POLI330 Political Science
Week 1 Discussion
Why Study Political Science?
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 1 ,2
Lesson
Minimum of 1 scholarly source (in addition to the textbook)
Initial Post Instructions
Identify why students should learn about political science. Use evidence (cite sources) to support your response from assigned readings or online lessons, and at least one outside scholarly source. Describe at least one reason why political science is interesting or relevant to you personally.
POLI330 Political Science
Week 2 Discussion
Your Political Socialization
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 3, 6
Lesson
Minimum of 1 scholarly source (in addition to the textbook)
Initial Post Instructions
Political socialization begins young. Think about conversations around politics when you were in primary school (around age 10). Maybe there was a natural disaster in your area such as a hurricane and government response levels were critiqued. What were some of the ways you learned about the political establishment through family members and friends? How were you politically socialized as a child? Use evidence (cite sources) to support your response from assigned readings or online lessons, and at least one outside scholarly source.
POLI330 Political Science
Week 3 Discussion
Our Constitution
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapters 4, 5
Lesson
Minimum of 1 scholarly source (in addition to the textbook)
Initial Post Instructions
Why is our Constitution vague? What are the pros and cons of having a constitution that is written vaguely? Pick a "vague' portion of the US Constitution. Has this vagueness in terminology been problematic or helpful? Provide historical examples. Use evidence (cite sources) to support your response from assigned readings or online lessons, and at least one outside scholarly source.
POLI330 Political Science
Week 4 Discussion
Differences and Similarities between Presidential and Parliamentary Systems
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 7, 8
Lesson
Minimum of 1 scholarly source (in addition to the textbook)
Initial Post Instructions
Discuss the differences and similarities between the presidential and parliamentary systems, including the executive and legislative branches. Which system do you feel serves its citizen better? Why? Use evidence (cite sources) to support your response from assigned readings or online lessons, and at least one outside scholarly source.
POLI330 Political Science
Week 5 Discussion
International Organizations
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapters 8, 9
Lesson
Minimum of 1 scholarly source (in addition to the textbook)
Initial Post Instructions
Pick one international organization (UN, EU, ICC, etc.). Explain its mission and function. Assess how issues of state sovereignty are dealt with for member countries. Use evidence (cite sources) to support your response from assigned readings or online lessons, and at least one outside scholarly source.
POLI330 Political Science
Week 6 Discussion
US Budge
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 10
Lesson
Minimum of 1 scholarly source (in addition to the textbook)
Initial Post Instructions
You are an advisor to the President tasked with cutting at least $300 billion from the budget. The president wants your recommendations to cut lines, not large categories. Submit your recommendations and your reasoning for such recommendations using these guidelines:
- Use evidence (cite sources) to support your recommendations from assigned readings or online lessons, and at least one outside scholarly source.
- Use the format provided below to present your numbers and totals followed by an explanation below the chart.
- Please note that these are not true US budget numbers, but are reasonable hypothetical numbers to help us consider the budget processes complexities.
|
DOMESTIC PROGRAMS AND FOREIGN AID
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Cut some foreign aid to African countries
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$17 billion
|
|
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Eliminate farm subsidies
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$14 billion
|
|
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Cut pay of civilian federal workers by 5 percent
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$14 billion
|
|
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Reduce the overall federal workforce by 10%
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$12 billion
|
|
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Cut aid to states by 5%
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$29 billion
|
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MILITARY
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Cut the number of nuclear warheads, and end the "Star Wars" missile defense program
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$19 billion
|
|
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Reduce military to pre-Iraq War size and further reduce troops in Asia and Europe
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$25 billion
|
|
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Cancel or delay some weapons programs
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$19 billion
|
|
HEALTHCARE
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Enact medical malpractice reform by reducing the chances of large malpractice verdicts
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$ 8 billion
|
|
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Increase the Medicare eligibility age to 68
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$ 8 billion
|
|
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Raise the Social Security retirement age to 68.
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$ 13 billion
|
|
EXISTING TAXES
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Return the estate tax to Clinton-era levels, passing on an estate worth more than $1 million to their heirs would have portions of those estates taxed.
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$ 50 billion
|
|
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End tax cuts for income above $250,000 a year
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$ 54 billion
|
|
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End tax cuts for income below $250,000 a year
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$ 172 billion
|
|
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Payroll tax increase for people making over $106,000 annually contributing more to Social Security and Medicare.
|
$ 50 billion
|
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NEW TAXES
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Institute a Millionaire's tax on income above $1 million
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$ 50 billion
|
|
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Add a national 5% sales tax
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$ 41 billion
|
|
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Add a tax on carbon emissions
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$ 40 billion
|
|
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Tax banks based on their sizes and the amount of risk they take.
