American National Government, history homework help

Week Three Journal

Prepare: Prior to beginning your reflection this week, read Chapters 5, 6, and 7 in American Government, review the Week Three Instructor Guidance.

Reflect: The executive and judicial branches of the U.S. national government often seem to operate independently and with little conflict. Many laws are signed by the President and then implemented without a word from the judicial branch. However, there are times when executive decisions are challenged by the judicial branch in a process called judicial review. In addition, there are times when a judicial review has direct impact on your life. For example, when the Supreme Court declared the Affordable Care Act constitutional, many people without health care insurance were finally able to purchase health care insurance. Additionally, when the Supreme Court declared sections of the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional, some of the constraints that prevented many gay and lesbian couples from marrying were eliminated. Executive Order 13658 on February 20, 2014 also had a direct impact on many business people that contract with the federal government by increasing the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour. Clearly, the actions of the executive and judicial branches often directly affect our lives. Think about how you have been personally impacted by a Supreme Court decision.

Write: In your journal, explain how the actions of the executive and/or judicial branches have personally affected your life.

Your journal response must be a minimum one page, double-spaced. Justify your conclusions with facts and persuasive reasoning. Fully respond to all parts of the question and write your response in your own words.

RESOURCE MATERIALS NEED TO READ TO COMPLETE WEEK THREE JOURNAL ASSIGNMENT

Learning Outcomes

This week students will

Analyze the Electoral College’s process for electing presidents.

Explain how and why the actions of the executive and judicial branches can affect individual citizens.

Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the three branches of the American national government.

Introduction

Week Three investigates the Presidency, the executive branch, and the judicial branch. The elections of U.S. presidents are not a straightforward process where the candidate with the most votes wins. A complex system where the voting in every state has a direct impact on who becomes president is imbued in the Electoral College. Understanding how the Electoral College works, some of the pros/cons of this system, and how some critics would change the system will help you better understand U.S. presidential elections. Additionally, the executive and judicial branches of our government implement and evaluate laws passed by Congress and signed by the president. These laws often have no direct impact on our lives, but sometimes they do. If you understand why they affect your lives, you will learn more about the U.S. government and how it works, or does not. In sum, understanding how the three branches work, and sometimes do not work, will ensure you have a deeper knowledge and insight into a key feature of America’s government. Please review the Discussion Post Tip Sheet for tips on developing a quality discussion.

Welcome to Week Three. Keep up the good work, everyone. Last week as a friendly reminder we focused on federalism and how the national, state, and local governments interact and work together. I hope you now have a better understanding of the federal features of our government, such as power sharing, division of responsibilities, and deference by the states to the leadership and legislation of the central government. I also trust that you can see how the federal government can have a significant influence over local and state workplaces and employment opportunities.

In your reflection last week, I trust you were able to make several connections between your career goals and how politics can affect these goals. Our hope here at Ashford University is that by making these connections to politics, this course will have more meaning for you personally. And you can apply the political knowledge you learn throughout our course to improving or enhancing your own life and the ones around you.

This week, we will focus on two of the three branches of government, executive and judicial, with a special emphasis on the presidency and presidential elections in the United States. Many US citizens do not realize that presidential elections are not as simple as the candidate with the most votes wins the election. In fact, the founding fathers established a complex balloting system called the Electoral College to elect the president. There are many positives and negatives to the Electoral College system, and there are some who feel it should be abolished.

In addition, there have been elections where the candidate who received the largest number of popular votes did not secure the Electoral College, and therefore did not win the presidential election. We will also further examine how these branches work together and separately, or how they check and balance each other, and why they are very important in our governmental framework.

In the textbook this week, you will read Chapter 5, 6, and 7, which focus on the presidency, the executive branch, and the judiciary. The additional resources and articles provided regarding the Electoral College will help you see alternative sides of the Electoral College debate and develop your own opinion regarding this issue. As the first discussion question, this week focuses specifically on the Electoral College and the controversy surrounding it.

In your response, you will explain in your own words how the Electoral College works, some pros and cons of the Electoral College system, and evaluate one proposal to change how the system works without formally abolishing it. The specific stance you take for this discussion is dictated by the first letter of your last name, so please be sure to read the assignment prompt carefully.

Your journal this week will focus on the concept of judicial review, which is the process by which the Supreme Court determines the constitutionality of legislation or congressional, executive, or state actions. Often, the results of judicial review cases can directly impact our lives. For this assignment, you’ll discuss one way that the actions of the executive and judicial branch have affected your life personally.

