POLI330N Political Science
Week 1 Discussion
Determining Democracy
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 1 ,2, 3
Lesson: Read this Week's Lesson which is located in the Modules tab
Initial Post: minimum of 2 scholarly sources (must include your textbook for one of the sources). Follow-Up Post: minimum of 1 scholarly source for your Follow-Up Post.
Initial Post Instructions
For the initial post, respond to one of the following options, and label the beginning of your post indicating either Option 1 or Option 2:
Option 1: Does democracy require equality of income or wealth? Discuss why democracy might make a country more or less egalitarian?
Option 2: Political scientist Larry Sabato has proposed a new constitutional convention (Links to an external site.). Select any one of his proposed ideas and write a short list of pros and cons for this idea and support your reasoning.
Be sure to make connections between your ideas and conclusions and the research, concepts, terms, and theory we are discussing this week.
Follow-Up Post Instructions
Respond to at least one peer. Further the dialogue by providing more information and clarification. Minimum of 1 scholarly source which can include your textbook or assigned readings or may be from your additional scholarly research.
Writing Requirements
Minimum of 2 posts (1 initial & 1 follow-up)
Minimum of 2 sources cited (assigned readings/online lessons and an outside source) for your Initial Post, and 1 scholarly source for your Follow-Up Post.
APA format for in-text citations and list of references
POLI330N Political Science
Week 2 Discussion
Connection Between Our Culture and the News Media
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 5, 6
Lesson: Read this Week's Lesson which is located in the Modules tab
Initial Post: minimum of 2 scholarly sources (must include your textbook for one of the sources). Follow-Up Post: minimum of 1 scholarly source for your Follow-Up Post.
Initial Post Instructions
For the initial post, respond to one of the following options, and label the beginning of your post indicating either Option 1 or Option 2:
Option 1: The framers of the Constitution were concerned that everyday citizens would not be able to understand or comprehend the makings of our government. They felt that everyday citizens were uninformed and did not care what was going on in our government. Even today we see where citizens are interested in government affairs seemingly only if our country is in turmoil such as unemployment, recessions, civil unrest, etc. Do you agree with this assessment? Are we uninformed? Do we wait till a crisis happens to voice our opinions?
Option 2: Many experts see the media as biased and more like infotainment. In fact, many people have turned to social networks as an outlet for news instead of CBS, NBC, FOX, CNN and other news stations. Do you see this as an issue? Do you see the news as biased or unbiased? Should there be more restrictions on the news stations?
Be sure to make connections between your ideas and conclusions and the research, concepts, terms, and theory we are discussing this week.
Follow-Up Post Instructions
Respond to at least one peer. Further the dialogue by providing more information and clarification. Minimum of 1 scholarly source which can include your textbook or assigned readings or may be from your additional scholarly research.
Writing Requirements
Minimum of 2 posts (1 initial & 1 follow-up)
Minimum of 2 sources cited (assigned readings/online lessons and an outside source) for your Initial Post, and 1 scholarly source for your Follow-Up Post.
APA format for in-text citations and list of references
POLI330N Political Science
Week 3 Discussion
Pros and Cons of Interest Groups, Lobbyists, and Corporations
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chater 7, 8
Lesson: Read this Week's Lesson which is located in the Modules tab
Initial Post: minimum of 2 scholarly sources (must include your textbook for one of the sources). Follow-Up Post: minimum of 1 scholarly source for your Follow-Up Post.
Initial Post Instructions
For the initial post, respond to one of the following options, and label the beginning of your post indicating either Option 1 or Option 2:
Option 1: What are the pros and cons of lobbyists as a tool for special interest groups? Should former members of Congress be allowed to become lobbyists? Explain your answer.
Option 2: Social movements can at times use disruptive behaviors. What are some of the possible benefits of disruptive behaviors in social movements? What are the drawbacks or possible negative consequences? What does the First Amendment state concerning citizens' right to use disruptive methods? Refer to examples from history as you frame your analysis. Explain your answer.
Be sure to make connections between your ideas and conclusions and the research, concepts, terms, and theory we are discussing this week.
