ALL PARTS HAVE TO BE COMPLETE

PART 1

Thisweek we learned about the presidency, the powers of the presidency, andthe unique way our president is elected via the Electoral College. Inthis assignment you will be guided in creating a complete argumentregarding whether or not you think the Electoral College should be keptor eliminated.

This activity will be useful practice in how tocreate and present and thoughtful argument. The ability to create andcommunicate a thoughtful argument will help you out in future studiesand in any career.

Your essay must be at least 500 words long.

Follow these steps to create an argument in the form of an essay:

Step1: In one or two very clear sentences state whether or not you thinkthe Electoral College should be kept or eliminated. This is calledwriting a thesis statement.

Step 2: In three paragraphsdescribing three (3) arguments that support your position regarding theElectoral College. Give each argument one paragraph. Do not just listthree arguments in support of your position regarding the ElectoralCollege. You must tell the reader why each of your three argumentssupports your position on the Electoral College.

Step 3: In threeparagraphs describe three (3) arguments that go against your positionregarding the Electoral College. This is called addressingcounterarguments. Give each counterargument one paragraph. Describe thecounterargument and then tell the reader of your essay why thatcounterargument should be dismissed.

Step 4: Write one paragraphconcluding your essay. Restate your initial position on the ElectoralCollege. And review the one or two arguments that you found to be themost compelling in support of your position.

Step 5: Write areference list. In any good argument you will present your ideas butthen include evidence from credible external sources to support yourideas. Always include a reference list.

In outline form your paper should look like this.

Introduction: Thesis statement of your position regarding the Electoral College.

Three arguments supporting your position.

Describe argument 1 and why it supports your position.

Describe argument 2 and why it supports your position.

Describe argument 3 and why it supports your position.

Three counter arguments opposing your position.

Describe counter argument 1 and why it is not sufficient.

Describe counter argument 2 and why it is not sufficient.

Describe counter argument 3 and why it is not sufficient.

Conclusion paragraph.

Please note: APA formatting and citations rules apply to this and all essays in this course.

Aswith all weekly written assignments, submit your work as an attachedfile. Double-space your paper and use 12 point Times New Roman as yourfont.

PART 2

Supreme Court Ruling Analysis

TheSupreme Court is made up of nine justices who are responsible fordeciding whether or not laws are in line with the U.S. Constitution.These individuals serve life-long appointments once they are nominatedby the President and confirmed by the United States Senate. Below is alist of some of the most controversial decisions in the last few decadesby the Supreme Court. These cases are often mentioned by politiciansduring campaigns because the issues are still debated, even after theSupreme Court’s ruling.

Write an essay analyzing one of the following key Supreme Court rulings:

National Federation of Independent Businesses v. Sebelius: https://www.oyez.org/cases/2011/11-393?page=3

District of Columbia v. Heller: http://www.oyez.org/cases/2000-2009/2007/2007_07_2…

Roe v. Wade (abortion rights): http://www.oyez.org/cases/1970-1979/1971/1971_70_1…

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission: http://www.oyez.org/cases/2000-2009/2008/2008_08_2…

Obergefell v. Hodges: https://www.oyez.org/cases/2014/14-556

Your essay must be at least 500 words long.

Answer these questions to complete your analysis of your selected Supreme Court ruling.

Tell the reader which of the five key Supreme Court ruling you selected to analyze.

What was the law being challenged in the case?

Tell me any of the states or government entities that were part of the case.

Who was the Petitioner in the Case?

What was the Petitioner’s argument?

Who was Respondent?

What was the Respondent’s argument?

What part or parts of the Constitution were discussed in the case?

Why were those parts of the Constitution discussed in the case?

What was the final Supreme Court ruling by

What was the final score of the case was (for example 5 to 4 or 7 to 2 or some other combo that, in most cases, adds up to 9)

What was the date that the case was decided?

Which side won, was it the petitioner or the respondent?

What did it mean that this particular side won?

Thisis the most important part of the assignment: how does this casecurrently impact your life and the lives of Americans? Explore thepolitical and electoral consequences of the ruling. Don’t just say, forexample in the case of Roe v. Wade, women can now have abortions becauseonly a small percent of the population is of childbearing potential –how did the case impact everyone else more generally? Think about howeven this current or most recent presidential election was impacted bythe ruling you have analyzed.

Provide a reference list.

Please note: APA formatting and citations rules apply to this and all essays in this course.

Aswith all weekly written assignments, submit your work as an attachedfile. Double-space your paper and use 12 point Times New Roman as yourfont.

PART 3

Party Platform Creation Activity

Thisweek we learned about the important functions of political parties. Youalso had the opportunity to browse the Democratic and Republican Partyplatforms for your reading. In this activity, pretend you are in chargeof inventing your own original political party and write a platform foryour brand new political party.

Your platform and reflection essay should be at least 500 words long and address the following:

Part 1 – Your Platform

Name your party.

Identifyand describe one domestic policy that your party would believe in. Givea paragraph description of that domestic policy. Be very detailed andspecific in your description. (Domestic policy is anything that impactshow we live our lives within the borders of our nation.)

Identifyand describe one specific economic policy that your party would believein. Give a paragraph description of that economic policy. Be verydetailed and specific in your description. (Economic policy is all thosepolicies that impact the distribution and exchange of property, wealth,and capital. Think about things that impact money and how much you haveand how you can make more.)

Identify and describe one specificforeign policy that your party would believe in. Give a paragraphdescription of that foreign policy. Be very detailed and specific inyour description. (Foreign policy is how this nation interacts withother nations.)

Part 2 – Reflection Essay

Write an essayin which you compare and contrast each of your three policies, one at atime, to similar policies from the platforms of the Democratic andRepublican parties. How are your policies similar to the policies of thetwo major parties? How your policies different from the policies of thetwo major parties? Be specific and include specific examples. Concludeyour comparison and contrast essay by discussing which of the two majorparties your political party most similar to?

Don’t forget to include a reference list.

Please note: APA formatting and citations rules apply to this and all essays in this course.

PART 4

Interest Group Consultant Simulation

Inthis activity you will be pretending to be a consultant for an interestgroup. You will be charged with helping that interest group betterachieve its goals. Have fun and be creative in this activity!

Your paper should be at least 500 words long.

First,select an interest group from the following list that you will beconsulting for (*you may only complete this assignment on one the listedinterest groups):

Service Employees International Union

National Association of Realtors

US Chamber of Commerce

National Rifle Association

National Education Association

American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees

AARP

National Association of Broadcasters

In the first sentence of your paper please state very clearly what interest group you have selected.

Next,describe in your own words, what your selected interest group missionis. Do not copy and paste or quote the organization’s mission in yourpaper. Use your own words.

Next, take that mission statement andrewrite it in a new short one sentence “elevator pitch” that you thinkwould be more effective. Feel free to get creative.

Look up yourselected interest groups website. What is the web address? What do youlike about their website? What do you think could be improved abouttheir website?

Look up your selected interest group on socialmedia. What is good about their social media presence? What could beimproved about their social media presence?

Look up your selectedinterest group on OpenSecrets or the Federal Elections Commissionwebsite and discuss your findings. How much money does your interestgroup have? What is that money being spent on? In your opinion, are theyusing their money effectively? How could they spend their money tobetter accomplish their goals?

Come up with at least onecompletely original idea that could be use to improve your selectedinterest groups efforts. Describe this idea in detail. What specificgoal would this idea seek to accomplish? What types of resources wouldthis idea need. How would this idea improve the organization’s effortsto achieve its mission.

Finally, be sure to provide a reference list.

Please note: APA formatting and citations rules apply to this and all essays in this course.