The U.S. Constitution is the cornerstone of our federal government.
The U.S. Constitution is the cornerstone of our federal government. The Constitution establishes a basic operational framework that enables the three branches of government—executive, legislative, and judicial—to interact and function as a unit. Embedded in this operational framework are two key principles: separation of powers and a system of checks and balances. Think about how these branches interact and the importance of these checks and balances and the separation of powers.
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Write: In your initial post, please fully and directly respond to the following:
Explain the difference between checks and balances and the separation of powers, and explain why they are important to our democracy.
Discuss one recent real-world example of checks and balances, and explain the impact of it.
Discuss one recent real-world example of balance of power, and explain the impact of it.
Discuss one recent real-world example of how the Constitution directly protects individual and group rights.
Your initial post must be at least 300 words. If you are citing statistics or outside sources for your examples, please list the website or the reference entry.
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Respond to Peers: By Day 7, respond to at least two of your classmates’ initial posts. Your peer responses should be substantive and at least 100 words each. Demonstrate your understanding of the topic by respectfully asking questions, raising new points for consideration, or requesting clarification from your fellow students. For example, you may want to compare your real-world examples to those of your classmates, see how they are similar or different, and discuss why.
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This discussion forum allows you the opportunity to explore topics that interest you and relate to United States government and the political processes we are discussing. Within this forum, you will share critical insights and discuss questions and issues that we are studying, share your personal challenges and successes, and discuss any concepts that you do not completely understand in our materials this week. Your initial post should focus on your personal experience within the course over the past week and should prompt further discussion from your classmates. Please be sure to address the following questions first:
Begin thinking about the policy you would like to write about in your Final Paper. What are you considering? Why is this policy important to you?
In addition to the questions above, also address at least one of the following questions as you reflect on the learning week:
What was the most interesting and/or intriguing concept you learned about during this week?
Are there any current events that you can recall that relate to the course concepts we are studying this week?
What insights have you had?
What concepts are causing you to struggle?
What questions have arisen for you at this point?
Do you have any helpful tips or ideas to help students better understand the material and course concepts?
What questions do you have regarding any of the discussions or assignments that your classmates might be able to provide insight? (Please note, if you have a question for the instructor, be sure to contact them through email or in the Ask Your Instructor forum, as they may not see the question here.)
You are required to post at least 100 total words in the forum this week. You can post one time or ten times; the only requirement is that you post at least 100 words total and that you engage in conversation related to the course materials. Ask questions, answer questions, provide extra resources you found interesting, or engage in a debate (respectfully, of course) about something you learned this week. The only requirement is that your posts must relate to the course content.
This open forum is a place for you to collaborate and connect with your classmates as well as one another. Your instructor will monitor this board and may post but is not expected to answer all questions.
If you notice that a classmate is struggling with something that you can help address, use your responses as a way to support them. Helping your classmates will not only benefit them, but it will also help to solidify your own knowledge.
All of your participation in this forum is due before Day 7 of the week. Students who post early in the week, using this forum to engage their classmates on a regular basis, tend to do well and get more out of the course.
POL201: American National Government
Week 2 Discussion
Dq1 Policy and Your Life
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Prepare: Prior to beginning work on this discussion question, read Chapters 3 and 4 in American Government, and review the Week 2 Instructor Guidance. In addition, watch the videos provided on federalism: Quick Study of Federalism Part 1 (Links to an external site.), Quick Study of Federalism Part 2 (Links to an external site.), and Quick Study of Federalism Part 3 (Links to an external site.). Review the Week 2 assignment and the Final Paper assignment for more guidance regarding selecting your policy for your Final Paper, which you will also utilize for this discussion.
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Reflect: The U.S. government’s expansive role in public policy is caught in a swirl of conflicting crosscurrents. On the one hand, popular expectations about government’s responsibility to solve problems often exceed the capacity of state and local authorities to respond effectively. On the other hand, policies developed at the national level may not sufficiently reflect the great diversity of interests across the United States to be effective at the local level. Moreover, the search for effective policy is further complicated by theoretical debates about the constitutional framework of federalism. That is, what limits on national power can be derived from the 10th amendment?
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Write: Select a specific policy or piece of legislation that you are interested in and that directly impacts your current or future profession (i.e., your major). For examples, go to the Week 2 DQ and Final Paper Policy ExamplesPreview the document file located in your online classroom. The policy you select should be the same policy that you research for your Final Paper.
In your initial post,
Identify your profession or future profession, and provide a brief background on the typical job responsibilities.
Discuss what federalism is and why it is important.
Discuss your policy or piece of legislation that you have selected for your Final Paper and how federalism impacts it.
Discuss the federalism challenges that the policy you have selected is creating or facing.
For example:
If you are an education major, how are local, state, and federal government policies affected by the Every Student Succeeds Act or some other piece of education-related legislation?
