HCC GOVT2305 Complete Course Latest 2020 December (No Week 3 Extra Credit)

GOVT2305 Federal Government

Discussion 1

For this Discussion, take some time to introduce yourself.  Tell us your first name (and any nickname you prefer), your major, your dream job, any hobbies/interests. Also, answer the following questions:

1. What should be the top three items on the Texas or federal government's to-do list?

2. Why do you think this federal government course is required for academic degrees in Texas?

3. What has been the biggest impact of the COVID-19 experience on your life?

 Reply to the posts of at least two other students by saying "Hello" commenting on their post.

 

GOVT2305 Federal Government

Discussion 2

READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS VERY CAREFULLY BEFORE PROCEEDING. DISCUSSION 2 IS PART QUIZ AND PART DISCUSSION.

You will not be able to see other students' posts until you have posted your responses to the following questions/prompts. Once you post, you will not be able to edit your posts. Your initial post will be graded along with any responses to the posts of other students.

DO NOT CUT AND PASTE FROM THE INTERNET, DO NOT USE QUOTES FROM OTHER SOURCES. NO CHARTS OR DIAGRAMS ARE TO BE USED. ANSWER IN COMPLETE SENTENCES.

Task 1. Here is a scenario for Task 1. "The City of Houston passes a city ordinance making the sacrifice of animals during a religious ritual a Class C misdemeanor." Do you think this is more closely related to the free exercise clause or the establishment clause? Briefly explain your answer...explain why you think it is more closely related to one clause than the other.

Task 2.  Here is a scenario for Task 2. "The University of Houston School of Law erects a statue  in the law school's main lobby. The statue portrays Moses carrying the two tablets of the Ten Commandments, as in the account in the Old Testament of the Bible." Do you think this is more closely related to the free exercise clause or the establishment clause? Briefly explain your answer...explain why you think it is more closely related to one clause than the other.

Task 3. Freedom of the Press. Here's a scenario for Task 3. "CNN reports a story in October of 2016, 30 days before the election, that Presidential Candidate No. 1 had been caught colluding with Russian agents to rig the upcoming November 2016 election in his favor Their only source was an "anonymous" source, and CNN refused to reveal the name.  In January of 2018, after trials and hearings, there is a judicial conclusion that there was no such collusion at all. The court further concludes that the "anonymous" source was actually someone who was paid by the opponent of Presidential Candidate No. 1 (somebody who was paid by the other campaign to "leak" the false information)."

Regarding CNN:

     a. After the court trial in January 2018, should CNN be held accountable for printing a story it claimed to be true but was in fact proved later to be false? Explain your answer.

     b. Does your answer change if in fact CNN knew that anonymous source worked for Presidential Candidate No. 1's opponent?

 Task 4. For you personally, who/what has been the biggest influence on you regarding your political values or inclinations? Identify the top three on your list.

 

GOVT2305 Federal Government

Discussion 3

READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS VERY CAREFULLY BEFORE PROCEEDING. DISCUSSION 3 IS PART QUIZ AND PART DISCUSSION.

You will not be able to see other students' posts until you have posted your responses to the following questions/prompts. Once you post, you will not be able to edit your posts. Your initial post will be graded along with any responses to the posts of other students.

DO NOT CUT AND PASTE FROM THE INTERNET, DO NOT USE QUOTES FROM OTHER SOURCES. NO CHARTS OR DIAGRAMS ARE TO BE USED. ANSWER IN COMPLETE SENTENCES.

Task 1. (a)  Briefly summarize the facts of the case of Plessy v. Ferguson. In so doing, be sure to also mention what part or parts of the Constitution were being considered. (b) What was a long-term impact of the Plessy case on state laws in the US?

Task 2. (a) Identify three specific parts of the original Constitution by Article and Section (e.g., Art. I, Sec. 8) that addressed the topic of slavery. Your answers should not include any amendments that were later added to the Constitution. (b) For each of the three specific parts, in a sentence or two, explain what that provision in the original Constitution meant.

Task 3. Which two of the following Amendments do you think are the most important and explain why you think so: 13, 14, 19, 26. This is simply an opinion, but you must limit your answers to two Amendments only.

Task 4. Should the elderly, above age 70, be given a specially protected class, e.g., protection against age                    discrimination in hiring practices? Why or why not?

 

GOVT2305 Federal Government

Discussion 4

READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS VERY CAREFULLY BEFORE PROCEEDING. DISCUSSION 3 IS PART QUIZ AND PART DISCUSSION.

You will not be able to see other students' posts until you have posted your responses to the following questions/prompts. Once you post, you will not be able to edit your posts. Your initial post will be graded along with any responses to the posts of other students.

