PSCI 1101-200: Course Assignments

General Guidelines
Paper Assignment Schedule
Short Paper #1
Short Paper #2
Short Paper #3
Short Paper #4
Observing Government in Action Paper
General Instructions and Tips

The paper assignments are intended to deepen student understanding of issues and processes in American politics and the resources available to better understand these issues. In every case, students are given choices of topics.

SOME GENERAL GUIDELINES:

PAPER ASSIGNMENT SCHEDULE

Thu, 6 Sept Short paper #1 (7.5 percent)
Thu, 20 Sept Short paper #2 (7.5 percent)
Tue, 16 Oct Short paper #3 (7.5 percent)
Tue, 30 Oct Short paper #4 (7.5 percent)
Thu, 29 Nov Observing government paper (20 percent)

A. SHORT PAPER ASSIGNMENTS

Each short paper should be approximately one page, single spaced, in length. Cite your specific references at the end, even if they are limited to the sources described in the assignment (so that anyone reading your paper will know your sources).

SHORT PAPER #1, due Thursday, 6 September . Select from the following options:

a) It’s been said that many countries around the world have fashioned their systems of government after ours – that our Constitution has become a model. But is this really true? Check for yourself on the Findlaw.com website, available at http://findlaw.com/01topics/06constitutional/03forconst/. The Findlaw “Constitutional Law” webpage includes over 125 national constitutions from around the world. Using the U.S. Constitutional structure and contents as your foundation, compare the constitutions of three other constitutions, noting both similarities and differences.

b) The great weakness of the Articles of Confederation was that the Congress had no real powers. Without Congress being granted any real powers, any problems that occurred between states were difficult if not impossible for Congress to handle. The most striking example of the inability of Congress to deal with problems was Shay's rebellion. Take a look at the Articles of Confederation (available at http://libertyonline.hypermall.com/ArtConfed.html ) and answer the following questions: Where did ultimate power reside? The Articles of Confederation note that the states entered into a "firm league of friendship . . ." What is implied by friendship? Who was represented in Congress, people or states? Why might this have been a problem? What powers were denied to the Congress unless a majority of states agreed? Why was this a problem? Be sure to support your answers with specific evidence (e.g., quoting from the Articles, noting which specific article provides support to your point).

c) The U.S. Constitution was adopted without placing any limit on the number of times an individual could be elected president. In fact, in Federalist Paper 72, Alexander Hamilton argued very specifically against limiting the number of presidential terms. However, after Franklin D. Roosevelt won four presidential elections in a row, a constitutional amendment (the 22nd) was passed limiting a person to two terms as president. While Amendment 22 guides our choices in the presidential arena today, not everyone agrees that this limit is in the best interest of the country. For example, President Reagan remarked that there should not be a limit on the number of times a person may serve as president. Using Federalist Paper 72 (available at http://www.constitution.org/fed/federa00.htm), summarize the argument Hamilton gives against limiting the number of times a person may be elected president (using quotes as necessary). What arguments do you suppose would have been made by those who proposed the 22 nd Amendment? Do you agree we should go back to the original intent of the Constitution and allow individuals to be elected for any number of presidential terms?

SHORT PAPER #2, due Thursday, 20 September . Select from the following options:

a) Compare the Colorado State Constitution (available at http://www.i2i.org/Publications/ColoradoConstitution/iscolocn.htm) with the U.S. Constitution, including the Bill of Rights and other Amendments. Discuss differences in structure and contents – eg., what is included and excluded, the order in which provisions are organized, level of detail, etc. Use specific examples. Focusing on issues of rights and liberties, compare the U.S. Bill of Rights with the Colorado Bill of Rights. Why are these rights and liberties different in the two political contexts?

b) Compare the Constitution of the state of your choice with the U.S. Constitution, as outlined in the previous paper option.

c) Many social commentators have argued that the black civil rights movement has paved the way for other societal groups to assert their own civil rights. Go to the following groups’ Web sites and see how they frame their agendas in terms of “civil rights” (using the “search” function in each case):

Discuss the similarities and differences in the civil rights focus of each of these groups. Be specific, using examples. Then do an Internet search for “bill of rights.” Describe the different types of groups that are pursuing or have acquired their own “bill of rights.”

d) How does the Bill of Rights of the United States compare with those of other governments? Read and compare the following:

Discuss the following: What freedoms are present in all three documents? Which document seems to grant the broadest freedoms? Which places the most limitations on the granted freedoms? What are the other important differences between the documents? Provide evidence or specific examples to support your assessments.

e) Slavery is a fundamental violation of basic civil rights. Learn about the continuing existence of slavery in various countries. See, for example, the websites of Anti-Slavery International (at http://www.antislavery.org) and Free the Slaves (at http://www.freetheslaves.net). How would you define slavery in the modern context? Where is it occurring? In what ways is this an issue that affects you as a citizen of the U.S.? What actions can be taken today to eliminate modern slavery? What role should the United States play?