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$ 73 billion
|
|
Total gap covered by your budget plan
|
|
$_________________
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POLI330 Political Science
Week 7 Discussion
Agenda Setting
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 11
Lesson
Minimum of 1 scholarly source (in addition to the textbook)
Initial Post Instructions
Agenda setting can be a difficult task in government. Why? Who do you consider an important agenda setter in government? How does this participant help set the agenda? Give an example of an attempt at agenda setting in government. Was it successful? Why or why not? Consider how factors such as culture, political positions, etc. might impact your own, or the agenda setters' priorities.
Use evidence (cite sources) to support your response from assigned readings or online lessons, and at least one outside scholarly source.
POLI330 Political Science
Week 8 Discussion
PEW Typology Quiz
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Lesson
Minimum of 1 scholarly source (in addition to the textbook)
PEW Quiz (Links to an external site.)
Initial Post Instructions
You have already taken the quiz as part of the lesson this week; now, tell the class about your results and what they mean. What is your ideological placement? Then, analyze why you believe the results or do not believe the results. Do these results reflect your voting record? Use evidence (cite sources) to support your response from assigned readings or online lessons, and at least one outside scholarly source.
POLI330 Political Science
Week 1 Assignment
Current Event - Local Issue
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapters 1, 2
Lesson
Local newspaper
APA style manual
Citation and Writing Assistance: Writing Papers At CU (Links to an external site.)
Library Overview (Links to an external site.)
How to Search for Articles - the Everything Tab (Links to an external site.)
Instructions
Find an article in your local newspaper about a local policy issue that affects you. For example, an article concerning your county's decision to privatize your trash collection service. Summarize the article and explain how this issue affects you. Is the article neutral? Why or why not? How might you influence this policy in the future?
Be sure to include a scanned copy of the article in your submission in addition to citations. Articles may not be more than one month old.
Writing Requirements (APA format)
Length: 3 full pages (not including title page or references page)
1-inch margins
Double spaced
12-point Times New Roman font
Title page
References page
POLI330 Political Science
Week 2Assignment
The Role of Media in Influencing Government and the Public
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 6
Lesson 2
APA style manual
Citation and Writing Assistance: Writing Papers At CU (Links to an external site.)
Library Overview (Links to an external site.)
How to Search for Articles - the Everything Tab (Links to an external site.)
Extra resources:
Mills, H. (2007). Power points!: How to design and deliver presentations that sizzle and sell (Office essentials collection). New York: AMACOM. (2007). Retrieved October 30, 2019, from WorldCat. https://chamberlain-on-worldcat-org.chamberlainuniversity.idm.oclc.org/oclc/163575158 (Links to an external site.)
Instructions
You are attending an international journalist event and have been chosen to give a presentation of the roles of the media in influencing government and its citizens. Identify and describe the roles of the media in influencing government and its citizens using specific descriptive examples. Please create a PowerPoint presentation to assist you in your presentation.
As you complete your presentation, be sure to:
Use speaker's notes to expand upon the bullet point main ideas on your slides, making references to research and theory with citation.
Proof your work
Use visuals (pictures, video, narration, graphs, etc.) to compliment the text in your presentation and to reinforce your content.
Do not just write a paper and copy chunks of it into each slide. Treat this as if you were going to give this presentation live.
Presentation Requirements (APA format)?
Length: 8-10 substantive slides (excluding cover and references slides)??
Font should not be smaller than size 16-point??
Parenthetical in-text citations included and formatted in APA style??
References slide (a minimum of 2 outside scholarly sources plus the textbook and/or the weekly lesson for each course outcome)?
Title and introduction slide required
POLI330 Political Science
Week 3Assignment
Essay - Representing a Democracy
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapters 5
Lesson
APA style manual
Citation and Writing Assistance: Writing Papers At CU (Links to an external site.)
Library Overview (Links to an external site.)
How to Search for Articles - the Everything Tab (Links to an external site.)
Two additional sources beyond those provided
Instructions
Research the background of your Congressional representatives based on your address listed with CU - two senators and a member of the House of Representatives. Find out about their previous occupation(s), political experience, family, income, education, and other relevant demographics. What percentage of the vote did they receive to win in their last election? What are two policy issues areas they are interested in? How do these areas reflect their ideologies?
Here is a link to get your started:
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members (Links to an external site.) (Links to an external site.)
Write an essay. Start by identifying all three of your representatives. Then, pick the representative you are most interested in and explain why they interest you. Present the information you found in your research required above in the essay.
Writing Requirements (APA format)
Length: 4 full 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 beyond those provided)
Citation and Writing Assistance: Writing Papers At CU (Links to an external site.)
Library Overview (Links to an external site.)
How to Search for Articles - the Everything Tab
POLI330 Political Science
Week 4Assignment
Electoral College – Good or Bad?
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapters 7, 8
Lesson
APA style manual
Citation and Writing Assistance: Writing Papers At CU (Links to an external site.)
Library Overview (Links to an external site.)
How to Search for Articles - the Everything Tab (Links to an external site.)
