INSTRUCTIONS

Background a local elected official using social media, Internet articles, at least one public record, and any other publicly-available information; produce a 200-word memo summarizing the most important information you learned and include a list of links or documents referenced. Aside from checking what property they own and where, keep your focus on the person’s professional life, though if you come across any criminal arrests, those are obviously worth noting.

If you get stuck trying to find a relevant public record, check out the Florida Commission on Ethics’ search for your county officials (Links to an external site.).

GUIDELINES AND GRADING

  • Your response should be 200 words.
  • You may submit your response as a text entry or upload a Word document (doc or docx).
  • For grading criteria, please review the rubric below.
  • Please submit the assignment by the due date.

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Rubric

Public official backgrounding

Public official backgrounding
Criteria Ratings Pts
Submitted on time

5 pts

Assignment submitted before Oct. 18 at 6 p.m.

0 pts

Assignment submitted after Oct. 18 at 6 p.m.
5 pts
Public official selection

5 pts

Individual selected for backgrounding meets the definition of "public official," such as a mayor, councilman, or other high-profile elected representative. In other words, they hold a position that opens them up to public scrutiny.

0 pts

The selected individual is not a public official but instead deserves privacy and whose information found via public records searches has no compelling public interest.
5 pts
Discovery

5 pts

Information discovered reveals interesting facts about the official via public web searching.

0 pts

No public record was used. Only cursory information is uncovered that demonstrates little understanding of who the person is, what they do, property they own, crimes they may have committed, and tweets they’ve sent.
5 pts
Writing mechanics

5 pts

Memo is at least 200 words in length and clearly written with no grammatical or spelling errors. Links and other source citations are included where relevant.

0 pts

Memo is short of the required length, contains errors or lacks proper citations.
5 pts
Total Points: 20