If you are a criminal justice major, how does recent legalization of marijuana in some states affect local, state, and federal marijuana laws?
If you are a business major, how does the insurance mandate in the Affordable Care Act affect local, state, and national businesses and their employees?
If you are a political science major, how has the recent Citizen’s United ruling affected the amount of money available for campaigns at the local, state, or federal levels?
Your initial post must be at least 300 words. If you are citing statistics our outside resources, please list the website or the reference entry.
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Respond to Peers: By Day 7, respond to at least two of your classmates’ initial posts. Your peer responses should be substantive and at least 100 words each. As you reply to your classmates, attempt to take the conversation further by examining their claims or arguments in more depth or responding to the replies that they post to you. Keep the discussion on target, and try to analyze things in as much detail as you can. For instance, you might consider reflecting on why the legislation selected by one of your classmates is impacted differently than the one you selected.
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This discussion forum allows you the opportunity to explore topics that interest you and relate to the United States government and the political processes we are discussing. Within this forum, you will share critical insights and discuss questions and issues that we are studying, share your personal challenges and successes, and discuss any concepts that you do not completely understand that have been discussed or addressed in our materials this week. Your initial post should focus on your personal experience within the course over the past week and should prompt further discussion from your classmates. Please be sure to address the following questions:
What policy did you decide on for your Final Paper? What research have you found to support your ideas? Is your research reliable and unbiased?
In addition to the questions above, also address at least one of the following questions as you reflect on the learning week:
What was the most interesting and/or intriguing concept you learned about during this week?
Are there any current events that you can recall that relate to the course concepts we are studying this week?
What insights have you had?
What concepts are causing you to struggle?
What questions have arisen for you at this point?
Do you have any helpful tips or ideas to help students better understand the material and course concepts?
What questions do you have regarding any of the discussions or assignments that your classmates might be able to provide insight? (Please note, if you have a question for the instructor, be sure to contact them through email or in the Ask Your Instructor forum, as they may not see the question here.)
You are required to post at least 100 total words in the forum this week. You can post one time or ten times; the only requirement is that you post at least 100 words total and that you engage in conversation related to the course materials. Ask questions, answer questions, provide extra resources you found interesting, or engage in a debate (respectfully, of course) about something you learned this week. The only requirement is that your posts must relate to the course content.
This open forum is a place for you to collaborate and connect with your classmates as well as one another. Your instructor will monitor this board and may post but is not expected to answer all questions.
If you notice that a classmate is struggling with something that you can help address, use your responses as a way to support them. Helping your classmates will not only benefit them, but it will also help to solidify your own knowledge.
All of your participation in this forum is due before Day 7 of the week. Students who post early in the week, using this forum to engage their classmates on a regular basis, tend to do well and get more out of the course.
POL201: American National Government
Week 3 Discussion
Dq1
The Electoral College and Presidential Leadership
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Prepare: Prior to beginning work on this discussion question, read Chapters 5 and 6 in American Government and review Week 3 Instructor Guidance. In addition, read What Are the Arguments Made in Favor—and Against—the Electoral College? (Links to an external site.), Stop Blaming the Electoral College (Links to an external site.), and “Swing States, the Winner-Take-All Electoral College, and Fiscal Federalism.”
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Reflect: As the textbook author asserts, the framers intentionally designed a process for selecting presidents that would minimize the president’s political power—the Electoral College. They hoped this institution would insulate the chief executive from the public, because they feared the power of presidents who might be elected by the people. However, the Electoral College has also spawned a long ongoing debate about whether it should be abandoned in favor of new methods, which would ensure that the candidate elected has the most popular votes. The controversy over the Electoral College must be understood to understand better how and why U.S. presidents are elected. Only five times in United States history has the candidate who won the popular vote lost the Electoral College vote. However, this has happened twice in the last 16 years—in the 2000 Bush/Gore election and again in the 2016 Trump/Clinton election.
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Write: For this discussion,
Describe how the Electoral College works, select a presidential election from U.S. history, and discuss the results of the Compare the Electoral College results with the popular vote.
Explain your position regarding the Electoral College and whether you are for or against the Electoral College as it is currently. Be sure to elaborate and explain your rationale for your position.
Your initial post must be at least 300 words. If you are citing statistics our outside resources, please list the website or the reference entry.
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Respond to Peers: By Day 7, respond to at least two of your classmates’ initial posts. Your peer responses should be substantive and at least 100 words each. For this discussion, respond to at least one peer who discussed a different stance regarding the Electoral College than you did for this assignment. This will allow you to discuss counterarguments and support the position you discussed. As your reply to your classmates, attempt to take the conversation further by examining their claims or arguments in more depth or responding to the posts that they make to you. Keep the discussion on target and try to analyze things in as much detail as you can.