SHORT PAPER #3, due Tuesday, 16 October . Select from the following options:

a) Describe your congressional district. This could be the district that includes Boulder, Colorado, or a district elsewhere that you consider home. What counties, towns and neighborhoods are located in this district? The U.S. Census Bureau is an excellent source for demographic data, organized by county, congressional district, and other units (see http://factfinder.census.gov/home/saff/main.html?_lang=en). Members of Congress often describe the geographic and demographic characteristics of their districts as well. (Locate individual Representatives’ websites at http://www.house.gov/.) Would you say that the interests of most constituents in this district would be similar, or do you think there is a great deal of diversity? What are the implications for representation?

b) Take a look at the biographies of the leaders of both parties in both chambers of Congress: the Democratic and Republican leaders as well as the Speaker of the House (look under “Leadership” at http://www.house.gov/); and the Majority and Minority Leaders of the Senate (look under “Leadership” at http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm). Are there any surprises, or are these the types of people you would expect to find in these positions? Explain.

c) Millions of dollars go into Congressional campaigns each election cycle. Where is the money coming from? Go to the Federal Election Commission’s (FEC’s) Summary Report Search site (http://www.fec.gov/finance/disclosure/srssea.shtml). Select any state(s) and congressional districts to complete this assignment. Compare the contributions to candidates running for office in three different districts in 2006. If the race had an incumbent, did he or she receive more contributions than did the challenger? By what amount or percent? Where did each candidate get most of his or her money: donations from individuals, other committees, or personal funds? Provide examples of individual contributions and non-party (e.g., PAC) contributions, (specifying contributor and amount). How much cash on hand did each candidate still have at the end of the campaign? Who won the election? Did close fundraising totals seem to translate into close election outcomes?

SHORT PAPER #4, due Tuesday, 30 October . Select from the following options:

a) Go to the White House briefing room online (http://whitehouse.gov/news/briefings) and examine the content of a recent press conference or briefing. Describe the questions and issues being discussed. Do all of the questions receive answers? Which, if any, questions remain unanswered? Next, go to the online site of two major news outlets such as the Washington Post (http://washingtonpost.com) and the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/) and try to find an article in each in which material from the press conference is cited. Generally speaking, what kind of information is selected? What information is not selected? Any differences in coverage across the two media sources? Explain these observations.

b) Check the backgrounds of three appointed officials who head federal agencies (for example, the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Treasury Secretary). Is there evidence of connections to interest groups? Provide evidence. How could this be avoided?

c) Learn how judges are selected at the state level. Using information from the American Judicature Society, summarize the method of selection of judges in any one state (look under “Judicial Selection” and then “State Judicial Selection” at http://www.ajs.org/). Consider who is making the selection, for what period, and how politics might influence these choices. How might the method of selection affect court influences on law and policy in this state?

B. OBSERVING GOVERNMENT IN ACTION PAPER

Assignment requiring a visit to a government office, meeting or courtroom, due Thursday, 29 November.

In order to write this paper, you'll need to get some first-hand knowledge about how the institutions of government actually work. Choose one of the following options:

Option 1: Visit the local office of your member of Congress, senator, state legislator, or city councilperson. Speak with a staff member in the office and find out what the office does, how much staff it maintains, and how the legislator spends his or her time.

Option 2 : Visit the office of your mayor or deputy mayor. Speak with the mayor, deputy mayor, or a staff member in the office and find out what the office does, how much staff it maintains, and how the mayor spends his or her time.

Option 3: Attend a meeting of your local governing body (in Boulder it’s the City Council), or local school board. Take special note of the roles and actions of the meeting’s participants, the procedures followed and the issues under discussion.

Option 4: Visit any courtroom (city, state, U.S.) and spend at least one hour observing the activities. Take special note of the roles and actions of the attorneys, judge and the jury (if there is one); the procedures followed by the court, and the kinds of cases that came up.

Write a paper documenting your observations/interview and relating it to course materials. Total length: approximately 2½ to 3 pages, single-spaced, not including the bibliography. Keep the following guidelines in mind as you write.

1. The bulk of your paper should detail the findings from your interview/observations.

2. Your paper should also take care to relate your findings to course materials. For example, if you choose option 4, relevant course materials will probably include the U.S. Constitution, the role and functions of courts in the American system, the Bill of Rights, and the role of federalism in structuring the court system. This is not an exhaustive list; you may discover additional links as you write your paper. Similarly, if you choose option 1, relevant course materials will probably include the U.S. Constitution, the role of legislatures in the American system, voting, campaigns, elections, and political parties. Again, this list is not exhaustive.

3. When you discuss course materials, cite your sources. If you are quoting specific words or passages, make sure to enclose the words in quotation marks and include a page number in your citation to refer to the page from which you are drawing the quotation.  If you are referring to an author's argument without specifically quoting his/her words, also include the page number(s) in parentheses. Citations may be noted either in parentheses immediately following the quote or other information or in footnotes/endnotes. Example of a parenthetical citation: (Billica 2007, 14). Listing the name leads you to the specific item in your bibliography. The year published distinguishes the item from others that might be included from the same author (if more than one item published in that year by the same author, then add a, b, c, etc. ; for example: Billica 2007b, 14). The last number indicates the specific page from which the material was drawn.  

General Instructions and Tips: