Assignment details:
1. Select a current American political issue and briefly describe the issue and what the
different viewpoints are. For example, the topic could be legalization of marijuana in
the U.S. The viewpoints are either for legalization or against it.
2. Research the topic using three professional sources (books, journals, newspapers,
magazines, or websites that end in .org, .edu, or .gov) and compare and contrast the
different viewpoints and positions on your topic. Fully address the different sides of
the issue and demonstrate an understanding of its complexities.
3. Draw a personal conclusion based on your analysis of the issue and present an
informed evaluation from the evidence.
4. Your paper will include the body of work and a Works Cited Page (list or resources
used).
5. Submit your paper through Canvas by the due date as posted in the Course Syllabus.
Fyi, the paper will automatically be run through a program that checks for plagiarism.
Plagiarized work will receive a grade of zero (0) with no opportunity for make-up.
• Completed in Microsoft Word
• Use MLA (Modern Language Association) Formatting o Details and helpful
information can be found at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
• 12 font size
• Verdana font
• Double spaced
• The body of the research paper must be a minimum of 1,000 words.
• The research paper must be original work from the student and may not be
recycled from a different class. In other words, if you’ve already submitted the
paper in a different class, ever, you may not use it for this assignment. All
information must be properly cited using in-text citations; place the author (e.g.,
Brown) or the source name (e.g., U.S. Census Bureau) in parenthetical citation
after paraphrasing their work.
• Use 3 separate professional sources.
• Information from sources must be paraphrased and not quoted. Do not put any
quotes within your paper. The resources cited within the body of the work must
match the listed resources on the Works Cited page.
Category: Government
1.The City’s Intergovernmental Relation DepartmentLinks to an external site. is responsible for monitoring state and federal government activities, developing legislative programs approved by City Council, managing the City’s federal and state consultants, and coordinating legislative activities with other public and private-sector entities.
Using the Federal legislative program link for the 118th Congress, select and briefly describe one of the federal priorities San Antonio was seeking assistance from Texas’ Congressional delegation.
2.Continuing at the Department of Government and Public Affairs, link to the State Legislative Program.
Using State legislative Program link for the 88th Legislative session, select and briefly discuss one of the priorities San Antonio was seeking legislative support for.
Choose one of these priorities and explain how this priority would impact your life.
3.Agencies are created to implement policies enacted by the City government, but also to implement aspects of federal and state law associated with their mission statement. Occasionally, it can be difficult to find an agency’s mission statement and it must be inferred from their stated purpose but it can typically be found in the FAQs or About Us page.
First, visit the Department Directory page at San Antonio’s City Government portal
This website provides you links to all the agencies (Departments) that implement policies adopted by San Antonio City Council.
Once you are there, hover over “Your Government” and in the second column, under CITY GOVERNMENT & DEPARTMENTS, click All City Departments.
On the new page, locate “HEALTH” and click on “View Department Website”
Please locate the Mission Statement of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District and provide that in the box below
Flag question: Question 4
Question 43 pts
In order to implement policy, agencies develop programs that enforce ordinances or provide programs to citizens.
San Antonio Metropolitan Health Services, under its mission, provides both enforcement as well as services to the community.
Please review the health services SAMHS provides the citizens of San Antonio (Be careful—not ALL of these are SERVICES that are associated with a specific program—i.e. Lab services is not a program—it supports the needs of the OTHER services provided by the City that require lab tests)
List the three health services (not enforcement) provided by SAMHS .
(List all three in the blanks–Feel free to copy and paste the text directly from the website)
Flag question : Spacer
As explained in your text, there are two types of cities in Texas home rule and general law. Home rule cities are larger cities with over 5,000 residents, which have, through an election, voted to adopt home rule and have created a charter. A charter establishes the city’s governmental structure and describes how power is distributed.
Unlike “general law” municipalities, whose authority is determined by both the state Constitution and state statutes, all “home rule” municipalities have a city code. Approximately a fourth of Texas’ cities are designated as home rule—the overwhelming majority are general law cities.
The City Code represents where ordinances are archived after they are passed by City Council. These are policies put into place by City Council members and that are implemented by agencies or departments within the City Government.
