Discussion with your classmates is a vital part of learning online. In this course, you will participate in at least one class discussion in each module. Some modules have more than one discussion. These discussions are an imperative portion of the course as they are meant to replicate the discussions that would take place as if we were in a classroom.
You can find the discussion topics in the modules on the Modules page.
Discussion Parameters
Your posts in the discussion area should exhibit careful thought and logical reasoning and provide evidence for your position. Each post should be at least one well-developed paragraph (approximately 100 words or more). Use correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar. The discussions must be completed by the due dates specified on the syllabus.
Replying to Other Students’ Posts
Please read and reply to the posts of at least two other students for each discussion. Your replies should offer new substantiated ideas or thoughtful questions.
Grading of Discussions
Each discussion topic is worth 100%. The number of points you earn is determined by following the Discussion Rubric below.
Discussion Rubric
A 100 is given for full responses with supporting evidence and very few grammar/spelling mistakes. An 80 will be given for responses that are somewhat incomplete, lacking in evidence and/or have a several grammar/spelling mistakes. A 60 is given for responses that are incomplete (without supporting evidence) and/or have numerous grammar/spelling mistakes. And a 0 is given for no submission.
Evidence may come from the readings, lecture videos, news coverage, or external sources. Remember you should cite evidence in your text – in other words, tell me where you got your information. A separate bibliography is NOT needed.
You are expected to respond to 2 of your classmates posts. You must comment more than just “I agree”

A 100 is given for full responses with supporting evidence and very few grammar/spelling mistakes. An 80 will be given for responses that are somewhat incomplete, lacking in evidence and/or have a several grammar/spelling mistakes. A 60 is given for responses that are incomplete (without supporting evidence) and/or have numerous grammar/spelling mistakes. And a 0 is given for no submission.
Evidence may come from the readings, lecture videos, news coverage, or external sources. Remember you should cite evidence in your text – in other words, tell me where you got your information. A separate bibliography is NOT needed.
Discussion Board Response Rubric Grade Criteria
100 Submission gives details to support response, including evidence and sources when
appropriate. There are very few grammar/spelling mistakes.
80 Submission gives details to support response but lacks relevant evidence and/or sources
when appropriate. There are several grammar/spelling mistakes.
60 Submission provided but does not directly address the prompt or activity and/or is
completed without evidence or sources. There are numerous grammar/spelling mistakes.
0 No submission.
*Simply internally cite sources with website when used. No bibliography is needed.
Example:
Do you think the federal government should make laws on issues like same-sex marriage and the
legalization of marijuana? Or should these issues be left up to the states to decide if they should be legal
or not? Write a paragraph in response and use evidence to support your opinion.
Submission A: No, I think that federal government should not make laws on issues such as these. Each
state should be able to make their own laws that suit the preferences of the citizens of that state. The
10th amendment gives states broad power to make laws that are not explicitly given to the US Congress,
and this includes laws in the area of same-sex marriage and legalization of marijuana. Citizen
preferences on legalization of marijuana varies widely from state to state. Over 50% of Texans support
medicinal use of marijuana while about the same amount of Californians support the recreation use of
marijuana (Bloomberg, April 13, 2015, http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-04-13/potlegalization-across-u-s-may-hinge-on-2016-california-vote). Clearly, the citizens of these states want
different policies, and their states should be able to pass laws tailored to these preferences given their
constitutional authority to do so. [Grade: 100]
Imagine being so interested in American politics that you decide to do some independent research into the relationship between power and representation in these politically polarized times. As you are learning, knowing who exercises political power helps you understand how power is used and the interests that are represented. Where do you start looking for information?
Since the three branches of government (legislative, executive, and judicial) make national policies, you decide to begin with the US Congress because it is the one institution of government where the people’s interests—theoretically—are represented. You choose to look into the makeup of Congress as the first step to understanding who is in power to see if they are representative of “the people.” To get you going, here is some data you can review to learn about the makeup of Congress. Take your time reviewing the link below:
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/03/10/the-changing-face-of-congress/ Links to an external site..
What you find may surprise you. Like the number of young people who are now serving or the improvements in the racial, ethnic, gender, and religious diversity of the Congress. The projected changes in the US population over the next 25 years indicate that even greater population diversification will occur (see the Census tables below).
In a concise (250-300 words) post, answer the following questions utilizing course materials, concepts, and the information above:
Make a logical argument about power and representation that is informed by the Pew Research article, the US 2020 Census information (see below), and the study of Congress this term. Answer the following questions:
How do these demographic changes in the U.S. population reflect the demographic make-up in Congress? Explain. How is the quality of representation affected? Would these congressional changes affect the political power of this more diverse population? Explain.