POS 2041 American National Government Research Project

Module Learning Objectives

1. Complete a research project related to one of the Standard Course objectives. (CO 3, 4, or 5)
2. Analyze the influences on American National Government in policy decisions. (CO 5)
3. Demonstrate proper application of APA formatting and reference documentation. (CO 6)

Research Analysis Project

This is a semester long research paper which involves researching and analyzing a topic related to your studies within political science. The topic must be selected from the list below. This paper will be submitted in two parts:

Part 1 – An introduction paragraph with a thesis statement of at least 200 words. The introduction paragraph should specifically describe the direction you plan to take in this research paper. Please support this paragraph with one to two academic sources in proper APA citation format. (50 points)

Part 2 – The completed research paper addressing one of the approved topics. (see list below). The paper must be at least 1000 words, with a minimum of 5 academic sources noted in proper citation format within the body of the paper and listed on the reference page. (100 points)

Select one of the topics below:

1. Write a paper in which you discuss the role interest groups play in the American political system and how they attempt to shape public policy. After that, select a specific national piece of legislation during the Obama administration and identify two groups in favor of the legislation and two groups opposed to the legislation. Explain how the groups attempted to influence the passage or defeat of the legislation.
3. Write a paper in which you discuss the role of the president as chief legislator. Why is there conflict between Congress and the president while the president is performing the role of chief legislator? Select a specific instance of public policy conflict between Congress and President Obama and explain the reasons for the conflict.
5. In the United States, we use the winner-take-all electoral system in electoral districts for Congress. Write a paper in which you discuss the winner-take-all system and the proportional system of representation. For the proportional system, you should select a country that use the proportional system and briefly explain how it works in that country. Should the American winner-take-all system be abolished and replaced with a proportional system of representation? If yes, why? If no, why not? Do not discuss the presidential election process. Do not discuss the Electoral College. Focus on congressional (U.S. House) districts.
7. Write a paper in which you define foreign policy, discuss the role of the president and Congress in foreign policy formulation, and discuss a specific foreign policy (toward a country) of the Obama administration. Make sure to give the name of the policy, the nation involved, and indicate what the policy was designed to accomplish.
9. Over the years the balance of power between the nation and the states has shifted. Write a paper in which you briefly discuss (in one or two paragraphs) how the Framers of the Constitution arranged government power between that nation and the states. After that, discuss two periods in American history that impacted on the balance of power between the national government and the states. Within those two periods, specify what lead to the shift in power. Explain how power shifted between the national government and the states and identify the level of government that gained the power. Identify the power that was gained. Do not discuss the period of transition from the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution. Discuss periods after ratification of the 1787 Constitution.
11. Compare and contrast the roles of the Legislative, Executive and Judicial branches with regard to one of the following current issues: 1)Immigration; OR 2) Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender (LGBT); OR 3)Digital Privacy.

Please review the following guidelines and requirements in preparing your paper.

• Look over the Research Project Grading Rubric to understand how you will be scored.
• APA Research Analysis, including proper citations and reference list.
  • Use the SPC Library APA Citation Assistance page for help with APA formatting
  • You cannot cite the American government textbook we are using.
  • If you have extensive citations from one source, you will have to rewrite the paper. Remember, at least five sources used throughout the paper.
• Personal interviews, statements on television, radio, and in videos or movies are not acceptable.
• 1,200 words or 5 to 6 pages in length, 12 point traditional font.
• A minimum of 5 relevant and legitimate sources, documented within the paper and properly cited in a reference list.
• Clear application of research to the assignment requirements.
• Type your name, date, and the section number of your class in the upper-left-hand corner on the first page of the paper. You do not need a title page and abstract.
• Well organized paragraphs, clear and complete sentence structure, proper word usage and grammar.
• The Research Papers need to be submitted to the Research Paper Dropboxes (Part 1 and Part 2). Please do not email your document

Research Project Support Links

• POS2041 American National Government Lib Page (for your research)
• SPC Library APA Citation Assistance page
• SPC Writing Studio Information