The importance of posting on time...

I cannot stress enough the importance of posting on time. If you post late, it becomes less likely that anyone will respond to you. If you post late, less people will read what you write. It will be a less enjoyable activity for you if you don't have an audience because you're posting after folks are done reading the blog. Lastly, if you post late I will not give you full credit for this activity. I want to remind you that the blog activity & your courts paper = 10% of your grade in this class. It is worth your time to do this activity well. Additionally, your classmates want to read what you write and I want to read responses to your work.

Except in dire situations, I expect you to post on time or early. Please plan ahead.

Thank you. M. Aby

12/3 post 6 is due

Post 6: Healthcare:
The number 2 polling issue in the election is healthcare. In order to better understand the debate concerning healthcare we’re going to explore this area of national policy and the issue of federalism.

**To what degree is it the national or state government’s responsibility to make sure that their citizens/residents have healthcare? Who is better suited to deal with our healthcare crisis: private industry, state governments, or the national government? Why? What solution do you favor?

Use news articles and research to build your case. I would particularly recommend going to interest group and think tank websites for research for this assignment. I would also recommend looking at the first half of Edwards’ ch 19 for background and terminology for this discussion.

If you are having trouble finding research please see me for help. Good luck!

11/27 response to post 5 is due

Read through your classmates' posts. Pick a post to respond to that you do not agree with. Read their candidates' statement. Write a post that critiques both the candidate & your classmate's post. Please quote from the candidate & your classmate directly so we can know what you are referring to.

Remember the goal is for everyone to get a response. Please do not respond to someone's post if they already have more than 1 response. Please attack the ideas/argument of the person & not the person her/himself. Also, please respond in a manner which fosters rather than shuts down dialogue. Lastly, it is important to respond to people's posts in a way that fosters dialogue & is respectful. Good luck.

11/15 post 5 is due

Foreign policy for the next president
Foreign Affairs magazine has asked the candidates to write personal statements of what they believe should be the US' priorities for foreign policy & what their administration would do concerning these areas. The links to their statements are on this page in the lower right hand corner on the sidebar.

Pick one of the candidate's statements to read. It could be one you support, one you don't support, or one you have questions about. It's your decision.

Write a post that critiques the candidate's position. Explain why you support or don't support the candidate's viewpoints. Cover at least three of their foreign policy positions.