This week, you will also continue the process of developing your final paper, concentrating on the three branches of government for your learning activity. For this assignment, you will describe a strength and a weakness of one of the branches of the federal government, and expand your arguments with an option to maintain the strength and one to correct the weakness you identified.

I hope you enjoy investigating the executive and judicial branches of the national government this week, and look forward to an engaging discussion regarding the Electoral College. Again, please do not hesitate to reach out if you have questions regarding feedback, comments, or any aspect of the course. Your instructor is here to help you have a great class and learn as much as you can. Let’s have a great week.

Required Resources

Text

• Fine, T. S., & Levin-Waldman, O. M. (2016). American Government (2nd ed.) [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/
  • Chapter 5: The Presidency
  • Chapter 6: The Executive Branch
  • Chapter 7: The Judiciary

Articles

• Bates, N. (2004, October 26). What are the arguments made in favor – and against – the Electoral College? History News Network. Retrieved from http://hnn.us/articles/8163.html
  • This article provides arguments for and against the Electoral College process and background information on the origins of the process. The article exposes students to a pro/con style of discussion concerning the Electoral College that is supported by factual and relevant information. This information will prepare students for the Discussion, “The Electoral College.”
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• Gizzi, J. (2011, May 18). GOP leaders united in defense of the Electoral College. Human Events, 67, 5. Retrieved from http://humanevents.com/2011/05/18/gop-leaders-united-in-defense-of-electoral-college/
  • This brief article reviews pro and con arguments about the Electoral College. This article also provides students with a pro/con style of discussion concerning the Electoral College. This information will prepare students for the Discussion, “The Electoral College.”
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• Madonna, G. T. (2005). Why the Electoral College is bad for America. Presidential Studies Quarterly, 35(2), 411-412. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/%28ISSN%291741-5705
  • This article provides information to support arguments that Americans are taxed excessively. The information provided should enable students to better understand both sides of the taxation argument in the U.S., which is core area of conflict concerning the powers of the federal government. 
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Recommended Resources

Articles

• Barnett, A. (2009). Selecting the nation’s CEO: A risk assessment of the Electoral College. Journal of Management Issues, 21(4), 443, 447-460. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40604663?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
  • This academic article analyzes the probabilities that the winner of the Electoral College vote will not also win a majority of the national popular vote.
• Electoral College 101. (2008, November 3).New York Times Upfront, 141(5), 6-7. Retrieved from http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/upfront/features/index.asp?article=f110308_Electoral_College
  • This short article gives an overview of the Electoral College process.
• Will, G. (2011, October 15). George Will: Electoral College reform tilts presidential balance. San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Retrieved from http://www.sgvtribune.com/opinion/20111015/george-will-electoral-college-reform-tilts-presidential-balance
  • This brief article critiques two proposals for changing the winner-take-all system for determining how a state’s electoral votes are cast for a presidential candidate.
• Wolverton, J. (2011, September 19). What’s wrong with a National Popular Vote (NPV)? The New American, 27(18), 25-28. Retrieved from http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/constitution/item/8094-what-s-wrong-with-a-national-popular-vote-npv
  • This short article critiques the proposed National Popular Vote compact that has been approved by several state legislatures.

Multimedia

• Hinck, T., & Buchanan, C. (Producers). (2013, May 7). Episode I – A more perfect union [Series episode]. In Constitution USA with Peter Sagal. Retrieved from https://secure.films.com/OnDemandEmbed.aspx?Token=58627&aid=18596&Plt=FOD&loid=0&w=640&h=480&ref=
  • This video examines one of the “revolutionary” features of the Constitution, federalism, and how this system contributes to the strength of the United States’ government. The video provides students with several different views of how federalism affects the U.S. and how it can affect their lives. This video will prepare students for this week’s discussions. This video has closed captioning.
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• Hinck, T., & Buchanan, C. (Producers). (2013, May 14). Episode II – It’s a free country [Series episode]. In Constitution USA with Peter Sagal. Retrieved from https://secure.films.com/OnDemandEmbed.aspx?Token=58628&aid=18596&Plt=FOD&loid=0&w=640&h=480&ref=
  • This video explores the U.S. Constitution’s Bill of Rights and how the various branches of government protect and preserve these rights. The interplay between the branches of government highlights the various powers that each branch possesses and utilizes. This video will prepare students for this week’s discussions. This video has closed captioning.
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