5 page essay on rhode island schools

State Appropriation Bills (each 25%; thus 50% of overall course grade): It is no surprise that each U.S. state has its own unique characteristics – both demographic as well as fiscal. Though however inimitable, each state plays a vital role in American Federal Government. Each state actively pursues specialized policy initiatives to obtain their desired outcomes. Perhaps in its most notable form are Congressional Appropriations. Congress annually considers several appropriations measures, which provide discretionary funding for numerous activities—for example, national defense, education, and homeland security—as well as general government operations. The annual appropriations cycle is initiated with the President’s budget submission, which is due on the first Monday in February. This is followed by congressional consideration of a budget resolution that, in part, sets spending ceilings for the upcoming fiscal year. There are three types of appropriations measures. 1) Regular appropriations bills administer most of the funding that is provided in all appropriations measures for a fiscal year and must be enacted by October 1, the beginning of the fiscal year. If regular bills are not enacted by the beginning of the new fiscal year, Congress adopts 2) continuing resolutions to continue funding, generally until regular bills are enacted. 3) Supplemental appropriations bills provide additional appropriations to become available during a fiscal year.

Each student will choose a topic of their interest (e.g. water crisis, natural disasters, school violence, social movements, government shutdowns, midterm elections, healthcare overhaul, Supreme Court justices/rulings, campaign contributions etc.). Topics will be awarded on a first-come-first-serve basis; therefore, it would be in your best interest to choose your topic early. Students who have not selected a topic will be assigned a general topic by the instructor. Students will then be assigned a specific state for which they will develop their appropriations bill. Each proposal will be presented in class and be held to a vote by a simulated appropriations’ committee hearings.

Simulation: The following components will determine your individual simulation/debate grades.

· Cooperation: acts in a helpful and understanding manner, works well with others and initiates cooperative efforts

· Speaking ability/negotiation skills: offers persuasive arguments and proposals in order to reach consensus

· Listening: actively and respectfully listens to peers and professor (i.e. do not use your phone and engage in non-course related activities)

· Preparation: arrives fully prepared with research completed, notes, proposals, questions, etc.

· Quality of contributions (both verbal and written): comments are relevant and reflect understanding of the issues

· Impact on discussion: comments help move simulation discussion forward

· Any absences during simulations will result in a 0 for the day.

Format requirements: Each student will be responsible to completing 2 Appropriation Bills, and 1 State profile. State profiles are to be utilized as data fact-sheets. Relevant information pertaining to the students’ state and topics, such as demographics, socioeconomics, and key stakeholder information.

Sources: You will need to use a minimum of 5 credible academic sources and 5 state stakeholder sources. You will need to include a complete bibliography of all sources that reflects a consistent and accurate citation format. State profiles and sources will be reviewed in class prior to their due date.

a. Introduction and summary (1 page): The introduction is the most important part of any well-written paper. It is meant to capture the attention of the reader as well as lay out your arguments. It should not be generic and should be free from language such as “in this paper I will discuss...” Make it interesting. Be creative. Follow your introduction with a brief summary of the main points and circumstances involved with the issue. The summary must be succinct, concise and clear. This section will be the most difficult portion of the assignment since you must summarize and synthesize a great deal of information in no more than one page. Direct quotes are not allowed.

b. Reflection (3-5 pages): There are two components to this section.

i. The first component (2-3 pages) includes an assessment of the overall appropriations request. Describe the issue in greater detail; who are the stakeholders; what is their preferred course of action; what are the costs and proposed methods of funding; are there any tradeoffs; what is the action plan.

ii. The second component (1-2 pages) involves your pondering where you think the issue is headed, with regards to local/state/national response. Be sure to consider course readings or discussions.

Overall, I will be looking for creative, insightful and thoughtful appropriation proposals that balance opinion with sources.

Appropriations Simulation Rubric

Total Points:_____________________________________________________/ 25 Points

Syllabus outline is subject to change at the discretion of the professor.

Castro/ POS2041- American Federal Government/ Social Sciences/ 305.237.2215 Page 6 of 7