American Goverment 4 Assiagnments

Assignment #1

Supreme Court Cases

The Supreme Court is made up of nine justices who are responsible for deciding whether or not laws are in line with the U.S. Constitution. These individuals serve life-long appointments once they are nominated by the President and confirmed by the United States Senate. Below is a list of some of the most controversial decisions in the last few decades by the Supreme Court. These cases are often mentioned by politicians during campaigns because the issues are still debated, even after the Supreme Court’s ruling.

For this assignment:

· First, list the current nine members of the United States Supreme Court.

· Second, choose one of the five cases below. Summarize (in your own words):

· The key points in the case and explain the law being challenged

· The part or amendment to the Constitution discussed in the case

· And, the states or local governments, if any, that were mentioned in the case.

· Third, explain the final ruling in the case by the Supreme Court and, most importantly, how the ruling in the case impacts the lives of Americans. You may need to look for an additional news article if you are unsure.

Be sure to include the links to any news articles or websites you visit by copying and pasting the link at the end of your assignment.

As with all weekly written assignments, submit your work as an attached file. Double-space your paper and use 12 point Times New Roman as your font.

The following are some links you might find useful:

· National Federation of Independent Businesses v. Sebelius ("Obamacare"):  https://www.oyez.org/cases/2011/11-393?page=3

· District of Columbia v. Heller (gun rights):  http://www.oyez.org/cases/2000-2009/2007/2007_07_290

· Roe v. Wade (abortion rights): http://www.oyez.org/cases/1970-1979/1971/1971_70_18

· Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (campaign finance laws): http://www.oyez.org/cases/2000-2009/2008/2008_08_205

· United States v. Windsor (same sex marriage): http://www.oyez.org/cases/2010-2019/2012/2012_12_307

Assignment #2

Political Parties

Here is a list of the three largest third parties. Pick one, and using your own words (don't copy and paste from a website) summarize what they believe. In your paper, discuss one thing a Democrat and one thing a Republican would find attractive about the third party you choose:

· Constitution Party

· Green Party

· Libertarian Party

Obviously to do this you will need to know something about both the main two parties and your third party. Be sure to include your sources of information. If you use the Internet, include the web site address and the date you retrieved it.

Double-space your paper and use 12 point Times New Roman as your font.

Assignment #3

American Presidents and their Military Experience

Some American Presidents had military experience, some didn't. Use either Word or Excel to record the results of this assignment. For each one of the United States presidents, indicate:  

· The branch of the military in which they served (or “none”)

· The highest rank attained

· The wars or significant battles in which they fought

Most importantly, explain whether or not you think military service matters for a President? Why or why not?

You may submit your work as an attached Excel or Word file.

Assignment #4

Interest Groups

1. Select one of the interest groups/organizations listed below.

· AARP – American Association of Retired People

· ACLU – American Civil Liberties Union

· AFL-CIO – American Federation of Labor – Congress of Industrial Organizations

· American Conservative Union

· FPA-Farm Policy Action

· AIPAC - American Israel Public Affairs Committee

· Council on American-Islamic Relations

· Family Research Council

· Handgun Control, Inc.

· GLAAD- Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation

· NAN-National Action Network

· National Right to Life

· NOW – National Organization of Women

· NRA – National Rifle Association

· American Humane Society

· Public Citizen

· Sierra Club

· U.S. Chamber of Commerce

· VFW-Veterans of Foreign Wars

2. Perform a web search to locate the group’s main web site. Also, perform a web search for recent information about your group’s activities. You can either type up your report as an essay or you can give your information in a bullet-point list. Make sure your paper answers all the questions. Separate your responses with two spaces between answers.

1. What is the organization or group's website?

2. What are the issues your organization or group is concerned with?

3. What actions does your group take to try to influence policy and the public agenda?

4. Assess your group: What are its strengths and weaknesses?

Back up what you say with specific examples demonstrating their effectiveness (or lack of effectiveness). Remember to find weaknesses of the group; you will likely need to research beyond the group’s main website. Every group has a weakness - your task is to find it. A response like, "I didn't find any weaknesses" is not acceptable. Start by Googling "opposition to ..." and you will find things. Some things will not be accurate or fair. Your job is to sort those out.

5. Summarize a news article from the organization or group in a paragraph.

NOTE: Be sure to include the websites where you found your information.

As with all weekly written assignments, submit your work as an attached file. Double-space your paper and use 12 point Times New Roman as your font.