Ashford POL201 2019 September Full Course Latest

POL201: American National Government

Week 1 Discussion

Dq1

The U.S. Constitution

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Prepare: Prior to writing your initial post, read Chapters 1 and 2 of American Government and review the Week 1 Instructor Guidance.

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Reflect: 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.

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 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.

 

Dq2

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.

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:

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.

 

Dq2

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.

 

POL201: American National Government

Week 2  Assignment

 The U.S. Constitution and Federalism

This week, you will determine a policy for your Final Paper and begin your research regarding the policy of your choosing. It is important to remember that your paper should focus on a specific policy and that your paper will need to address the following components:

Historical and constitutional basis for the American government’s structure

The system of checks and balances

The various roles (e.g., public opinion, media, special interest groups, etc.) concerning public policy and elections

The voting system and election process

Please watch this video that walks through the steps of the paper development and expands on the four required sections of the paper.

Prepare: Since this is the first step in developing your Final Paper, it is recommended that you review POL201 Assignment GuidePreview the document before beginning this assignment. A model POL201 Final Paper templatePreview the document and the POL201 Research Guide are both provided for you within the online classroom to utilize when completing your Final Paper. You should also review the Week 2 Policy and Your Life discussion and the list of some possible policies found in the Week 2 DQ and Final Paper Policy ExamplesPreview the document in your online classroom, before completing this assignment.

The first step to researching your Final Paper is selecting a specific policy for your paper, which was part of the Week 2 Policy and Your Life discussion. Your paper must focus on a specific policy that focuses on an aspect of the United States government and ideally, that relates to your major and future career. You should be able to find research that will allow you to support your ideas. If you have questions or would like your instructor to approve your policy, please email them directly and/or discuss with your instructor and colleagues in the Week 2 Policy and Your Life discussion forum.

Reflect: Once you have found a topic that interests you, you will begin the research for your Final Paper this week. In addition to establishing your topic and the thesis for your paper, you will also provide an Annotated Bibliography (Links to an external site.) for four of the sources you intend to utilize to support your Final Paper. Each annotation should be a minimum of one full paragraph (five sentences) in length and should explain what the source discusses and how this links to your Final Paper topic. While your textbook can be utilized as a source, it does not count towards your four sources for this assignment. As your paper progresses, it is expected that you will find more sources to support your ideas for a minimum of eight sources are required for the final, with a minimum of five of those sources from the Ashford University Library databases. This research is necessary to develop a strong Final Paper. The following resources will help you to use the library effectively to find sources for your paper:

For guidance on using library databases to locate scholarly, peer-reviewed articles click on Help! Need Article (Links to an external site.)and then click the “How Do I Search for Articles” button from the Main Menu.

For guidance on identifying the types of sources you can use for academic research, watch this interactive tutorial on Evaluating Sources.

The Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.) table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. Additionally, the POL201 Research Guide, located within the online classroom, is designed to help you find sources for your paper. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Be sure that the sources you are utilizing to support your ideas are valid, reliable, and not overly bias. For information on identifying information bias, watch this interactive tutorial on Subjective and Objective Statements (Links to an external site.).

Write: To complete the assignment, download the Week 2 Annotated Bibliography WorksheetPreview the document from the online classroom to your computer, fill it out, and submit it via Waypoint. Within the worksheet, you will address your policy, find four scholarly sources to support your policy, and explain the significance of each of your four sources. Please be sure that each section is at least a full paragraph (minimum of five sentences) in length and fully addresses the questions presented. All references should be listed in full APA format and cited appropriately.

Scholarly Support

For help with Writing Basics (Links to an external site.) and Citing Within Your Paper (Links to an external site.), please review the handouts and tutorials provided by the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.).

Carefully review the Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.) for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

Waypoint Assignment Submission

The assignments in this course will be submitted to Waypoint.  Please refer to the instructions below to submit your assignment.

Click on the Assignment Submission button below. The Waypoint "Student Dashboard" will open in a new browser window.

Browse for your assignment.

Click Upload.

