Category: Political Science

Length: The presentation must be 10-15 slides long if using PowerPoint (excluding cover and reference pages) or 3-5 minute long if using a video presentation.
Font should not be smaller than size 16-point
Parenthetical in-text citations included and formatted in APA style
Title/Introduction slide required
References slide minimum of 2 scholarly sources in addition to textbook if cited)
Use the speaker notes to elaborate on the content on the slides

General Facts: A twelve year old child was brutally raped. The child did not die. After a presentation of facts, where the victim testified at trial, the defendant was found guilty of First Degree Rape. Louisiana state law allows a person who is convicted of first degree rape where the victim is thirteen years of age or younger eligible for a death penalty sentence. Under these general facts, do you believe the death penalty is appropriate?
Consider the following: Decisions made by the Supreme Court, secondary sources, perhaps secondary sources from other disciplines, etc. For the purposes of your arguments, the fact that Louisiana has a statute that allows the death penalty in this scenario should not be enough to justify the death penalty. In other words, you are free to argue that despite the legislature’s statute, the death penalty is not appropriate. Or you can argue that this statute is warranted. Quite simply, answer these two questions: 1.) should the death penalty be applied in this case? and 2.) why or why not?
Good papers will include secondary sources and will be free of typographical errors. Include a works cited page as well. There is no page limit to your response. Do not plagiarize. Finally, if you find prior rulings by the Supreme Court that involved similar facts, it is not enough to simply regurgitate their reasons as your own arguments. Supreme Court justices can be wrong. I want to know what YOU think.

General Facts: A twelve year old child was brutally raped. The child did not die. After a presentation of facts, where the victim testified at trial, the defendant was found guilty of First Degree Rape. Louisiana state law allows a person who is convicted of first degree rape where the victim is thirteen years of age or younger eligible for a death penalty sentence. Under these general facts, do you believe the death penalty is appropriate?
Consider the following: Decisions made by the Supreme Court, secondary sources, perhaps secondary sources from other disciplines, etc. For the purposes of your arguments, the fact that Louisiana has a statute that allows the death penalty in this scenario should not be enough to justify the death penalty. In other words, you are free to argue that despite the legislature’s statute, the death penalty is not appropriate. Or you can argue that this statute is warranted. Quite simply, answer these two questions: 1.) should the death penalty be applied in this case? and 2.) why or why not?
Good papers will include secondary sources and will be free of typographical errors. Include a works cited page as well. There is no page limit to your response. Do not plagiarize. Finally, if you find prior rulings by the Supreme Court that involved similar facts, it is not enough to simply regurgitate their reasons as your own arguments. Supreme Court justices can be wrong. I want to know what YOU think.

I will provide the link to the book and two journal articles that need to be summarised.
Examine the main points of every journal article and book within each module you read in an
effort to deconstruct arguments, question their methods and findings, and explain how each
reading speaks to the rest of the module.
Facilitate a discussion between the authors, explaining to the reader what that discussion is,
how the authors agree or disagree or agree with each other, and commentate on why those
agreements or disagreements may exist.
In essence, what you are doing in these assignments is writing brief sample literature reviews.
To do this, start with the following:
1. Examine the thesis of each piece. What is their primary argument? Generally, the thesis
of a journal or book can be found in the introduction. Sometimes, the author will
explicitly state: “The thesis of this article (or book) is…” but in other instances, you may
have to look harder to find it for yourself.
2. What do the authors say about the current state of their chosen subject? Academics
always outline their reasons for why they are writing their articles a certain way: i
a. “Previous literature has examined (this subject) by (x, y, z)…etc.
3. What are their findings and how does one piece speak to the other pieces of the
module? This is where the synthesis comes into play, and is where your voice begins to
be heard. How do YOU interpret the discussion being had?
a. i.e. “Jones (2015) states (x), while Smith (2010) argues (y), displaying a
consistency between two different methods and cases, which demonstrates…”
4. Lastly, conclude your syntheses by evaluating what you think could be done to further
research on the topic. What’s missing? Or, what could be improved?
a. i.e. “Much of the literature on (subject) focuses on (x), however other
methodologies (or cases…etc) could reveal new insights on…”

I will provide the link to the book and two journal articles that need to be summarised.
Examine the main points of every journal article and book within each module you read in an
effort to deconstruct arguments, question their methods and findings, and explain how each
reading speaks to the rest of the module.
Facilitate a discussion between the authors, explaining to the reader what that discussion is,
how the authors agree or disagree or agree with each other, and commentate on why those
agreements or disagreements may exist.
In essence, what you are doing in these assignments is writing brief sample literature reviews.
To do this, start with the following:
1. Examine the thesis of each piece. What is their primary argument? Generally, the thesis
of a journal or book can be found in the introduction. Sometimes, the author will
explicitly state: “The thesis of this article (or book) is…” but in other instances, you may
have to look harder to find it for yourself.
2. What do the authors say about the current state of their chosen subject? Academics
always outline their reasons for why they are writing their articles a certain way: i
a. “Previous literature has examined (this subject) by (x, y, z)…etc.
3. What are their findings and how does one piece speak to the other pieces of the
module? This is where the synthesis comes into play, and is where your voice begins to
be heard. How do YOU interpret the discussion being had?
a. i.e. “Jones (2015) states (x), while Smith (2010) argues (y), displaying a
consistency between two different methods and cases, which demonstrates…”
4. Lastly, conclude your syntheses by evaluating what you think could be done to further
research on the topic. What’s missing? Or, what could be improved?
a. i.e. “Much of the literature on (subject) focuses on (x), however other
methodologies (or cases…etc) could reveal new insights on…”

