Building on your research and analysis of the same-sex marriage debates, this as

Building on your research and analysis of the same-sex marriage debates, this assessment asks you to more closely
examine the connection between power, policy, and law making by
comparing and contrasting how two states have handled these issues.
In order to understand the link between power and political and
legal decision making, you will place this process in each state in the
appropriate context. That means that you need to assess the historical,
demographic, cultural, and socioeconomic factors that have influenced
each state’s different approach to same-sex
marriage. You will also reflect on the consequences of state-to-state
discrepancies in policies and laws regarding controversial social and
political issues like these.
This assessment combines the key components of studying cultural
diversity from a sociological perspective—placing current social issues
in historical context, understanding how demographic and cultural trends
influence public opinion, and applying sociological theories to
determine the role of power in shaping policy-making decisions.
Write an essay addressing each of the following three parts:
Part 1 – Complete the following:
Discuss one of the following for each of the two states you have chosen as it relates to your chosen topic:
Law (rules and standards enforced by a particular institution).
Politics (the key political players in the policy-making and law-making processes).
Policy (principles or methods used to achieve a particular goal or make decisions about political or social issues).
Discuss theories of power that might explain the differences between how each state has handled your issue.
Examples of theories of power include power elite theory, the
four networks theory of power, pluralism, Marxist theory, and state
autonomy theory.
Discuss other possible explanations for the differences in how
each state’s government has approached your topic. Address at least
three of the following potential factors, and come up with another of
your own that might explain the divergent approaches you have
identified:
Demographics of the state population, including age,
race/ethnicity, gender, and percentage of the population in urban versus
rural areas.
Geography.
Religion.
History.
Socioeconomic standing, including median or average income and
education levels of the population, as well as the overall economic
well-being of each state.
Part 2 – Answer the following, incorporating data to support your answers:
To what extent have these states’ existing policies and laws
affected past or recent migration patterns of the groups affected
(those seeking same-sex marriage rights)?
How might future migration patterns be affected?
Part 3 – Complete the following:
Reflect on a historical precedent in which a state has had to alter its laws as a result of inconsistencies with federal law.
Why and how did the state change its laws?
What lessons might be learned from this precedent, and how can those lessons be applied to your topic?