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This discussion forum allows you the opportunity to explore topics that interest you and relate to United States government and the political processes we are discussing. Within this forum, you will share critical insights and discuss questions and issues that we are studying, share your personal challenges and successes, and discuss any concepts that you do not completely understand that have been discussed or addressed in our materials this week. Your initial post should focus on your personal experience within the course over the past week and should prompt further discussion from your classmates. Please be sure to address the following questions:
How is your research progressing on your Final Paper project so far? What from this course has had the most impact on your understanding of American government?
In addition to the questions above, also address at least one of the following questions as you reflect on the learning week:
What was the most interesting and/or intriguing concept you learned about during this week?
Are there any current events that you can recall that relate to the course concepts we are studying this week?
What insights have you had?
What concepts are causing you to struggle?
What questions have arisen for you at this point?
Do you have any helpful tips or ideas to help students better understand the material and course concepts?
What questions do you have regarding any of the discussions or assignments that your classmates might be able to provide insight? (Please note, if you have a question for the instructor, be sure to contact them through email or in the Ask Your Instructor forum, as they may not see the question here.)
You are required to post at least 100 total words in the forum this week. You can post one time or ten times; the only requirement is that you post at least 100 words total and that you engage in conversation related to the course materials. Ask questions, answer questions, provide extra resources you found interesting, or engage in a debate (respectfully, of course) about something you learned this week. The only requirement is that your posts must relate to the course content.
This open forum is a place for you to collaborate and connect with your classmates as well as one another. Your instructor will monitor this board and may post but is not expected to answer all questions.
If you notice that a classmate is struggling with something that you can help address, use your responses as a way to support them. Helping your classmates will not only benefit them, but it will also help to solidify your own knowledge.
All of your participation in this forum is due before Day 7 of the week. Students who post early in the week, using this forum to engage their classmates on a regular basis, tend to do well and get more out of the course.
POL201: American National Government
Week 4 Discussion
Dq1
Individual Rights and the Obligations of Government
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Prepare: Prior to beginning work on this discussion, read Chapters 8, 9, and 10 in American Government and review the Week 4 Instructor Guidance. Be sure to read about the different party platforms, including the Democratic Party (Links to an external site.), Republican Party (Links to an external site.), and one third party (e.g., Libertarian Party (Links to an external site.), Green Party (Links to an external site.), Constitution Party (Links to an external site.), etc.).
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Reflect: Our political system is characterized by certain fundamental features to include a system of laws, rights, and liberties. The laws, created and supported by the Constitutional framework, are designed to protect and secure the rights and liberties of individuals and groups throughout the United States. However, the government also must provide for the security of its citizens from serious internal and external threats that could cause severe damage to our country. Think about how the need for homeland and national security can create a dilemma where conflicts emerge between these security needs and the demands for civil rights and liberties.
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Write: In your initial post,
Explain what obligations the U.S. government has towards its citizens and how these obligations impact individual and group rights.
Provide real-world examples to support your explanation, including one personal example from your own experiences.
Using your personal example, explain the position of the two major parties and a third party, regarding the example you presented.
Your initial post must be at least 300 words. If you are citing statistics our outside resources, please list the website or the reference entry.
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Respond to Peers: By Day 7, respond to at least two of your classmates’ initial posts. Your peer responses should be substantive and at least 100 words each. As your reply to your classmates, attempt to take the conversation further by examining their claims or arguments in more depth or responding to the posts that they make to you. Keep the discussion on target and try to analyze things in as much detail as you can. For instance, you might consider if your classmate’s arguments are well supported with valid sources and logically argued.
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This discussion forum allows you the opportunity to explore topics that interest you and relate to U.S. government and the political processes we are discussing. Within this forum, you will share critical insights and discuss questions and issues that we are studying, share your personal challenges and successes, and discuss any concepts that you do not completely understand that have been discussed or addressed in our materials this week. Your initial post should focus on your personal experience within the course over the past week and should prompt further discussion from your classmates. Please be sure to address the following questions:
Thinking about the topic you are utilizing for your Final Paper; how do party politics impact this topic? What position do each of the major parties (Republican and Democrat) and a third party take on your topic? Expand on this idea.
In addition to the questions above, also address at least one of the following questions as you reflect on the learning week.
What was the most interesting and/or intriguing concept you learned about during this week?
Are there any current events that you can recall that relate to the course concepts we are studying this week?
What insights have you had?
What concepts are causing you to struggle?
What questions have arisen for you at this point?
Do you have any helpful tips or ideas to help students better understand the material and course concepts?
What questions do you have regarding any of the discussions or assignments that your classmates might be able to provide insight? (Please note, if you have a question for the instructor, be sure to contact them through email or in the Ask Your Instructor forum, as they may not see the question here.)