1000-1200 words(Due March1,2024. 10 p.m.)
Explain the war between Israel and Hamas and Provide two reasons why the United States is helping Israel
in its war against Hamas.
Format
– Introduction: Briefly describe the topic and state your thesis (your thesis is the response to the question of the paper)
– Body of paper
Explain the war between Israel and Hamas in more detail; who is fighting who and why?
Give a short background about US involvement in the region.
Out of this background, you should explain the US’s reasons for helping Israel.
– Conclusion
Briefly summarize your paper
Restate your main thesis and proof.
Additional Instructions
– Use at least five sources (you can use more than five, but five is the minimum)
– Use clear language.
– Adhere to the word limit.
– Be consistent in referencing.

Create a 4-5 minute long oral narrative: “can learning from other forms of political systems enhance the way Americans think about politics.” Provide examples. Plan what you have to say and make your presentation as clear and articulate as you can. Place your essay in the submission folder. Use a MP 3 or 4 format. Post to our “submissions” folder. I will provide the textbook. Then I will provide recorded lectures and everything that will be needed for this assignment. I will also do the talking so you just have to write the essay. Thank you.

For the final assignment, please answer the following four essay questions. Devote 2-3 pages to answering each question, and double-space, using Times New Roman 12-point font with standard one-inch margins. Insert page numbers on all graduate work.
It is important to demonstrate a working knowledge of the course materials that we have covered. Do not research at the expense of demonstrating your knowledge of the course readings.
All references should be cited in Chicago/Turabian format, which entails including page numbers. Be sure to make a clear thesis statement and argument and use examples to support your analysis.
Questions
1. Can democracies slide into authoritarianism while holding elections? What are some of the signs?
2. The essence of democracy is representation of the interests and demands of citizens on governments. The channels of their representation and the outcomes vary, however, depending on electoral systems, organizations of representation such as political parties, interest groups, and client-patronage networks, and the historical trajectory of these channels, including instances of transition to democracy. Given what you have learned in the course, under what conditions are elections most likely to result in the representation of citizens’ preferences?
3. What are the particular challenges to establishing democratic government in the post-communist world?
4. Cultural theories about the link between civil society and democracy have argued that a robust civil society generates social capital, trust, habits, and norms conducive to effective democratic collective action. In this way, in the words of Robert Putnam, civil society “makes democracy work.” But such theories were originally developed in the context of Western democracies. What are the challenges in applying these theories to non-Western, non-democratic countries? Under what conditions can a strong civil society weaken, rather than strengthen, democracy and democratization?