Follow-Up Post Instructions
Respond to at least one peer. Further the dialogue by providing more information and clarification. Minimum of 1 scholarly source which can include your textbook or assigned readings or may be from your additional scholarly research.
Writing Requirements
Minimum of 2 posts (1 initial & 1 follow-up)
Minimum of 2 sources cited (assigned readings/online lessons and an outside source) for your Initial Post, and 1 scholarly source for your Follow-Up Post.
APA format for in-text citations and list of references
POLI330N Political Science
Week 4 Discussion
The Electoral College Argument, Politics and Social Media
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapters 5, 6 and 10
Lesson: Read this Week's Lesson which is located in the Modules tab
Initial Post: minimum of 2 scholarly sources (must include your textbook for one of the sources). Follow-Up Post: minimum of 1 scholarly source for your Follow-Up Post.
Initial Post Instructions
For the initial post, respond to one of the following options, and label the beginning of your post indicating either Option 1 or Option 2:
Option 1: List the ways in which contemporary presidential campaigns have used social media as a campaign tool. Do you consider social media as a successful tool? Explain your answer. Do you see social media as an unsuccessful tool? Explain your answer and provide examples.
Option 2: There are numerous discussions involving the Electoral College. There are some people that want to abolish the electoral college while others want to keep it. What do you think? Keep the electoral college or abolish it? Explain the reasons for your choice.
Be sure to make connections between your ideas and conclusions and the research, concepts, terms, and theory we are discussing this week.
Follow-Up Post Instructions
Respond to at least one peer. Further the dialogue by providing more information and clarification. Minimum of 1 scholarly source which can include your textbook or assigned readings or may be from your additional scholarly research.
Writing Requirements
Minimum of 2 posts (1 initial & 1 follow-up)
Minimum of 2 sources cited (assigned readings/online lessons and an outside source) for your Initial Post, and 1 scholarly source for your Follow-Up Post.
APA format for in-text citations and list of references
POLI330N Political Science
Week 5 Discussion
The Roles of Congress and The Presidency
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapters 4 and 10
Lesson: Read this Week's Lesson which is located in the Modules tab
Initial Post: minimum of 2 scholarly sources (must include your textbook for one of the sources). Follow-Up Post: minimum of 1 scholarly source for your Follow-Up Post.
Initial Post Instructions
For the initial post, respond to one of the following options, and label the beginning of your post indicating either Option 1 or Option 2:
Option 1: Political scientists disagree on the exact causes of low representation of women in Congress. Why do you think there are so few women in Congress in comparison to men? How likely is it that these patterns of representation will dramatically change over your lifetime? For this discussion question, you will have to do some research online.
Option 2: What characteristics do you think voters look for when choosing a president? Do you think voters choose the characteristics they are looking for depending on the socioeconomic and political environment - lack of jobs, riots, COVID-19, environmental concerns and other issues etc.? Explain your answer.
Be sure to make connections between your ideas and conclusions and the research, concepts, terms, and theory we are discussing this week.
Follow-Up Post Instructions
Respond to at least one peer. Further the dialogue by providing more information and clarification. Minimum of 1 scholarly source which can include your textbook or assigned readings or may be from your additional scholarly research.
Writing Requirements
Minimum of 2 posts (1 initial & 1 follow-up)
Minimum of 2 sources cited (assigned readings/online lessons and an outside source) for your Initial Post, and 1 scholarly source for your Follow-Up Post.
APA format for in-text citations and list of references
POLI330N Political Science
Week 6 Discussion
A Bloated Bureaucracy and an inclusive Supreme Court
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 13, 14
Lesson: Read this Week's Lesson which is located in the Modules tab
Initial Post: minimum of 2 scholarly sources (must include your textbook for one of the sources). Follow-Up Post: minimum of 1 scholarly source for your Follow-Up Post.
Initial Post Instructions
For the initial post, respond to one of the following options, and label the beginning of your post indicating either Option 1 or Option 2:
Option 1: How does the bureaucracy affect your life, and thus, your freedom as an ordinary citizen? In what ways does it hinder or help your life? Do you see the bureaucracy as an effective aspect in your life or do you see issues with the bureaucracy as it stands? Why/why not? List one issue you would change concerning the bureaucracy and how you would remedy the issue.
