Reference no: EM133709589 , Length: Words Count:500

Question 1

Political Theory

Question: Much of Western political thought concerns itself with arguments about protecting "public goods from private capture." What does this mean? How is this articulated in the work of 1) Aristotle; 2) Locke; 3) or Madison and the US Constitution? What would these authors say of our present political condition [i.e. impeachment proceedings? COVID-19? SCOTUS Roe v. Wade issues? Trump's promise to 'drain the swamp'?] in relation to protection of public goods?

Question 2

American Politics

Question: Separation of powers and checks and balances are core principles in American Democratic governance. Define these principles and discuss their implications for public policy enactment and implementation. Your answer should reference any specific political institutions relevant to the operation of these principles.

Question 3

Public Law

Question One of the most important advances in society is the establishment of the rule of law and the protection of individual civil liberties and rights. How has the rule of law and the protection of individual civil liberties and rights been accomplished in the United States? What are the most important forces and elements that brought about this progress? How are the rule of law and the protection of civil liberties and rights currently under threat within the United States? Why do we see this threat occurring?

Question 4

International Relations

Question: Select an international relations topic of your choice (suggested topics: conflict, trade, terrorism, international law, foreign policymaking, international security). In three hundred words or less, discuss which (if any) of the three major IR theoretical approaches- realism, neoliberalism, and constructivism- provides a convincing understanding of this topic (you may say that none of them do). If you believe another IR theory better explains this topic, discuss what this theory is and why you find it to be most useful. In your answer, you are expected to discuss the major assumptions of each of the three major IR theories and the strengths and weaknesses of each theory in explaining the topic you have selected. Provide examples using historical and/or current events to support your claims.

Question 5

Comparative Politics

Question: Different groups of thought hold greatly different views on how a nation can lift itself out of poverty. First, explain the policy prescriptions of the US centric economic paradigm (i.e., the Washington consensus, which is largely informed by Modernization theory) on economic development and how it has shaped the economic development strategies in developing countries over time. Explore and discuss how modernization theory informed the economic development models of the Four Asian Tigers (e.g., South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong). Second, discuss whether the US centric economic model has succeeded in promoting economic prosperity and reducing poverty or not.

Third, describe the alternative models of economic development (e.g., the dependency theory and their policy prescriptions). Then, explore the successes and failures of the economic policies (the Import Substitution Industrialization) fueled by Dependency theory in South America and discuss whether the dependency model has succeeded in promoting economic prosperity and reducing poverty or not. Lastly, discuss how Modernization and Dependency theory shaped a hybrid model such as the Beijing consensus and evaluate which development model (e.g., the Washington consensus, the Latin American model, or the Beijing consensus), in your mind, is most likely to lead economic development and poverty reduction in developing countries of our time.

Question 6

Methodology/Statistics

Question: Two of the most important benchmarks in social science methodology are reliability and validity. While many definitions exist for both, for this question you can presume that reliability refers to the ability of a research tool to measure an attribute in society repeatedly and achieve approximately the same result. Validity refers to the ability of a research tool to actually measure what it purports to measure. The mark of good research maximizes both of these concepts.

With the idea of maximizing both reliability and validity while utilizing quantitative analysis techniques, what would be the best manner to measure the impact of various causal factors that have resulted in the growth of partisan polarization within democracies around the world.

Within 300 to 500 words or less, in total, please detail:

· How would you study this hypothesized causal relationship using current accepted social science methods?

· How would you ensure strong reliability and validity within the methodology you chose?

· What statistical model would be most appropriate and why?

· Lastly, based on your selection of your model, which statistics would you calculate to discover the scientific results of your model?