Note: This is a section in the paper. No need for an introduction. Go straight to the point. Use in-text citation in Chicago format and as much as possible (NOT the one does superscriipt). Use one or all of the following sources below. Only use scholarly sources with weblink. The general flow of the paper is Russian misinformation/disinformation on right-wing groups in the U.S. and Europe.
Bennett, Lance W., and Steven Livingston. 2018. “The Disinformation Order: Disruptive Communication and the Decline of Democratic Institutions.” European Journal of Communications 33, No 2 122 – 139. . Berkowitz, Peter. 2019. “Conservatism and the People.” City Journal. http://www.peterberkowitz.com/articles/ConservatismAndThePeople.pdf. Chua, Shenyi, Gisella Joma, Artur Lischenko, Jessica Lobo, Lukas Mejia, and Makenzi Taylor. 2020. “Responding to Violent Extremism in Western Balkans.” Center for Global Affairs School of Professional Studies (New York University). https://www.sps.nyu.edu/content/dam/sps/academics/departments/center-for-global-affairs/pdfs/NYU_Report_on_Western_Balkans.pdf. Douglass, John Aubrey. 2021. Neo-Nationalism and Universities: Populists, Autocrats, and the Future of Higher Education. Johns Hopkins University Press. https://muse.jhu.edu/book/85165/pdf. Emily, Fowler. 2021. “(Dis)Information Warfare: The 2016 Election, Russian Hackers, and U.S. Democratic Precarity.” 68. https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1794/26515/Final_Thesis-FowlerE.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y. European Comission. 2021. “Shaping Europe’s Future: Open Internet.” quoted in Georgetown University Law Center Global Law Scholars. 2022. “Law and Disinformation in the Digital Age.” (Georgetown University) 280. https://www.law.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Law-and-Disinformation-in-the-Digital-Age.pdf. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/open-internet. Georgetown University Law Center Global Law Scholars. 2022. “Law and Disinformation in the Digital Age.” (Georgetown University) 280. https://www.law.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Law-and-Disinformation-in-the-Digital-Age.pdf. Ghosh, Dipayan, and Ben Scott. 2018. “Digital deceit: the technologies behind precision propaganda on the internet.” Havard Kennedy School. https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/dipayan/files/digital-deceit-final-v3.pdf. Ivaldi, Gilles, and Emilia Zankina. 2023. “The Impacts of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine on Right-Wing Populism in Europe.” European Center for Populism Studies. https://shs.hal.science/halshs-04024156/document. Johnson, Darin EW. 2019. “Russian election interference and race-baiting.” 191. https://academiccommons.columbia.edu/doi/10.7916/d8-rxg0-y420/download. Karlsen, G.H. 2019. “Divide and Rule: Ten Lessons about Russian Political Influence Activities in Europe.” 1–14., Palgrave Communications 5 (1):. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-019-0227-8. Kopilow, Melissa M. 2022. “Disinformation Targeting Democracy: Violent Effects of Russia’s Active Measures Campaigns In France, Germany, And The United States.” Naval Postgraduate School. https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/AD1185009.pdf. Korta, Samantha M. 2018. “Fake News, Conspiracy Theories, and Lies: An Information Laundering Model for Homeland Security.” (Naval Postgradute School) 153. https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/AD1052689.pdf. Krekó, Péter. 2022. “Russian influence in Hungary.” (ING2 Committee Hearing). https://www.europarl.europa.eu/cmsdata/256493/OJ%20item%204_peter_kreko_ing2_hearing_20221027_speaking_points.pdf. Liang, Christina Schori, and Matthew John Cross. 2020. White Crusade: How to Prevent Right-Wing Extremists from Exploiting the Internet. Geneva Centre for Security Policy – GCSP. https://dam.gcsp.ch/files/doc/white-crusade-how-to-prevent-right-wing-extremists-from-exploiting-the-internet. March, Luke. 2023. “Putin: populist, anti-populist, or pseudo-populist?” Journal Of Political Ideologies (University of Edinburgh). https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/13569317.2023.2250744?needAccess=true. McGeehan, Timothy P. 2018. “Countering Russian Disinformation .” (U.S. Army War College) 11. https://press.armywarcollege.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2850&context=parameters. McGowan, Bethany S, Hannah Matthew, Sofia Badcock, Katelyn Biggs, Lara Chuppe, Christina Galiatsatos, and Jannine Huby. 2022. “Identifying Dis/Misinformation on Social Media: A Policy Report for the Diplomacy Lab Strategies for Identifying Mis/Disinformation Project.” https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1276&context=lib_fsdocs. Melzer, Ralf, and Sebastian Serafin. 2013. Right-Wing In Europe Extremism Country Analyses, Counterstrategies And Labor-Market Oriented Exit Strategies. Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/dialog/10031.pdf. Merriam-Webster. n.d. Disinformation. Accessed February 18, 2024. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disinformation. Nabozhniak, O., O. Tsekhanovska, A. Castagna, D. Khutkyy, and A. Melenchuk. 2023. Revealing Russian influence in Europe: Insights from Germany, France, Italy and Ukraine. Institute of Innovative Governance. Revealing Russian influence in Europe: Insights from Germany, France, Italy and Ukraine. Pauli, Carol. 2017. “Fake News, No News, and the Needs of Local Communities.” Howard LJ. https://scholarship.law.tamu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2317&context=facscholar. Shekhovtsov, Anton. 2018. “Russia and the European Far Right.” (School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London ). https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10047343/1/Shekhovtsov_ID_thesis.pdf. Simpson, P.A., and H. Druxes. 2015. Digital media strategies of the far right in Europe and the United States (1st ed.). The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/apus/detail.action?docID=2051665. Stahl, Bernd Carsten. 2006. “On the difference or equality of information, misinformation, and disinformation: A critical research perspective.” https://inform.nu/Articles/Vol9/v9p083-096Stahl65.pdf. Turanskyi, Mykola. 2018. “The impact of pro-russian public organizations and parties on the annexation of the Crimea by the Russian Federation.” UR Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences. Accessed 2018. https://journals.ur.edu.pl/index.php/jhss/article/download/230/215. Weiss, Andrew S. 2020. “With Friends Like These: The Kremlin’s Far-Right and Populist Connections in Italy and Austria.” (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace) 26. https://carnegieendowment.org/files/Weiss-Austria__Italy-FINAL.pdf. Zakem, Vera, Bill Rosenau, and Danielle Johnson. 2017. “Shining a Light on the Western Balkans Internal Vulnerabilities and Malign Influence from Russia, Terrorism, and Transnational Organized Crime.” Defense Technical Information Center. The Center for Naval Analyses. https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/AD1035185.pdf.

Create a 4-5 minute long oral narrative: “can learning from other forms of political systems enhance the way Americans think about politics.” Provide examples. Plan what you have to say and make your presentation as clear and articulate as you can. Place your essay in the submission folder. Use a MP 3 or 4 format. Post to our “submissions” folder. I will provide the textbook. Then I will provide recorded lectures and everything that will be needed for this assignment. I will also do the talking so you just have to write the essay. Thank you.