Category: Government

One of the more contentious issues facing the state of Texas and the nation at-large has been voting rights, with several conservative leaning states having passed legislation which some claim is racist and targeted at preventing minority residents from voting, while it hers claim that the legislation merely codifies pre-existing legislation which was already in place, albeit in different laws, but which were relaxed in order to allow voter participation in the midst of the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic and which were never meant to permanently alter the voting process. Republicans claim that it is all in the name of voting integrity that they have passed such laws, while Democrats have gone as far as claiming such legislation amounts to nothing more than Jim Crow in suit and tie. The issue of such legislation has led to fiery protests and speeches across the nation, including in Texas where state Democrats fled the state for weeks in order to attempt to prevent Republicans from passing voting rights legislation while lobbying for the US Congress to pass comprehensive national legislation aimed at thwarting state-level laws, though such federal attempts would certainly be challenged in court by Republicans and conservative states as federal overreach given that the US constitution provides for states to choose the timing and methods for administering elections (so long as doing so does not thwart or fly in the face of any federal laws on voting). Based upon the articles provided, as well as any others which you may choose to use, you are to analyze this issue and determine if Republican voting legislation is valid and legal, or if such laws violate the basic constitutional tenant of access to voting and amounts to nothing more than modern-day Jim Crow in suit.

Gov. Greg Abbott signs Texas voting bill into law, overcoming Democratic quorum breaks
SB 1 makes up Republicans’ third attempt to pass a far-reaching law that restricts how and when voters cast ballots. It takes particular aim at voting initiatives used in diverse, Democratic Harris County in the 2020 election.
Alexa Ura
The Texas Tribune

Most Texans support GOP elections bill despite months of Democratic outrage, poll finds
A new poll found that nearly 60 percent of Texans approve of new restrictions that target…
Jasper Scherer
Houston Chronicle

Objective: To develop critical thinking skills and media literacy by comparing news articles on the same topic from different sources, utilizing AI to identify marketing and emotional trigger words. Students will reflect on the articles and use AI to generate unbiased content. Students will choose two news aggregators and compare the same story from different viewpoints, such as Fox News vs. CNN, TikTok vs. X (Formerly Twitter).
Here are some questions to consider:
How does news selection amplify one’s political views?
How do digital platforms impact the choice and quality of news for consumers?
What choices might writers, editors, producers, and so on make that could lead to bias in news sources?
How can headlines be misleading, and how can editors express bias by choosing whether or not to use a specific news story?
What are some ways to detect bias in news media, and why is it important to compare news reports from a wide variety of sources?
AI News Generators
Here are just a few possible options you can use. Please note that some require a paid subscriiption but almost all offer a free version or a free trial. If you know of others that I did not list below, please share them with me so I can use them in future classes. ChatGPT
APP Sonic
Perplexity.ai
Bard
Texta
Write Sonic
Hour One
Step 1: Select a Topic
Choose a current event or topic related to American Government. Ensure it is covered by multiple news sources.
Step 2: Identify News Articles
Find two news articles from different sources covering the chosen topic. Make sure the articles present varying perspectives.
News websites (e.g., NYTimes.com, WashingtonPost.com, CNN.com)
News aggregators (e.g., Google News, Reddit, RealClearPolitics)
Social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, TikTok)
Television (cable news channels such as Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, or broadcast channels like CBS, NBC, and ABC)
Radio and podcasts (terrestrial talk radio, SiriusXM, podcast industry)
Newspapers (physical newspaper subscriiptions or purchases)
Pick a story and examine the same news story from contrasting perspectives (e.g., Fox News vs. CNN).
Provide a link or citation for these sources. Step 3: AI News Generator Access one of the free AI news generator tools provided (e.g., APP Sonic).
Employ ChatGPT, or AI tool of you choice, to search for marketing and/or emotional trigger words in both articles.
Provide ChatGPT with the following prompt:
“Identify marketing and emotional trigger words in the selected news articles related to [chosen topic].”
Special note: you will need to copy and paste the text into ChatGPT as it cannot link to outside sources. Step 4: Reflect on Findings
After receiving the AI-generated analysis, reflect on how the use of these words may influence readers’ perceptions. Consider the potential biases introduced.
Step 5: AI-generated Rewrite
Provide a rewritten prompt to ChatGPT that emphasizes the importance of an unbiased analysis.
For example: “Generate a neutral summary of the news articles on [chosen topic], focusing on presenting facts without any emotional or promotional language.”
Use the revised prompt to obtain an unbiased summary of the news articles from ChatGPT. Compare the AI-generated unbiased content with the original articles.
Step 6: Conclusion
Post a summary of your findings on the online discussion forum. Include insights on marketing and emotional trigger words, the impact on reader perception, and a comparison of the unbiased summary with the original articles.

Everything is included in the file and the text below:
This assignment requires you to read “Moral Criticisms of the Market” by Ken S. Ewert (found in the Learn section, Read: Moral Criticisms of the Market). Note that in his article, Ewert is defending the free market from “Christian Socialists.” He states their position and then gives a rebuttal.
Do you agree with the critique of the market in Ewert’s article? Why or why not? Read carefully and offer cogent reasons.
Consider the context of the article; the Berlin Wall fell months after the article was published. The USSR followed shortly thereafter.

Everything is included in the file and the text below:
This assignment requires you to read “Moral Criticisms of the Market” by Ken S. Ewert (found in the Learn section, Read: Moral Criticisms of the Market). Note that in his article, Ewert is defending the free market from “Christian Socialists.” He states their position and then gives a rebuttal.
Do you agree with the critique of the market in Ewert’s article? Why or why not? Read carefully and offer cogent reasons.
Consider the context of the article; the Berlin Wall fell months after the article was published. The USSR followed shortly thereafter.

