GOVT 2305 Week 2

GOVT 2305 Week 2  | Assignment  Help | Central Texas College

Lesson 2 Writing Assignment

For this assignment, choose ONE of the writing prompts and write a minimum 300 word essay. For more detailed instructions, review the Instructions for Lesson Writing Assignments.

**Do not use quotations or paraphrases from any sources for this assignment. You can use sources, of course, but do not quote them or paraphrase them. This essay is short, and it needs to be obvious from YOUR words that you understand the material.**

This paper must be between 300 and 450 words long. You will lose points if your paper is too short or too long. Do not turn this assignment into a mini-research paper. A one- or two-sentence intro, response to all parts of the prompt, and a one- or two-sentence closing is all you need. Turning it into a 500+ word essay complete with intro paragraph, paragraph for each major support, and closing paragraph is not what is needed for this assignment.

Also, you are expected to maintain formal, academic standards. Do not make your paper chatty. Do not use first or second person (I, we, you). Edit your work. Then edit it again. Then again. Use spellcheck. Do not turn in a rough draft -- it will make a very low grade. Put a heading on your paper. Put a title on your paper (the name of the assignment is not a title). Use the skills learned in Freshman English. The expectations enumerated in this paragraph are those expected in all academic and professional writing, and failure to achieve proper academic standards affects the grade. This is a university-level class, and university-level work is expected.

Format your paper. Formatting your paper consist of putting a heading on it and putting a title. The name of the assignment is not a title. The name of the assignment should be given in the heading. Don't use a cover sheet.

It is not necessary to copy the prompt. Copying the prompt does not count toward the required word count. Works cited entries do not count toward the required word count.

1)  Read the discussion of “descriptive representation” in Chapter 4. Then, review how Congress has changed over time with respect to race and ethnicity, women and veterans in the Pew Research article “The changing face of Congress in 6 charts.” Discuss the different trends in Congress and what you think it means for the future.  Does it matter if members of Congress look like most Americans?  What are the advantages and disadvantages of descriptive representation?

2)  Chapter 10 discusses many aspects of domestic and foreign policy in the United States. Review public attitudes towards both the size of government and government spending in the Pew Research article “Little Public Support for Reductions in Federal Spending.” According to the survey data, where are people who identify as Republican or Lean Republican more interested in increasing spending?  Where are people who identify as Democrats or Lean Democratic more interested in increasing spending? What does the Pew Research Center survey suggest concerning the public’s interest in cutting government spending? Looking at the results of the surveys, what do you think are the prospects for reducing government spending? Why?

3)  Both the president and Congress play a role in decisions regarding the use of military force. What are the president’s powers in this area? What are the powers of Congress in this area? Read the article “ New Legislation Offers Opportunity to Address 2001 Authorization for Use of Force, Amid Fears of War with Iran .” Why do you think members of Congress have been willing not to vote on the use of force and to allow modern presidents (such as Bush, Obama and Trump) to take the lead in this area? Do you think Congress should play a larger role in decisions regarding the use of military force?