You are required to post at least 100 total words in the forum this week. You can post one time or ten times; the only requirement is that you post at least 100 words total and that you engage in conversation related to the course materials. Ask questions, answer questions, provide extra resources you found interesting, or engage in a debate (respectfully, of course) about something you learned this week. The only requirement is that your posts must relate to the course content.
This open forum is a place for you to collaborate and connect with your classmates as well as one another. Your instructor will monitor this board and may post but is not expected to answer all questions.
If you notice that a classmate is struggling with something that you can help address, use your responses as a way to support them. Helping your classmates will not only benefit them, but it will also help to solidify your own knowledge.
All of your participation in this forum is due before Day 7 of the week. Students who post early in the week, using this forum to engage their classmates on a regular basis, tend to do well and get more out of the course.
POL201: American National Government
Week 5 Discussion
DQ1
Voter and Voter Turnout
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Prepare: Prior to completing this discussion question, review Chapters 10, 11, and 12 in American Government, and review the Week 5 Instructor Guidance. Also, read the following articles: The Problem of Voter Fraud, Voter Identification Laws and the Suppression of Minority VotesPreview the document, and Proof at the Polls (Links to an external site.).
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Reflect: The United States has one of the lowest voter turnout rates among modern democratic political systems. During the last decade, many initiatives have been undertaken to increase voter participation, yet concerns about the possibility of election fraud have also increased. Additionally, some political interests feel threatened by the increase in turnout among some traditionally low-turnout ethnic minorities. Several states have recently passed legislation imposing new registration and identification requirements. This has sparked debate about whether these are tactics intended to suppress turnout or to prevent fraud. Think about the media’s role in the election process and how both mass media and social media can impact the election process. How has the media’s role changed in recent years, especially considering President Trump’s stance on “fake news”?
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Write: In your initial post,
Describe voter ID laws in a state of your choosing. Summarize any recent developments or controversies regarding voter ID laws in the state you have chosen.
Analyze and describe the pros and cons on both sides of the debate about these laws.
Is voter fraud a major problem for our democracy, or are some groups trying to make it harder for some segments of society to vote?
Analyze the impact that media (mass and social) has had in influencing public opinion, specifically regarding voter ID laws.
How was the Trump/Clinton election in 2016 impacted by voter laws and the media?
This web page provides an overview of some of the differences in Voter ID laws in the different states: Voting Laws & Requirements: Voting Methods and Options (Links to an external site.).
Your initial post must be at least 300 words. If you are citing statistics our outside resources, please list the website or the reference entry.
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Respond to Peers: By Day 7, respond to at least two of your classmates’ initial posts. Your peer responses should be substantive and at least 100 words each. In your peer responses, select a state different than the one you discussed and compare and contrast the voter ID laws in the state you choose for your initial post with the state your peer has chosen. Also, compare your post to a classmate’s post that takes a contrary position. If you are arguing voter fraud is a major problem, then contrast your argument to a classmate that argues voter ID laws are designed to suppress voting, or vice versa.
Dq2
This discussion forum allows you the opportunity to explore topics that interest you and relate to United States government and the political processes we are discussing. Within this forum, you will share critical insights and discuss questions and issues that we are studying, share your personal challenges and successes, and discuss any concepts that you do not completely understand that have been discussed or addressed in our materials this week. Your initial post should focus on your personal experience within the course over the past week and should prompt further discussion from your classmates. Please be sure to address the following questions:
What was your experience like utilizing Ashford’s Writing Center? Did you find the feedback they provided helpful for your Final Paper? How will you incorporate this feedback into your Final Paper? Share some of the insights the feedback provided you.
In addition to the questions above, also address at least one of the following questions as you reflect on the learning week:
What was the most interesting and/or intriguing concept you learned about during this week?
Are there any current events that you can recall that relate to the course concepts we are studying this week?
What insights have you had?
What concepts are causing you to struggle?
What questions have arisen for you at this point?
Do you have any helpful tips or ideas to help students better understand the material and course concepts?
What questions do you have regarding any of the discussions or assignments that your classmates might be able to provide insight? (Please note, if you have a question for the instructor, be sure to contact them through email or in the Ask Your Instructor forum, as they may not see the question here.)
You are required to post at least 100 total words in the forum this week. You can post one time or ten times; the only requirement is that you post at least 100 words total and that you engage in conversation related to the course materials. Ask questions, answer questions, provide extra resources you found interesting, or engage in a debate (respectfully, of course) about something you learned this week. The only requirement is that your posts must relate to the course content.
This open forum is a place for you to collaborate and connect with your classmates as well as one another. Your instructor will monitor this board and may post but is not expected to answer all questions.
If you notice that a classmate is struggling with something that you can help address, use your responses as a way to support them. Helping your classmates will not only benefit them, but it will also help to solidify your own knowledge.
All of your participation in this forum is due before Day 7 of the week. Students who post early in the week, using this forum to engage their classmates on a regular basis, tend to do well and get more out of the course.
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