Discuss the agents of political socialization

Discuss the agents of political socialization

1. Discuss the agents of political socialization and how they influence the development of political opinions and our participation in politics. Then discuss which ones have influenced you and how. (20 points)

2. Watch one of the major stations (ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, FOX) for the evening news - you can watch TV or review online. Summarize the stories and note if you detect any bias. (10 points)

3. Go to the websites for both the Republican and Democratic national parties and briefly summarize the party platforms of each. (10 points)

4. Discuss the role of money in campaigns. Identify the major sources of funding and evaluate the efforts to regulate campaign finance. (10 points)

5. Thinking about your future professional goals, research and google an interest group that you would join. Summarize your findings including the benefits, leadership, dues, etc. (10 points)

6. Discuss the functions of Congress - what are their major responsibilities. Google your US House representative and summarize what you find on their House website including background, committee assignments and major bills sponsored. (20 points)

7. Outline the major responsibilities of the president in his roles of chief executive, chief legislator, global leader and Commander in Chief. (10 points)

8. Discuss the four major bureaucratic structures (cabinet, independent executive agencies, independent regulatory agencies and government corporations). Then google and find one agency in each category and summarize your findings including purpose, size, leadership and budget. (20 points)

9. Outline the structure and jurisdiction of the federal courts and the "special rules" of judicial decision making. (10 points)

10.Discuss the two parts of freedom of religion with examples. Discuss the major rulings of freedom of speech, press and the right to privacy. (25 points)