You will now explore our City Code to answer the following questions:
Flag question: Question 5
Question 52 pts
The policies written and passed by City Council are interpreted by those agencies that are charged with implementing them are located hereLinks to an external site.
How many garage sales are residents allowed to have annually? (enter the number)
Flag question: Question 6
Question 62 pts
What time must a regular massage studio close?
Flag question: Question 7
Question 72 pts
According to City Code, not more than ______________ percent of rooms rented to guests in a hotel or motel may be designated as smoking rooms. (Enter only a number—not the % sign)
Flag question: Question 8
Question 82 pts
How much public liability insurance must the owner of a ‘dangerous dog’ hold in the City of San Antonio? (Enter a number without a , or a $)
Flag question: Question 9
Question 92 pts
According to the city code, what is the maximum number of sunfish/perch that can be caught per day in a city lake? (enter a number value)
Flag question: Question 10
Question 102 pts
According to the City Code, how much does an annual permit fee to operate a mobile food court? (Enter only a number)
Flag question: Question 11
Question 112 pts
According to City Code, a grave must be at least ____________ feet deep (Enter only a number)
Flag question: Question 12
Question 122 pts
How much is the annual fee for a residential burglar alarm for an owner who is under 65 years of age? (number only)
Flag question: Question 13
Question 132 pts
What is the maximum number of passengers allowed to be transported by a pedicab at one time?
Flag question: Question 14
Question 141 pts
According to the City Code, the minimum liquid capacity for a septic tank serving a single-family dwelling with three bedrooms is [gallons] gallons.
Flag question: Spacer
There are 254 counties in Texas. They range in terms of the size of their populations but also in geographical terms—some are densely populated and incredibly urbanized with others, distinctly rural and sparsely populated. Counties represent the lowest level at which the state government is represented, irrespective of their size or location.
We are going to look at Bexar County’s GovernmentLinks to an external site. structure.
Using the website hyperlinked above, please address the following questions.
Flag question: Question 15
Question 151 pts
Who is the Election Administrator for Bexar County?
Flag question: Question 16
Question 161 pts
Now we are going to look at the FY2022-23 adopted county budgetLinks to an external site. and how your tax dollars are spent.
According to the 2022-23 document:
What are the total number of positions authorized by the County to be paid for using general funds for this fiscal year? (please do not round)
Flag question: Question 17
Question 171 pts
Review the General Funds section beginning on page 133 of the PDF.
According to the adopted county budget, what was the total of all revenue funds for the fiscal year? (Do not include, or $ in your answer)
Flag question: Question 18
Question 181 pts
According to the 2022-23 proposed budget, to which specific Department, (excluding General Government ) does Bexar County appropriate the largest share of our tax dollars?
Flag question: Question 19
Question 191 pts
Scroll down to the section on Elections on page 242 of the PDF (page 240 of the document).
According to the 2022-23 proposed County budget, how much is the proposed appropriation for the Elections Department?
Flag question: Question 20
Question 201 pts
In 2022-2023, the county budget was balanced and the existing tax rate remained unchanged from last year; however, the total funds increased 1.9%. This was the result of increased property values.
What was the average percentage increase in appraised property values in Bexar County?
(a number with up to two decimal places)
Flag question: Question 21
Question 211 pts
According to the 2022-23 proposed County budget, from what revenue source does Bexar County receive the largest share of tax dollars? (please do not include Proceeds from Debt—These represent bonds which are monies derived from selling debt to investors and will eventually be paid back with tax dollars from the Debt Service Fund, but in the short term, generate interest for investors, which also comes from tax dollars)
Flag question: Question 22
Question 221 pts
Texas received $11.2 Billion dollars in Cares Act money. Bexar County received 79.4 million of that disbursement to the state.
Review the chart below and determine what percentage of that money Bexar County allocated to supporting Small Businesses. (enter the percentage without the % sign please and round out 1 decimal place)
First, visit the Department Directory page at San Antonio’s City Government portal
This website provides you links to all the agencies (Departments) that implement policies adopted by San Antonio City Council.
Once you are there, hover over “Your Government” and in the second column, under CITY GOVERNMENT & DEPARTMENTS, click All City Departments.
