Intro to American Politics
Response Paper
Response Paper on Trust
We started this course talking about declining trust in the US government and the ability for our elected officials to effectively fulfill the duties of their office and their responsibilities to the people of the United States. For your response paper I want you to examine trust in the American political system.
Write a three to four page paper answering the question of if you trust the government to enact policies that progress the wellbeing of its citizens (keep in mind this is about trusting the government to do the right thing, not always the thing that you like – we don’t like many of the of the policies that place obligations upon us but they serve to better ourselves, our community and fellow citizens in the long run). In your answer I want to you draw from the materials that we have covered in class. This includes the institutional design of our government: three branches of government, federalism, our electoral system, government bureaucracy and the policy making process and the influences of various political actors: special interest groups, media, parties, and the voting public.
In your answer I want you to think about which aspects of our government help to build trust and which tend to reduce trust. Your paper should include a minimum of two aspects that help build trust and two that reduce trust. Your discussion should be driven by theories and ideas that we have discussed in class and which have been covered in our reading. Make sure that the opinions you state in your paper are backed up by accurate applying the course material to your argument. Avoid empty arguments. If you make a claim, show the logic that you used to reach that conclusion and demonstrate how what you have learned in this course helps to shape that logic or supports your claims. By the end of your paper it should be clear through your argument and evidence how the strengths and weaknesses you present shape your overall view of trusting the policies that emerge from our political system. A number of the blackboard readings posted throughout can help expand on the source material you can use for your argument.
Paper requirements:
- Your paper should be 3 to 4 pages, double spaced with standard margins and size 11 or 12 font and it should be submitted as a Word or PDF document (blackboard doesn’t always let other programs open, so this assures I can open your paper, if I cannot open your paper and you don’t respond to a re-submission request you will receive a 0).
- Your paper does not require outside research. However, be sure to site any sources you use in writing your paper – this includes course readings (textbook and blackboard readings) and any outside sources if you choose to use them.
Grading:
As with your congressional letter I am not grading based on the position you take in your paper but rather how well you support your argument
A key aspect of grading is the proper use of theories and material covered in this course.
Demonstrate your ability to use what you have learned in this course – show me you can apply what you learned to your own views about the United States and its policies.
Your paper should include a clear thesis statement and a well-organized structure that highlights your central argument and demonstrates the logic you used to reach your conclusions.
It should be clear how your discussion of strengths/weaknesses shapes your final conclusion on trust.
Finally, you will be graded on editing; grammar mistakes and typos that distract from the content or argument of your paper will impact your final grade.
Here are some links that might help
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