Reference no: EM132228547 , Length: word count:1050
Assignment -
Assignment Description: Write a minimum 3-page (about 1000 words) response to an "Exercise" question from the assigned text.
Objective: This assignment is designed to allow the student to consider topics related to American government/governance. Students will consider the question from the assigned text and incorporate outside sources/references in their discussion of and response to the question. The goal of the assignment is evaluate the student's ability to understand and incorporate main points from assigned readings as well as their ability to find and integrate related, reliable sources. The assignment also evaluates student's referencing and citation abilities.
Overview: Select one of the "Exercises" questions from any of the following chapters of the assigned text: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4 or Chapter 5 and write a minimum 3-page (approximately 1000 words) response to the question (maximum 4 pages, approximately 1500 words).
Chapter 1 - Communication in the Information Age
1.1 Communication, Information, and the Media
EXERCISES
1. Where do you get most of your information? How do you think the type of media you consume affects the kind of information you get?
2. How does the need to attract a large audience for advertisements influence media content?
1.2 News
EXERCISES
1. What makes something news? How do journalists decide what to report as news?
2. Why was the close-up photograph of the statue of Saddam Hussein being pulled down so much more widely used in the media than the wide-angle shot? How does the need to tell an interesting story affect how the news gets reported?
3. What factors determine how journalists cover politics? When is their coverage of politicians more likely to be favorable, and when is it more likely to be critical?
1.3 Opinion and Commentary
EXERCISES
1. What is the value of having opinion and commentary in the media? Do you think it makes it easier or harder for people to develop their own opinions about politics?
2. How do media set the political agenda by choosing what issues to focus on? What do you think the media treat as the most important political issues right now?
3. How can humor be used to influence public opinion? Why might satire be more effective than straight opinion in making political points?
1.4 New Media
EXERCISES
1. How do new media make it difficult for governments to keep secrets? What effect do you think that will have on politics?
2. How does blogging differ from traditional journalism? What are the advantages of blogging as a form of journalism? What are the disadvantages?
3. In what sense do new media make everyone potentially a journalist? Do you agree that this also makes everyone potentially a public figure?
Chapter 2 - The Constitution and the Structure of Government Power
2.1 The First American Political System
EXERCISES
1. What was it about the Stamp Act and the decision to award a monopoly on the sale of tea to the East India Company that helped bring the American colonies together? What were the motivations for forming the first Congresses?
2. In what way is the Declaration of Independence's idea that "all men are created equal" a democratic principle? In what sense are people equal if, in practice, they are all different from one another?
3. What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation? Do you think the American government would be able to function if it were still a confederation? Why or why not?
2.2 Creating and Ratifying the Constitution
EXERCISES
1. From what James Madison says in Federalist No. 10, what economic interests was the Constitution designed to protect? Do you agree that the liberty to accumulate wealth is an essential part of liberty?
2. What did James Madison mean by "factions," and what danger did they pose? How did he hope to avoid the problems factions could cause?
3. Why were the Constitutional Convention's deliberations kept secret? Do you think it was a good idea to keep them secret? Why or why not?
4. What were the main divisions that cut across the Constitutional Convention? What compromises bridged each of these divisions?
2.3 Constitutional Principles and Provisions
EXERCISES
1. Why was conflict between the different branches of government built into the Constitution? What are the advantages and disadvantages of a system of checks and balances?
2. How is the Constitution different from the Articles of Confederation? How did the authors of the Constitution address the concerns of those who worried that the new federal government would be too strong?
3. What do you think is missing from the Constitution? Are there any constitutional amendments you would propose?
2.4 The Constitution in the Information Age
EXERCIS ES
1. Think about the movies you've seen. Do any of them present the Constitution in a negative light? What do they see as the source of problems with the American political system, if not the Constitution?
2. Why do you think Americans tend to idealize the Constitution? Do you think there are disadvantages to having an idealized view of the Constitution?
Chapter 3 - Federalism
3.1 Federalism as a Structure for Power
EXERCIS ES
1. Consider the different powers that the Constitution grants exclusively to the national government. Explain why it might make sense to reserve each of those powers for the national government.
2. Consider the different powers that the Constitution grants exclusively to the states. Explain why it might make sense to reserve each of those powers to the states.
3. In your opinion, what is the value of the "necessary and proper" clause? Why might it be difficult to enumerate all the powers of the national government in advance?
