Critical Evaluation about a scholarly article as well as the play Oroonoko

Critical Evaluation about a scholarly article as well as the play Oroonoko

Discipline: English

Type of service: Essay

Spacing: Double spacing

Paper format: MLA

Number of pages: 4 pages

Number of sources: 0 source

Paper details:

Understanding British literature requires not just reading the texts themselves but also looking at the ways scholars think and write about those texts. For this reason, the second paper in this course requires you to read and think about a scholarly article relating to one of the major texts we’re reading this semester. (I have attached the scholarly article).

The purpose of the paper is to summarize and evaluate the article you choose. The summary of the article should constitute approximately half of the paper (i.e., about 2-3 pages in length). In the summary section, you should explain the argument being made, cite important examples given by the author, and discuss the conclusion(s) reached in the article. Once you have fully and accurately summarized the article, you should evaluate the argument presented by the author. Does the argument make sense? What are its strengths? What are its weaknesses? Most importantly, you should test the validity of the argument by applying it to specific passages or examples from the play (those not explicitly discussed in the article). By the end of the paper, it should be clear to me that you have read and understood not only the article you have chosen but also the text that the article discusses.

All references to the article or the play should be fully cited according to MLA style (if you have questions about MLA style, let me know).

To clarify, the play we are analyzing is Oroonoko. We are also given a scholarly article which we are to analyze. I hope the instructions are clear and easy to understand.

 

The effects of neoliberal reform on the welfare state and its corresponding effects on mental distress

The effects of neoliberal reform on the welfare state and its corresponding effects on mental distress

Discipline: Political Science

Type of service: Rewriting

Spacing: Double spacing

Paper format: Harvard

Number of pages: 5 pages

Number of sources: 20 sources

Paper details:

My thesis address how neoliberalism contributes to mental distress in the US and UK. This chapter centres on the decline of the welfare state. All the information; theory facts and figures are there (However, feel free to add more if you feel it would strengthen the piece). The main reason I want this rewritten is that I feel my writing style is poor. Although all the information is present to support my argument, I do not think it is successfully persuasive at this stage. Please re-write this section, based predominantly on the information I have, to result in a more power and persuasive piece.

The Unwell-fare State

The effects of neoliberal reform on the welfare state and its corresponding effects on mental distress

In popular narrative, many changes I’ve examined =have transpired through conservatives waging war on the welfare state. One of the characteristics of neoliberal discourse, is use of the term ‘modernisation’ to describe; labour-market deregulation, tax-cutting, privatisation, union repression, roll-back wages in the public sector and downsizing of the civil service (Gilbert, 2013, p.16; Teghtsoonian, 2009).

The decline of industrial labour has contributed to de-unionisation because it was suited to collective bargaining (Harris, 2017, p. 91). The defeat of workers in the Miner’s strike of 1984–1985, was dimensionally representative of the neoliberal take-over (Fisher, 2009, p.7). Additionally, the neoliberal machine contributes to the expansion of neoliberal ideals. The reduction of all egalitarian ideals to the ‘equality of opportunity’ is precisely the inhibition of any emergence of collective, democratic solutions to socio-political problems (Gilbert, 2013, p.28-30). The competitive environment, which forces people to cherish the individualist notion, undermines the very possibility of solidarity. Individualism postulates that individuals are responsible for their own welfare and that economic success is a function of hard work and poverty a consequence of personal deficiency in ‘open and fair’ competition. State intervention is perceived to foster dependency and thus erode character. Unsurprisingly, the more socially and economically privileged one’s position, the more likely one will support the individualist ideology (Hasenfeld et al. 1989, p.1029-1031). Moreover, this form of social Darwinism does not encourage trust, which then does not establish strong foundations for social interdependence. In essence, such a system makes us unhappy because we thrive in groups. The economic system contradicts this crucial aspect of necessary interdependence, assisting isolation, depression and anxiety (Verhaeghe, 2015).