Confirm that your assignment was successfully submitted by viewing the appropriate week's assignment tab in Waypoint.

For more detailed instructions, refer to the Waypoint Tutorial

 

POL201: American National Government

Week  3 Assignment

Outline Worksheet and Final Paper Pre-Planning

Building on your assignment from Week 2, this week you will expand on your topic and develop a thesis statement and an outline for your Final Paper.

Prepare: This is the second step in writing your Final Paper, so please be sure to re-review the POL201 Assignment GuidePreview the document and the POL201 Final Paper templatePreview the document within the online classroom. Reflect on the policy topic that you determined last week and review your instructor’s comments and feedback regarding the policy and preliminary research. Review the research articles you found last week and determine what other aspects of the policy still need to be discussed and supported.

Reflect: Reflecting on your policy and your previous research, think about how to best structure your thesis (the argument) that you are supporting within this assignment. For this assignment, you will establish your thesis and then outline your paper with your supporting resources. You will utilize your four references from last week and add at least two additional references this week, for a total of six sources for this week’s assignment. At least four of these resources should be from the Ashford University Library. The following resources will help you to use the library effectively to find resources for your assignment:

For guidance on using library databases to locate scholarly, peer-reviewed articles click on Help! Need Article (Links to an external site.) and then click the “How Do I Search for Articles” button from the menu.

For guidance on identifying the types of sources you can use for academic research, watch this interactive tutorial on Evaluating Sources (Links to an external site.). Continue the research process and find sources that support your ideas and that can be integrated into your paper effectively. The POL201 Research Guide  (Links to an external site.)is designed to help you find sources for your paper. Be sure you make use of this librarian-created resource for your assignment.

The Scholarly, Peer-Reviewed and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.) table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Be sure that the sources you are utilizing to support your ideas are valid, reliable, and not overly bias. For more information on identifying information bias, watch this interactive tutorial on Subjective and Objective Statements (Links to an external site.).

Write: You will establish and develop a strong thesis for your Final Paper. The thesis (see Writing a Thesis Statement (Links to an external site.)) will serve as the backbone of your Final Paper and should showcase in one complete statement what your policy is, why it is important, and how it relates to policymaking and government program administration within the American national government.

Once you have established your thesis, you will then outline (see Outlining (Links to an external site.)) your Final Paper utilizing outline format. When utilizing an outline, be sure to include the elements from the Week 2 assignment and remember to use headings and subheadings. All sentences within your outline should be complete and should help to support your ideas.

To complete the assignment, save the Week 3 Outline WorksheetPreview the document to your computer, fill it out, and submit it via Waypoint. Within the worksheet, you will state your thesis statement, provide an outline of your paper, and integrate the four sources from your annotated bibliography, plus two more sources, into your outline to showcase how these resources support your ideas. Provide a full APA references list with a minimum of six sources. Please be sure to utilize outline format and to support all statements with scholarly research. All references should be listed in full APA format and cited appropriately.

Scholarly Support

For help with Writing Basics (Links to an external site.) and Citing Within Your Paper (Links to an external site.), please review the handouts and tutorials provided by the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.).

Carefully review the Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.) for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

Waypoint Assignment Submission

The assignments in this course will be submitted to Waypoint.  Please refer to the instructions below to submit your assignment.

Click on the Assignment Submission button below. The Waypoint "Student Dashboard" will open in a new browser window.

Browse for your assignment.

Click Upload.

Confirm that your assignment was successfully submitted by viewing the appropriate week's assignment tab in Waypoint.

For more detailed instructions, refer to the Waypoint Tutorial (Links to an external site.)

 

POL201: American National Government

Week  5 Assignment

A Final Paper Assignment

The primary goal of your final assignment is to critically analyze the specific topic you have chosen regarding American national government.

You have been preparing for this final assignment each week by constructing an Annotated Bibliography (Week 2) and a detailed outline of the Final Paper’s main points (Week 3) in which you focused on the following:

Historical and constitutional basis for the American Government’s structure

The system of checks and balances

The various roles (e., public opinion, media, special interest groups, etc.) concerning public policy and elections

The voting system and election process.