3.2 The Meanings of Federalism
EXERCISES
1. What view of federalism allowed the Confederate states to justify seceding from the United States? How might this view make it difficult for the federal government to function in the long run?
2. What are the differences between dual federalism and cooperative federalism? What social forces led to the federal state governments working together in a new way?
3. How is federalism portrayed in the movies and television shows you've seen? Why do you think it is portrayed that way?
3.3 Why Federalism Works (More or Less)
EXERCISES
1. How do the perspectives of national, state, and local governments complement one another? What are the strengths of each perspective?
2. Why do you think Democrats are more likely to prefer to make policy at the national level? Why are Republicans more likely to prefer to leave policymaking to state and local governments?
3. How did conflicts between the national government and state and local governments contribute to damage caused by Hurricane Katrina? Why do you think federalism broke down in that case?
3.4 Federalism in the Information Age
EXERCISES
1. How do the perspectives of the national and local media differ? Why is there relatively little coverage of state politics in the national and local media?
2. Do you get any of your news from new media? How does such news differ from the news you get from the traditional media?
Chapter 4 - Civil Liberties
4.1 The Bill of Rights
EXERCISES
1. How does the original text of the Constitution protect civil liberties? What kinds of rights does the Bill of Rights protect that the original body of the Constitution does not?
2. Why might landmark civil-liberties cases tend to be brought by unpopular or disadvantaged groups? What are some of the ways in which powerful interests benefit from civil-liberties protections?
3. Do you think the Bill of Rights does enough to protect civil liberties? In your opinion, are there any ways in which the Bill of Rights goes too far?
4.2 Religion, Speech, the Press, Assembly, and Petition
EXERCISES
1. What is the difference between the establishment and the free exercise clauses of the First Amendment? How do these clauses complement one another? How might they come into conflict?
2. What kinds of speech are protected by the First Amendment? What factors determine whether speech is protected?
3. Why might it be important for citizens of a democracy to have the right to assemble and to petition their government? In your opinion, what should the limits of these rights be?
4.3 Arms, Search and Seizure, Accusation, Punishment, Property, and Privacy
EXERCISES
1. What rationale does the Second Amendment give for protecting the right to bear arms? What are some different ways this rationale could be interpreted?
2. How have new technologies made it difficult to determine what constitutes an unreasonable search and seizure? What information about you do you think the government should have access to?
3. What are the arguments for and against the death penalty? On what grounds do some people argue that the death penalty infringes on the rights of the accused?
4. Do you think people should have a basic right to privacy? In your opinion, does any part of the Bill of Rights seem to guarantee a right to privacy?
4.4 Civil Liberties in the Information Age
EXERCISES
1. How do the television programs and movies you have seen about the legal system treat the issue of civil liberties? Who are the heroes of these shows, and what are they fighting for?
2. To what extent do you think there is a tradeoff between civil liberties and law and order? To what extent is it possible to protect individual rights and maintain civil order at the same time?
Chapter 5 - Civil Rights
5.1 Civil War Amendments and African Americans
EXERCISES
1. What basic protections did the Civil War Amendments introduce? How would life in America be different if these amendments had never been passed?
2. How were blacks denied the right to vote and equal protection even after the Civil War Amendments passed? When did that begin to change and why?
3. How did civil rights protestors seek to bring discrimination to the public's attention? Why do you think their strategy worked?
4. To what extent do you think that the legacy of slavery and segregation is responsible for the inequalities that persist in America? How do you think the law should deal with those inequalities?
5.2 Other Minorities, Women, Lesbians, Gay Men, and the Disabled
EXERCISES
1. Are there differences between discriminating on the basis of race or ethnicity and discriminating on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, or disability? What might be some legitimate reasons for treating people differently?
2. Would you favor the passage of an Equal Rights Amendment today? Are there contexts in which you think men and women should be treated differently?
3. Do you feel you have faced discrimination? How do you think the type of discrimination you have faced should be addressed in the law?
5.3 Civil Rights in the Information Age
EXERCISES
1. What do you think makes people sympathetic to discrimination claims? What makes them more likely to dismiss them?
2. How are people of the same race, gender, sexual orientation, or disability as you portrayed in the media? Do you think they are portrayed realistically?
3. Do you support any civil rights groups? How do these groups use the media to bring attention to their cause?
Attachment:- Assignment Files.rar