The collective bargaining of unions means that working conditions were subject to negotiation between two interdependent parties, but this leverage has dissolved (Harris, 2017, p.89). Accordingly, strike activity has declined with rates of participation dropping by 95% in the US (Harris, 2017, p.90). As Colin Hay (2007) notes, the political process has been undermined by neoliberalism’s claims of political inefficiency and suspicion of state intervention, which have destroyed the electorate’s faith in political effectiveness (Hendrick, 2016, p.206). Hendrick (2016, p.207) cites three reasons for political disengagement; politics is less partisan, political organisations are increasingly centred on professional activism, and politics are becoming synonymous with the economic, shaped by neoliberal theorising (Hendrick, 2016, p.207). There is a consistent issue with state policies favouring the wealthy and not those who need it (Hendrick, 2016, p.206). A Pew Study (Taylor et al., 2014) found that a mere 6% of Millennials believed they would receive their full promised social security, with 51% believing they would receive nothing at all. Be it utilitarian analysis or plain resignation, the so-called ‘entitled’ generation doesn’t even expect their own entitlements (Harris, 2017, p.171). In fact, in his book On Borrowed Time, Neil Howe (1998) explains how social security provided Baby Boomers with a comfortable retirement cushion at the expense of Millennial security. The emergence of ‘political disenchantment’ has been duly noted by the literature on anti-politics. However, Hay (2007) disputes the rise in political apathy, instead noting that there has been a shift away from formal politics to informal politics.

Neoliberal policy gives responsibility for social risks – illness, unemployment, poverty – to individuals and families framing it as an issue of ‘self-care’. The stress of familiar instability, from the changing nature of labour, is especially forceful without the welfare state. With no safety net, the family unit becomes vital respite from the precarious world. Indeed, the family has become paradoxical in precisely the way Marxism cautioned: neoliberalism requires the family unit to reproduce and nurture human capital, whilst systematically undermining the family unit by denying children sufficient parental care, as their parents work ever-increasing hours (Marx, 1848; Fisher, 2009, p.33). Besides, isolation from friends and family is a common cause of mental illness (Fottrell, 2015). Families and individuals often become the key support networks for coping with mental distress. Teghtsoonian (2009) notes duties of care fall disproportionally on women. This can impact the mental distress of the carer themselves, further perpetuating the crisis. Indeed, the gendered effects of such reforms sit suggestively alongside the fact that depression is diagnosed twice as often in women as in men. Teghtsoonian (2009) concludes that neoliberal individualisation has intensified gender inequality and eroded the political relevance of gender. Angela McRobbie (2013) further discusses neoliberalism’s conflict between individualism and collectivism. As a feminist writer, she identifies the ideological rejection of state-funded childcare, which she considers a crucial demand of social-democratic feminism. Other feminist writers, such as Campbell (2008), have highlighted that equitable childcare is the key issue that feminism has not yet been able to tackle. With Fraser (2013) pointing to the divide between rich and poor parents, arguing that wealthier women are able to buy themselves equality (through childcare), whereas poorer women cannot. McRobbie agrees (2013) that neoliberalism has masked structural issues, such as childcare, as personal issues for which private solutions must be found. The ideological force of individual choice has had a de-socialising and de-politicising function for feminism. This further impacts on women’s daily stressors as women are still disproportionately responsible for housework and childcare. Childcare provides one of the single most effective routes out of poverty for disadvantaged and single-parent households, as it allows mothers to fully participate in the labour market. Moreover, with females occupying more affective labour roles, it’s economically depressive to reduce the female labour force.