On the new page, locate “HEALTH” and click on “View Department Website”
Please locate the Mission Statement of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District and provide that in the box below.
Flag question: Question 4
Question 43 pts
In order to implement policy, agencies develop programs that enforce ordinances or provide programs to citizens.
San Antonio Metropolitan Health Services, under its mission, provides both enforcement as well as services to the community.
Please review the health services SAMHS provides the citizens of San Antonio (Be careful—not ALL of these are SERVICES that are associated with a specific program—i.e. Lab services is not a program—it supports the needs of the OTHER services provided by the City that require lab tests)
List the three health services (not enforcement) provided by SAMHS .
(List all three in the blanks–Feel free to copy and paste the text directly from the website)
Flag question: Spacer
As explained in your text, there are two types of cities in Texas home rule and general law. Home rule cities are larger cities with over 5,000 residents, which have, through an election, voted to adopt home rule and have created a charter. A charter establishes the city’s governmental structure and describes how power is distributed.
Unlike “general law” municipalities, whose authority is determined by both the state Constitution and state statutes, all “home rule” municipalities have a city code. Approximately a fourth of Texas’ cities are designated as home rule—the overwhelming majority are general law cities.
The City Code represents where ordinances are archived after they are passed by City Council. These are policies put into place by City Council members and that are implemented by agencies or departments within the City Government.
You will now explore our City Code to answer the following questions:
Flag question: Question 5
Question 52 pts
The policies written and passed by City Council are interpreted by those agencies that are charged with implementing them are located hereLinks to an external site.
How many garage sales are residents allowed to have annually? (enter the number)
Flag question: Question 6
Question 62 pts
What time must a regular massage studio close?
Flag question: Question 7
Question 72 pts
According to City Code, not more than ______________ percent of rooms rented to guests in a hotel or motel may be designated as smoking rooms. (Enter only a number—not the % sign)
Flag question: Question 8
Question 82 pts
How much public liability insurance must the owner of a ‘dangerous dog’ hold in the City of San Antonio? (Enter a number without a , or a $)
Flag question: Question 9
Question 92 pts
According to the city code, what is the maximum number of sunfish/perch that can be caught per day in a city lake? (enter a number value)
Flag question: Question 10
Question 102 pts
According to the City Code, how much does an annual permit fee to operate a mobile food court? (Enter only a number)
Flag question: Question 11
Question 112 pts
According to City Code, a grave must be at least ____________ feet deep (Enter only a number)
Flag question: Question 12
Question 122 pts
How much is the annual fee for a residential burglar alarm for an owner who is under 65 years of age? (number only)
Flag question: Question 13
Question 132 pts
What is the maximum number of passengers allowed to be transported by a pedicab at one time?
Flag question: Question 14
Question 141 pts
According to the City Code, the minimum liquid capacity for a septic tank serving a single-family dwelling with three bedrooms is [gallons] gallons.
Flag question: Spacer
There are 254 counties in Texas. They range in terms of the size of their populations but also in geographical terms—some are densely populated and incredibly urbanized with others, distinctly rural and sparsely populated. Counties represent the lowest level at which the state government is represented, irrespective of their size or location.
We are going to look at Bexar County’s GovernmentLinks to an external site. structure.
Using the website hyperlinked above, please address the following questions.
Flag question: Question 15
Question 151 pts
Who is the Election Administrator for Bexar County?
Flag question: Question 16
Question 161 pts
Now we are going to look at the FY2022-23 adopted county budgetLinks to an external site. and how your tax dollars are spent.
According to the 2022-23 document:
What are the total number of positions authorized by the County to be paid for using general funds for this fiscal year? (please do not round)
Flag question: Question 17
Question 171 pts
Review the General Funds section beginning on page 133 of the PDF.
According to the adopted county budget, what was the total of all revenue funds for the fiscal year? (Do not include, or $ in your answer)
Flag question: Question 18
Question 181 pts
According to the 2022-23 proposed budget, to which specific Department, (excluding General Government ) does Bexar County appropriate the largest share of our tax dollars?
Flag question: Question 19
Question 191 pts
Scroll down to the section on Elections on page 242 of the PDF (page 240 of the document).
According to the 2022-23 proposed County budget, how much is the proposed appropriation for the Elections Department?
