This document contains prompts for 7 weekly discussion questions for a political science course. The prompts cover a range of topics including: how the Affordable Care Act affects businesses and employees; how federal policies impact workplaces; how the Electoral College system works and proposals for changing it; how actions of the executive and judicial branches have personally affected one's life; the U.S. government's obligations to citizens and how these impact rights; different political parties' positions on selected issues; debates around voter ID laws; and the importance of features of the U.S. government like the Constitution, checks and balances, and separation of powers. The prompts require responses of 200-250 words that demonstrate understanding of assigned readings and include APA

1. APA on all answers...200 to 250 word count
Week 2 Discussion 1
If you are a business major, how does the insurance mandate in
the
Affordable Care Act
affect local, state, and national businesses and their employees?
Week 2 Discussion 2
Describe how a federal policy affects your current or desired
workplace.
Explain what role Congress has in establishing workplace
conditions in your current or desired job.
Week 3 Discussion 1
In your initial post, summarize how the Electoral College
works. Explain some of the main pros and cons in the debate
about whether to keep or abolish the current Electoral College
process. In addition, evaluate one proposal to change how the
system works
without formally abolishing it
. Would this proposal effectively address some of the cons that
you identified earlier in your post? Please explain your
response.
Week 3 Discussion 2
E
xplain how and why the actions of the executive and/or judicial
branches have personally affected your life. Fully respond to all
parts of the question. Write in your own words. Support your
position with APA citations to two or more of the assigned
resources required for this discussion. Fully respond to all parts
of the prompt and write your response in your own words. Your
initial post must be 200 to 250 words. Please be sure that you
demonstrate understanding of these resources, integrate them
into your argument, and cite them properly.

2. Week 4 Discussion 1
E
xplain what obligations the U.S. government has towards its
citizens and how can these obligations impact individual and
group rights? Provide real-world examples to support your
explanation. Fully respond to all parts of the prompt and write
your response in your own words. Your initial response must be
200 to 250 words
Week 4 Discussion 2
I
dentify one issue area that you want investigate. Use the
assigned resources required for this discussion to gather
information about the goals and proposals, in that issue area, of
three U.S. political parties – the Democratic and Republican
parties and a third party. Summarize each of the three parties’
policy goals in your issue area. Evaluate each party's goals from
two perspectives:
•
According on your own political philosophy, values, or ideology
based on the Political Typology Quiz results, which party’s
position on this issue is closest to your own and which is
furthest and why?
•
Does each party currently have national popular support on this
issue? If so, why, and if not, why not?
For example, if you are a ‘Steadfast Conservative,’ what do the
Democratic Party, the Republican Party, and a third party have
to say about your position on taxation? If you are a ‘Solid
Liberal,’ what do Democrats, Republicans, and a third party say
about your views on environmental issues? Who is the closest?
Furthest away? Why?
Week 5 Discussion 1
S

3. ummarize recent developments in several states enacting voter
ID laws. Analyze and describe the pros and cons on
both sides
of the debate about these laws. Is voter fraud a major problem
for our democracy or are some groups trying to make it harder
for some segments of society to vote? Draw your own
conclusion about the debate over voter ID laws. Justify your
conclusions with facts and persuasive reasoning.
Week 5 Discussion 2
In your initial post of at least 200 to 250 words, explain how
and why one feature of the U.S. government is the most
important for America’s democracy. Choose one feature below
to discuss in detail:
•
Written, detailed, flexible Constitution.
•
Robust checks and balances.
•
Explicit separation of powers.
•
Expansive interaction by different political actors and processes
with the federal government.