census

GOVT 2305 PSLO. Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches

of government. (Communication & Teamwork)

PSLO stands for Program Student Learning Objective. If you want to know more about that

term and the purpose of this exercise visit https://yc.yccd.edu/wp-

content/uploads/2019/04/PSLO-Handbook-Revised-2.1.19.pdf

[The Government Department is gathering data on what you have learned and how you discuss it

with fellow classmates. They created these instructions for you to facilitate data on the above

objective. I did not create this assignment, and have been told not to change anything in the

original, but should you have problems completing it, I can support you and answer your

questions.]

Imagine being so interested in American politics that you decide to do some independent

research into the relationship between power and representation in these politically polarized

times. As you are learning, knowing who exercises political power helps you understand how

power is used and the interests that are represented. Where do you start looking for information?

[ The first step should be finding a good definition or example of political power, yet

there isn’t one offered in these instructions. I included in the discussion exercise. If you don’t

know what political power is read Robert Dahl on the definition of political power. ]

https://fbaum.unc.edu/teaching/articles/Dahl_Power_1957.pdf

Since the three branches of government (legislative, executive, and judicial) make

national policies, you decide to begin with the US Congress because it is the one institution of

government where the people's interests—theoretically—are represented. You choose to look

into the makeup of Congress as the first step to understanding who is in power to see if they

are representative of “the people.” To get you going, here is some data you can review to learn

about the makeup of Congress. Take your time reviewing the link below:

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/03/10/the-changing-face-of-congress/.

What you find may surprise you. Like the number of young people who are now serving or the

improvements in the racial, ethnic, gender, and religious diversity of the Congress. The projected

changes in the US population over the next 25 years indicate that even greater population

diversification will occur (see the Census tables below).

Instructions

In a concise (250-300 words) post, answer the following questions utilizing course materials,

concepts, and the information above:

• Make a logical argument about power and representation that is informed by the Pew

Research article, the US 2020 Census information (see below), and the study of

Congress this term. Answer the following questions:

o How do these demographic changes in the U.S. population reflect the

demographic make-up in Congress? Explain. How is the quality of

GOVT 2305 PSLO. Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches

of government. (Communication & Teamwork)

representation affected? Would these congressional changes affect the

political power of this more diverse population? Explain.

1. After you have submitted your post, respond to TWO posts from your peers and

offer a thoughtful response to what you have read. Each response should be 100-150

words. Use course materials and concepts in your answers, too. Attached are

guidelines for good discussion responses for you to follow.

2. Understand that the main intent of these discussions is to hold a dialogue. Kindly

begin work on this discussion well in advance of the deadline to ensure that your

classmates are afforded ample time to respond to your posts.

US Census Bureau 2020 Census QuickFacts

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/US/HSD410219

GOVT 2305 PSLO. Demonstrate knowledge of the legislative, executive, and judicial branches

of government. (Communication & Teamwork)