The primary goal of your
last assignment is to critically analyze the primary features of the American
national government. The results of your analysis will indicate what you have
learned over the last five weeks. In order to accomplish this task, it is important
to critically evaluate the key facets of our American democracy.
You have been preparing for
this final assignment each week by constructing a detailed outline of the Final
Paper’s main points through the weekly Learning Activities. In addition, you
have read the course text and course readings, reviewed videos, and researched
additional material for each week’s assignments and for this paper. This week,
you will put all of those outlines, readings, reviews, and research together
into a one summative paper.
As we wrap up our course,
reflect back on what you have learned about the key structures, systems, roles,
and processes that embody our national government. Focus on the strengths and
weaknesses, advantages and disadvantages, and positive and negative impacts of
these aspects of our democracy. Use what you have learned so far to evaluate
our national government and recommend ways to enhance what works and repair
what is not working well. It is important to understand that this paper is not
simply a cut and paste of your four Learning Activities. While the research you
have completed can serve as a strong base it is important that you implement
any comments from the instructor, as well as further expand on the material.
Appropriate transitions and headings are needed to ensure a cohesive paper.
Construct a five-page paper
based on the detailed outlines that you created over the last four weeks. It is
important to utilizeAPA
headingsmajor
sections of your paper in order to ensure that the paper is easy to follow. A
modelPOL201
Final Paper Guideis
provided for you to download and utilize when completing your Final Paper.
Scaffold your paper around
the following outline:
·
Introduction(half
page)
o Describe
the paper’s overall thesis.
o Provide
an overview of main points.
·
The Constitution (1 to 1.5 pages)
(Week One)
o Describe
one strength and one weakness of the U.S. Constitution.
o Recommend
one option to maintain the strength and one to correct the weakness.
·
Federalism (1 to 1.5 pages)
(Week Two)
o Describe
one advantage and one disadvantage of a national policy that must be
implemented by one agency of the federal bureaucracy.
o Recommend
one option to maintain the advantage and one to improve the disadvantage.
·
Branches of Government (1 to
1.5 pages) (Week Three)
o Describe
one strength and one weakness of one branch of our government: Executive,
Legislative, or Judiciary.
o Recommend
one option to maintain the strength and one to correct the weakness.
·
Political Parties, Interest
Groups, and Elections (1-1.5 pages) (Week 4)
o Describe
one positive impact and one negative impact of one of the following: political
parties, interest groups, or federal elections.
o Recommend
one option to accentuate the positive impact and one to lessen the negative
impact.
·
Conclusion
o Review
your main points.
o Review
your overall thesis.
The America’s Democracy:
Your Report Card paper
·
Must be at least five
double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and
formatted according to APA style as outlined in theAshford Writing Center.
·
Must include a separate title
page with the following:
o Title
of paper
o Student’s
name
o Course
name and number
o Instructor’s
name
o Date
submitted
·
Must use at least eight
scholarly sources in addition to the course text. A minimum of six of the
resources must be from peer-reviewed scholarly sources from the Ashford
University Library
o TheScholarly,
Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible Sourcestable
offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions
about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please
contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the
appropriateness of a specific source for a particular assignment.
·
Must document all sources in
APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
·
Must include a separate
references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the
Ashford Writing Center.
