GOVT 2306 Week 1

GOVT 2306 Week 1  | Assignment 1 Help | Central Texas College

Writing Assignment 1

Select ONE of the following topics to answer for Writing Assignment 1. The writing assignment should be a minimum of 750 words. You should find most of the information you need to complete the assignment in the textbook, but it may improve your submission by using additional sources (such as news articles or government websites).  See the Writing Assignment Instructions for more information.

·         Discuss how the population has changed in Texas and how it is projected to change in the future.  (Hint: Look at the charts and graphs in Chapter 1.)  In what ways might Texas’ politics change in the future based on its racial and ethnic makeup?  Based on the population growth, urbanization and economic transformation of the last two decades, how might Texas change in the next two decades?  Which areas will grow in population, and what might Texas’ government have to do to respond to that growth?  (Be specific)

·         Has the evolving relationship between the federal government and the states changed for the better or worse? Why? How has Texas generally responded to mandates from the federal government? Do you think the federal government should be allowed to enact “unfunded mandates” on the states?  What state issues, if any, do you feel the federal government should be involved in?  Why these and not others?

·         Discuss the gender, racial and educational makeup of the Texas Legislature.  (Refer to “Who are Texans?” in Chapter 7.)  Does it adequately represent the population of the state?  If the legislature had more people of color, more women, or more people of varying levels of education, do you think it would pass different policies?  If so, what kinds of policies might they pass?  (Be specific here.)  Does the part-time nature of the Texas legislature encourage or discourage people from particular occupations to run?  Do you think a full-time legislature could make the legislature more representative?  Why or why not?

Online assistance for writing assignments is available through the Writing Lab in Blackboard. Select Enroll from the dropdown box by the EnglishTutor link.  Writing assistance is also available through the Library.