Policy Issue

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 You are a lobbyist for an issue that you find important. For example, you would like to see the banning of smoking in federal buildings (Note: This policy has already been enacted.) You are going to make an informational pamphlet to highlight your points to prominent members of Congress. Research members of Congress that you will target in your lobbying. Explain why these members are critical to your goal. Make a plan of action and produce a pamphlet supporting your cause. Who will you be reaching out to? Why? Write a cover letter to a Congressional member and include your reasoning for reaching out to them in particular in the letter. Remember a lobbyist is only as good as the information they provide. A lobbyist who provides incomplete or unreliable information will soon be unemployed, or lose access to officials

  • Instructions You are a lobbyist for an issue that you find important. For example, you would like to see the banning of smoking in federal buildings (Note: This policy has already been enacted.) You are going to make an informational pamphlet to highlight your points to prominent members of Congress. Research members of Congress that you will target in your lobbying. Explain why these members are critical to your goal. Make a plan of action and produce a pamphlet supporting your cause. Who will you be reaching out to? Why? Write a cover letter to a Congressional member and include your reasoning for reaching out to them in particular in the letter. Remember a lobbyist is only as good as the information they provide. A lobbyist who provides incomplete or unreliable information will soon be unemployed, or lose access to officials.

    Cover letter should:

    · Follow a standard business format

    · Correctly address your Congressperson

    · Use the correct postal address

    · Explain your choice to write to this representative in particular, and provide your pamphlet. For example, maybe your research showed that this representative sponsored legislation on this issue in the past.

    Pamphlet should:

    · Define the problem. Tells us exactly what the problem is. Detail its urgency and provide data. Be objective.

    · Analyze the problem. Provide relevant data. Tell us how to make sense of the data. Provide any findings

    · Offer a recommendation. Do not generalize. Be specific.

    · Must be persuasive.

    · Cite four scholarly sources

    Submit your cover letter and pamphlet for grading.

    Writing Requirements (APA format).

    · Length: Cover letter to Congressman should be only 1 page

    · Pamphlet should be 5 pages in length

    · 1-inch margins

    · 12-point Times New Roman font

    · Reference page (minimum of 4 scholarly sources)

Presidential Advisor

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Week 6 Discussion 1: Presidential Advisor

Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:

  • Textbook: Review Chapter 2, 3 (pp. 56-59), 13
  • Lesson
  • Additional scholarly sources you identify through your own research

TEXTBOOK:

Magstadt, T. (2017). Understanding Politics: Ideas, institutions, and issues (12th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage.

 Post Instructions:

You are an advisor to the President tasked with cutting at least $300 billion from the budget. The president wants your recommendations to cut lines, not large categories. Explain why you chose those cuts.

Note: THESE ARE NOT  TRUE US BUDGET NUMBERS!.

DOMESTIC PROGRAMS AND FOREIGN AID

Cut some foreign aid to African countries

$17 billion

Eliminate farm subsidies

$14 billion

Cut pay of civilian federal workers by 5 percent

$14 billion

Reduce the overall federal workforce by 10%

$12 billion

Cut aid to states by 5%

$29 billion

MILITARY

Cut the number of nuclear warheads, and end the “Star Wars” missile defense program

$19 billion

Reduce military to pre-Iraq War size and further reduce troops in Asia and Europe

$25 billion

Cancel or delay some weapons programs

$19 billion

HEALTHCARE

Enact medical malpractice reform by reducing the chances of large malpractice verdicts

$ 8 billion

Increase the Medicare eligibility age to 68

$ 8 billion

Raise the Social Security retirement age to 68.

$ 13 billion

EXISTING TAXES

Return the estate tax to Clinton-era levels, passing on an estate worth more than $1 million to their heirs would have portions of those estates taxed.

$ 50 billion

End tax cuts for income above $250,000 a year

$ 54 billion

End tax cuts for income below $250,000 a year

$ 172 billion

Payroll tax increase for people making over $106,000 annually contributing more to Social Security and Medicare.

$ 50 billion

NEW TAXES

Institute a Millionaire’s tax on income above $1 million

$ 50 billion

Add a national 5% sales tax

$ 41 billion

Add a tax on carbon emissions

$ 40 billion

Tax banks based on their sizes and the amount of risk they take.

