Select one of the case study parliamentary examples presented at the end of Chapter 14 in our textbook (either “Parliamentary Government in India,” pp. 331-334 or “Parliamentary Government in Germany,” pp. 334-336), and compare it to either the “Presidential Government in Mexico” located on pages 358-360, or use the United States as the presidential system case example. Address the following questions in your analysis of […]

Reflect: As the textbook author asserts, the Framers intentionally designed a process for selecting presidents that would minimize the president’s political power – the Electoral College. They hoped this institution would insulate the chief executive from the public because they feared the power of presidents who might be elected by the people. However, the Electoral College has also spawned a long ongoing debate about whether […]

For this assignment, please list and discuss at least 6 television shows that you have seen that depict the police, courts, and correctional components of the criminal justice system (2 television shows for each component: law enforcement, judiciary, and corrections; for a total of 6 shows). If you prefer, you can use movies, radio, print media, or any combination of them, but there must be […]

The readings this week apply different theoretical perspectives to analyze the European Union as a regional IO. For example, in the articles, we read about rationalism, social constructivism, multi-level governance, enforcement and management theory, and more. In addition, the lesson notes discuss intergovernmentalism, supranationalism, and veto player theory. Which theoretical perspective(s) do you find the most persuasive and why when it comes to analyzing EU […]

Scenario: You have been an investigator for the St. Louis Police Department for many years. Recent surges in cyber crime have caused your police department to consider developing a cyber crime task force to combat the rising number of cyber thefts in St. Louis County jurisdictions. The police commissioner recognizes that you are a top investigator and appoints you to lead the new cyber crime […]

This chapter of your textbook goes a lot of different directions, but seems centered around the assertion that Texas’ culture of low taxes and low spending creates or worsens poverty. There’s another side to the story, though. Even the San Francisco Chronicle, which is pretty liberal, notes in this article (Links to an external site.) that Texas fares much better in the statistics when you account for its low […]

You are the safety and emergency manager or coordinator for an organization of your choosing (except for a school district). It may be a real-world or fictional entity. You are tasked with developing a strategic security plan (SSP) for this organization, then coordinating it both internally and externally with relevant stakeholders and partners. You will complete some of the requirements that are associated with this plan this week, and later […]

An interest group is generally a voluntary group or association that intends to publicly promote their mission, vision, or cause. If you analyze contemporary American society and the political system, you’ll find interest groups at the very center. This phenomenon, which has seemingly risen to unprecedented heights, has changed the political landscape and significantly impacted the policy process. There are some arguments over the value […]

Now that the four suspects are in custody, they all have been denied bail by the judge because of the seriousness of their offenses. During court, you hear one of the defendants state to his attorney that he feels he is being punished before conviction. You then discuss the situation with the prosecutor, and she mentions the Bell v. Wolfish case. She tells you to review the case and […]

The best way of learning is doing. This assignment is to put into practice what you are learning by actively participating in the formation and promotion of public policy in your community. The course is focused on pathways of change and civic engagement, and this assignment is an exercise in thinking about how you could use a pathway to get government to do what you […]