Evaluate the construct of the U. S. Supreme Court its personnel and their role in the judiciary.

Evaluate the construct of the U. S. Supreme Court, its personnel, and their role in the judiciary.
Investigate the potential results of an expanding government.
Compose a thesis-driven research paper detailing political communication during the Stimulus Bill debate.

Readings
In order to successfully complete this week’s assignments, read the following chapters in the text, Political Science: An Introduction:
Chapter 15 – Judiciaries
Chapter 16 – Political Economy

Discussions
To participate in the following discussions, go to this week’s Discussion link in the left navigation.
Expanding Government

Expanding government programs means expanding government bureaucracy. At what point do you think the costs of the system (waste, inefficiency, etc.) to operate will outweigh the benefits of government programs? Would you agree or disagree that at some point there is too much government involvement? Your initial post must be a minimum of 150-200 words. Respond to at least two of your fellow students’ postings by Day 7.

Justice for Life

Supreme Court Justices are appointed for life. For what purpose do you think this was done for, and do you agree, especially given the longer life expectancies today? Your initial post must be a minimum of 150-200 words. Respond to at least two of your fellow students’ postings by Day 7.

Final Paper
To complete the following assignment, go to this week’s Final Paper link in the left navigation.
Final Paper: Political Communication during the Stimulus Bill Debate

Write an eight- to ten-page research paper discussing how political communication, mass media and public opinion affected the passage of the $787 B stimulus bill 2009. Select a key political figure from the Republican and Democratic parties (the President, Speaker of the House, Senate Minority/Majority Leader, etc.) and explain their political ideology(ies) regarding the bill and what their rationale for what the bill should contain. Determine their arguments by researching their statements to the media in interviews, press conferences, etc. The paper should explain the perspective of your selected individual on the bailout and how your selected Democratic and Republican politician argued for or against the bill. Finally, explain which side you agree with and why. Support your analysis with theoretical and/or ideological logic.

The purpose of this assignment is for students to understand how politicians utilize communication to persuade the populace and to understand how those ideologies play a major factor in how they form their arguments.

Students will create an analytical concept that incorporates their understanding of political ideology with an understanding of how the government acts to resolve issues. The role of Congress and the executive office must be addressed in this paper. Specifically, discuss each organization’s role in the passage of legislation.

Format your paper according to APA (6th edition) guidelines.

Try to restrict your sources to major newspapers, magazines, or news outlets; and use a minimum of four sources per politician.

The paper should be organized into the following four sections:
Bill overview
Democratic politician’s ideology and arguments
Republican politician’s ideology and arguments
The approach which most closely aligns with your opinion