Describe the current status of the policy or topic as it relates to the differing roles and/or positions of the federal and state governments

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Step 3 – The Proposal

Submit a one to two page proposal to the appropriate dropbox by the date specified in the course calendar. The proposal should:

  • Identify the topic in one or two paragraphs:
    • Summarize the central issues of the policy topic you will be addressing
    • Describe the current status of the policy or topic as it relates to the differing roles and/or positions of the federal and state governments
    • Describe why this policy is important to Texas and the United States
    • Cite each of your academic journal articles (not supplemental sources) at least once in the paragraph using correct MLA in-text citations.
  • Include the Works Cited or Reference section with the three (at a minimum) peer-reviewed academic journal articles that will form the basis of your policy paper.
  • These three references must be cited in the final policy paper.
  • Additional sources can be added (and should if a good grade is desired), but they cannot be removed without permission after the proposal is approved.
  • In-text citations and the Works Cited or Reference section must be formatted using MLA citation style. Other MLA formatting elements (e.g. header, page number format, etc.) are not used in this assignment.
  • Do not use block quotations (or any quotation that exceeds three lines of text) or first person in the proposal or final policy paper!

References provided in the proposal cannot be changed at a later date without approval (see Step 4 below).

An example of a good policy proposal is provided in eCampus.

A fundamental expectation of college writing is that all key arguments, facts, assertions and claims are supported with research (i.e. parenthetical citations). When a source has been cited, you are expected to acknowledge the source in the body of your text and on a Works Cited page using formal MLA citation format. The paper must be completed using the formatting guidelines provided in the syllabus as “Guidelines for all Coursework.”

I do not allow students to recycle or use essays from other courses. You must receive consent from me in order to do so and you will need to provide a solid justification. Please do not simply submit an assignment that you’ve used in another course as it will not be accepted unless approved.

Revise and Resubmit Policy

The purpose of the proposal process is for your instructor to confirm that 1) you have selected three appropriate academic journal articles, 2) that you have selected an appropriate topic, and 3) that you are able to correctly cite your sources. Additionally, it allows your instructor to give you feedback on your writing (grammar, sentence composition, punctuation, and spelling) as well as your use of proper MLA citation formatting.

Should you submit a proposal that does not meet the minimum assignment requirements, you will be asked to “revise and resubmit” the proposal. In such cases, a minimum letter grade deduction is always applied to the resubmitted assignment. The instructor will inform you of the due date and conditions of resubmission.

The Revise and Resubmit applies only to policy proposals that are submitted by the due date. Only one “Revise and Resubmit” will be offered. Failure to resubmit the revision before the provided due date, or failure to correct the identified issues in need of revision, will result in a zero for the proposal grade. More seriously, students that do not successfully complete the proposal assignment are in high danger of failing the course if their policy paper topic and sources do not meet minimum requirements.

Step 4 – The Policy Paper

Prepare a formal research paper regarding the selected policy. The assignment must be between 5-8 pages excluding quotations, cover page, and Works Cited page(s).

The essay should address the following:

  • An introduction and brief overview of the policy topic.
  • What are the major issues facing each level of government?
  • What are the reasons for initiating changes to the policy?
  • What are the options to be considered (discuss several)?
  • What are the pros and cons of each potential reform (costs v. benefits)?
  • Which is the best option moving forward (pick one)?
  • A summary and conclusion

Do not use first person in the proposal or final policy paper!

The paper body must be a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 8 full pages in body length, double-spaced. No more and no less is necessary for this activity. Keep direct quotes to a minimum; do not use block quotations. All key arguments, facts, assertions, and claims must be supported with research. The references approved in the policy proposal must be used in the policy paper: you may add additional sources (and should if you seek an A on the assignment), but you must seek approval from the instructor at least 72 hours before the policy paper due date if you intend to change any of the scholarly sources approved in the proposal.

There will be no opportunity to revise and resubmit this assignment. Failure to meet the minimum research and writing requirements will result in a zero for the entire assignment (no partial credit will be awarded as this is a formal institutional assessment). A zero on this assignment will result in a failing grade for the course.

Finally, add a cover page and include the References (also known as Works Cited) page at the end. Submit all pages together as one file to the assignment dropbox.

Special Notes

The grading standards used to assess the quality of your work for this project will be detailed in a grading rubric, which will be provided during the semester.

It is strongly suggested that every student read ahead and use the library database during the first days of the course to begin researching a topic. This project requires carefully planning throughout the semester.

Refer to the course calendar for the specific due date. The final product is to be submitted as a single .doc or .docx file via the submission guidelines identified by the instructor.