Flag question: Question 20
Question 201 pts
In 2022-2023, the county budget was balanced and the existing tax rate remained unchanged from last year; however, the total funds increased 1.9%. This was the result of increased property values.
What was the average percentage increase in appraised property values in Bexar County?
(a number with up to two decimal places)
Flag question: Question 21
Question 211 pts
According to the 2022-23 proposed County budget, from what revenue source does Bexar County receive the largest share of tax dollars? (please do not include Proceeds from Debt—These represent bonds which are monies derived from selling debt to investors and will eventually be paid back with tax dollars from the Debt Service Fund, but in the short term, generate interest for investors, which also comes from tax dollars)
Flag question: Question 22
Question 221 pts
Texas received $11.2 Billion dollars in Cares Act money. Bexar County received 79.4 million of that disbursement to the state.
Review the chart below and determine what percentage of that money Bexar County allocated to supporting Small Businesses. (enter the percentage without the % sign please and round out 1 decimal place)
Public Policy Portfolio Worksheet
Directions: Use this worksheet to record your answers to the six activities that make up the Public Policy Portfolio: Agenda Setting, Committee Hearings, Policy Change, Feedback Loop, Cost-Benefit Analysis, and Media Bias. When you are finished, save this worksheet with your answers and submit it for a portfolio grade.
Public Policy Portfolio
Select a policy and study its development through Agenda Setting, Committee Hearings, Policy Change, the Feedback Loop, Cost-Benefit Analysis, and Media Bias. You can use one policy to answer all of the questions, to create a complete individual case study, or you can select a few different policies to learn about more topics.
Question 1: Agenda Setting
Select a policy topic that you find interesting. It could be the death penalty, distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, the Voting Rights Act, the Patriot Act, or another topic you want to learn about. Search online to read newspaper articles about the policy. Read at least five articles from different newspapers.
What event occurred to place this policy on the agenda?
Question
2: Committee Hearings
Consider the same public policy you used in Question 1. Using newspaper articles or official government websites only, determine which committees in the House and the Senate had jurisdiction over this policy. Which party had the majority on that committee?
Question
3: Policy Change
Select a policy topic that you find interesting. It could be the death penalty, distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, the Voting Rights Act, the Patriot Act, or another topic you want to learn about. Search online to read newspaper articles about the policy. Read at least five articles from different newspapers. Did your policy have a sunset provision? Did Congress reevaluate the policy and make amendments? How did it change?
Question 4: Feedback Loop
Consider the feedback loop shown in this lesson. Using newspaper articles and official government websites or reports, fill in the details for each of the five stages of the policy process.
Question
5: Cost-Benefit Analysis
Search online for a public policy and study its projected costs and projected benefits. How were the numbers developed? Place the numbers in a table, like the one shown in this lesson. Was the policy economically beneficial? Whether it was or not, do you agree that it was the right choice? If you think an economically losing policy was a good choice, what do you base that view on?
Question 6: Media Bias
Select a policy topic that you find interesting. It could be the death penalty, distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, the Voting Rights Act, the Patriot Act, or another topic you want to learn about. Next, look online for infographics that show which media outlets trend left or right. Find at least two different infographics, in case one of them is incorrect. Go back to your topic and look at media coverage from both sides of the political spectrum. Do they differ? How? Why?
The U.S. Constitution is one of the oldest constitutions and it has influenced constitutions in many other countries, but scholars like McCullough argue that American do not appreciate enough the founding fathers who created the constitution. What is your assessment?
Required material for this essay:
Book chapter on Constitution.
The Daily (2023) What makes the U.S. Constitution unique, anyway? Case Western Reserve University, September 18. Retrieved fromhttps://thedaily.case.edu/what-makes-the-u-s-constitution-unique-anyway/ Links to an external site..
Debidatta A. Mahapatra (2022) Understanding the moral and ethical foundation of the U.S. Constitution. The Florida Times Union, September 25. Retrieved from https://www.jacksonville.com/story/opinion/columns/guest/2022/09/25/understanding-moral-and-ethical-foundation-u-s-constitution/10400753002/.
David McCullough (2012) Do Americans misunderstand the founding fathers? Big Think, April 23. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qV2g6Lt64B8.
