American National Government

The U.S. Constitution is founded on three basic principles: Federalism, Separation of Powers, and Checks and Balances. Discuss which principle you believe is the most valuable principle for American democracy to be successful. Provide an example of how that principle has been used successfully to provide for or protect American values. Your initial post should be at least 150 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references. Discussion 2: The Constitution

The U.S. Constitution is considered a “living document” because it can be amended as new issues arise or public opinions change. Using the Internet, identify a constitutional amendment currently being proposed by a member of Congress. Identify the Congressmen, the proposed amendment, why it is being proposed and what you believe are the chances that it will be passed. Your initial post should be at least 150 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references.

Week 2 Visit Your Congressman Virtually
DQ1 Go to the United States House of Representatives website and research for your Congressional representative by entering your zip code in the “Find Your Representatives” block. Select your Congressman and then visit your Congressman’s official website. Identify those issues your Congressman emphasizes on his or her website. Explain why you believe those issues are given priority on your Congressman’s website based on what you have learned from your study of the U.S. Congress and as a constituent of your Congressman’s district. Your initial post should be at least 150 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references. DQ 2 Modern Challenges Presented by Federalism

Week 2 Assignment: Securing America and Protecting Civil Liberties Write a persuasive essay providing a position on the current debate since 9/11/2001 regarding the restriction of civil liberties as stated in the Bill of Rights in order to protect American citizens from terrorist organizations. Interpret how the First and Fourth Amendments have been changed since the implementation of the USA Patriot Act. Critique whether you believe the restrictions in civil liberties violate the underlying principles of American democracy or are a necessary measure in protecting citizens. In addition, explain whether you believe the use of torture, such as “water-boarding”, violates the constitution. The paper must be three to four pages in length and formatted according to APA style You must use at least three scholarly resources other than the textbook to support your claims and subclaims. Cite your resources in text and on the reference page. Week 3

DQ 1: Public Opinion and the Presidency
Visit page 290 in American Government and observe the chart under “Analyzing Visuals”. Examine the line graph, which shows the public approval rating of the last four presidents. Choose two presidents and interpret the high and low ratings for the presidents you selected. Compare the ratings of the two presidents and identify the reasons you believe each president was receiving high or low ratings. Why do you believe they were receiving low ratings? High ratings? What similarities and differences do you see between these two presidents and the reasons they were receiving high or low public approval ratings? Your initial post should be at least 150 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references. Dq2 Process of the Supreme Court

Watch the Supreme Court Video series Part 1-3:
SCOTUS Video Part 1
SCOTUS Video Part 2
SCOTUS Video Part 3
Based on the information in the videos above and the readings from the textbook, identify what you think is a strength and a weakness of the Supreme Court process. Explain why you selected your strength and weakness and any ramifications you believe there are based on the weakness you selected. Your initial post should be at least 150 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references. Week 4

DQ 1: Electoral College
Take the “Electoral College Quiz” the Electoral College Quiz. Having learned about the Electoral College, describe whether you believe the United States should keep the Electoral College system when electing its President or should it instead use the popular vote as the measure for electing the President? Explain why you support one system over the other. Your initial post should be at least 150 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references. DQ 2: The Media

The Media is often referred to as the “Fourth Branch of Government” acting as a non-governmental check and balance to the other three branches. Recently, the media has come under criticism for not thoroughly scrutinizing government actions in order to secure access to public figures and subsequently get guaranteed coverage for portraying political figures favorably. Explain whether or not you believe the modern media is an effective check on government action. Do you believe their effectiveness has improved or declined in recent history and what you believe the reasons might be for this change in performance? Your initial post should be at least 150 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references. Week 5

DQ 1: Environmental Policy in the Era of Global Warming
Recent years have shown an increased interest on the part of Interest Groups to curb carbon dioxide emissions as some evidence points to this as a significant contributing factor to global warming. Other businesses, interest groups, and lobbyists have campaigned against any legislation that would restrict emissions to include the Kyoto Protocol of the United Nations. Discuss the pros and cons of restricting carbon dioxide emissions. State your opinion as to whether the U.S. should support regulation such as the Kyoto Protocol or cap-and-trade systems for reducing emissions. Your initial post should be at least 150 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references. DQ 2: Assessing the Bush Doctrine

After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, U.S. foreign and defense policy undertook a major shift under the administration of President Bush. The Bush administration created and executed a policy of preemptive military action against any threat deemed imminent to the security of the U.S. (Commonly referred to as the “Bush Doctrine”) This policy was used as justification for invading Iraq in 2003, which was believed to possess Weapons of Mass Destruction and accused of harboring international terrorists.

Discuss whether you believe the U.S. should follow such a foreign policy. What are the costs of preemptive military action? What are the costs associated with not preempting threats to U.S. national security? Do you believe such a policy makes the U.S. and its citizens more or less secure? Your initial post should be at least 150 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly resources, and properly cite any references. Week 5 Final Paper

Write a research paper outlining the root causes of the 2008-2009 Economic Crisis and the policies implemented by key actors responsible for rescuing the U.S. Economy. Use valid academic sources to illustrate the proximate causes for the massive downturn of the U.S. economy. Identify the responsibility, constitutional authority, and the policy opinion of the current holders of the key positions below in crafting policy for repairing the U.S. economy. Key Actors for identification:

President
Congress
Secretary of the Treasury
Chairman of the Federal Reserve
Third, outline how these actors have changed monetary policy, fiscal policy, and laws governing businesses since the collapse of the economy. Critique what you believe to be the strengths and weaknesses of these policy changes and provide your opinion on whether these policy changes have been/will be successful in their attempt to rebuild the economy. *Restrict your sources to major newspapers, magazines, news outlets, and professional journals. Writing the Final Paper

The Final Paper:
Must be eight to ten double-spaced pages in length, and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.