 

What did the United States Supreme Court use as a basis in their decision?

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Watch the following video and post a discussion. You may use the following questions as a guide:
How did the Colorado Supreme Court rule initially in this case?

What did the United States Supreme Court use as a basis in their decision?

Do you agree with the decision of the United States Supreme Court? Why or why not?

If the United States Supreme Court had ruled in favor of the gay couple, what could they have used to justify that decision?

What implications do you think this ruling will have on future similar cases?
Link

Identify current federal and Texas laws that regulate elections.

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Thinking about federalism and the how power is distributed between multiple levels of government, including the federal and state level, identify current federal and Texas laws that regulate elections, such as those that provide for determining electoral processes, eligibility to participate in an election, selection methods, winning requirements, candidate qualifications, determining when and where election is held. Discuss inconsistencies and provide some possible examples to explain the potential effects these could have on electoral outcomes, of who is deemed winner, and ultimately achieving democratic representation of the appropriate people (constituents) who will be electorally linked and impacted by the winner of a political office. Research and resources should be incorporated with scholarly application. I.e. used as examples or evidence to support your analysis. Incorporate the information you gathered by using it to provide examples and support for your response to the prompt. Your analysis and essay must be at least 2 pages, in length.

Explain the SGMs or CSMs role within their unit’s training management (UTM) and leader development processes in accordance with module two’s assigned readings.Readings:

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Topic of Discussion: Explain the SGMs or CSMs role within their unit’s training management (UTM) and leader development processes in accordance with module two’s assigned readings.Readings:

RADOC Regulation 25-36, May 2014: Read pages 16-25 (10 pages) [25 minutes].

b. ADP 1-01, Doctrine Primer_2019: Read pages. 1-1 thru 1-5 (5 pages) [12.5 minutes].

Briefly describe how the federal and state governments have responded to the current pandemic, and how you think Eggers and O’Leary, on one hand, and Donahue, on the other, might evaluate these responses.

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In this essay you will consider arguments about where policy decisions should be made (Federal or state government levels) and the implications of the Covid-19 crisis for this debate. To prepare to write the essay, read:
1) “The New Federalism” (from Debating Democracy) which includes an introduction by Miroff followed by short readings by Eggers/O’Leary and Donahue (pdf on the canvas site)
2) Review the account about the “benefits and drawbacks of federalism” in Section 3.5 of the textbook chapter and class lecture
3) Read the following 2 articles and 2 opinion essays about federalism and the pandemic:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/04/08/states-lead-fight-against-covid-19-that-means-we-all-depend-medicaid-now/
https://thehill.com/opinion/judiciary/496524-states-are-the-laboratories-of-democracy
https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/493297-the-president-the-governors-and-the-path-out-of-the-pandemic
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/puar.13243
laboratories-of-democracy
Based on these readings, write an essay in which you:
1) Summarize the main arguments by a) Eggers and O’Leary and b) Donahue. In your summary, make sure you reference the arguments in EACH of the 3 sections you find in EACH of the excerpts. (30%) (include at least 1 direct quote from each section – underline the quotes so I can find them – so 6 quotes total)
2) Briefly describe how the federal and state governments have responded to the current pandemic, and how you think Eggers and O’Leary, on one hand, and Donahue, on the other, might evaluate these responses. (20%)
and
3) tell which of the authors (Eggers/O’Leary OR Donahue) you find most persuasive and why (in doing this you should make sure to also address what you do NOT find persuasive about the other author’s arguments). In other words, do you think it is more important to encourage “laboratories of democracy” (even if inequality and a “race to the bottom” might occur) or do you think it is more important to use national policy to avoid inequality and a “race to the bottom” (even if some policy variation is excluded)? (50%)
FORMATTING.
1) Though I have described the components of the essay as a numbered list, you should write it as an ESSAY.
2) This assignment requires you to include direct quotes as described above. Each of these should be underlined so I can easily find them.
3) Use the following citation format and embed the citations within your text: “direct quote” (author, p.#).
3) Make sure you include a sources cited list at the end so I can check to see that you know how to do this. Your list should include EACH of the authors above listed separately as an excerpt from Debating Democracy , as well as the pandemic articles above. Here’s a page from the Mesa library about how to properly make a sources cited list:
https://www.sdmesa.edu/library/cite-sources/

What major political events led to the start of the Revolutionary War and what justifications were put forward by the American Colonials?

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What major political events led to the start of the Revolutionary War and what justifications were put forward by the American Colonials?

What is the difference between partisanship and ideology?