Links to an external site.
You are not required to use other resources. You MUST use all the above material in your essay. Please use the sample essay in the first module as a reference.
Assignment Details: You will write an essay (350-400 words) on the prompt as provided on the Canvas. You must follow the word limit. You must write the word count for your postings.
You will study the required material for the essay, and you must cite and refer to that material in your essay.
No plagiarism will be allowed. Plagiarized (25 per cent or more) posts will receive ZERO.
Please read the instructions CAREFULLY before you start the assignment. While grading, I will follow the writing grading rubric.
If more than 25 per cent of your essay is AI generated, you will be required to rewrite your essay in your own language to receive a grade for that assignment.
If you use AI generated resources, for example ChatGPT, you must give reference to them otherwise the essay will receive zero grade. See this link on how to refer ChatGPT in your essay: https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt Links to an external site.
Your essay must demonstrate the knowledge you have gained from the assigned readings. You must integrate and refer to the assigned readings. Your post must be well articulated, relevant to the topic, and demonstrate critical thinking and academic writing skills.
Imagine a world without NATO. Prominent experts, such as Professor Paul Poast, suggest that counterfactual thinking is crucial for policy analysis and International Relations (IR) scholarship.
Question what might the global landscape look like without NATO’s presence, especially in the West. For instance, “If NATO weren’t here, what would happen?”
The counterfactual thinking analysis of up to 800 words should answer the question: What might the global landscape look like without NATO’s presence, especially in the West?
PLEASE ONLY USE SOURCES PROVIDED
This is the assignments content.
Texas finds itself at the forefront of a new culture war, and issues such as the teaching of Critical Race Theory (CRT), transgender individuals competing in sports, and a proposed version of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill are the frontlines of this war. Texas has long been a conservative state, and many politicians appear to be pushing the state even further to the right, and despite what many more progressive people/politicians feel about this hard-right shift being antiquated and pushing back against the headwinds of progress, this approach appears to be paying political dividends for them.
Gov. Abbot has taken a very vocal stance against how the issue of slavery is taught/discussed in public school by signing a law which bans the teaching of CRT. CRT is an academic theory which says that while slavery itself ended long ago, the system itself is built to maintain the status quo, and the system itself is flawed and perpetuates system racism in our nation. Proponents of CRT say that it is important for students to understand this underlying racism in the system, while opponents claims that CRT teaches that white students should feel ashamed and accept responsibility for an issue which they have had no direct participation in.
Similarly, LGBTQ issues have also become political fodder in states across the nation. The story of Lia Thomas, the Ivy league swimmer who transition from male to female, raised the issues of fairness and rights for those who have transitioned, but also the same for those who compete with and against them. Lia has been swimmer for all her life, but prior to transitioning to female, she ranked quite low in men’s competitions, but afterwards, she began shattering records when she began competing against other females. She claims that the transition had nothing to do with gaining a competitive advantage, and certainly no one would deny her the right to be the person she wants to be, but nonetheless, the competitive advantages do appear to be present despite Lia claiming she is not a threat to women’s competitive swimming. It is worth noting that World Swimming recently banned transgender women from competing in women’s events. Then there is the issue of the rights of others competing both with and against Lia. Many of her own teammates penned a letter in support of inclusion on the team, but many other teammates penned a letter speaking out against her being on the team, claiming she has an unfair advantage over them. While they are all on the same team and competing for a team championship, they are also competing against each other for the right to claim the top spot on their team for specific events and to compete for those titles against others. If Lia does indeed maintain an unfair physical advantage over her fellow female athletes, then their rights are also effectively being denied, thus raising the question of whose rights should be upheld.
Finally, on the heels of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, many other states, including Texas, has either pursued, or promised to pursue, similar legislation themselves. This type of legislation effectively bans the teaching of lessons on sexual orientation or gender identity below the 4th grade. For proponents of such legislation, they claim it is about parental rights and that their children should not be taught about such issues unless or until the parents feel the timing is right, and that schools teaching such material may cause children to ask questions which parents are not comfortable answering, or which perhaps are contrary to their religious beliefs. Opponents of “Don’t Say Gay” legislation claim that it further “others” children identifying as LGBTQ, or who come from families that are LGBTQ, and that they deserve to see themselves and families represented as much as any other student does.