There is an inextricable relationship between mental health, poverty and debt. Pickett and Wilkinson (2010) discovered that rise in income inequality – a typical feature of neoliberal society – correlates significantly with most psychosocial health indicators. The expansion of (indebted and exploitative) consumerism has been a major compensation for the decline in real wages and relative economic position. The practice of cost-benefit analysis, recommended by the UK treasury, works by totalling all experienced costs and benefits – the sum of economic wellbeing (but not general wellbeing). Cost-benefit analysis does not provide any protection for the position of those who incur the costs, so long as others benefit. Additionally, polarisation has insured that those benefitting, benefit excessively, giving the measure a falsely optimistic reading (Spicker, 2013, p.139-141). In 2013, a father died by self-immolation, after he was harassed by debt collectors. Interestingly, the media narrative always focused on self-isolation and does not speak-up in times of hardship, which ignores the social causes of mental health. As JD Taylor (2014) notes, the media also reinforced the narrative that welfare should not be given to the ‘feckless’ as it creates a culture of dependency – Channel 4’s Benefit Street is a shocking example of the sensationalising of this false reality. Unfortunately, the perverse rebranding of the social state has successfully hardened UK attitudes to welfare since 1997 (Taylor, 2014).

There is political reluctance to admit the link between insufficient welfare and suicide condemning websites, such as Calum’s List, for committing acts of opportunistic exploitation. However, suicide and social security have become inevitable partners. Thus, I want to challenge the idea that suicides cannot be adduced as evidence for welfare reforms. In 2015, after freedom of information requests, the government was forced to release mortality statistics showing that more than 80 people per month were dying after being declared ‘fit to work’ (Ryan, 2015). Brendan O’Neill reacted to the Calum’s List publication by arguing that suicide is not a rational response to economic hardship or benefit cuts. However, many citizens with mental health issues cannot think rationally, which is why they should be socially supported. Just because suicide is not considered a rational act, does not mean that it cannot have political significance (Fisher, 2012).

Over the past thirty years, a “business ontology” has successful infiltrated healthcare and education (Fisher, 2009, p.17). Neoliberalism has evaded responsibility for the injuries of labour by privatising public goods and services, which have fallen into decline in the US and UK. Then paradoxically, claiming their reanimation by further privatisation in a grotesque, profitable parody of their former function (Taylor, 2014). Previously, workers experiencing undue stress could turn to trade unions, now they are encouraged to go to a GP. This once again reiterates the message that these problems are an individual psychosis (Fisher, 2012). Crawshaw (2012) identifies the emergence of social marketing for health in the neoliberal economy with campaigns such as Change4life. However, social marketing cannot be successful without recognising the determinants of health which exert a profound influence on wellbeing. Participants in Crawshaw’s (2012) study stated that these imperatives are disembodied from everyday experiences, placing little importance on the socio-economic determinants of wellbeing; financial and time constraints and working conditions are cited most frequently.

Neoliberalism has not facilitated fairer distribution of wealth and resources or a more egalitarian income spread or increased social mobility. Thus, the combined decrease in equality and mobility, lends weight to David Harvey’s (2007) claim that the fundamental objective of neoliberalism is the restoration of capitalist class power. The inability to envision an alternative to neoliberalism, has permitted the failure of neoliberal policy to justify intensification of neoliberal policy, exemplified by the EU’s austerity agenda (Gilbert, 2013, p.27). Ironically, neoliberalism has wholly depended on the state even whilst ideologically rejecting it – this was explicit during the 2008 crisis, which was invited by neoliberal ideology only to be rescued by state funding. Despite neoliberalism’s explicit role in the recession, providing widespread discredit to the system, the bank bail-outs were an explicit reassertion of neoliberal ideologies. Gilbert (2013, p.20-21) explains how it is perfectly possible to recognise the exploitative and unjust nature of neoliberal capitalism, and the socio-personal costs, without being motivated to resist them. Put bluntly, as long as sustenance is achievable, energy will be devoted to it, rather than channelled into resistive political activity. The neoliberal programme’s efficiency lies in engineering the precise outcome of a society where sustenance is the principal concern for most actors by producing insecurity and precariat across the working population. Brown (2015) writes; as economic parameters become supreme, humanity is essentially devoid of freedom, only concerned with survival and wealth acquisition – ‘mere life’. The crisis could have identified exactly what neoliberal capitalism is lacking – bodies capable of regulating and controlling personal structures (Fisher, 2009, p.69-77).