$ 73 billion

Total gap covered by your budget plan

$_________________

Use evidence (cite sources) to support your response from assigned readings or online lessons, and at TWO outside scholarly source.

Summary for discussion post:

Imagine that you’re a high-ranking advisor to the President of the United States (If it helps think of a generic president, not the actual person in the White House), and you’re tasked with cutting at least $300 billion from the budget.

The president wants your recommendations to cut lines, not large categories. Explain why you chose those cuts.

Be sure to list the options you chose with their totals and your overall total as well. Reaching $300 Billion is tough, so I want you to get your total somewhere between $290 – 310 Billion.

———————————–

As you start, this hypothetical budget has a shortfall (or gap) of $300 Billion. You can make-up the difference with $300 Billion in budget cuts, OR $300 Billion in tax increases, OR something that uses both cuts and taxes.

So, let’s say you decide to use the first two options seen in the Assessment:
Cut some foreign aid African countries $17 billion
Eliminate farm subsidies $14 billion

You just eliminated $31 Billion from the gap. And the gap is now $269 Billion!

Unfortunately, you just annoyed U.S. foreign allies and farmers.

So you raise taxes:
End Bush tax cuts for income above $250,000 a year $54 billion

Now the gap is $215 Billion — and you just upset high-income tax payers — many of whom are now upset and won’t be contributing toward your boss’ Presidential campaign; making it harder for you — and your boss — to keep your jobs. Ah the joys of government budgeting! ????

Lesson: Economics

Introduction

This week we will explore the economy, including the impact that governments have upon economic matters and the cost of welfare programs.

The US Budget

In February of each year, the President submits around a $3.8 trillion budget proposal to Congress for approval. This proposal is based on the President’s priorities, and what he believes will pass in the Congress. Once the plan is made public, interest groups, citizens, scholars, political scientists, and pundits begin to scrutinize it to see what spending will go where.

The American economic system is very complicated. It is considered a laissez-faire economy, but this does not mean that it operates in an entirely free market. There are rules and regulations in place to protect the market, and the businesses and people working within it. Some of these safeguards developed during a period known as the New Deal, under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, as a means of lessening the impact of the Great Depression. These protections are referred to as the social safety net or welfare programs.

Welfare is a term applied to social programs that contribute to the overall well-being of the citizens, and these types of programs usually develop when there is a great need within the populace. For example, during The Great Depression, inflation rates made the dollar lose its previous value. The Great Depression resulted in the suffering of a large portion of the population because many could not pay their bills, or buy necessities such as food which was in short supply to being with. Eventually, technological advances, spurred by the Industrial Revolution, made the farming process less difficult, allowing for larger and larger amounts of crops to be produced. Although this produced more food for a while, it also dropped the price of food, given the fundamental law of supply and demand. If the supply of a product rises above the demand for the product, prices will fall.

Supply and Demand

With the fall in crop prices, farmers who had mortgaged their homes and land to afford new farming equipment lost it all because they could no longer earn enough to pay off their loans. Also, the new technology contributed to overfarming much of the land, which stripped needed nutrients from the soil, making it unfarmable for some time, developing The Dust Bowl. With the upper layer of soil missing from much of the farmland in the Midwest, the large amount of dust caused great dust storms as severe as blizzards. Food production suffered because of limited farmland, causing supply to decrease, raising the price of food again. However, given the state of inflation during this time, the average person could not keep up with these costs forcing the government to step in to provide for the people and stabilize prices.

Although welfare programs serve purposes, they are not free. The problem of paying for them falls on every nation that offers them, which is why there is always much deliberation regarding these programs. The United States offers far fewer social programs than its European allies—based upon its laissez-faire approach—and yet there is always much discussion about their existence. American conservatives tend to support a reduction in the funding of such programs, whereas liberals usually argue for an increase in their funding.

Cargo containers with Chines and American flags on them

From the US budget to negotiating with China on tariffs, it is no doubt economics is essential. Economics has become even more critical as our society has globalized, making the world smaller. It is harder to find specific products with the “Made in the USA” label as businesses are outsourcing many manufacturing jobs to other nations to provide lower prices. The US, the only superpower, continues to be part of the global political economy.