These are all highly complex and controversial issues, any of which could serve as the basis for a discussion board on their own, and I do not expect you to effectively address all of these in the limited space/time available, so you may choose to address a single one of these three inter-related issues, or you can attempt to address each of them within your post if you wish, so long as your post meets the minimum requirements as noted in the Syllabus. Remember that there is no “right” or “wrong” responses here. I have provided numerous articles with which to read about these issues, and I look forward to reading your thoughts and responses to them.
Articles must use one
Critics of Texas’ push for a “Don’t Say Gay” bill say acknowledging LGBTQ people isn’t the same as teaching kids about sex
Republicans say they don’t want young kids learning about sex. Educators say that’s already the standard.
Jason Beeferman
The Texas Tribune
State education board members push back on proposal to use “involuntary relocation” to describe slavery
The Texas State Board of Education is fielding proposals to update the state’s public school social studies curriculum this summer.
Brian Lopez
The Texas Tribune
Why are states banning critical race theory?
It’s important to understand what critical race theory is and is not.
Rashawn Ray and Alexandra Gibbons
Brookings
A Look At the Numbers and Times: No Denying the Advantages of Lia Thomas
The times and rankings of Penn’s Lia Thomas are clear and undeniable. The transgender swimmer has an obvious edge over biological women.
Swimming World News
https://www.si.com/college/2022/05/31/former-penn-swimmer-lia-thomas-didnt-transition-competitive-advantage
https://apnews.com/article/transgender-swimmers-new-rules-fina-world-governing-body-
c17e99d3121fa964336458b57ae266f7
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick wants Texas version of Florida law that critics dubbed “Don’t Say Gay”
The Florida law prohibits teachers from teaching sexual orientation or gender identity to kids below the fourth grade.
Brian Lopez and Emily Hernandez
The Texas Tribune
Not just Florida. More than a dozen states propose so-called ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bills
The specific details regarding the bills vary between state. But overall, they seek to prohibit schools from using a curriculum or discussing topics of gender identity or sexual orientation.
NPR
READ IMPORTANT!!!
Discussion board posts should be a minimum of 525 words and typed in 12-point Times New Roman font and should include at least one outside source other than the lecture materials which you must cite in APA formatting at the end of your post. If articles are given for reading with the Discussion Board prompt, then you may use them as your required source material, provided that you cite the source used in your post. All posts should be typed in a Word document to ensure proper length.
Identify a current events article about policy related to the child welfare system. Describe the child welfare policy and practices in the news article. How does this policy uphold or conflict with social work ethics and values?
ARTICLE FROM THE STATE OF NEVADA/CALIFORNIA OR COLORADO..US STATES
this essay is comprised of two components. The essay must be at least 1000 words overall. Please include in text citation and a works cited page in APA format.
Part One:
Begin by completing the following political ideology quizzes:
Advocates for Self Government a libertarian website: www.theadvocates.org/quizLinks to an external site.
Pew Research Center for People & the Press: www.people-press.org/typlogy/quizLinks to an external site.
Next, analyze AND explain YOUR results. Do you believe that these quizzes accurately measured YOUR ideological leanings to the right or the left? Why or why not?
Part Two:
Some people argue that there are no significant differences between the two major parties. Backing up your perspective with appropriate sources, what are the major differences and similarities in the views of the Democratic and Republican parties (e.g., this review of party platforms, 1856-2016 www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/politics/2016-election/conventions/party-platform-evolution/Links to an external site.)? What are the primary areas of difference between contemporary Democrats and Republicans? (i.e. gun control, abortion, taxes, regulation, LGBT rights, etc?) How are the two parties similar? What are the consequences of these patterns for voters and election outcomes? For policy outcomes?
Instructions for Writing Your Essay:
All essays must be written using proper English grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Points will be deducted for grammatical, punctuation, syntax, capitalization, etc. errors. Essays are automatically submitted to Turnitin. Work that Turnitin identifies as having more than a 10% rate of similarity (plagiarism) after quoted material and small matches (10 words or less) are excluded will not be read and will receive a grade of 0. Please include in text citation and a works cited page in APA format.