In 2012, in England alone, over fifty million antidepressants prescription were dispensed, increasing by 7.5% from the previous year. Furthermore, the UK has more workers reporting mental health disabilities than any other developed country (Taylor, 2014). Alarming mental health statistics should be perceived as hopelessness and anger directed at a state system incapable of providing support to the vulnerable. It’s time to direct blame away from individuals, and reverse the privatisation of stress, and recognise mental health as a political issue (Fisher, 2012).

 

Beauty salon & spa

Beauty salon & spa

Discipline: Marketing

Type of service: Business Plan

Spacing: Single spacing

Paper format: Not applicable

Number of pages: 1 page

Number of sources: 3 sources

Paper details:

The sections need to answered above just as is must be very detail all information in need.( Actual business plan)

  1. Target Market- Must have at least 3 citations in section!
  2. Market Overview & Trends (Added Custom Topic)
  3. Market Size & Segment

 

  1. Financial Plan
  2. Forecast (remember you need at least 3 categories)
  3. Key Assumptions
  4. Revenue by Month (with explanation / recap)
  5. Expenses by Month (with explanation / recap)
  6. Net Profit (or Loss) by Year (with explanation/recap)

 

Ecological importance of biodiversity and the current major threats to global biodiversity.

Ecological importance of biodiversity and the current major threats to global biodiversity.

Discipline: – Ecology

Type of service: Research Paper

Spacing: Double spacing

Paper format: MLA

Number of pages: 5 pages

Number of sources: 7 sources

Paper details:

– The sources must be scholarly

– Please revise carefully to ensure the paper is concise and grammatically correct

– The below file explains the assignment and the topic I chose for the paper is the first on the list

– Don’t worry about the part where you need sources from the course, they can be from anywhere that gives a scholarly article

ENVS 1000

WINTER TERM – RESEARCH ESSAY TOPICS

 

The research essay in this course should be 8-10 pages in length, in a 12 point font, double spaced and not excessively wide margins. It must be referenced appropriately, containing at least 7 scholarly references. Four of your references must be from Winter course material. Outside references should be non-Web (books and journal articles found on the Web can be cited; see attached referencing guide). The essay must be your original work. For further discussion about referencing ask your TA. Refer to the attached grading rubric to guide your writing.

The following is a suggested list of topics. Other topics can be considered, with the approval of your TA. THE ESSAY IS DUE IN YOUR TUTORIAL THE WEEK OF MARCH 7th . LATE WORK WILL BE PENALIZED BY 5% PER DAY. PLEASE USE THE READING WEEK WISELY.

 

  1. Discuss the ecological importance of biodiversity and the current major threats to global biodiversity. Then, choose a specific species currently threatened with extinction and analyze the case study applying course concepts , including ecological economics, environmental justice, dualisms and environmental ethics.

 

  1. Using Warren, Merchant and/or Plumwood, among others, discuss environmental feminism, or ecofeminism, or environmental justice, as a framework to understand a particular environmental issue.

 

  1. Explain how dualist thinking in dominant culture leads to power relationships and the naturalization of hierarchies (using for example, Warren, Plumwood, Warkentin lectures). Then, explain how dualisms are implicated in a specific environmental problem.

 

  1. Can global climate change be addressed by technological solutions and sustainability alone? Why or why not? Discuss using course concepts (for example, environmental justice, environmental economics, ecofeminist intersectional analysis, etc.).

 

  1. Thinking about ecological economics and environmental justice frameworks, predict the likely outcome of the present economic and environmental policies of wealthy countries. Assess Peter Victor’s predictions in the reading and Peter Timmerman’s lecture. What kind of policies do you think should be supported and why?

 

  1. Discuss concepts presented in class (ecological economics, environmental justice, indigenous ways of knowing, animal/human relations, etc.) and apply one or two of these frameworks to a particular environmental issue (water, biodiversity, species extinction, food systems, resource extraction (including energy resources), climate change, etc.)

