CA Essay Planning Sheet!
Complete this worksheet by the beginning of class on Wednesday (September 9), and submit it to
your rampages blog.
1) Summarize your specific instance of lying. Why did you select this instance? What about it
captures your attention? (50-100 words)
Answer: Back in 2011 and 2012, Hillary Clinton was questioned about a “Secret War” that
she supposedly waged on the governments of Libya and Syria, with the approval of
President Obama. She hid this from the public in private databases and emails. I selected this
instance of lying because I like the subject of politics. When politicians are caught in the act,
it definitely captures my attention.
2) Write your framing question. How does this question apply to the primary text you selected
and the course theme (lying)? Why are you interested in answering this question? (150-200
words).
Answer: When politicians have a great prominent status, why does it make them more prone
to believe that they can get away with lying? This question applies to the primary text I
selected because Hillary Clinton basically lies about knowing that there is a “Secret War” that
she supposedly waged on the governments of Libya and Syria. She thinks that just because
she is a famous former president’s wife and politician that she can do as she pleases and get
away with lying to the public and the government. My question ties in with our course them
because my question is based on politicians lying. I am interested in answering this question
because I enjoy questioning the authority of politicians. I get to do that when I answer this
question. I will prove that politicians are no more than an average liar. I will prove that just
because they are politicians, it doesn’t mean that they don’t lie.
3) Which shared reading (“Natural Born Liars,” “Do Police Interrogations Produce False
Confessions?,” or “Lying in Everyday Life”) are you going to use in your essay?
Lying In Everyday Life
Cite the source according to APA or MLA standards.
DePaulo, Bella M., Deborah A. Kashy, Susan E. Kirkendol, Melissa M. Wyer,
Jennifer A. Epstein. “Lying In Everyday Life.” Journal of Personality and
Social Psychology 70.5 (1996): 979-995. Web. 2 Sept. 2015.
Write a summary of the text. Make sure that your summary states the main claim
and the reasons given to support it. Refer to A Writer’s Reference for instructions on
writing a good summary. (75-125 words)
Summary: The “Lying in Everyday Life” article was about exactly what it sounds like
it was about. The article shows many studies that debate whether people lie every day
or not. It showed a male vs. female comparison, as well as, a college student
comparison. It told the rewards, as well as, some of the consequences of lying. The
article basically stated, through many different studies, that a majority of us lie at least
once a day.
List keywords that capture why you think the source is important for your research.
 Self-Oriented
 Other-Oriented
 Everyday
 Gender
Identify at least two brief quotes from the reading. Thoroughly explain each quote,
and then articulate why you think it will help you formulate a reasonable response to
your question. Be as precise as possible. (275 words):
Quote 1: “Those who consistently say what they think others want to hear, even
when they do not really believe those things themselves, may be seen as liars,
politicians, or valued colleagues and friends.” This quote basically is stating that
politicians, friends, and colleagues do anything to keep their good status with the
people they are around. They will always try to make themselves look good. Making
themselves look good is what keep them popular. If you tell people what they want
to hear, they will hang around you or, in a politicians case, vote for you. This quote
will help me formulate a reasonable response to my question because it involves
politicians in the statement. It claims that politicians tell the public what the public
wants to hear. This quote is a very good example for my question and my argument.
Quote 2: “One simple measure of liars' self-centeredness is the frequency with which
they lie about themselves—their own feelings, opinions, achievements, actions, and
possessions. The answer to this question is straightforward: Liars lie overwhelmingly
about themselves.” This quote is basically stating that most lies that liars say are
always about themselves and nobody else. Whether it be their feeling, opinions, or
actions, liars will lie about these things to increase popularity or likeliness of
themselves. This quote shows how self-centered most liars are and how much they
will lie to keep themselves looking good or better than the people around them.
Other-oriented lies are rarely ever told, unless covering for someone else’s actions,
opinions, or feelings. This quote would help me formulate a reasonable response to
my question because it will create a great answer for what majority of lies that are
told are self-oriented.
Copy and paste the claim of the piece from the source. Then state the claim in your
own words.
Claim: “The studies reported here provide some of the first data, and by far the most
extensive data, on some of the most fundamental questions about lying in everyday
life. As we expected, lying is a fact of daily life.”
Reworded Claim: After many studies, it has been proven that lying is a part of
everyday life.
4) Substantive Source (provide link or .pdf):
ProQuestDocuments-2015-09-02 (1).pdf
Cite the source according to APA or MLA standards.
Curry, George E. "How can You Tell when a Politician is Lying?" The Louisiana
Weekly: 5. May 2015. ProQuest. Web. 2 Sep. 2015.
Write a summary of the text. Make sure that your summary states the main claim
and the reasons given to support it. Refer to A Writer’s Reference for instructions on
writing a good summary. (75-125 words)
Summary: This article is about when politicians are lying. The article gives many
examples of politicians who have given false statements and have lied. Politicians lie
almost every time they open their mouth. Ben Carson, Rand Paul, and Ted Cruz are
all uses for examples to prove this statement. The article gives information about
what these politicians said and how what these politicians said is wrong or
misleading. The article gives great reasoning and point of view on when politicians
lie.
