State Government Policy

Question 1

Choose a policy issue that interests you. It can be a US domestic policy issue, such as immigration or health care, an international policy issue such as terrorism or nuclear security, or a California state policy issue such as education funding or carbon emissions regulation (just to name a few).

1. First, research the issue using newspaper or magazine articles, and reputable media websites, to get an overview and background information on the issue.
2. Next, research different proposals for policy change, or support or criticism of current U.S. or state government policy on this issue using media and scholarly sources.

For the topic proposal, submit a one paragraph description of the issue you have chosen, and what is currently happening with a specific policy related to this issue. Also submit a list of at least 8 sources you will use, including both media and website sources (minimum of 5), and scholarly sources (minimum of 3), using either APA Style or Chicago Author/Date Style.

The Political Science Research Guide  is a good starting place. See tabs on the left-hand side including Scholarly vs. Popular Articles , Citation Styles , Evaluating Information , and Avoiding Plagiarism . The Web Sites  tab also lists a number of sites where you can get started researching policy issues.

Question 2

part 1

What accounts for the media’s agenda of issues and topics? What explains the character of media coverage? What factors determine the interpretation that a particular story will receive?

Your response should be at least 200 words

part 2

What are the likely consequences of the decline of print and television news and the rise of Internet news for American democracy?

Response should be at least 200 words