Write a 250-word essay explaining your informed opinion about immigration policy and immigration reform. Consider the information you have gathered and brainstormed about throughout this task. Review the arguments supporting and opposing increased immigration. Do some additional research on your own. Then, make a claim in support of one side, explain your reasoning, and support your reasons with evidence and arguments from your resources.

For the Final Report (10-15 double-spaced pages), students will use the information, data, references, narrative, policies and analysis from discussions, readings and videos, and the information learned/improved in our classes, to write a Final Report with analysis and policy recommendations for a selected topic related to human rights in a specific country or a global. With the report you will demonstrate an integrated understanding of the theories, concepts and the fundamental issues involved within human rights, and other areas discussed in class. Final paper with policies and recommendations for selected organizations/social movements, countries or a specific human rights topic. The Final paper must be submitted (no exceptions) by. Papers submitted after that date will not be accepted, Please plan ahead. No assignments or papers will be accepted. Between 10 to 15 pages (not including references/bibliography). All papers or assignments must be submitted using Microsoft Word and typed using 12-point font (Times New Roman, Calibri or Arial), double-spaced and 1-inch margins. Please make this more human rights based and please do the US when immigrants were in cages and seperated from their family. I will attach some articles and some can be outside sources as well. but please use the majority of articles. Please focus on the US immigration from Latino immigrants during a certain time period the most when they were held captive at the border.
Provides an exceptional thorough analysis of the topic. Identifies all critical issues involved in the topic. Included additional/interconnected issues. Includes personal points of views, as well as create connections with the readings and discussions.
Developed a clear strategic plan including short-term, mid-term and long-term public policy recommendations to the case. A clear connection is provided between findings/narrative and recommendations
The guidelines are here. This should be able the problem, how it can be fixed and how their human rights were violated and what can we do better.

Analyze three examples of “checks and balances” between Congress and the Executive Branch. See the instructions file attached for full details. Thank you.

Unit III includes Chapter 7:The Legislature. As it is stated in this chapter one of the functions of the Texas Legislature is to allocate the budget of the state; that is, they decide how the money of the state is spent, in which areas and how much is allocated to each area. For this forum you will pretend to be a member of the TX Legislature.
This forum has 3 parts, you must answer all parts to receive credit.
Create a new thread for your initial post.
In the subject area write down your first and last name only.
Each of your answers in each part must be in small paragraphs (between 5-7 complete college-level sentences for each answer).
Use good spacing between paragraphs (do not write everything in one long paragraph.
Use good spelling, good grammar, and good word choice.
Make sure you do not sound repetitive.
Be respectful.
Part I
Suppose you are a member of the Texas Legislature and you have to give your recommendation on how to allocate $100 million dollars at the local level. You can only spend it on 5 of the areas listed below. How would you use the money? Make a list of the 5 areas you consider the most important areas and explain why. Put them in order of importance to you and tell your fellow members of the legislature how much money you would allocate to each area.
NOTE: You cannot allocate the money equally across all 5 areas.
•museums
•sports facilities
•recycling sites
•mental health facilities
•sheriff departments
•roads, bridges and highways
•child protective services
•emergency shelters
•nursing homes
•public transportation
•public libraries
•tourism development
•domestic violence programs
•housing programs
•parks and wildlife
•jails and prisons
•beaches and waterways development
•drug rehabilitation programs
•programs for people with disabilities
•animal shelters
•regional airports
Start your post by saying “Good morning members of the Texas Legislature, I’m Representative ___________ (or Senator _____________ you pick what you want to be!) and here is my proposal to allocate the $100 million dollars for the current budget cycle:”
Part II
Each of your answers must be in small paragraphs (between 5-7 college-level sentences each answer).
Make a list of the 3 areas that are the least important to you from the entire list and explain why they are your bottom 3.

Discussion 1
How do politics affect program management and the policy process? How can public administrators help to lessen obstacles created by politics?
Discussion 2
Describe a government project you feel was a success that went through a long range or strategic planning process. How important was the long range or strategic planning process for the success of the project? What could have been the result of less stringent planning?

Instructions
Presidential and State elections these last few terms have created divide among Americans, probably as much as we have seen since the Civil War. The 2020 election was not the only time in American history where presidential elections went afoul. America’s form of government is both a democracy and a republic. We elect representatives to office on our behalf to uphold the Constitution and our self-interests. By voting in elections, we therefore have a representative democracy. But, citizens do have the power to form ballot initiatives to challenge and enact, change, or repeal laws based on their state constitutions. So what happens when the winner of an election does not concede?
Read the article: The Troubled Elections of 1796 and 1800.
Choose two of the four questions below to respond in an opinion essay.
In his 1796 Farewell Address, President Washington warned the American people about the dangers of political parties. He described the desire for one party to dominate another in politics as a “frightful despotism” leading to “a more formal and permanent despotism.” Do you agree? Why or why not? Use evidence from the article in your answer.
If you lived in 1800, which of the two parties would have appealed to you more? Use evidence from the article to support your opinion.
Federalists attacked Jefferson’s unorthodox religious views. Democratic-Republicans attacked Adams’s appearance and age. Hamilton called Burr a “disgrace.” Is it fair for political candidates to attack their opponents’ characters, or should they focus on political disagreements? Why or why not?
Are political parties necessary in a democracy, or do they create needless conflict?
The Opinion Essay should be no less than 500 words. This assignment is a first person essay and the assignment asks for your opinions about the reading material. However, if you use any ideas from the readings, you must cite the source according to APA guidelines. This opinion essay to be written using a 1st person narrative.