SOC 320 ASH Courses / soc320dotcom

SOC 320 WEEK 1 DQ 1 PUBLIC POLICY (ASH)

SOC 320 WEEK 1 DQ 2 REPUBLIC OR DEMOCRACY AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH WE STAND(ASH)

Public Policy

Consider and explain the following statement, “Public policy is both what government does and what it does not do” (Theodoulou&Kofinis, 2012).

What determines whether policy is enacted or not?

Who holds the power and authority to make and change public policy?

Discuss public versus private concerns in relation to policy making and the government’s role in this process.

Republic or Democracy? “…and to the republic for which we stand…”

Review the Declaration of Independence and the Pledge of Allegiance. Then, discuss republicanism and democracy in U.S. government. Explain what this means in regards to public policy, social issues and its effectiveness and efficiency. Do you feel that our current government structure very closely approximates the intent of the Founding Fathers?

SOC 320 ASH Courses

SOC 3 SOC 320 WEEK 1 JOURNAL REFLECTIONS ON FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY (ASH) 15 WEEK 1 DQ 2

SOC 320 WEEK 2 ASSIGNMENT EDUCATION IN THE UNITED STATES (ASH)

Reflections on Federal Environmental Policy

For your journal entry, you will explore aspects of your personal experience and/or beliefs regarding significant public policies and what you have learned in your readings. As you reflect, please address the following questions:

What are the current major environmental issues?

How do you feel about related policies?

Education in the United States

Read Chapter 9 of The Policy Game: Understanding U.S. Policy Making, and watch Changing Education Paradigms (or read the transcript). Then, write a paper on the problem of education in the United States. Share your reactions to the concepts and perspective presented in the video. In your paper, address the following:

SOC 320 ASH Courses

SOC 320 WEEK 2 DQ 1 POLICY PROCESS THEORIES (ASH)

SOC 320 WEEK 2 DQ 2 PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION AND AGENDA SETTING (ASH)

Policy Process Theories

Describe the Stages-Heuristic theory of the policy process. What are the stages of policy development it includes? Discuss this theory and compare it to the other dominant theoretical frameworks. Then, select one other theory and discuss its strengths and weaknesses as compared to the Stages-Heuristic framework.

Problem Identification and Agenda Setting

Examine and evaluate the problem identification and agenda setting stages of the policy process in this week’s required reading assignment. Discuss the process whereby a problem ultimately ends up on an agenda to be discussed. Then, discuss the agenda setting process as it relates to education; how it came to be identified as a problem and what led to its gaining enough attention so as to bring it to an agenda. Who was involved and what were their roles?

SOC 320 ASH Courses

SOC 320 WEEK 2 JOURNAL REFLECTIONS ON EDUCATION POLICY (ASH)

SOC 320 WEEK 3 DQ 1 MADD GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT TO POLICY (ASH)

Reflections on Education Policy

For your journal entry, you will explore aspects of your personal experience and/or beliefs regarding significant public policies and what you have learned in this course. As you reflect this week, please discuss the following questions:

What are the current major issues relating to education?

How do you feel about related policies?

MADD: Grassroots Movement to Policy

Given that grassroots organizations often do not have the expertise, stature, or other resources of larger, more institutional stakeholders, what tools do grassroots organizations have that enable them to successfully influence policy? To what degree do you think MADD has changed over its history from a grassroots organization to a more institutional stakeholder? How does this change what it does or how it functions?

SOC 320 ASH Courses

SOC 320 WEEK 3 DQ 2 SOCIAL SECURITY (ASH)

SOC 320 WEEK 3 JOURNAL REFLECTIONS ON FEDERAL WELFARE POLICY (ASH)

Social Security

Public surveys indicate that ¾ of younger Americans think that Social Security is a “dead program.” What would make them have such a dim view? Does the strength of the American Association of Retired persons (AARP) play into this perspective? What are some alternatives to the program as it is now? Should alternatives be considered and why?

Reflections on Federal Welfare Policy

For your journal entry, you will explore aspects of your personal experience and/or beliefs regarding significant public policies and what you have learned in your readings. As you reflect, please address the following questions:

What are the major current federal welfare issues?

How do you feel about related policies?

SOC 320 ASH Courses

SOC 320 WEEK 4 DQ 1 LOBBYING (ASH)

SOC 320 WEEK 4 DQ 2 HEALTH CARE REFORM EXPLAINED (ASH)

Lobbying

It is often said that lobbying is both an art and science. Imagine that because of your knowledge of the legislative process, you have decided to become more active in attempting to influence the legislative process. First, identify a current legislative issue being considered for policy adoption. Search for this information at The Library of Congress THOMAS. Then, specify what your legislative goals are with respect to this proposed legislation:

Health Care Reform Explained

Watch Health Reform Hits Main Street: The YouToons Explain the New Health Law. Then, review the information available at Illustrating Health Care Reform: How Health Insurance Coverage Will Work.

Identify and discuss three different groups of people and how they will be impacted by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

SOC 320 ASH Courses

SOC 320 WEEK 4 JOURNAL REFLECTIONS ON HEALTH CARE POLICY (ASH)

SOC 320 WEEK 5 DQ 1 OBAMA AND ROMNEY ON IMMIGRATION (ASH)

Reflections on Health-Care Policy

Watch Rebecca Onie: What if our healthcare system kept us healthy? For your journal entry, you will explore aspects of your personal experience and/or beliefs regarding significant public policies and what you have learned in your readings. As you reflect, please address the following questions:

What are the major current healthcare issues and policies (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act - 2010)?

Obama and Romney on Immigration

Watch Obama and Romney Debate Each Other’s Immigration Policy (2012 Presidential Debate #2). As a supporter of one side of this issue, identify the points made by the presidential candidate that most closely represents your perspective. Discuss policy changes that you would like to see and why? Would this require change, reform, or termination of current policy?

SOC 320 ASH Courses

SOC 320 WEEK 5 DQ 2 POLICY TERMINATION (ASH)

SOC 320 WEEK 5 JOURNAL REFLECTIONS ON FEDERAL IMMIGRATION POLICY (ASH)

Policy Termination

Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) was a compromise between the Clinton administration and its opponents in Congress and the military. Compromise sometimes yields good policy, but sometimes it produces internally inconsistent and counterproductive policy. Using DADT as an example, what do you see to be the potential strengths and weaknesses of policy borne of compromise? The 18-year process of repealing DADT suggests that policy termination can be a lengthy process. Should policies be inherently difficult to terminate, especially those rooted in public attitudes?

For your journal entry, you will explore aspects of your personal experience and/or beliefs regarding significant public policies and what you have learned in your readings. As you reflect, please address the following questions:

What are the major current federal welfare issues?

How do you feel about related policies?

SOC 320 ASH Courses

SOC 320 ASH Courses