DO NOT CUT AND PASTE FROM THE INTERNET. DO NOT USE QUOTES FROM OTHER SOURCES. NO CHARTS OR DIAGRAMS ARE TO BE USED. ANSWER IN COMPLETE SENTENCES.

Task 1. In the context of foreign policy, which do you think is the best approach when US government officials develop US foreign policy? Realism or liberalism? Explain briefly why you choose one over the other. (no straddling the fence on this one; you must choose one or the other.)

Task 2.  If it is established, without a doubt, that a foreign nation has been involved in instigating civil unrest in the US on the eve of a presidential election to attempt to influence US voters against a presidential candidate, how should our US government respond to such "election tampering"? (e.g., a foreign nation has trained and funded US citizens/organizations to protest the actions of a sitting president.) Succinctly state, in a few sentences, what you believe to be one fitting response to that tampering nation.

Task 3.  Which do you lean more toward as the best approach to foreign policy? Isolationism or internationalism? In a few sentences, explain why you think your choice is the best. (no straddling the fence on this one either; you must choose one or the other.)

 

 

GOVT2305 Federal Government

Module 1 Quiz

Question 1The proposal during the constitutional convention that urged representation in the federal government based on a state’s population.

  New Jersey Plan

  small state plan

  liberty plan

  Virginia Plan

 Question 2The Three-Fifths Compromise is most closely associated with which of the following?

  how slaves were to be counted when taking a census

  how many states would be necessary to ratify the Constitution

  the number of senators required to ratify a treaty

  the number of representatives necessary to impeach a president

 Question 3Opponents of the Constitution.

  Federalists

  anti federalists

  Whigs

  Democratic Republicans

 Question 4Which part of the Constitution creates the executive branch?

  Article I

  bill of rights

  Article II

  10th Amendment

 Question 5As stated in the Declaration of Independence, the purpose of government is to________________.

  grant rights

  secure natural rights

  provide order

  ensure government exists perpetually

 Question 6Which of the following persons argued that a monarchy was necessary to keep order in society?

  John Locke

  Alexander Hamilton

  Thomas Hobbes

  James Madison

 Question 7Which of the following specifically defines who a U.S. citizen is?

  First Amendment

  Article I, Sec. 10

  14th amendment

  full faith and credit clause

 

 

 

GOVT2305 Federal Government

Module 2 Quiz

Question 1

In a _______________________ the states have stronger sovereignty than the central government.

  monarchical system

  confederate system

  unitary

  federal

 Question 2Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution, which helps explain the powers of Congress, contains the _________________.

  reserved powers

  full faith and credit clause

  enumerated powers

  supremacy clause

 Question 3Amendment 10 of the Constitution contains the ______________________.

  reserved powers

  enumerated powers

  elongated powers

  treble powers

 Question 4The Supreme Court case that determined the national government has the implied power to establish a national bank is ______________________.

  Dred Scott

  Gibbons v. Ogden

  McCulloch v. Maryland

  Plessy v. Ferguson

 Question 5The doctrine that is based on the idea that a precise separation of national and state authority is both plausible and desirable.

  dual federalism

  striated federalism

  coerced federalism

  marble cake federalism

 

 

 

GOVT2305 Federal Government

Module 4 Quiz

Question 1Reapportionment of the Senate occurs roughly every ten years.

   True

  False

 Question 2A Bill rider is an amendment to a bill that does not necessarily relate to that bill’s content.

  True

  False

 Question 3In reference to the House of Representatives, the Constitution does not specifically create the position of Speaker.

  True

  False

 Question 4The most important party leadership position in the Senate is that of the majority leader.

  True

  False

 Question 5Which of the following did the framers of the Constitution regard as the preeminent branch of the federal government?

  press

  executive

  judicial

  legislative

 

 

GOVT2305 Federal Government

Module 5 Quiz

Question 1Regarding the duties and responsibilities of the President, which of the following is not specifically addressed in the Constitution?

  President must recommend measures to Congress

  President must provide a report on the state of the union

  President must declare war before troops can be used on foreign soil

  President must act as commander in chief

 Question 2The presidency has become a much stronger office than the framers envisioned.

   True

  False

 Question 3Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution provides that the president has the power to appoint ambassadors to foreign nations.

  True

  False

 Question 4The president’s power to execute the laws enables them to decide how laws will be implemented.

  True

  False

 Question 5How many electoral votes is Texas authorized to cast in the 2020 presidential election?

  40

  36

  2

  38

 

 

 

GOVT2305 Federal Government

Module 7 Quiz

Question 1The power of judicial review was first asserted in the case of Marbury v. Madison.