 

  1. Discuss food policy and its relation to human/animal ethics, social justice, and climate change. What policies should we be promoting? What did Rod MacCrae advocate in his lecture?
  2. Choose an ethical dilemma arising from an environmental issue and, using course materials and further suggested readings, present moral arguments from two different perspectives in environmental ethics? Choose two from the following list: Anthropocentric, Ecocentric, Biocentric and Ecofeminist perspectives. Be sure to support your arguments with references to ethical theory and using examples.
  3. Using an intersectional analysis, discuss how industrial animal agriculture is implicated in both environmental degradation and environmental justice. Include concepts of environmental health, social justice and environmental ethics in the discussion, and real-world examples from lecture materials, videos shown in class and course readings.

 

Introduction to Project Management

Introduction to Project Management

Type of document       Other (Not listed)

2 Pages Double Spaced

Subject area    Business

Academic Level           Undergraduate

Style    APA

References      1

Order description:

Before beginning this discussion, read the Project Management Institute (PMI) Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct (Links to an external site.)https://www.pmi.org/-/media/pmi/documents/public/pdf/ethics/pmi-code-of-ethics.pdf?sc_lang_temp=en

During discussions about resource allocations, Sandra, one of your team members in the Cool Widgets scenario, suggests a resource in New York who could deliver the training to the employees in that office. Sandra has worked with the resource before and enthusiastically recommends the firm. This is a welcomed idea because the location of the Cool Widgets office is in a small town, a two-hour drive north of New York City. After the meeting, you discover by accident that the resource is Sandra’s brother, who owns and operates the training company she has recommended. After reviewing the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, identify which potential ethical violations exist. Explain why Sandra’s recommendation could have ethical problems, then explain how you will address the resource recommendation by your team member. Your initial response should be at least 250 words. You are encouraged to post your required replies early during the week to promote more meaningful and interactive discourse in this discussion.

 

  1. Before working on this discussion forum read the two links (http://misqe.org/ojs2/index.php/misqe/article/viewFile/128/124 ) (

https://4squareviews.com/2014/04/18/scope-creep-and-the-st-francis-dam-disaster-of-1928/)

Begin this discussion by explaining the concept of scope creep. Then identify two areas in your Cool Widgets’ plan where the potential for scope creep is high. Explain how you, as the Project Manager, might minimize the effects of scope creep on the training project and improve the potential for the success of your project. Support your findings by citing either the text or the PMBOK® Guide (PMI, 2017) and one additional scholarly, peer-reviewed or credible source. Your initial response should be at least 200 words.

Analytical summary or briefing note

Analytical summary or briefing note

Type of document       Case Study

2 Pages Double Spaced

Subject area      Healthcare

Academic Level           Master

Style    APA

References      5

Order description:

Step 1.

Based on the risk assessment framework for the chosen case study, write a 1,000-word (maximum) analytical summary. The summary should include:

 

the background (i.e. issues)

a summary of the key findings (i.e. hazard and exposure)

implications and recommendations of the study.

 

Step 2.

Based on the provided template, prepare a two-page (maximum) briefing note for the Minister/Executive Director/Chief Executive. The briefing note should be completed with all headings and without altering spacing.

You may use tables/figures in the summary. It must not be a table from the study, but can summarise key findings from it. Do not quote directly from the report.

Whilst in practice references are not used extensively in preparing briefing notes, this is an academic assessment and therefore it is essential that evidence-based literature (minimum 5 references) will support your arguments.

You are to prepare the analytical summary and briefing note of an occupational risk assessment for an Executive Director/Chief Executive of an organisation. The purpose is to provide the Executive Director/Chief Executive with enough information to respond to questions from the company Board of Directors. The company board is currently considering introducing formaldehyde into the occupational setting. You have been asked to advise on the occupational risks of using formaldehyde in this setting.

Base your briefing note and analytical summary on the NICNAS Priority Existing Chemical Report on formaldehyde available from: https://www.nicnas.gov.au/chemical-information/factsheets/chemical-name/formaldehyde

Hints for working in templates:

  • Turn on ‘show all characters’ in your word processing program.
  • Work in the template rather than cut and paste sections written elsewhere into it.
  • The instructions within the template are shown in hidden text. Use print preview to see the document without this text.
  • The hidden text does not count in the two page limit.

