Political Science 319
Public Opinion
Dr. Sellers
September 26, 2007

Paper #3

In paper #1 you discussed the public opinion literature on political elites' efforts to influence public opinion, focusing on your assigned issue.  In paper #2 you proposed ways to assess the extent of that influence on your issue.  For this third paper, you need to revise the first two papers (incorporating my comments and suggestions) and combine them into a single TWO-PAGE paper.  

The combining of the two papers sounds straightforward, but it requires more than simply pasting the two documents into a single paper.  The literature review from your first paper should set the context for all your subsequent work, explaining what others have discovered about your topic and how your work builds on or goes beyond those previous efforts.  The literature review should also lay the groundwork for your survey questions.  You can explain how other authors investigated similar topics through the use of particular concepts, question formats, or independent variables.  These types of themes can help integrate your literature review (paper #1) and your expectations for the analysis (paper #2).  Such integration is a central goal of this assignment.

You should type your paper, using 1-inch margins and a font no smaller than 10 point.  The first page of your paper should only contain identifying information (your name, etc.).  The text of your answers should begin on the second page (with no identifying information on this or later pages).  The paper can be either single- or double-spaced.  All the text of your answer should appear on the second and third pages; when grading, I will not read any material past the third page (except notes or citation information in a bibliography).  The paper should contain appropriate in-text citations for any sources used.  The detailed information for each citation should then appear in a bibliography on a separate fourth page.  The paper is due at the start of class on October 3.  Papers turned in 10 minutes after the start of class will be considered late.  Papers receive a penalty of ten points (out of 100 total points) for each 24-hour period (after the start of class) that they are late.  Finally, the Honor Code binds the assignment; make sure that you pledge your work.