Policy-making
in the Federal System
The U.S. government’s expansive role
in public policy is caught in a swirl of conflicting cross-currents. On the one
hand, popular expectations about government’s responsibility to solve problems
often exceed the capacity of state and local authorities to respond
effectively. On the other hand, policies developed at the national level may
not sufficiently reflect the great diversity of interests across the U.S. to be
effective at the local level. Moreover, the search for effective policy is
further complicated by theoretical debates about the constitutional framework
of federalism, e.g., what limits on national power can be derived from the
Tenth Amendment?
A policy area in the middle of these cross-currents is elementary and secondary
education – a subject traditionally under local control, with some oversight by
the states. However, during the last four decades – especially since 2001 – the
national government’s role in education has grown significantly as a result of
initiatives by Republican and Democratic administrations. Use the assigned
resources to inform yourself about this role and the arguments of its
supporters and critics.
Before writing your initial post, review the assigned resources. To easily
access the resources from the Ashford University Library, please see the table
located in the Course Materials section.
In your initial post of at least 200-250 words, briefly summarize the national
government’s education policies. Explain the main pros and cons in the debate
about these policies. Evaluate them from two perspectives:
- The policies’ effectiveness in improving the quality of
U.S. elementary and secondary education. (Justify your assessment by
clearly explaining your definition of “effectiveness” and how it
should be measured or determined.) - Their consistency with the constitutional framework of
federalism. (Justify your assessment by clearly explaining your
interpretation of American federalism’s constitutional framework and why
federal education policies are or are not consistent with it.)
Meet
Your Rep
The Constitution states, “The
House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year
by the People of the several States…” (Art. I, Sec. 2). Contrast this
with the original constitutional language for the other house of Congress,
“The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from
each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof for six Years…” (Art. I,
Sec. 3). The phrase “chosen by the Legislature” was changed to
“elected by the people” by the 17th Amendment, but not until 1912. In
other words, from the beginning the House of Representatives was intended to be
exactly what its name suggests –representative of the people. (Note that in
2010 the Tea Party, and some Republican politicians, called for repeal of the
17th Amendment, eliminating the popular vote for Senators. While most
Republican politicians have backed away from that view, many Tea Party chapters
continue to demand its repeal.)
Textbook models suggest how members of the House of Representatives may fulfill
their constitutional duty to “represent” – the delegate model, the
trustee model, the oversight model, and the service model. A weakness of these
models is that they ignore the pervasive influence of interest groups,
partisanship, and political money (campaign contributions) on the behavior of
congressional reps. To what extent do these factors interfere with effective
representation?
Before writing your initial post, review the assigned resources. To easily
access the resources from the Ashford University Library, please see the table
located in the Course Materials section.
After researching your representative by using the assigned resources, identify
one important issue directly related to your rep’s committee or subcommittee
work in Congress. Summarize your representative’s position on this focus issue
as described on his or her website or illustrated by legislation sponsored by
your rep. Be concrete and specific. Avoid vague generalities like “my
representative is for jobs” or “my Congressman is for national
security.”
With respect to this focus issue, evaluate your representative’s performance as
a representative of the people in your legislative district. Justify your
assessment from two perspectives:
- How well does your rep’s position on that issue reflect
your district’s likely preferences or broad interests on the issue?
Support your inferences about the district with fact-based evidence – not
just your opinion about the district or your rep’s position on the focus
issue. Demonstrate how your rep does or does not reflect his or her
constituency on this issue. Consider your rep’s committee memberships and
seniority. - Discuss fact-based evidence about how interest groups,
political party loyalty, or campaign money may influence your
representative. Can these influences weaken his or her effectiveness as a
true “representative” of the district? Consider whether the
district is considered a “safe” seat or a competitive district. Put on
your critical thinking cap to respond to this aspect of the question.
jUST NEED 1 OR 2 PARAGRAPHS FOR BOTH. PLEASE ANSWER BOTH SEPARATELY!!!!!!!!
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