Assignment/Activity Title — C-SPAN

Year — Sophomore

Portfolio Competency — Critical Thinking

Skill(s) — Writing, Research, Media Literacy, Group Dynamics, Creative

The purpose of C-SPAN was to respond to a given prompt by gathering research, data, and interviews to support a
thesis and accordingly adapt that information into a 6 minute documentary. This year’s prompt was to discuss an issue
important to you, that Congress should address in the upcoming presidency. My group chose to analyze tax policy as it
applied to the wealthy so as to demonstrate the gravity of economic inequality in our nation and the consequences of
overlooking the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. As a component of the project, we interviewed the director of the Tax Policy
Center to round out our individual research and broaden our view of the topic. We then compiled b-roll to accompany a
script, intertwined a score to match our tone, and designed graphics to create a clear pace. The overall goal was to sway
members of Congress to prioritize legislative change relative to tax policy through a public outlet that could be promoted
by viewers in support.
Being a multi-dimensional project, C-SPAN required many skills and much time to complete. We spent weeks
thoroughly researching our topic relative to previous laws, current legislation, and the alternatively proposed solutions.
One of our most critical findings was the extent of the economic gap, including examples from recent years such as that of
Trump’s leaked $750 tax returns, which became essential to our argument in prioritizing updated taxation policies as
Congress’s next agenda. From this experience, we were able to learn about the historical decline in tax rates on the
wealthy and the sequential impact this had on our society. Having a strong understanding of how that research then
connected to the media itself in order to modify our findings as a film was a significant factor in the transformation of the
finalized product. It was also important to be able to incorporate our own creative liberties and engaging script writing
skills so that the film itself would meet or exceed the standards of an average documentary. Finally, group dynamics was
the most essential skill to the foundation of this project because all components were being drafted and assembled
remotely. At one point it was unclear whether my group would be able to complete a finished product or be forced to
submit an unpolished draft. However, during the final weeks leading up to the deadline we were able to collaborate
efficiently through both strong communication and an effective distribution of roles. I chose to categorize this assignment
under critical thinking not only because the intent of the project was to analyze contrasting viewpoints in order to
strengthen our arguments about why Congress should address our topic most, but it allowed us to create a new mindset
about prioritization, work ethic, flexibility, and compromise amidst a pandemic.
While I had never directly researched taxation regulations before, I was initially familiar with campaign finance
laws during my analysis of the Citizens United v. FEC case from my Critical Thinking Paper the year prior. Following my
research into corporate personhood, I became interested in the monetary political advantages held by the elite which
became a more generalized topic of the financial disparities among varying classes. Simultaneously I was being exposed
to the 2020 presidential debates, in which taxation of the wealthy became a recurring issue among Democratic platform
leaders. Throughout this project I was able to take advantage of these factors in understanding some of the more complex
elements of my research so that I could build upon existing information using a logical sequence, in order to develop a
comprehensive position on the topic. Prior knowledge allowed me the necessary advantages to accomplish a deeper
analysis within my topic of interest, construct a base to build upon my previous research and in turn, broaden my overall
perspective.
Student Signature (Print here: Dina Howell ) Date: 2/8/21