Electoral College System Disavows American Govern
Research and Writing Assignment 2: “Politics, Democracy, and the American People” (There are eleven bases of democracy presented by Walter E. Volkomer. List these eleven bases, and in your own words, in brief 1-3 sentence, communicate how each contributes to the development and continuance of democracy). [12 points]
Research and Writing Assignment 3: “From Colonialism to Constitutionalism” (The First Continental Congress was held in September 1774, the Second Continental Congress in May 1775, and the Constitutional Convention in May 1787. Explain the relevance of these and critically express the challenges and problems faced by the organizers and attendees of these events in U.S. history). [12 points]
Research and Writing Assignment 4: “The Federal System” ([Under federalism, neither the central government nor the state governments exercise the total power of government” Volkomer, 2012, p. 64]. What does this mean? Explain the powers of the central government and the state governments as granted by the Constitution). [12 points]
Research and Writing Assignment 5: “Congress” (Congress has both legislative and representative functions in their role as the Congress that enacts legislation for the nation as whole and the Congress that represents the people of all states and localities in the nation. What are the legislative and representative functions of Congress?). [12 points]
Research and Writing Assignment 6: “The Chief Executive” (Article II of the Constitution states the basic requirements for the Presidency. The Constitution gives three eligibility requirements to be president: one must be 35 years of age, a resident ‘within the United States’ for 14 years, and a ‘natural born Citizen,’ a term not defined in the Constitution. Why do you think these requirements were arrived at? Do you agree or disagree with them? Why or Why not?). [12 points]
Research and Writing Assignment 7: “The Federal Bureaucracy” (A line agency is an agency that carries out government policies and provides various types of services, while a staff agency is an agency that gathers information and makes it available to the president. List and describe three (3) line agencies, and three (3) staff agencies relative to their role in the federal government). [12 points]
Research and Writing Assignment 8: “The Judiciary” (Explain the roles of the following landmark cases in American government and democracy: (a) Marbury v. Madison (1803); (b) Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)). [12 points]
Research and Writing Assignment 9: “Civil Liberties” (Is freedom of speech truly “free”? Explain the differences between libel and slander by citing two examples of each in public life). [12 points]
Research and Writing Assignment 10: “Civil Rights” (Civil rights are not the same as civil liberties. Civil rights are often confused with the Bill of Rights. However, the Bill of Rights is basically a list of civil liberties. Explain the differences between civil rights and civil liberties using examples). [12 points]
Research and Writing Assignment 11: “Public Opinion and the Mass Media” (The media has come under extraordinary assault from and criticism by the 45th President of the United States and many of his supporters, oftentimes labelling media that do not agree with the president “fake news”. Does this have any consequences or implications for First Amendment rights? How is freedom of the press tied to your personal freedom of speech?). [12 points]
Research and Writing Assignment 12: “Political Parties and Interest Groups” (The reality of American Government is one of a two-party system wherein Democrats and Republicans grapple for power and control over the three branches of government – the legislative, the executive, and the judiciary. Is party affiliation necessary for effective and smooth government and can one be an effective political leader without affiliation to these parties?). [12 points]
Research and Writing Assignment 13: “Nominations and Elections” (During the general election, Americans go to their polling place to cast their vote for President. But the tally of those votes—the popular vote—does not determine the winner. Instead, Presidential elections use the Electoral College. To win the election, a candidate must receive a majority of electoral votes. Do you believe that the Electoral College system disavows popular vote and sidesteps democracy? Why or why not?). [12 points]
Research and Writing Assignment 14: “Public Policy—What Government Does” (Redistributive policy refers to those policies that reallocate resources among groups in society. Can redistributive policies effectively address problems such as poverty and equality in American society?). [12 points]
Research and Writing Assignment 15: “Foreign Policy” (The principal method of conducting foreign policy is diplomacy. This is done by the appointees of the president who are concerned with this subject and also on occasion by the president himself through personal contact with leaders of the other nations of the world. What are the other methods that the United States Government uses to conduct foreign policy? Comment on the effectiveness or lack of effectiveness of these other methods). [12 points]
Each assignment requires a 1-page type-written, double-space, APA-formatted response with a minimum of one cited source.