Option 2: Identify a recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court and discuss the nature of the case and the basis of the argument the Supreme Court used to reach the decision. Explain why you agree or disagree with the ruling?
Be sure to make connections between your ideas and conclusions and the research, concepts, terms, and theory we are discussing this week.
Follow-Up Post Instructions
Respond to at least one peer. Further the dialogue by providing more information and clarification. Minimum of 1 scholarly source which can include your textbook or assigned readings or may be from your additional scholarly research.
Writing Requirements
Minimum of 2 posts (1 initial & 1 follow-up)
Minimum of 2 sources cited (assigned readings/online lessons and an outside source) for your Initial Post, and 1 scholarly source for your Follow-Up Post.
APA format for in-text citations and list of references
POLI330N Political Science
Week 7 Discussion
Our Struggle for Freedom, Civil Liberties And Political Equality
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 15, 16
Lesson: Read this Week's Lesson which is located in the Modules tab.
Initial Post: minimum of 2 scholarly sources (must include your textbook for one of the sources). Follow-Up Post: minimum of 1 scholarly source for your Follow-Up Post.
Initial Post Instructions
For the initial post, respond to one of the following options, and label the beginning of your post indicating either Option 1 or Option 2:
Option 1: The Equal Rights Amendment was first proposed almost a century ago and has still not been added to the United States Constitution. It is supposed to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. It was first introduced to Congress by Alice Paul, leader of women's suffrage movement in 1923. Compare/contrast the Equal Rights Amendment with the Fourteenth Amendment. Did they deal with separate concepts? Explain your answer.
Option 2: The Bill of Rights is not only included with the United States Constitution but also state constitutions. All states have provisions in their constitutions that protect individual rights. Go online and look up your state constitution concerning amendments that are included in the Bill of Rights. How does your state constitution protect your individual rights?
Be sure to make connections between your ideas and conclusions and the research, concepts, terms, and theory we are discussing this week.
Follow-Up Post Instructions
Respond to at least one peer. Further the dialogue by providing more information and clarification. Minimum of 1 scholarly source which can include your textbook or assigned readings or may be from your additional scholarly research.
Writing Requirements
Minimum of 2 posts (1 initial & 1 follow-up)
Minimum of 2 sources cited (assigned readings/online lessons and an outside source) for your Initial Post, and 1 scholarly source for your Follow-Up Post.
APA format for in-text citations and list of references
POLI330N Political Science
Week 8 Discussion
Government Regulations And Social Insurance Programs
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 17
Lesson: Read this Week's Lesson which is located in the Modules tab
Initial Post: minimum of 2 scholarly sources (must include your textbook for one of the sources). Follow-Up Post: minimum of 1 scholarly source for your Follow-Up Post.
Initial Post Instructions
For the initial post, respond to one of the following options, and label the beginning of your post indicating either Option 1 or Option 2:
Option 1: The main social insurance programs like Social Security, Medicare, and unemployment compensation are funded by a payroll tax on the earnings of individuals who may receive benefits. Do you think the social insurance programs are effective? How are social insurance programs affected by the socioeconomic and political forces? Explain your answers.
Option 2: Research government regulations on a particular area of your choice, such as food, drugs, product safety, fracking, environment, etc. Do you think the government regulations go too far? Do you think the government needs to add more regulations? How are lobbyists involved concerning regulations on food and drug safety, and our environment concerning fracking? Explain your answers.
Be sure to make connections between your ideas and conclusions and the research, concepts, terms, and theory we are discussing this week.
Follow-Up Post Instructions
Respond to at least one peer. Further the dialogue by providing more information and clarification. Minimum of 1 scholarly source which can include your textbook or assigned readings or may be from your additional scholarly research.
Writing Requirements
Minimum of 2 posts (1 initial & 1 follow-up)
Minimum of 2 sources cited (assigned readings/online lessons and an outside source) for your Initial Post, and 1 scholarly source for your Follow-Up Post.