List keywords that capture why you think the source is important for your research.
 Candidates
 President
 Accuracy
 Lies
Identify at least two brief quotes from the reading. Thoroughly explain each quote,
and then articulate why you think it will help you formulate a reasonable response to
your question. Be as precise as possible. (275 words)
Quote 1: “The number of candidates who have declared as candidate for president
have already ushered in a cascade of lies - and the situation will only grow worse as
more climb aboard.” This quote is all about the upcoming election of 2016. It is
basically saying that, even before the debates and election, the candidates have
already lied about certain things, whether it be in their recent political positions
(senator, representative, etc.) or during political discussions. The deception is already
beginning to be a part of the candidate’s lives. It shows what they all have in store
for the future of their presidential campaign. This quote will be important in
formulating a reasonable response to my question because it is showing how the
candidates have already used their political status to lie to the American people
before they even get in to the presidential debates.
Quote 2: “To remain informed and astute, voters will need to regularly check out the
candidates' assertions. After all, just because politicians move their lips doesn't mean
we have to believe them.” What this statement is saying is that we, as American
citizens, cannot even trust the people that may be running our country in 2016. It is
saying that all Americans need to do their own research and gather their own
information in order to know the facts about political and international events and
ideas. They cannot believe what these candidates are saying, so they should question
everything that they do say. This quote will help me with formulating a reasonable
response to my question because it is leaving the reader with the aspect of selfknowledge. The trust is nowhere to be found from these politicians, so selfknowledge is the only way to get what the people want. The real answers and truths
about certain subjects.
Copy and paste the claim of the piece from the source. Then state the claim in your
own words.
Claim: “As each candidate opens his or her mouth, what's leaving their lips is
frequently false.”
Reworded Claim: Most of the recent politicians lie every time they open their mouth.
5) Scholarly Source (provide pdf):
1935-1682.3103 (1).pdf
Cite the source according to APA or MLA standards.
Armstrong-Taylor, Paul. "When Do Politicians Lie?" The B.E. Journal of Economic
Analysis & Policy13.3 (2012): The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis &
Policy, 2012, Vol.13(3). Web.
Write a summary of the text. Make sure that your summary states the main claim
and the reasons given to support it. Refer to A Writer’s Reference for instructions on
writing a good summary. (75-125 words)
Summary: A politician who admits to wrong doing will likely suffer some loss of
popularity. Politicians will not be praised for doing something wrong, but if they lie
about the truth or twist the truth, they may be able to keep their voters and
supporters. The article gives plenty of statistics and examples to prove that if
politicians don’t lie, they will lose votes and their fan base. They have to lie to
succeed in their field of expertise.
List keywords that capture why you think the source is important for your research.
 Wrong doing
 Popularity
 Politicians
 Lie
 Scandal
Identify at least two brief quotes from the reading. Thoroughly explain each quote,
and then articulate why you think it will help you formulate a reasonable response to
your question. Be as precise as possible. (275 words)
Quote 1: “A politician in a marginal seat may have little choice but to risk lying as
admitting will lose him too much popularity to survive. On the other hand, a
politician in a relatively safe seat might survive the loss from admitting, but not from
lying and being caught.” What this quote is saying is that all politicians may face
certain situations where they may have to or feel obligated to lie to protect their
political status. But, also there will be times where the same politician may feel that
they will not be greatly affected by telling the truth. Basically, whether or not a
politician lies is based on their own self-centered opinion on whether or not they will
suffer massive consequences. If the consequences are not massive, then the truth will
be told. I think this quote will help me formulate a reasonable response to my
question because this quote shows how politicians do base their decisions of lying on
how famous or great they think they are.
Quote 2: “Social psychologists have explored how the effectiveness of a denial can
depend on whether the denial is cognitively consonant or dissonant to the prior
beliefs of those listening to the denial.” Basically this is saying that the people will
believe what they feel qualifies for their beliefs. This means that if politicians tell the
people something that they will like, they are more likely to believe it, no matter if it
is a lie or not. If it is the truth and the people don’t like it, then they may not vote for
that certain politician. I think this quote will help me formulate a reasonable
response to my question because it shows that a politician can lie to gain voters.
Copy and paste the claim of the piece from the source. Then state the claim in your
own words.
Claim: A politician who admits to wrong doing will likely suffer some loss of
popularity.
Reworded Claim: Politicians may lose voters or supporters if they don’t lie about
their actions.
6) Synthesis Matrix
Seeing how various sources fit together is challenging. The synthesis matrix is designed to
establish how your sources converse with one another to help you have a robust understanding
of how they weigh in on your question. You will design a matrix using the four sources (1
shared reading, 1 substantive source, 1 scholarly source, and 1 popular secondary source or
primary text) you will use in your Critical Analysis Essay. This will illustrate the main
ideas/topics of your sources in relation to your question: what they specifically assert regarding
it.