In addition, you have read the course text and course readings, reviewed videos, and researched additional material for each week’s assignments and this paper. This week, you will put all of those outlines, readings, reviews, and research together to evaluate policymaking and government program administration into one Final Paper.

As we wrap up our course, reflect on what you have learned about the key structures, systems, roles, and processes that embody our national government. Think about the strengths and weaknesses, advantages and disadvantages, and positive and negative impacts of these aspects of our democracy. Use what you have learned so far to evaluate a specific policy of our national government and recommend ways to enhance what works and repair what is not working well. It is important that your Final Paper utilizes your previous research and assignments, including the feedback that you received from the Ashford Writing Center in Week 4. The assignment should also showcase what you have learned in the course. While your previous assignments will serve as a strong base for this assignment, it is very important that you implement feedback from your instructor and the Ashford Writing Center, as well as further expand on the material. Appropriate transitions and headings are needed to ensure a cohesive Final Paper.

The Final Paper should utilize the POL201 Final Paper templatePreview the document and be at least six pages in length (not including title page and references) and based on your previously submitted assignments. It is important to utilize APA Style Elements (Links to an external site.) headings for major sections of your paper in order to ensure that the paper is easy to follow.

Scaffold your paper around the following outline:

 

Title page (see Introduction to APA (Links to an external site.))

Introduction (half page) (see Introductions & Conclusions (Links to an external site.))

Describe the paper’s overall thesis.

Provide an overview of main points.

First Main Point (one to one and a half pages) describes the historical and Constitutional basis of American government’s structure and how this relates to the policy.

Describe the main point.

Support the main point with research.

Second Main Point (one to one and a half pages) explains how the policy is involved within the process of checks and balances.

Describe the main point.

Support the main point with research.

Third Main Point (one to one and a half pages) describes how the policy relates to public policy and elections and how the policy is portrayed by the media.

Describe the main point.

Support the main point with research.

Fourth Main Point (one to one and a half pages) explains how the policy impacts voting and the election process.

Describe the main point.

Support the main point with research.

Conclusion (see Introductions & Conclusions (Links to an external site.))

Review your main points.

Review your overall thesis.

References page (see Formatting Your References List (Links to an external site.))

The Final Paper AssignmentMust be at least six double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA Style (Links to an external site.) as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.).

Must include a separate title page with the following:

Title of paper

Student’s name

Course name and number

Instructor’s name

Date submitted

Must use at least eight scholarly sources in addition to the course text. A minimum of five of the resources must be from peer-reviewed scholarly sources from the Ashford University Library.

The Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.) table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for a particular assignment.

Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

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Click HERE to submit your paper for a review. Papers are returned within 24 hours with a revision plan.

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For additional writing resources like Grammarly (Links to an external site.), click on the Writing Center tab in the left navigation pane.

Carefully review the Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.) for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

Waypoint Assignment Submission

The assignments in this course will be submitted to Waypoint.  Please refer to the instructions below to submit your assignment. Click on the Assignment Submission button below. The Waypoint "Student Dashboard" will open in a new browser window.

Browse for your assignment.

Click Upload.

Confirm that your assignment was successfully submitted by viewing the appropriate week's assignment tab in Waypoint.

For more detailed instructions, refer to the Waypoint Tutorial

 

POL201: American National Government

Week 1 Quiz

Question 1 This document was primarily written by Thomas Jefferson and signed on July 4, 1776.

  the Magna Carta

  the Articles of Confederation

  the Declaration of Independence

  the U.S. Constitution

 

 Question 2 Many people in the United States today do not play an active role in the political process. These observers who do not vote or participate in the political process are known as

  bystanders.

  spectators.

  mobilizers.

  actors.

 

 Question 3 Of the 13 states in existence at the time, how many states needed to ratify the Constitution for it to take effect?

  13

  11

  9

  7

 

 Question 4 According to the Constitution, which of these is not an explicit authority of the president?