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Political Psychology Fall 2020
Paper 1 Prompts

Please pick one of the following prompts to answer for the first paper assignment. Papers should be 5 pages in length. Final drafts should be double-spaced and in 12-point font,. Include your name and the number of the prompt you are answering on your paper. Please cite relevant sources (from the class or elsewhere) using a consistent citation style. Plagiarism and/or academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Proofreading your own work is important— spelling and grammar are a part of your grade. Your grade will be based on the quality of the argument and writing you turn in. Feel free to use as much nuance as necessary in each response, but be sure to clearly answer each question with an original argument and back it up with evidence.

Prompt 1: What is the difference between partisanship and ideology? When it comes to understanding an individual’s political behavior, which of these should we analyze and why?

Prompt 2: In today’s political climate, is it important to study the role of social identity? Why or why not?

Prompt 3: How has the 2020 election season fractured or united each of the two major parties? In your response please consider the impact of the Democratic presidential primaries, the Democratic National Convention, and the Republican National Convention

 

Which states were founding members?

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  • You are each required to write a paper (the content of which is described below) that is approximately 9 pages in length, not including cover page and references. Your papers do not have to be exactly 9 pages.  For example, a well-written paper that fulfills all of the requirements may turn out to be 8 pages.  On the other hand, a less well-written paper may turn out to be 12 pages of rambling that does not meet the requirements for the assignment.
  • However, your papers must not exceed 15 pages.
  • Please do not fool around with the margins. The papers should be double-spaced, in Times New Roman, 12 point font, with standard MS Word margins.  With today’s software, I expect your papers to be largely free of spelling and grammatical errors.
  • All papers are due August 8th at 11:59pm. You must upload them to Turnitin on Blackboard.
  • You are also strongly encouraged to e-mail me about your paper once you have chosen a topic so that I can help steer you in the right direction.
  • Students may use the citation style with which they are most familiar. Citation styles include but are not limited to MLA, APA, Chicago Style, and APSA Style (the American Political Science Association style).  Please see the section in this document regarding citation.  A reference list must be included at the end of your paper.
  • Choose one intergovernmental organization from the following list (you may also choose an IGO that is not on this list if you obtain prior approval from me). This list excludes the six IGOs that we cover in detail in the class (UN, NATO, EU, IMF, WTO, and WHO) and includes IGOs that presently exist and for which there is sufficient information available to write your papers well.  If you want to write about one the five excluded IGOs, you must get approval from me.
    • Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
    • Council of Europe (CoE)
    • International Bank for Reconstruction and Development aka World Bank (IBRD)
    • International Labor Organization (ILO)
    • International Telecommunications Union (ITU)
    • League of Arab States (LAS)
    • Common Market of the Southern Cone States (Mercosur)
    • North American Free Trade Association (NAFTA)
    • Organization of American States (OAS)
    • African Union (AU)
    • Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
  • Begin with a brief history and description of the organization.  Write in paragraph form, but try to include answers to this questions in the background, history, and description section of your paper.  You do not have to address the questions in this order – just try to make sure you address them when the information is available:
    • Which states were founding members?
    • What caused the states to create the IGO?
    • Was it created within another IGO or was a previous IGO reconstituted as this one?
    • What is the purpose of the IGO?  Which issue area(s) does it cover?
    • Who are the current member states?  Are they mostly powerful states, mostly less powerful states, or a mix of states with varying degrees of power?  Are they mostly democracies, mostly not democracies, or a mixture of democracies and autocracies?
    • Do any non-state actors participate in the decision-making fora of the IGO? (e.g. the EU Commission represents the EU member states within the WTO; interest groups meet with EU Commissioners to discuss EU policies)
    • What is the budget of the IGO and how is it financed (i.e. do states contribute equal amounts, is it dependent on their GDPs, etc.)
    • What are the bodies of the IGO and what is/are the decision-making process(es) within the IGO?

How did the United States shape the post-World War II organisation of the world economy?

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How did the United States shape the post-World War II organisation of the world economy? Explain in reference to EITHER finance or devdelopmemt

What are the advantages and disadvantages to the following exchange rate regimes, and why would a country choose one over the other?

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1. What are the advantages and disadvantages to the following exchange rate regimes, and why would a country choose one over the other?

A. Commodity Standard (like the gold standard)

B. Fixed (or “pegged”) exchange rate

C. Floating exchange rate

2. In certain political ideologies, and during the course of certain discussions, there is often talk of trying to return the US to the gold standard. If you had a stance on this policy issue BEFORE reading this piece, what was it? After reading about the importance of different exchange rate regimes, and the costs/benefits of the gold standard, should we bring it back?