It’s vital to remember that concerns about

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· Compose a brief essay of at least 400 words but no more than 600 words (not including your references list) on the following topic, referring to and critiquing relevant ideas from at least three of the Week 10 readings as you develop your thoughts:

It’s vital to remember that concerns about the size of government cannot be separated from economic beliefs since all actions by the government must be paid for—primarily—through taxation. According to the website of the Social Security Administration, “[presently,] the Social Security program is the largest single item in the annual federal government budget. As a percentage of total federal expenditures, in 2002 Social Security benefits were approximately 22.6% of federal expenditures. As a percentage of federal outlays, Social Security benefits have ranged from a low of 0.22% (during World War II) to a high of 23.2% in 2001” (http://www.ssa.gov/history/percent.html).

Assume for the purpose of this assignment that we donotcurrently have a Social Security Act, but that the creation of such legislation is being seriously considered by the federal government for the first time and that the government has accurately predicted that cost of such a program. Create an argument for or against the passage of such a law based on your conception of the ideas on the optimum size of government and on government interventions in the economy (Social Securityisan intervention in the economy).

In addition to employing ideas from the assigned readings, you may bring in ideas gathered from research (as long as you cite and reference them), but these shouldnotdominate in your essay.

Write in essay form (that is, in paragraphs, not in bullet points). Be as specific and precise as you can be. Use theDiscussion Board Grading Rubricin the Assignments area to guide your thoughts on what constitutes a high-quality essay.

· Compose a brief essay of at least 250 words but no more than 350 words (not including your references list) on the following topic, referring to and critiquing relevant ideas from at least three of the Week 11 readings as you develop your thoughts:

What is the importance of civic engagement (for example, voting, volunteering in the community, engaging in politics, joining groups that advocate for various causes and participating in their activities, and so on) to a society with a republican form of government?