the document does not feature a “fancy” graphic of a network, like the examples of Your Social Network and An Economic Network have. Rather, the information is presented in table format.

However, with some effort, you could map the connections between the United States and five trading partners.

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Two Examples of Network Drawings

SIMPLE EXAMPLE OF A POLITICAL ACTORS NETWORK

A simple example of a Political Actors Network consists of 4 circles and three lines.

The circle in the center can be denoted as your “Represented” Political Actor.

Visualize a line from the center circle to each of the three other circles.

The three other circles are your 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Political Actor that you selected from the prior SIM – Political Actors assessment.

Each line connecting the center circle to each of the three other circles can be denoted with as Positive (+ symbol), Neutral (0 symbol), or Negative (- symbol).

A COMPLEX EXAMPLE OF A POLITICAL ACTORS NETWORK

A complex example of a Political Actors Network consists of 4 circles and six lines.

Visualize four circles located on the top, left side, right side, and bottom.

Then, visualize lines connecting each circle to each other for a total of 6 lines.

You have one circle for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Political Actor that you selected from the prior SIM – Political Actors assessment.

Each line connecting a circle to another circle can be denoted with as Positive (+ symbol), Neutral (0 symbol), or Negative (- symbol).

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Instructions

STEP 1: DRAW A NETWORK

Draw a Network of your 4 Selected Political Actors and Denote Relationships.

• On a sheet of paper or using computer software (like SmartArt (Links to an external site.) in Microsoft Word or Graph Commons (Links to an external site.)), draw a network of the Political Actors you chose from the prior assignment.
  • It is not required to convert your general Political Actor into a specific Political Actor. For example, you convert the “Executive Branch” political actor into the specific Political Actor “President of the United States”. However, if converting from a general to specific Political Actor makes it clearer in your mind, then you are welcome to do so.
• When you connect one actor with another actor, note whether the relationship is positive (use a plus + sign) or neutral (use a 0) or negative (use a minus – sign).
• Take a picture of your paper and upload the picture or include the picture in a Word document. Or, if you are using computer software, you can take a screenshot and upload the picture or include the picture in a Word document.

STEP 2: DENOTE A “REPRESENTED GROUP”

Denote one of the 4 selected Political Actors as your “Represented Group”.

• Recall from SIM – Political Actors, you were asked to clearly state which of the 4 groups you want to represent
• On your drawing, be sure to denote one of the 4 selected political actors as your “represented group”
• A “represented group” is the political actor you would theoretically represent in a more traditional role-playing simulation

STEP 3: WRITE 5 SENTENCES

After you have completed drawing your network, write a 5-sentence explanation of your network drawing. Here are some questions to consider helping your write an explanation:

• Why is the connection between two actors positive?
• What evidence have you observed (tweet, blog post, newspaper article, etc.) that supports your declaration of a positive relationship between two actors?
• Why is the connection between two actors neutral?
• What evidence have you observed (tweet, blog post, newspaper article, etc.) that supports your declaration of a neutral relationship between two actors?
• Why is the connection between two actors negative?
• What evidence have you observed (tweet, blog post, newspaper article, etc.) that supports your declaration of a negative relationship between two actors?

STEP 4: SUBMISSION OF ASSIGNMENT

• When you click “Submit Assignment” you can use the “File Upload” Tab and upload a Word Document or PDF that includes both the image of your network and 5-sentence explanation.

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Rubric

Rubrics are “a guide listing specific criteria for grading or scoring academic papers, projects, or tests”. Every assessment in the course has a rubric. A table of this assessment’s rubric is provided below for students. However, this table is not accessible for some screen readers.

For students using a screen reader, an accessible version of the rubric table can be accessed by scrolling down further or clicking on the three vertical dots in the upper right corner of the assessment and selecting “Show Rubric”.

If you need additional help, visit How do I view the rubric for my assignment? (Links to an external site.)

Criteria	Ratings	Points
Drawing Included	YesMissing	400
Group Represented	Re-identifiedNot re-identified	100
Connection 1	01 – Positive02 – Neutral03 – NegativeMissing	5550
Connection 2	01 – Positive02 – Neutral03 – NegativeMissing	5550
Connection 3	01 – Positive02 – Neutral03 – NegativeMissing	5550
Explanation: # Sentences	543210	3528211470
Quality: Subjective evaluation by Professor	01 – Superb02 – Excellent03 – Great04 – Good05 – Insufficient	00000

Rubric

SIM – Network

Criteria	Ratings	Pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeDrawing Included	40 ptsYes0 ptsNo	40 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeGroup Represented	10 ptsRe-identified0 ptsNot re-identified	10 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeConnection 1 Denoted	5 pts01 – Positive “+”5 pts02 – Neutral “0”5 pts03 – Negative “-“0 pts04 – Missing	5 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeConnection 2 Denoted	5 pts01 – Positive “+”5 pts02 – Neutral “0”5 pts03 – Negative “-“0 pts04 – Missing	5 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeConnection 3 Denoted	5 pts01 – Positive “+”5 pts02 – Neutral “0”5 pts03 – Negative “-“0 pts04 – Missing	5 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeExplanation: # Sentences	35 pts528 pts421 pts314 pts27 pts10 pts0	35 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeExplanation QualitySubjective evaluation by Professor	0 pts01 – Superb0 pts02 – Excellent0 pts03 – Great0 pts04 – Good0 pts05 – Insufficient	0 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomePOSC 121 EvaluateEvaluate the similarities, differences, and relationships between the Senate, House of Representatives, the Presidency, the Bureaucracy, Judiciary, the Media, and the Publicthreshold: 3.0 pts	4 ptsExceeds Mastery3 ptsMastery2 ptsNear Mastery1 ptsBelow Mastery0 ptsNo Evidence	—