Fill out the template at the bottom of this assignment (page 2). Line up your four sources in
the left hand column of the grid and then write your two or three categories across the top
column. Your categories should be important aspects of the topic of your paper. Example: If I
were writing about a particular song, I might generate the following categories as important
aspects of why it is my favorite: tempo, lyrics, & syncopation. Note: The point here is to weave
together the commonalities between your sources—what do all your sources say about each
category. Be thorough with what each source has to say regarding the categories.
You must write the information in the grid using complete thoughts/sentences. Use direct
quotes from your sources, making sure to provide in-text citations. Additionally, you must
provide nuanced and clear explanations of what each quote reveals about its category.
Framing Question: When politicians have a great prominent status, why does it make them more
prone to believe that they can get away with lying?
Source 1
(“Lying In
Everyday
Life” by
DePaulo)
Category #1
Category #2
Category #3
Politicians lie to
protect their
prominent status
Politicians lie to gain
voters and supporters
(If applicable)
“One simple
measure of liars'
self-centeredness
is the frequency
with which they
lie about
themselves—
their own
feelings, opinions,
achievements,
“Those who
consistently say what
they think others want
to hear, even when
they do not really
believe those things
themselves, may be
seen as liars,
politicians, or valued
colleagues and
actions, and
possessions. The
answer to this
question is
straightforward:
Liars lie
overwhelmingly
about
themselves.” This
quote is basically
stating that most
lies that liars say
are always about
themselves and
nobody else.
Whether it be
their feeling,
opinions, or
actions, liars will
lie about these
things to increase
popularity or
likeliness of
themselves.
Source 2
friends.” This quote
basically is stating that
politicians, friends, and
colleagues do anything
to keep their good
status with the people
they are around. They
will always try to make
themselves look good.
Making themselves
look good is what keep
them popular. If you
tell people what they
want to hear, they will
hang around you or, in
a politicians case, vote
for you.
“The number of
“To remain informed
candidates who
and astute, voters will
("How can
have declared as need to regularly check
You Tell
candidate for
out the candidates'
when a
president have
assertions. After all,
Politician is
already
ushered
in
just
because politicians
Lying?" by
George E. a cascade of lies - move their lips doesn't
and the situation
mean we have to
Curry)
will only grow
believe them.” What
worse as more
this statement is saying
climb aboard.”
is that we, as American
This quote is all
citizens, cannot even
about the
trust the people that
upcoming
may be running our
election of 2016.
country in 2016. It is
It is basically
saying that all
saying that, even Americans need to do
before the
their own research and
debates and
gather their own
election, the
information in order to
candidates have
know the facts about
already lied about
political and
certain things,
international events
whether it be in and ideas. They cannot
their recent
believe what these
political positions candidates are saying,
(senator,
so they should
representative,
question everything
etc.) or during
that they do say.
political
discussions. The
deception is
already beginning
to be a part of the
candidate’s lives.
It shows what
they all have in
store for the
future of their
presidential
campaign.
Source 3
“A politician in a
“Social psychologists
("When Do marginal seat may have explored how the
effectiveness of a
Politicians have little choice
but to risk lying
denial can depend on
Lie?" by
as admitting will
whether the denial is
Paul
lose
him
too
cognitively
consonant
Armstrongmuch popularity
or dissonant to the
Taylor )
to survive. On
prior beliefs of those
the other hand, a listening to the denial.”
politician in a
Basically this is saying
relatively safe seat
that the people will
might survive the believe what they feel
loss from
qualifies for their
admitting, but not
beliefs. This means
from lying and
that if politicians tell
being caught.”
the people something
What this quote
that they will like, they
is saying is that all
are more likely to
politicians may
believe it, no matter if
face certain
it is a lie or not. If it is
situations where
the truth and the
they may have to
people don’t like it,
or feel obligated then they may not vote
to lie to protect
for that certain
their political
politician.
status. But, also
there will be
times where the
same politician
may feel that they
will not be greatly
affected by telling
the truth.
Basically, whether
or not a politician
lies is based on
their own selfcentered opinion
on whether or
not they will
suffer massive
consequences. If
the consequences
are not massive,
then the truth will
be told.
Source 4
(“Hillary
Clinton Lies
Again” by
Judge
Andrew P.
Napolitano)
“Why did she lie “Clinton has repeatedly
about all this?
denied ever sending or
Because she
receiving data in any of
thinks she can get
these categories. She
away with it.”
probably will argue
This shows that,
that an email that fails
because of her
to use the terminology
prominent status,
of the statute cannot
Hillary Clinton
be deemed classified.
thinks she can get
Here the inspectors
away with
general have corrected
anything she
her. It is the essence of
wants. Well, this
time she was
wrong because
what she did just
so happened to
leak out.
the data in an email -its potential for harm if
revealed -- that makes
its contents classified
and the failure to
protect it a crime -- not
the use of a magic
word or phrase in the
subject line.” In this
example, Hillary
Clinton has been
caught lying and if she
was to tell the truth,
then she would lose
supporters and voters.