Humanities Homework Help

Political Science 21A: Question Set #3.

The Bureaucracy, The Courts, Interest Groups, Public Opinion, Campaigns & Elections, and the Media

Please respond to five of the six short response questions posted below. Your answers should be short, focused, and complete, ranging from one to three paragraphs.Please make sure to answer each specific part of every question. ( use different symbol to mark each part)Successful answers will provide details and context that support your arguments and explain your position to the readers. You may also want to provide real world examples taken from the readings, lectures, group discussions, or your own independent thinking. These illustrations can be from the course materials or your own ideas.Providing this context and being able to apply the material to YOUR OWN understanding of politics really shows us that you have mastered the material.

Each answer will be worth 25 points, for 125 points total.

1. Who controls the bureaucracy? How do they do so? How does this competition affect the bureaucracy? Why and when do elected officials delegate power to the bureaucracy?

2. How do judges decide cases? Highlight several types of factors that contribute to their rulings. Why are the courts often considered the weakest branch? Why might this be wrong?

3. Describe the difference between insider and outsider lobbying tactics. What types of interest groups generally use each? Under what circumstances will one by more impactful than the other?

4. Where does public opinion come from? How do voters form political preferences? How do they make political decisions when voting? In your view, what does this say about the ability of the American voter to participate and make an informed choice as a citizen?

5. What types of factors explain an individual voter’s probability of turning out to vote? What could be done to increase voter turnout?

6. What factors influence how the media covers political issues? How do these standards influence the way the public thinks about policy problems, political events, and electoral contests? What could the media do to improve how Americans think about such important political problems