At the heart of any evaluation is the evaluation design. It is now common consensus in policy evaluation that no amount of sophisticated analysis can repair a poorly designed study. There is no such thing as a perfect evaluation design and there are always tradeoffs. One of the most important tradeoffs has to do with internal and external validity. This is true whether you are […]

The Texas criminal justice system has been a center of controversy throughout Texas history. Though several reform efforts have been attempted, no significant reform measure has been incorporated over the last half century in Texas. While many attribute this to a conservative system unwilling to change, the historic record reflects a different reality. As students of Texas Government, determine the most significant hurdle blocking substantial […]

This first short paper requires you to critically analyze the idea of Air Traffic Control Privatization. Your short paper should describe options for privatization, a critical analysis of those options, and a recommended course of action based on your analysis. In addition, to gain more experience using the databases for research, all references will be from the Hunt Library.

Locate a current event from the past two years. The event should be related to politics or government policy in the United States. The source must be credible. The paper must include: Summary of the events in your own word. Connection of the event to one or more of the concepts in the box below taken from the chapters. Formatting: One-page single space Times New […]

In order to limit the power of the executive branch in Texas, the framers of the Constitution split the executive branch into several different offices which are then place in a lateral power structure (no one is necessarily over another). As such, a perpetual debate has existed regarding which executive office holds the greatest amount of power/influence over Texas governance. Weigh in on this debate. […]

First, review the Reading & Study presentation “Political Structure at the State Level” as an example about the structure of the Republican Party in Virginia. Select 1 of the major parties in your state to study. Because this was already discussed in the presentation, do not base your discussion on the Republican Party of Virginia. If you live in Virginia, you may examine the Democratic […]

Assignment: We discussed that “Leadership is the process of influencing people…” While influence might be the essence of leadership, it is not the start point.  It all begins with power, the capacity an individual has to influence the attitude or behavior of others.  When analyzing the application of power to gain commitment an individual must consider these areas;

What were the major forces behind urban growth in early United States history?  What influence did urban growth have on urban concentration and population density?  What new demands were placed on city governments when population density increased?  What steps did city governments take to help deal with new demands resulting from the influx in population?  Respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.

Explain the specific security challenges encountered in the port maritime environment and discuss what a risk-based management framework looks like as it applies to this mode of transportation. Discuss the Megaports Initiative. From your perspective, why was this program not advanced to its’ initial goal of 100 ports? What port security challenge is it truly difficult to address?

 For American representative democracy to function as intended, a citizen (principal) has to select a good representative (agent) to act in their stead and pursue the citizen’s interest (s). Reciprocity is a key element in this relationship. Broadly speaking, what would agents/representatives need to know about the principals/citizens in order to represent their interest well? Are there certain characteristics that would make someone better suited […]