 

DEPARTMENT/COUNCIL

INTENDED RECIPIENT

BRIEF FOR NOTING OR DECISION

 

Our Ref:          Dept ref no. File ref no. (if known)

 

Date:   Date

 

TO       Position of intended recipient

 

FROM  Position/unit

 

SUBJECT          Brief description

 

Requested by  Position/name of person requesting or initiating this brief

 

Decision Required by: Deadline for decision (explanation must be provided under “issues” delete if Noting Brief

 

RECOMMENDATION(S)

 

BACKGROUND SUMMARY

 

ISSUES

 

STAKEHOLDERS

 

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

 

NOTED or APPROVED / NOT APPROVED

Position of intended recipient

 

Comments

 

Name of intended recipient

 

Position of intended recipient

 

Emerging Marketing trends: How free digital products grow

Emerging Marketing trends: How free digital products grow

Type of document       PowerPoint Presentation

7 Pages Double Spaced

Subject area    Business

Academic Level           Undergraduate

Style    APA

References      6

Order description:

Presentation topic: Emerging Marketing trends: How free digital products grow

(detailed information is in the link in attachment ” Topics”: 9B: How free digital products grow”)

 

Presentation guidelines

– Around 14 pages Powerpoint slides including script (speaker notes)

– 15 minute presentation (roughly 1900 words)

– Powerpoint points is expected to include visual aids (pictures/photos/Tables etc. (if needed))

– Theories are required to apply in this topic

– References

1) The topic for our team is in the attached file ”MKG324_Task2_Topics” – 9B Emerging Marketing trends: How free digital products grow
And there is a link to the additional information.

(2) Requirements are in the pdf file ”Assessment guidelines”

(3) Further instructions from lecturer:
*You are to demonstrate an advanced level of understanding of marketing and a capacity to make deeper connections with and among contemporary and emerging marketing knowledge, concepts and practices. ”

Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks!

Key aspects:

15 minutes in total

All students in a group are required to speak

All students in a group will receive the same mark

Two presentations are scheduled for each tutorial from Weeks 5– 9

Criteria 1:

Knowledge of an emerging marketing trend

  • Some questions to get you started: What is it? How did it come to be?

Why does it matter in the short-term and the medium-to-long term for marketers and business in general?

Where is it going? Who is it targeted at and what are the characteristics of this market?

What is its impact so far (positive and negative)?

Are there any businesses in the market attending to this trend? How are they positioned?

  • Use your initiative to come up with other relevant questions.

Criteria 2:

Interrogate the relevant published literature, identifying and incorporating relevant marketing theory

  • Research you topic in journals, textbooks, media releases, company information, industry reports, government reports and so forth.

Our library has many online resources about companies and industries e.g. IBISWorld.

  • It is up to your group to identify the relevant theory. Reflect back on all of the marketing courses you have undertaken and find appropriate theoretical anchors.

Remember this course is about integrating and ‘drawing through’ knowledge learned across the courses that comprise your marketing program.

Criteria 3:

Demonstrate critical, creative and future-focused thinking

  • Show initiative and independent thought. Think outside the box. This is the ‘big picture’ stuff.
  • Think beyond the present day:
  • Where is this trend going in the short-term and mediumto-long term?
  • How might marketing students/marketers capitalise on this (e.g. leverage their current knowledge and skills to remain relevant)?
  • What industries might be affected more than others?
  • How can marketing students/marketers ‘future-proof’ themselves?
  • Consider how this trend might merge or link with other marketing trends that are on the horizon and predict what may occur as a result.

What other factors in the macroenvironment that might come into play?