The Global Political Economy

Men in maze

The paths that take nations to democracy are rarely straight, and never identical. The same can be said for those societies opting to embrace a market economy. The most successful economic system currently is capitalism, but capitalism has evolved and continues to grow differently in various countries around the world. Political scientists measure these changes alongside the systems’ roots in, and influence on, the political world.

For half of the last century, many countries around the world operated under an economic system different from capitalism. The Cold War between the communist Soviet Union and the Western capitalist world has guided much of the international and domestic politics of the past 60 years. As communism eroded in the face of global markets, however, even the largest of the communist superpowers (Russia and China) moved toward market-based economies. Capitalist countries have also seen changes in the market over the past 75 years. The “free market” does not exactly exist in any democratic state because concerns about social well-being have caused most governments to establish some safety net to protect populations from the harsh realities of the market. Programs such as Social Security are examples of this safety net in the United States.

Theoretical distinctions can be made between different democratic countries and their economic development. An example of such a difference presented in the field of political science categorizes countries’ financial systems based on how active the government is in the economy. Esping-Anderson (1990) writes that these economies can be categorized as laissez-faire, corporatist, or social democratic. Laissez-faire economies are those that remain most closely tied to the free market. Governments in these states have little democratic control over the economy and tend to allow the market to control prices and income distribution. Corporatist economies have strong centralized governments attempting to balance income distribution and market concerns between the free population and the private sector. Social-democratic countries are those in which the government owns many social services and heavily regulates private industry.

As you might imagine, with so many different economies operating in the world, the international sphere as a whole has an economy of its own. Countries have to compete for business, and businesses have to compete for consumers. Trade agreements and restrictions are established to make these competitions equitable and productive. As Russia and China become increasingly dominant on the world economic stage, the international political and economic landscape will continue to change. The emergence of new economic powers is not the only pressure on the international economy, however. Political issues such as wages, immigration, export controls, taxes, and employment all factor into decisions that impact global markets. Citizens are going to have to make difficult decisions relating to many concerns of this new global environment in the coming years. Should national sovereignty be given to international organizations? Should businesses that pay low wages in other countries be allowed to import goods? Must governments ultimately regulate the economy, or can the free market solve these problems without interference?

Summary

It seems clear that economics are closely tied to politics and that decisions regarding regulation of economic matters have a direct impact on a government’s success.

References:

Congressional Budget Office. (2017). The Federal budget in 2017. Retrieved from https://www.cbo.gov/publication/53624

Esping-Anderson, G. (1990). The three worlds of welfare capitalism. Hoboken, NJ.: John Wiley & Sons.

The supranational aspects of the UN are

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Question 1 (2 points)

International organizations that are supranational subsume __________ within a larger whole.

A) intergovernmental organizations

B) several states

C) subnational actors

D) subnational actors

 

Question 2 (2 points)

The supranational aspects of the UN are __________.

A) further promoted by the UN Security Council

B) further promoted by the UN Charter

C) mostly limited by the UN Charter

D) mostly limited by the UN General Assembly

 

Question 3 (2 points)

The European Union is a somewhat more __________ entity than the UN, at a regional level.

A) nationalist

B) unified

C) supranational

D) marketable

 

Question 4 (2 points)

The integration theory that asserts that technological and economic development lead to more and more supranational structures as states seek practical means to fulfill certain activities is

A) functionalism

B) neofunctionalism

C) supranationalism

D) Supranationalism

 

Question 5 (2 points)

The Andean Common Market promoted a limited degree of regional integration in

A) sub-Saharan Africa

B) East Asia

C) South America

D) Oceania

 

Question 6 (2 points)

The form of government adopted in the U.S. Constitution is an example of which principle?

A) liberalism

B) nationalism

C) functionalism

D) Integration

 

Question 7 (2 points)

Among the costs of integration for states is __________.

A) a potential cultural backlash against homogenizing effects

B) the declined ability to take advantage of foreign trade

C) a declining sense of community as integration proceeds

D) a greater diversity of cultures

 

Question 8 (2 points)

Turkey continues to seek EU membership, __________.

