Political science

You will be expected to submit a memo where you find an article from a California-based newspaper writing on a recent California State or Local politics issue or event. the memo will be a minimum of 500 words, in which the student summarizes the article (the summary should be no more than half the length of the assignment) and then analyzes the event or issue and politics at play. Students should try to show how this event or issue connects to the topics that have been discussed follows. Additionally, students should attach a link of their article to the assignment. •The goal is to help students build connections between the factual matter of the course and the political world around them.  TOPICS  Introduction to California Politics Critical Junctures Direct Democracy The State Legislature The Executive Branch The Court System Other Governments The California Budget Process Political Parties, Elections, and Campaigns Political Engagement For more information on Local Politics read this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_government

Required Resources Read/review the following resources for this activity: Textbook: Chapter 11 Citation and Writing Assistance: Writing Papers At CU (Links to an external site.) Library Overview (Links to an external site.) How to Search for Articles – the Everything Tab (Links to an external site.) Minimum of 4 scholarly sources (in addition to the textbook) Instructions You are a lobbyist for an issue that you find important. For example, you would like to see the banning of smoking in federal buildings (Note: This policy has already been enacted.) You are going to make an informational pamphlet to highlight your points to prominent members of Congress. Research members of Congress that you will target in your lobbying. Explain why these members are critical to your goal. Make a plan of action and produce a pamphlet supporting your cause. Who will you be reaching out to? Why? Write a cover letter to a Congressional member and include your reasoning for reaching out to them in particular in the letter. Remember a lobbyist is only as good as the information they provide. A lobbyist who provides incomplete or unreliable information will soon be unemployed or lose access to officials. The cover letter should: Follow a standard business format  Correctly address your CongresspersonUse the correct postal address Explain your choice to write to this representative in particular, and provide your pamphlet. For example, maybe your research showed that this representative sponsored legislation on this issue in the past. The pamphlet should: Define the problem. Tells us exactly what the problem is. Detail its urgency and provide data. Be objective. Analyze the problem. Provide relevant data. Tell us how to make sense of the data. Provide any findings Offer a recommendation. Do not generalize. Be specific. Must be persuasive. Cite four scholarly sources Submit your cover letter and pamphlet for grading. Writing Requirements (APA format). Length: Cover letter to Congressman should be only 1-page Pamphlet should be 5 pages in length 1-inch margins 12-point Times New Roman font Reference page (minimum of 4 scholarly sources) For more information on Policy Issue read this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Policy_Issues

 Intelligence organizations operating in Afghanistan included the CIA, SOF, national assets available for tactical exploitation, and other Army units. How well did these organizations blend to provide the intelligence required to the tactical commanders?  For more information on Intelligence Organizations read this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligence_agency

Step 4 – The Policy Paper Prepare a formal research paper regarding the selected policy. The assignment must be between 5-8 pages excluding quotations, cover page, and Works Cited page(s). The essay should address the following: An introduction and a brief overview of the policy topic. What are the major issues facing each level of government? What are the reasons for initiating changes to the policy? What are the options to be considered (discuss several)? What are the pros and cons of each potential reform (costs v. benefits)? Which is the best option moving forward (pick one)? A summary and conclusion Do not use the first person in the proposal or final policy paper! The paper body must be a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 8 full pages in body length, double-spaced. No more and no less is necessary for this activity. Keep direct quotes to a minimum; do not use block quotations. All key arguments, facts, assertions, and claims must be supported with research. The references approved in the policy proposal must be used in the policy paper: you may add additional sources (and should if you seek an A on the assignment), but you must seek approval from the instructor at least 72 hours before the policy paper due date if you intend to change any of the scholarly sources approved in the proposal. There will be no opportunity to revise and resubmit this assignment. Failure to meet the minimum research and writing requirements will result in a zero for the entire assignment (no partial credit will be awarded as this is a formal institutional assessment). A zero on this assignment will result in a failing grade for the course. Finally, add a cover page and include the References (also known as Works Cited) page at the end. Submit all pages together as one file to the assignment dropbox. Special Notes The grading standards used to assess the quality of your work for this project will be detailed in a grading rubric, which will be provided during the semester. It is strongly suggested that every student read ahead and use the library database during the first days of the course to begin researching a topic. This project requires carefully planning throughout the semester.