Criteria 4:

Effective and engaging oral presentation

  • Get the class involved in activities. Be creative. Make it memorable.
  • For example, inject a bit of humour, use multimedia, create a participation activity for the class, use a role play, use props, create an infographic or your own short video documentary

MKG324 Assessment Task 2:

Emerging Marketing Trends IBISWorld database is an excellent source of information – available via USC Library Week Emerging Marketing Trends Resources to start you off… Week 5 5A. Customer personas: What they are and how to create them Site Site 5B. Fashion marketing Site Site Week 6 6A. The sharing economy News story News story 6B. Sports marketing trends and predictions Slides Slides Week 7 7A. Rise of the robots – Automation and job loss in Australia and beyond CEDA Report Site 7B. Search engine optimisation and content marketing Site Site Week 8 8A. Emerging market research trends (e.g. netnography, mobile marketing research, photo diaries; using social media via INK361) Site 8B. Choose your own emerging marketing trend (e.g. cultural competency for 21st Century marketers; ad blockers) Site

9 9A. The maker movement Site 9B. How free digital products grow

 

Psychological tests

Psychological tests

Type of document       Case Study

2 Pages Double Spaced

Subject area    Ethics

Academic Level           Undergraduate

Style    MLA

References      4

Order description:

Describe how you’d feel if you had to take a psychological test or an honesty test either as an employee or as a precondition for employment. Under what conditions, if any, would you take such a test?

blog 12 – After watching the 2016 presidential election unfold, there is discussion in both major political parties that they each need to do a better job defining themselves.

blog 12 – After watching the 2016 presidential election unfold, there is discussion in both major political parties that they each need to do a better job defining themselves.

 

Type of document       Essay

1 Page Double Spaced

Subject area    Political Science

Academic Level           High School

Style    APA

References      3

Order description:

Throughout the semester you will be expected to participate in course blogs. You will post your responses to prompts and reply to other students’ posts. This forum is meant to provide you a venue for reflecting on course concepts, sharing your own examples of the concepts, and engaging in discussion with your fellow students.

Your analytical posts should be at least 2 paragraphs long and substantially targeted to address the central topic/theme of the blog. In your posts, you should use examples and citations to support your arguments. I strongly encourage you to make the posts lively and engaging. We want this to be fun for everyone to read. However, be mindful that your posts should be clearly written and detailed.

In addition to your own posts on the subject, it is expected that you will be writing responses to the posts from your classmates. You should regularly read and respond to this blog.

 

Grades for the blog will be assigned using the rubric attached to the blog. I strongly encourage you to review this rubric before starting the assignment.

After watching the 2016 presidential election unfold, there is discussion in both major political parties that they each need to do a better job defining themselves.

 

According to findings in the Democratic National Committee’s report released in 2015, Democrats lack a “cohesive narrative” and need to find ways to help their party explain bedrock values such as fairness, equality and opportunity. The results of the presidential election seem to support this conclusion.

 

The 10-member task force went to work after Democrats were clobbered in 2014, surrendering control of the Senate to Republicans and allowing the GOP to pad its majority in the House. Republicans captured governor’s offices in Massachusetts, Maryland and Illinois — all safe Democratic states in presidential elections — and strengthened their grip on state legislatures.

 

The losses have led to soul-searching among Democrats as they try to translate success in presidential elections under Barack Obama into midterm elections dominated by congressional campaigns. Many party leaders contend that Democrats should have run more aggressively on Obama’s record last year and drawn sharp distinctions with Republicans.

 

Indeed, during the 2014 elections, the Daily Show attacked Democrats for not having a clear message and mobilizing voters. You can watch the Nov. 4th show here. (Note that there are several segments and you can see them all if you let it run together. I suggest looking at the Reince Priebus segment, as he details the differences between the parties.)

 

To bring us closer to the 2016 results, read the following article from the BBC that provides some of the very same analysis about Democrats that you see from 2014.

 

Perhaps Democrats did not learn any of the lessons from previous elections. At the 100 day mark of President Trump’s administration, public opinion polls showed that Americans felt the Democrats were the “most out of touch” of the political parties and leaders.

 

At this point in the semester you have examined political ideologies and the constitutional framework for our system of government. Political parties are constructed around political ideologies and actively work to shape public policy by winning elections. They must do this within the parameters established by the Constitution.

