PA260-1 : Identify possible crimes applicable to a scenario.   PA260-4 : Explain fundamental criminal law concepts.   General Education Literacy Outcomes:   GEL-1.02: Demonstrate college-level communication through the composition of original materials in Standard English.   Instructions   For Short Paper #1, you will review a hypothetical scenario and compose a 2-page informational paper […]

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 […]

In 1783 American colonists, defying incredible odds, had just beaten the United Kingdom, western hemisphere’s preeminent power. Now, these thirteen colonies, saddled with a new governmental charter, the onerous Articles of Confederation, sought to chart their own, independent path. Yet, by 1787 disgruntled colonists sent delegates to Philadelphia in order to revise the dysfunctional Articles […]

A close examination of the Article II of the Constitution (Executive Branch) suggests that the founding fathers, leery of tyrannical monarchs, deliberately made vague the powers and responsibility of the president. Yet the institution of the presidency has grown, over time. This expansion of presidential power and the growth of the federal bureaucracies, through executive […]

Modern, U.S. Foreign Policy Doctrines   Since the 1900s most U.S. presidents have explained their foreign policy goals and interests through the use of a presidential, foreign policy doctrine. From Washington’s Proclamation of Neutrality to the Bush doctrine of military preemption, presidents have introduced foreign policy doctrines to best serve U.S. interests abroad.   Many […]

Campaign Financing According to federal finance laws, individual contributions to federal candidates are capped at predetermined amounts.   An example: you can contribute $2,700 to a Congressional candidate for each primary, runoff, and general election. (www.fec.gov) In contrast, an individual (you) can contribute unlimited amounts of funds towards a Political Action Committee (PAC). According to […]

Political Advertisements One would have to have hidden under a rather large rock so not to be inundated with political messages from your television, radio, and Internet during the last presidential election! Increasingly, candidates at all levels of the political spectrum use media to craft their message to potential voters. The importance of media in […]

Civil Rights   Since ratification of the U.S. Constitution many groups of people have struggle to achieve equality under the law. Even after the ratification of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights many people received little to no rights. In particular, women could not vote, Native Americans had limited protections, and almost all […]

A close examination of the Article II of the Constitution (Executive Branch) suggests that the founding fathers, leery of tyrannical monarchs, deliberately made vague the powers and responsibility of the president. Yet the institution of the presidency has grown, over time. This expansion of presidential power and the growth of the federal bureaucracies, through executive […]

Supreme Court In 1803 The Supreme Court heard the case, Marbury v. Madison. Chief Justice John Marshall, writing on behalf of a unanimous court, stated “it is emphatically the province and duty of the judicial department to say what the law is.” (Marbury v. Madison, 1803) In other words, the Supreme Court has the power […]