A) and there is increasing popular support in Turkey for EU membership

B) and it is likely to achieve that goal by the year 2025

C) and Turkey’s president said in 2018 it was ready to “beg” for membership

D) although Turkey’s president said in 2018 it would not “beg” for membership

 

Question 9 (2 points)

The European Court of Justice has actively established __________, unlike the World Court.

A) judges

B) economic commissions

C) an appeals process

D) its jurisdiction

 

Question 10 (2 points)

__________ is a Schengen country though it is not an EU member

A) Norway

B) Sweden

C) Denmark

D) Turkey

 

Question 11 (2 points)

The Schuman plan led to the establishment of the European __________ in 1952.

A) Economic Community

B) Coal and Steel Community

C) Atomic Energy Community

D) Union

 

Question 12 (2 points)

About 40 percent of the EU budget is spent on __________.

A) the coal and steel industries

B) foreign aid to underdeveloped countries

C) salaries for EU bureaucrats

D) subsidies to farmers

 

Question 13 (2 points)

Which statement is true regarding the European Court of Justice?

A) The Court can overrule national law when it conflicts with EU law.

B) Cases before the Court cannot be brought by individuals or businesses.

C) The Court has no established jurisdiction.

D) The Court serves as merely a mechanism of international mediation.

 

Question 14 (2 points)

The Maastricht Treaty includes which of the following?

A) renaming the European Economic Community the European Community

B) renaming the European Economic Community the European Community

C) eliminating the proposal for establishing a common foreign policy

D) eliminating nontariff barriers to trade

 

Question 15 (2 points)

Which of the following is a criterion to join a single currency in the EU?

A) national debt above 60 percent of GDP

B) inflation no more than 10 percentage points above the average of the three lowest-inflation members

C) budget deficit less than 3 percent of GDP

D) balance-of-payment deficit less than 10 percent of GDP

 

Question 16 (2 points)

An example of a prominent internationally integrated scientific area of European society is the __________.

A) European Space Agency

B) eurozone

C) Euratom

D) Schengen Area

 

Question 17 (2 points)

The first step in creating crosscutting economic linkages in Europe after World War II that would prevent future wars called for the merger of which industries?

A) steel and oil

B) coal and railroad

C) defense and oil

D) steel and coal

 

Question 18 (2 points)

European integration is following a certain plan, from free trade area to customs union to common market. What is an example of the next step in the process?

A) integration of defense strategy

B) unified political structure

C) establishment of an economic and monetary union

D) inclusion of Eastern European states

 

 

Question 19 (2 points)

The Single European Act is an example of an attempt at the creation of a __________ through comprehensive changes.

A) common market

B) war treaty

C) court of justice

D) defense community

 

Question 20 (2 points)

Which economic theory best describes the exemption certain countries received in the so-called chocolate wars?

A) economic liberalism

B) constructivism

C) mercantilism

D) Idealism

 

Question 21 (2 points)

Which of the following is the order of progression of economic integration?

A) free trade area, customs union, common market, economic union

B) free trade area, common market, customs union, economic union

C) free trade area, customs union, economic union, common market

D) free trade area, customs union, monetary union, economic unionV

 

Question 22 (2 points)

 

How does the European Commission compare with the Council of the European Union

A) Commission membership is based on the size of the member state’s economy, whereas Council of the European Union membership is based on one member per member state.

B) Commission membership is approved by the Council of the European Union, whereas Council of the European Union membership is approved by the European Parliament.

C) Commission membership is based on one member per member state, whereas Council of the European Union membership varies from one meeting to the next depending on the topic being discussed.

 

Question 23 (2 points)

The country that is scheduled to leave the EU in 2019 is __________.

A) Iceland

B) Greece

C) Luxembourg

D) Great Britain

 

Question 24 (2 points)

The Treaty of Rome created which institution?

A) European Coal and Steel Community

B) European Economic Community

C) European Council

D) European Union

 

Question 25 (2 points)

Which countries were the first to join the (then) European Community after its founding?