You are required to answer both of the questions below. Each answer should be approximately 4 double-spaced pages, with 12-point Times New Roman font. Each answer should have an introductory paragraph that summarizes your argument/findings and a conclusion that reiterates your argument and wraps up the essay. In total, you should have approximately 8 double-spaced pages of writing. Work cited and title pages do not count towards this page total. Please note that your answers need to be clearly written, easy to understand, and free of typos and sloppy grammatical errors. Essays that are difficult to understand, sloppily written and poorly organized will be penalized accordingly.
Question 1: This term, we have learned about different variables that influence state behavior. One variable we have discussed is polarity, or the number of great powers that exist in the international system at a given point in time. What is the current polarity condition of the international system? Is the current system unipolar, bipolar, etc.? Is the current polarity condition conducive to stability between countries? Why or why not? This answer is worth 20 points out of 40 points.
***Note that this answer is asking you to make an argument. Your job is to clearly define how you are measuring what makes a state a ‘great power’ and to develop an argument using the theories/approaches (realism, liberalism, constructivism, feminism) from class as to what the current distribution of power means for the stability/instability of the system. Your grade on this essay will be based on how well-developed your argument is and your use of the theories in the development of the argument. I do not care what your specific argument is, only that it is well-developed and flows logically from the theories we have learned about in the course.
Question 2: This term, we have read theories and approaches that argue that factors such as norms, international institutions, and gender influence state behavior. Select two of the factors mentioned above and discuss a recent event in IR that demonstrates how these factors influence state behavior for the event you have selected. The event needs to be a different event than the one you analyzed in your lens paper. This answer is worth 20 points out of 40 points.
you must cover two questions from “American Political Culture” and two “US Constitution and Bill of Rights” topics, plus all the questions from the “Civil Rights” in your original post.
American Political Culture 1. Why do only 45% of Americans take part in the political process OR VOTE?
2. If we are the leading figure on Democracy in the world, why do so many Americans distrust our Political Process?
3. Compare and contrast the priorities of the Federalists and Antifederalists for the design of the new Constitution. Although the Federalists argued for a stronger central government (and in many ways, they got one), the Antifederalists won important battles, such as the adoption of the Bill of Rights and the retention of power in the states. What does the debate between Federalists and Antifederalists tell us about American politics in the late eighteenth century? In what ways are the values and concerns of these two groups similar to or different from today’s political debates?
4. Combating terrorism has entailed restrictions on civil liberties. How can we reconcile civil liberty and national security? Are we better off opting for more liberty or more security? Are the two goals mutually exclusive? Have Americans become less supportive of the limitations on liberty put into place after the terror attacks in 2001, or do they still perceive that it makes sense to give up some liberties in order to feel more secure?
US Constitution and Bill of Rights 5. Did the Constitution provide us with a Strong Central Government in DC? or did it provide us with a Dictatorship style. E.g., D.C. now controlling Education (No Child Left Behind)
6. Are we still a free country under the Constitution (Bill of Rights) or has our government taken away our rights? e.g. Patriot Act.
READ: NASA Internet Mining ArticleLinks to an external site. 7. Would the Foundering Fathers be happy with the way the Constitution is interpreted today?
8. In light of the recent NSA spying on Americans. Do you believe that government has a right to do so or is Security more important than our constitutional right?
Civil Rights – Answer all questions for this topic.
Listen to the two-minute NPR segment about Dion DiamondLinks to an external site., take notes and answer following questions.
9. What is the purpose of sit-ins?
Sit-ins are a type of direct action where one or more people occupy an area for a protest, typically to advocate for political, social, or economic change. Protestors gather visibly in a space or building, refusing to leave until their demands are addressed. This form of nonviolent civil disobedience is employed to highlight injustices and call for reform.
10. Do you think student activism was important to the civil rights movement?
Of course. The involvement of young people and students played an important roll to the civil rights movement, leading to crucial changes in the civil rights movement and the freedom of speech for students. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 expanded civil and voting rights for Black Americans. It was demonstrated that young people have power for social change. 11.What are some examples of contemporary student activism?
12. How dangerous is it to stage a civil rights protest today in comparison to the 1960s