 

Keeping these elements in mind, respond to each of the following prompts:

 

What does it mean to be a Democrat? A Republican? Would you use either one of these party labels to describe yourself?

Select a political issue that was highlighted on either the Republican or Democratic Party websites and make an argument supporting either party’s position on the issue. Why do you think the party you selected is right? What alternative is being promoted?

Using the same policy area, identify a 3rd party position on this matter. (The Tea Party is not a political party.) How is their stance different from the Democrats and Republicans?

Which third parties stand the best chance of becoming a legitimate electoral force? Why?

 

M15 Assignment: Foreign Policy Reaction Paper

M15 Assignment: Foreign Policy Reaction Paper

Type of document       Research Paper

4 Pages Double Spaced

Subject area    Political Science

Academic Level           High School

Style    MLA

References      4

Order description:

POLS 105 Foreign Policy

Reaction Paper Guidelines

This paper is an important part of your overall course grade. You should use this assignment as an opportunity to take some time and think critically of the world around you. Additionally, it is also an occasion for you to apply some of the knowledge that you have acquired in this course. To accomplish this, you must write a short reaction paper based upon a newspaper article. The paper has to meet the following basic requirements:

 

  1. Typed
  2. Double Spaced
  3. Careful attention to spelling and grammar.
  4. Indicate knowledge of the subject
  5. Demonstrate critical thinking and evaluation skills.
  6. At least 3 pages in length
  7. Accompanied by a link to, or copy of, the article being used.

 

The purpose of this paper is to allow you to link our class readings and topics with “real world” issues of government and politics. This paper is not intended to be an intense research project. It is designed to be a forum for you to critically evaluate political issues from your own perspective and viewpoint. Ultimately, I am interested in hearing what you think. The topic for this paper must be taken from any of the four following national newspapers – New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, or Christian Science Monitor. The article must be dated after the start of this term. All are available online. If you have questions about whether or not an article or topic is appropriate, feel free to discuss the matter with me.

 

To help you write the paper, I have provided a list of some the common questions that get asked along with some general answers. I hope that this will help you as you start to write your papers.

 

  1. What topic should I pick?

 

  1. Pick a topic that interests you. Almost any foreign policy topic is fair game, so long as it is a current issue. (In other words, the newspaper article you select must not be older than the start of this term.) Be certain that you are picking a foreign policy topic that is directly related to the United States. If you are unsure about your topic or how to connect it to the class material, send me a note. Picking a topic that you find interesting will make it much easier for you to write the paper.

 

  1. Do I have to do any research for this paper?

 

  1. No. I do not require that you produce a bibliography, or that you cite additional sources of information. However, you do need to get the facts correct. If there are sections of your article or topic that you do not fully understand, or are confused by, then you will have to do some basic research to find these answers before you can offer up an opinion on the subject. I want a well-developed and analytical reaction paper. Authors of papers who are ignorant of the basic facts and knowledge surrounding their topics will suffer the consequences at grading time. For example, if you were to choose to write a reaction paper about the American actions in Syria you need to have an understanding of the situation and what the history of the conflict revolves around. Your book should be able to shed a great deal of light on the nuts and bolts of politics in America, but recent political developments and news events may require that you turn to other sources of information for clarification.

 

  1. How can I possibly write three pages?

 

  1. The best way to approach this paper is not to focus on the length, but on the content. What are you going to say? Your task will be made much easier if you pick a topic that you find interesting. Start your paper off with a very brief summary of the article. (This should not be more than a page in length.) Follow this up by attempting to answer some of the following questions. What was the point of the article? Do you agree with the perspective put forth by the story? What points do you agree with? Disagree? One of the best ways to write your paper is to read the article that you have chosen. Set it aside and start writing what comes to mind. Did the article make you mad? Are there issues that the article failed to address? If you were to write an editorial on the same topic, what would you say?

 

I will be glad to provide some assistance with your papers. Remember, this is an excellent way to boost your overall course grade, but I do expect that you put some time and energy into it.