The Policy Paper Prepare a formal research paper regarding the selected policy. The assignment must be between 5-8 pages excluding quotations, cover page, and Works Cited page(s). The essay should address the following: An introduction and brief overview of the policy topic. What are the major issues facing each level of government? What are the reasons for initiating changes to the policy? What are the options to be considered (discuss several)? What are the pros and cons of each potential reform (costs v. benefits)? Which is the best option moving forward (pick one)? A summary and conclusion Do not use first person in the proposal or final policy paper! The paper body must be a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 8 full pages in body length, double-spaced. No more and no less is necessary for this activity. Keep direct quotes to a minimum; do not use block quotations. All key arguments, facts, assertions, and claims must be supported with research. The references approved in the policy proposal must be used in the policy paper: you may add additional sources (and should if you seek an A on the assignment), but you must seek approval from the instructor at least 72 hours before the policy paper due date if you intend to change any of the scholarly sources approved in the proposal. There will be no opportunity to revise and resubmit this assignment. Failure to meet the minimum research and writing requirements will result in a zero for the entire assignment (no partial credit will be awarded as this is a formal institutional assessment). A zero on this assignment will result in a failing grade for the course. Finally, add a cover page and include the References (also known as Works Cited) page at the end. Submit all pages together as one file to the assignment dropbox. Special Notes The grading standards used to assess the quality of your work for this project will be detailed in a grading rubric, which will be provided during the semester. It is strongly suggested that every student read ahead and use the library database during the first days of the course to begin researching a topic. This project requires carefully planning throughout the semester.

Your task is to offer a detailed critique of a peer-reviewed article you locate in the CSU Online Library. The article must be related to explaining how the needs of certain groups of individuals or institutions (e.g., veterans, the elderly, the poor, hospitals, or clinics) can determine how the government on the local, state, or federal level spends their money. Using the first few pages of Chapter 1 as a guide, select a specific group of individuals or institutions in our society as part of your search. In your critique, address the following questions/points: What are the main points and arguments of the author(s)? What is your opinion of the article? How does the article relate to your experience or current job in the public or nonprofit sector? How can the points and arguments of the author(s) be applied to the public sector in a practical sense? Describe how positive and negative externalities could affect the efficiency with which governments can allocate their resources to provide for the needs of citizens. The critique must be two double-spaced pages). Be sure to cite all borrowed, quoted, and paraphrased material appropriately in APA style. Your professor is most interested in your opinion For more information on Resources read this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resource

“The argument that a voucher system will increase the social efficiency of primary schooling is weakened if there is a high degree of Tiebout sorting on the basis of  income status and race.”  Agree or Disagree with the statement above, given that there are significant positive externalities associated with primary education and local property taxes are a major source of primary school funding in the United States. As described in the text, Fischel (1989) argued that California’s Serrano v. Priest school finance equalization induced voters to limit property taxes in California. Following this argument, would an alternative school finance equalization that produced increased spending for low-wealth communities using state funds be more, less, or equally likely to induce a property tax limitation in California? Explain. Express your own view, choosing to be in favor, or against a progressive voucher program (see Robert Reich).  What problems would this proposal present from a public choice perspective?  And do you believe that Moving to Opportunity Programs offer a better solution to the problem of quality primary schooling for low-income?  Post one thoughtful reply to another student concerning their answer #3 above.  Try to pick a student who has no reply. For more information on Voucher Program read this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_voucher

Instructions You are a lobbyist for an issue that you find important. For example, you would like to see the banning of smoking in federal buildings (Note: This policy has already been enacted.) You are going to make an informational pamphlet to highlight your points to prominent members of Congress. Research members of Congress that you will target in your lobbying. Explain why these members are critical to your goal. Make a plan of action and produce a pamphlet supporting your cause. Who will you be reaching out to? Why? Write a cover letter to a Congressional member and include your reasoning for reaching out to them in particular in the letter. Remember a lobbyist is only as good as the information they provide. A lobbyist who provides incomplete or unreliable information will soon be unemployed or lose access to officials. The cover letter should follow a standard business format Correctly address your Congressperson Use the correct postal address Explain your choice to write to this representative in particular, and provide your pamphlet. For example, maybe your research showed that this representative sponsored legislation on this issue in the past. Pamphlet should: Define the problem. Tells us exactly what the problem is. Detail its urgency and provide data. Be objective. Analyze the problem. Provide relevant data. Tell us how to make sense of the data. Provide any findings Offer a recommendation. Do not generalize. Be specific. Must be persuasive. Cite four scholarly sources Submit your cover letter and pamphlet for grading. Writing Requirements (APA format). Length: Cover letter to Congressman should be only 1-page Pamphlet should be 5 pages in length 1-inch margins  12-point Times New Roman font Reference page (minimum of 4 scholarly sources) For more information on Banning of Smoking read this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoking_ban

 Do you think that Europe is a safer place to live in now compared with at the height of the Cold War?  For more information on Europe read this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe

Please choose one of the following questions and react to it briefly in the discussion boards. When you submit an answer, please begin by pasting the question you are responding to in the text field. Then write your answer below. Discussion question options: Over the past several decades, some states have introduced policies that make it easier to vote (e.g. mail-in ballots), whereas others have implemented restrictions (e.g. requiring photo ID to vote). In general, which type of policies do you support?  Why? Twenty-seven US states, including California, have some form of direct democracy, where citizens vote directly on policy. There are many proponents and critics of this process; do you think it is beneficial or harmful to allow citizens to vote directly on policy, rather than their views being represented by elected officials? With $6.8 billion spent in 2016 in federal elections, many often decry the large amount of money spent in American electoral campaigns. Do you believe this is a problem? Why or why not? What could be done about it, if so? For more information on Campaigns and Elections read this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campaigns_and_Elections