PSC 101 Week 1 Discussion 4

PSC 101 Week 1 Discussion 4 | Great Basin College | Assignment Help

PSC 101Week 1 Discussion 1

The following is the last BBD for class. As you consider your response and reflect on ALL the information introduced in class, JUSTIFY YOUR RESPONSE BY CITING and making as many connections as possible to the materials assigned THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SEMESTER.

REMINDER: Refer to the BBD instructions and BBB Participation Rubric for expectations and posting protocol. Base your responses on the assigned readings and videos, directly citing the materials to substantiate your response where appropriate and applicable WITH DIRECT QUOTES AND PAGE NUMBERS. The political documentaries are intended to complement the assigned readings. I expect to see direct and multiple references to the assigned materials. Directly reference the AM GOV text 3-4 times in EACH part to earn full credit.

PART I: THE BUREAUCRACY

Select ONE of the questions from Chapter 13 and respond in sufficient detail:

Question 1. Describe America’s federal bureaucracy and how it has developed throughout its history. What major changes has it undergone? What internal and external factors produced these changes? How does the character of the federal bureaucracy at a given time reflect the character of the American public and its political ideas of the same time? Is there a defense to be made for arrangements like the spoils system, which might seem self-evidently ill-advised to modern eyes?

Question 2. Describe the general characteristics of a bureaucracy. What are the strengths and weaknesses of a bureaucratic structure? What are the pathologies to which bureaucracies are prone? Is there a feasible way to avoid these pathologies, or are they intrinsic to the nature of bureaucracies? How do public bureaucracies differ from private ones? Would the government function better, as many have suggested, if it was run more life a private bureaucracy?

Question 3. Discuss bureaucracies and accountability. How democratic is the federal bureaucracy? Why are federal bureaucrats so hard to remove from office? What measures have been adopted in recent years to make bureaucracies more receptive to the will of the people?

Question 4. Discuss the people who work within federal bureaucracies. What distinguishes civil servants from political appointees? What are the respective duties of these two types of federal workers? Who has the most influence and power, civil servants or political appointees?

Question 5. Describe the different types of executive agencies and explain their powers and limitations. How do Congress, the president, and the public curb the powers of federal agencies? How do those agencies try to avoid or overcome those limitations?

Question 6. German sociologist Max Weber developed the five principles of a competent and efficient bureaucracy. What are these five principles and how do they contribute to a competent and efficient bureaucracy? 

PART II: THE COURTS: JUDICIAL POWER IN A DEMOCRATIC SETTING

Watch the following two videos below. The first video focuses on the creation of the Court. The second video is dated and even a little cheesy, but I like the major points discussed relating to the meaning of the Constitution. Discuss in sufficient detail a total of FOUR significant aspects from the videos, MAKING AS MANY CONNECTIONS AS YOU CAN TO CHAPTERS 14. SEVERAL CONNECTIONS CAN BE MADE. Additional connections where applicable can be made to the AM GOV text to Chapters 4 and 5. 

The Supreme Court: One Nation Under Law (approximately 55 minutes)

Play media comment.Click to viewthis is a media comment

Bill of Rights: Bill of Responsibility (approximately 22 minutes).

Play media comment.Click to viewthis is a media comment

PART III: CLASS SUMMARY

First, describe in sufficient detail THREE of the most interesting or surprising things that you learned about American government and politics in this semester. SPECIFICALLY identify online resources by websites, videos and documentaries by title, assigned readings by page numbers, and any materials introduced in class.

Second, what did you like the MOST about this class and the LEAST? The question is optional and not graded. Responses are for informational purposes to obtain feedback and improve future classes. 

PART IV: WHERE IS PROFESSOR GONZALES ON THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM?

Based on the class this semester, where do you think Professor Gonzales is on the political spectrum? Where would you plot him? Explain and directly reference the AM GOV text 3-4 times.

Part V: WHAT'S YOUR POLITICAL NEWS IQ?

Based on my news challenge presented to you at the beginning of class, take the following quiz:

Political News IQ Quiz (Links to an external site.)

Are you surprised with the results? After taking this class, do you think that your awareness and interest of political news and current events will increase? If you watched another news source, what did you learn and observe? Share your thoughts with the class and directly reference the AM GOV text 3-4 times.