  Appoint ambassadors

  Veto bills passed by Congress

  Declare war

  Negotiate treaties with foreign governments

 

Question 5 The idea that the function of government is only to protect individual rights is known as

  individual protections.

  popular sovereignty.

  classical liberalism.

  limited government.

 

POL201: American National Government

Week 2 Quiz

Question 1 Powers specifically granted to Congress by the Constitution are called

  enumerated powers.

  implied powers.

  inferred powers.

  obvious powers.

 

 Question 2 Powers that are held by both federal and state governments are called

  dependent powers.

  concurrent powers.

  mutual powers.

  independent powers.

 

 Question 3 Which of these is not a recognized approach to federalism experienced during the history of the United States?

  Dual Federalism

  Cooperative Federalism

  Creative Federalism

  Realistic Federalism

 

 Question 4 A bill is introduced for consideration in each chamber of Congress by a

  sponsor.

  committee.

  constituent.

  filibuster.

 

 Question 5 How often do congressional elections occur?

  Every 6 years

  Every 4 years

  Every 3 years

  Every 2 years

 

POL201: American National Government

Week 3 Quiz

Question 1 The Hatch Act of 1939 prohibits federal employees from all of these activities except

  campaigning for a political candidate.

  offering financial assistance in return for political support.

  being part of an anarchist organization.

  voting for a favorite candidate.

 

 Question 2  Until the 1860s, many U.S. Supreme Court cases revolved around the relationship between

  states and local municipalities.

  states and the U.S. national government.

  the U.S. national government and foreign governments.

  individual states.

.

Question 3 As a check on the power of the legislative branch, the Constitution gives the president the authority to ____________ bills passed by Congress.

  strike down

  override

  veto

  overturn

 

 Question 4 What groundbreaking case made clear where the Supreme Court fits in the checks and balances system of the U.S. government?

  Fletcher v. Peck

  Martin v. Hunter’s Lessee

  Marbury v. Madison

  Dred Scott v. Sandford

 

Question 5 Supporters of the Electoral College argue that most of the time candidates who win the popular vote also become president. How many times has a candidate won the popular vote but not become president?

  Six

  Zero

  Two

  Four

 

POL201: American National Government

Week 4 Quiz

Question 1 All individuals who qualify for government assistance can receive it, without regard for their race, gender, creed, or color. This falls under the

  Free Exercise Clause.

  Privileges and Immunities Clause.

  Non-Discriminatory Clause.

  Equal Protection Clause

 

 Question 2 The first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which are fundamental to individual freedoms, are known as

  the Bill of Rights.

  Citizens’ Rights.

  the Articles of Confederation.

  Federalist Laws.

 

Question 3 According to political scientist V. O. Key Jr., what type of election is one that results in the retention of power by the political party that is in power before the election?

  Maintaining election

  Deviating election

  Reinstating election

  Realigning election

 

 Question 4 Interest groups tend to focus on single issues and most often give donations to

  incumbents.

  Democrats.

  Republicans.

  new candidates.

 

Question 5 In a parliamentary system of government, voters can vote for several candidates to represent the province in which they live. This is called

  proportional representation.

  direct representation.

  democratic representation.

  pluralistic representation.

 

POL201: American National Government

Week 5 Quiz

A Question 1 Policy in the United States is guided by which of the following basic goals?

  Equity

  Efficiency

  Liberty

  All of the above

 

Question 2 For which of these groups does the media serve as a vehicle for conveying messages during election campaigns?

  Candidates

  Interest groups

  Ordinary citizens

  All of the above

 

Question 3 What power does a news media personality not have when he/she moderates a televised debate?

  They determine which candidates are present.

  They ensure that candidates can make rebuttals to which they are entitled.

  They ensure that participants do not go over their allotted time.

  They write the debate questions.

 

Question 4 What metaphor is used to describe the role played by the media between the government and the public?

  Opaque window

  Black box

  Schrodinger’s cat

  Rainy day

 

Question 5 What policy declared that all nations trading with China should have equal privileges?

  Open Door Policy

  Economic policy

  Most favored nation status

  Social policy