Instructions
The Electoral College was created to protect US citizens against mob rule. Mob rule is the control of a lawful government system by a mass of people through violence and intimidation. However, some Americans question the legitimacy of this process. Pick one election where the outcome of the popular vote and the electoral college vote differed to create an argument in favor of or opposed to the use of the electoral college. List at least three valid points to support your argument. Present you argument in a PowerPoint presentation.
As you complete your presentation, be sure to:
Use speaker's notes to expand upon the bullet point main ideas on your slides, making references to research and theory with citation.
Proof your work
Use visuals (pictures, video, narration, graphs, etc.) to compliment the text in your presentation and to reinforce your content.
Do not just write a paper and copy chunks of it into each slide. Treat this as if you were going to give this presentation live.
Presentation Requirements (APA format)?
Length: 8-10 substantive slides (excluding cover and references slides)??
Font should not be smaller than size 16-point??
Parenthetical in-text citations included and formatted in APA style??
References slide (a minimum of 2 outside scholarly sources plus the textbook and/or the weekly lesson for each course outcome)?
POLI330 Political Science
Week 5Assignment
Current Event - Totalitarian Restrictions or Ethnic Conflict
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapters 8, 9
Lesson (Links to an external site.)
Citation and Writing Assistance: Writing Papers At CU (Links to an external site.)
Library Overview (Links to an external site.)
How to Search for Articles - the Everything Tab (Links to an external site.)
Article (no more than one-month old) from reputable news source such as The New York Times or The Washington Post
Instructions
Write a paper on a current event article that discusses restrictions on freedoms by a totalitarian state or an article on ethnic conflict within a nation. Summarize the article and explain why this issue is important to the global community. What outside influences might help change this issue? How? Is the article neutral? Why or why not?
Be sure to include a scanned copy of the article in your submission in addition to citations. Articles may not be more than one month old.
Writing Requirements (APA format). Refer to the APA manual.
Length: 3 full pages (not including the title or references page)
1-inch margins
Double-Spaced
12-point Times New Roman font
Title and Reference page required
APA cite article with link
Scan copy of article required
POLI330 Political Science
Week 6Assignment
Current Event - Free and Fair Trade or Budgetary Issue
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 10
Lesson
Citation and Writing Assistance: Writing Papers At CU (Links to an external site.)
Library Overview (Links to an external site.)
How to Search for Articles - the Everything Tab (Links to an external site.)
Article (no more than one-month old) from reputable news source such as The New York Times or The Washington Post
Instructions
For this assignment, respond to one of the following options:
Option 1: Find a recent article (less than one month old) from a reputable news source concerning a Free and Fair Trade issue between at least two countries.
Summarize the article.
What is the issue?
Explain why this issue is important to the global community.
What outside influences might help change this issue?
What is your opinion?
Option 2: Find a recent article (less than one month old) from a reputable news source concerning a proposed budgetary change.
Summarize the article.
What is the issue?
Explain who benefits most from the change?
Who might be negatively affected by this change?
What is your opinion?
Writing Requirements (APA format). Refer to the APA manual.
Length: 3 full pages (not including the title or references page)
1-inch margins
Double-Spaced
12-point Times New Roman font
Title and Reference page required
APA cite article with link
Scan copy of article required
POLI330 Political Science
Week 7Assignment
Final Project - Policy Issue
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 11
Citation and Writing Assistance: Writing Papers At CU (Links to an external site.)
Library Overview (Links to an external site.)
How to Search for Articles - the Everything Tab (Links to an external site.)
Minimum of 4 scholarly sources (in addition to the textbook)
Instructions
You are a lobbyist for an issue that you find important. For example, you would like to see the banning of smoking in federal buildings (Note: This policy has already been enacted.) You are going to make an informational pamphlet to highlight your points to prominent members of Congress. Research members of Congress that you will target in your lobbying. Explain why these members are critical to your goal. Make a plan of action and produce a pamphlet supporting your cause. Who will you be reaching out to? Why? Write a cover letter to a Congressional member and include your reasoning for reaching out to them in particular in the letter. Remember a lobbyist is only as good as the information they provide. A lobbyist who provides incomplete or unreliable information will soon be unemployed, or lose access to officials.
Cover letter should:
Follow a standard business format
Correctly address your Congressperson
Use the correct postal address
Explain your choice to write to this representative in particular, and provide your pamphlet. For example, maybe your research showed that this representative sponsored legislation on this issue in the past.
Pamphlet should:
Define the problem. Tells us exactly what the problem is. Detail its urgency and provide data. Be objective.
Analyze the problem. Provide relevant data. Tell us how to make sense of the data. Provide any findings
Offer a recommendation. Do not generalize. Be specific.
Must be persuasive.
Cite four scholarly sources
Submit your cover letter and pamphlet for grading.
Writing Requirements (APA format).
Length: Cover letter to Congressman should be only 1 page
Pamphlet should be 5 pages in length
1-inch margins
12-point Times New Roman font
Reference page (minimum of 4 scholarly sources)