A) Britain, Ireland, and Denmark

B) Greece, Spain, and Portugal

C) Austria, Sweden, and Finland

D) Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein

 

Question 26 (2 points)

That the world had over 7.5 billion cell phone subscriptions in 2017—nearly as many as people and far outnumbering the 1 billion landlines—is an example of __________.

A) an unaffordable technology

B) a bid to expand cell phones’ U.S. audience

C) the empowering of ordinary citizens

D) the infrastructure for Internet sales

 

Question 27 (2 points)

Technology, especially information technology, is shifting power from __________ to __________.

A) governments; transnational actors

B) substate actors; individuals

C) individuals; states

D) governments; individuals

 

Question 28 (2 points)

Recent trends appear to be progressing in the direction of a more __________.

A) culturally imperialistic world culture

B) multilateral world culture

C) technologically limited culture

D) unilateral global system

 

Qatar has introduced a potent force in Middle East politics, which is __________.

A) an all-news satellite TV network

B) an extensive 4G cell phone network

C) digital video cameras in all college classrooms

D) a pan-Arab military force

 

Question 30 (2 points)

After the Soviet Union collapsed, leaders of the Soviet Union’s former republics asked the U.S. secretary of state, __________.

A) “How do I get CNN?”

B) “Where is our financial assistance?”

C) “How does the Internet work?”

D) “Will you assist in our demilitarization?”

Influences on the Founding of the United States of America

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1

Week 1 Assignment

 

 

 

Influences on the Founding of the United States of America

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

University of Phoenix Material

 

Influences on the Founding of the United States of America

 

Part 1 Matrix:

 

Complete each section of the matrix below. Include APA citations for all borrowed ideas, facts, or definitions.

 

 

Documents Summary of Document What was this document’s significance or influence on the values of the American political culture or the ideas for the structure and organization of the U.S. Federal Government?
Magna Carta An agreement that protected individual English freedoms. It influenced the early American colonists in the Thirteen Colonies and formation of the American Constitution, which became supreme law of the land in the new republic of the United States.
Mayflower Compact “A governing document created by the members of the Mayflower to temporarily establish self-government in the Plymouth Colonies in America” (Magleby, Light, & Nemacheck, 2014, p. 2). “The document became an important example to later settlers and revolutionaries of self-government, providing what some have called the “seeds” of later American constitutional government” (Magleby, Light, & Nemacheck, 2014, p. 4).
Declaration of Independence A statement that announced that the Thriteen original colonies were independent states and no longer under British rule. It marked independence from Great Britain and having a voice for human rights.
Articles of Confederation The original constitution of the United States. It provided a good outline in ways to handle the government but it was weak and was replaced with the United States Constitution that provided a much stronger government.
The Virginia Plan The Virginia Plan was notable for its role in the setting of the overall agenda for debate in the convention. Set forth the idea of population-weighted representation in the proposed national legislature.
The New Jersey Plan Small state plan. It was used as a proposal for the structure of the United States government.
The Connecticut Plan An agreement that was reached for both large and small states. This brought legislative structure that would provide both the large and small states to have representation.
The U.S. Constitution Supreme law of the United States of America. It holds the rights and responsibilities and can be amended to meet the changing needs of the nation.
The Bill of Rights First ten amendments of the United States Constitution. Guarantees of personal freedoms and rights, clear limitations of government’s power, and very clear declarations of all powers.
Philosophers Who was this? How did each philosopher’s writings and ideas influence the Founders when developing the ideas and values of the American political culture and the nature and structure of the U.S. system of government?
Thomas Hobbes He was an English philosopher. He was one of the founders of the modern political philosophy and political science. He also brings liberal views that leave interpretation of the law to have people free to do whatever the law does not clearly forbid.
John Locke He was an English philosopher and physician. Locke’s writings influenced the American revolutionaries. His contributions to classical republicanism and liberal theory are noticed/reflected in the United States Declaration of Independence.
Montesquieu He was a French lawyer and a political philosopher. His articulation of the theory of separation of powers, which were used or implemented in the constitution.
Selected Founders Who was this? What role did this Founder play in the establishment of the United States of America and its system of government?
Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin was the 6th president of the state of Pennsylvania, an inventor and a printer. He was the very first United States Ambassador to France.
Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton was an American statesman and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was the founder of our nation’s financial system.
George Washington George Washington was the first president of the United States of America. He made sure that our nation was strong and well financed. He established the cabinet system and the inaugural address. He was called the “father of his country”.
Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States of America. He was a part of forming the Democratic Republican Party. Jefferson also wrote Kentucky and Virginia Resolution.
James Madison “James Madison was the fourth president of the United States (1809–1817) and an author of The Federalist Papers“ (Magleby, Light, & Nemacheck, 2014, p. 51). “Madison’s view on a separated system of government in which each branch checks the power of other branches shapes our governmental structure” (Magleby, Light, & Nemacheck, 2014, p. 51).
John Adams John Adams was the second president of the United States, he was also a lawyer, author, statesman, and diplomat. Adams was a Founding Father and a leader of American independence from Great Britain. He was the author of the Massachusetts Constitution and he was assisted in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence.
Political Factions What were each of these factions? What were each factions ideas on the power and scope of the U.S. Federal government?
Federalists A group that “argued for ratification of the Constitution, including a stronger national government at the expense of states’ power” (Magleby, Light, & Nemacheck, 2014, p. 58). “The Federalists—who urged ratification of the Constitution and controlled the national government until 1801—generally supported a strong role for federal courts and thus favored judicial review.  They controlled the new federal government until Thomas Jefferson’s election in 1800” (Magleby, Light, & Nemacheck, 2014, p. 58).
Anti-Federalists A group that opposed the creation of a stronger United States government. The anti-federalists were opposed to providing the United States government too much authority, they wanted for the states to have more authority.
Concepts How is this concept manifest in the organization of the U.S. federal government? Why is this concept important in a representative democracy?
Separation of Powers “The first step against potential tyranny of the majority” (Magleby, Light, & Nemacheck, 2014, p. 53). “Constitutional division of powers among the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, with the legislative branch making law, the executive applying and enforcing the law, and the judiciary interpreting the law” (Magleby, Light, & Nemacheck, 2014, p. 53).
Checks and Balances “Farmer’s wanted to find a way to prevent the branches of the government and officials from pooling their authority and acting together, or from responding alike to the same pressure” (Magleby, Light, & Nemacheck, 2014, p. 53). “A constitutional grant of powers that enables each of the three branches of government to check some acts of the others and therefore ensures that no branch can dominate” (Magleby, Light, & Nemacheck, 2014, p. 53).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part 2 Essay:

 

Write a 250- to 350-word response below to the following:

 

Define the terms “direct democracy” and “representative democracy.” Why is the government of the United States of America considered a republic in the context of a “constitutional democracy”?

 

Include APA citations for all borrowed ideas, facts, or definitions.

 

A representative democracy is a government where all eligible citizens vote on representatives to pass laws for them. There are several requirements that need to be met in order for a representative democracy to work at its best ability. The first condition is completion; this is where the representatives run for election and try to get majority of the votes. Another condition is that there has to be free communication between both the people and the press. The last condition is that the voters must believe a meaningful choice exists between the candidates and that the policy differences are honestly reflected in each. The effectiveness of a representative democracy depends on the manner as to which these three different factors are presented.

Another type of democracy is called direct democracy. A direct democracy is a government where all of the citizens can come together (assemble) to have discussion, pass laws, and are able to select their officials. “Madison feared that empowering citizens to decide policy directly would be dangerous to freedom, minorities, and property and would result in violence by one group against another”(Magleby, Light, & Nemacheck, 2014, p. 22). However, the United States of America is considered as a republic in the context of a constitutional democracy.

A constitutional democracy is when individual citizens are allowed to exercise governmental power as a result of winning free and relatively frequent elections. A “government that enforces recognized limits on those who govern and allows the voice of the people to be heard through free, fair, and relatively frequent elections” (Magleby, Light, & Nemacheck, 2014, p. 22). The United States of America prides its self upon the voices of its citizens being heard and the best way for those voices to be heard is through voting and elections. There is a set term to different offices that allow for frequent elections and for more ideas and voices to be heard.

 

Reference

Magleby, D. B., Light, P. C., & Nemacheck, C. L. (2014). Government by the people, 2014 elections and update edition. Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database.