  True

  False

 Question 2The Circuit Courts are the chief trial courts of the federal system.

  True

  False

 Question 3The doctrine of judicial restraint holds that policy decisions in nearly every instance should be decided by elected lawmakers and not by appointed judges.

  True

  False

 Question 4The Constitution requires that Supreme Court justices be U.S. citizens, either by birth or through naturalization.

  True

  False

 Question 5The U.S. legal system developed primarily from the Spanish common-law tradition.

  True

  False

 

 

GOVT2305 Federal Government

Module 8 Quiz

Question 1America's first political parties originated in the rivalry between George Washington and Alexander Hamilton.

  True

  False

 Question 2The US utilizes a  single-member district system as opposed to a proportional representation system.

  True

  False

 Question 3Unified government occurs when when the same party controls both the executive and judicial branches.

  True

  False

 Question 4One of the best explanations for why the US developed into a 2-party systems (as opposed to a multiple-party system) is that the US Constitution mandates that the entire nation be divided into _________________.

  sovereign states

  US Senator Districts

  Congressional Districts

  None of the above because the US is not a 2-party system

 Question 5The _________________ emerged during the 1932 election and solidified during the 1936 election.

  Containment Coalition

  Republican Party

  New Deal Coalition

  Libertarian Party

 

GOVT2305 Federal Government

Unit 1 Extra Credit

Extra Credit Assignment:  Unit 1

Planning and organization of your time, devoting ample time to college work,are keys to being a successful student. This is an exercise in planning ahead for success.

For the week of December 20-26, 2020, divide your week into five general categories: 

(a)          sleep time (b)online class time (c) work time (d) study time and (e)personal time. (Account for seven consecutive days, either beginning on Sunday or Monday.)

You do not have to get any more specific than these five categories. However, simply filling out one day and copying that identical schedule into the rest of the week’s days is not realistic and will not get you full credit. Account for each hour of each day. You may use Excel or Word, or anything similar that accounts for each hour of each day.

You may also use the schedule template here, or one similar.

https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=weekly+template&chips=q:weekly+template,g_1:hourly,online_chips:daily+hourly&usg=AI4_-kR-Il3KBDRyB0Ew4wmH7ieMJoVIAA&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi_v9TxvbngAhVCRKwKHay8A1sQ4lYINygN&biw=1600&bih=789&dpr=1#imgrc=9FGCgmQl1IbHcM:

 

GOVT2305 Federal Government

Unit 2 Extra Credit

Legalization of Marijuana in Texas

In the most recent Texas legislative regular session (Jan-May of 2019), the Texas Legislature considered many aspects of the legalization of marijuana (cannabis). Ultimately, though, very few changes in the law in Texas occurred. There was initially a push to make possession of cannabis, in small amounts, a Class C misdemeanor, which would have resulted in no time spent in jail, only a fine paid similar to that of a traffic ticket. However, whatever impetus that bill had in the beginning, stalled out in the Texas Senate toward the end of the regular session.

Task 1: Do you think possession of cannabis, in any amount, should be fully legalized in Texas? Why or why not? Explain in a brief paragraph your position on this important question.

Task 2: Imagine that you are a state senator on a standing committee that has been sent a bill that would remove any penalties for possession of marijuana in any amounts. What specific questions or concerns should be researched or addressed by your committee regarding the pros and cons of full legalization of cannabis?  Think in terms of impacts on society, both good and bad. If the decision were up to you, what would be responsible questions to be asked, researched and answered before you could make an informed decision? List 5 such questions.

Your answers should be produced in a separate document, Word Format preferred, and submitted through the portal created for this Unit 2 Extra Credit Assignment. Your submission is due by 11:59 p.m. on December 29.  It is worth up to 5 pts added to your Module 5 Quiz.

Here is a link to the relevant parts of the Texas Health & Safety Code: Link (Links to an external site.)

Here is a link to Texas NORML. NORML is an interest group that has been advocating the legalization of cannabis for decades: Link

 

GOVT2305 Federal Government

Unit 3 Extra Credit

This assignment is worth up to 5 pts to be added to your Module 8 Quiz/Final Exam. It is due no later than noon on Monday, January 11, 2020.

In looking back at the semester, what part or parts were of most interest to you and why?

In looking back at the semester, what part or parts do you think will be of the most value to you and why?

Think a bit on the difficulties, struggles and successes in this course you encountered. What are four things you have learned about being a successful student during this course? Perhaps you didn't learn them for the first time but what you previously learned has been reinforced. Explain these four clearly.