APA format for in-text citations and list of references
POLI330N Political Science
Week 1 Assignment
State Powers
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 1, 2, 3
Lesson
Minimum of 2 scholarly sources in addition to the textbook.
Instructions
Review the Bill of Rights for the U.S. Constitution (the first 10 amendments) to understand what rights are listed. There are numerous online sources to find the Bill of Rights.
Next, go online and look up your state's constitution. Find three state sections that are similar to or align with the Bill of Rights. Examples include religious freedom, freedom of speech or association, etc. Compare and contrast these three state sections with their comparable sections in the Bill of Rights and discuss the guidelines for each
Writing Requirements (APA format)
Length: 1.5-2 pages (not including title page or references page)
1-inch margins
Double spaced
12-point Times New Roman font
Title page
References page (minimum of 2 scholarly sources in addition to textbook if cited)
POLI330N Political Science
Week 3 Assignment
Analyzing Body Language
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 7, 8
Lesson 3
APA style manual
Citation and Writing Assistance: Writing Papers At CU
Library Overview
How to Search for Articles - the Everything Tab
Instructions
Social Movements are only as important as the person leading them. The person(s) leading a social movement must have charisma and be able to captivate an audience. Political scientists and historians are taught to analyze body language, especially during debates and speeches.
For this assignment, you will watch Dr Martin Luther King's I Have a Dream (Links to an external site.) speech and a speech by Alicia Garza of the Black Lives Matter movement (Links to an external site.) and answer questions listed below. Pay special attention to the following aspects in the two speeches.
Importance of body language while delivering the speech.
Gestures, cadence and delivery style.
Answer the following
Provide a summary of the two speeches.
Compare Dr. King's leadership, charisma, power and passion to capture his audience to Alicia Garza's speech. What are the similarities, if any? What are the differences, if any?
How does the location of the speeches support their messaging? Dr. King's speech was held in a church and at the Lincoln Memorial, whereas today we have social networking and more avenues to relay messages. Does messaging make a difference?
Describe how the audience in Dr. King's speeches relate to the Alicia Garza's audience. Do you see a similarity or differences in the speeches and in the audience?
Paper Requirements (APA format)
Length: 2-3 pages of substantive content
12 pt font
Parenthetical in-text citations included and formatted in APA style??
References page (a minimum of 2 outside scholarly sources plus the textbook and/or the weekly lesson for each course outcome)?.
Title and introduction pages are present.
POLI330N Political Science
Week 5 Assignment
Representation in Congress
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 11, 12
Lesson
Minimum of 2 scholarly sources in addition to the textbook.
Instructions
Research the proportion of women, African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans and openly gay or lesbian members of Congress.
Reflect on what these patterns say about the nature of representation.
Why do some groups tend to be underrepresented in Congress?
Why do you see a trend in which more women and minorities are being represented?
Do you think the underrepresentation of women and minorities affect Congress's business?
How might we as a people address this situation and strive towards equal representation? Make sure to cite sources used.
Writing Requirements (APA format)
Length: 1.5-2 pages (not including title page or references page)
1-inch margins
Double spaced
12-point Times New Roman font
Title page
References page (minimum of 2 scholarly sources in addition to textbook if cited)
POLI330N Political Science
Week 6 Assignment
Part I: How the Courts Address or Respect Our Rights as Citizens
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 11, 12
Lesson
Minimum of 2 scholarly sources in addition to the textbook.
Instructions
This assignment is comprised of 2 parts, the first of which is due this week. Part II will be due in Week 7.
In Part I this week, choose a case from your state that involves civil rights or civil liberties that was decided by the United States Supreme Court. If your state does not have a case that was decided by the United States Supreme Court, choose a civil rights case from another state for which the United States Supreme Court issued a decision.
Here is a brief description of civil rights and civil liberties: Civil rights refers to equal social opportunities under the law. It gives you these freedoms such as the right to vote, the right to public education, or a fair trial, among other things, regardless of your wealth or race. Civil liberties mean freedom of religion, equal treatment and due process under the law, and the right to privacy.
