POL 151 colleagues—Read Chapter 12 (Empowering the People) in our textbook (SWC, 2013) and complete the tasks below. You will need to build upon your responses to DB #13 and DB #14 with regard to your chosen national security topic.

TASK #1. Our textbook (SWC, 2013) identifies the media, political parties and interest groups as “linkage institutions” that connect the people to the government. Choose one linkage institution and describe how it affects the national security policy process. Make sure you talk about linkages with the president, Congress and the public, as applicable. Give examples related to your national security topic to support your discussion. If you choose interest groups, specify what kind of interest group you are talking about: broad-based interest group, single-issue interest group, political action committee, think tank, bureaucratic interest group.

TASK #2. Has the president used social media or other media to address your national security topic? If so, describe what actions he has taken and what impact his actions have had; if not, how can you explain his lack of involvement? What does this say about the president’s leadership style and perception of the presidency?

TASK #3. What, if anything, do public opinion polls say about your national security topic? How much influence do you think public opinion has on the national security policy process in general, and with respect to your topic, in particular?

BONUS (2 points). How do you think the president’s approval ratings affect his ability to get the national security policy outcomes he wants?