You should be able to go online and look up your state and famous cases decided by the Supreme Court. For example, Brown v Board of Education (1951) started in Topeka, Kansas and ended up in the Supreme Court of the United States. Another example would be Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley v Steve Sisolak, Governor of Nevada (2020) that started in Nevada and ended up the United States Supreme Court. A good source of information about cases decided by the United States Supreme Court is www.scotusblog.com. Other sources can be researched online using search terms for “civil rights cases decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.” Be sure to use a case actually decided by the United States Supreme Court, and not a case decided by your state’s supreme court or a different court. A case that is still pending before the United States Supreme Court should not be used. If you are unsure, please contact your Professor BEFORE you pick your case and submit the assignment as this is a significant part of your overall grade.
Research your court case and write an outline of the case that you will be using to prepare a presentation, which will either be a narrated PowerPoint, a Kaltura Video, or some other format as approved by your instructor. If you are unsure, then verify the presentation format with your instructor before starting work on this assignment.
This week's assignment should include (a) summary of the case; (b) a case outline; and a summary.
A. Summary of the Case
In one or two paragraphs, provide a general overview of the case that serves as a snapshot of what the case is about and how it ended up in your state high court. A summary is using your words to write a brief history of the case. Do not give your opinion or your interpretation but stick to the facts only.
B: Case Outline
Your court case outline should include:
Title: Name of the case
Facts of the case: Provide key facts involving the case.
History of the case: What legal action was taken based on what your state laws say about this case?
Legal questions: What were the legal issues the court had to decide?
Decision or holdings: Did the court decide for the plaintiff or the defendant? Explain the reason behind the decision?
Verdict and opinion (judgement): What were the concurring and dissenting opinions? How many judges decided for the defendant and how many justices decided against the defendant? What was the final verdict from the judge or the jury, if it was a jury trial?
C. Conclusion
What was the resulting impact of the ruling? How did the citizens of your state benefit from it? Was this a good decision?
Writing Requirements (APA format)
The length of your outline will vary. Usually an outline is anywhere from 1-3 pages long. Make sure to write full sentences to explain your case. It is a concise list to be used as a reference for you during the presentation.
Using the outline, you will be describing the court case in your presentation and the scenario around the court case. The use of Wikipedia as a primary source of information is to be avoided - it is not a reliable source of information.
Search for an example of a case outline in the Internet. Without going into much detail at this state, each of the items listed above has a subject sentence with 3-6 bullet points that can help you expand on the topic.
For Week 7, you will be creating a narrated PowerPoint, or a video as approved by your instructor, from this week's outline.
This assignment is worth 200 points.
1-inch margins
Double spaced
12-point Times New Roman font
Title page
References page (minimum of 2 scholarly sources in addition to textbook if cited)
POLI330N Political Science
Week 7 Assignment
Part II: How the Courts Address or Respect Our Rights as Citizens – Presentation
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 17. Also, Chapter 11 and 12 from Week 6 might still be relevant.
Lesson
Minimum of 2 scholarly sources in addition to the textbook.
Instructions
Using the case outline (Part I: How the Courts Address or Respect Our Rights as Citizens) you submitted in Week 6, prepare and submit a presentation, which will either be a narrated PowerPoint, a Kaltura Video, or some other format as approved by your instructor. Be sure to verify the presentation format with your instructor before starting work on this assignment.
Discuss the concurring and dissenting opinions from the judge or if a jury trial, the jury.
Important: In this assignment, you are expected to elaborate the points you made in the prior assignment in Week 6. This assignment will be graded on your strength to elaborate and explain the facts of the case and proper use of visual aids, good narration, and presenting to the case and how well you stick to the case. For example, if you are using the PowerPoint, you are also expected to include proper visuals that are relevant to the case. Do not copy-paste the outline into this and call it complete.
This assignment is worth 225 points.
Writing Requirements (APA format)
Length: The presentation must be 10-15 slides long if using PowerPoint (excluding cover and reference pages) or 3-5 minute long if using a video presentation.
Font should not be smaller than size 16-point??
Parenthetical in-text citations included and formatted in APA style??
Title/Introduction slide required
References slide minimum of 2 scholarly sources in addition to textbook if cited)
Use the speaker notes to elaborate on the content on the slides
