Writing

Texas Government Writing Assignment 2

 Select ONE of the following topics to answer for Writing Assignment 2. The writing assignment should be a minimum of 750 words. 

• During the 2020 COVID pandemic, Governor Greg Abbott was criticized by members of both parties — by the Democrats for inadequate restrictions and by the Republicans (his own party) for having too many restrictions.  In response, a constitutional amendment was proposed in the 2021 Texas legislative session that would limit the powers of the governor in a pandemic or other crisis.  What restrictions on the governor’s powers were proposed?  What were the arguments for and against these restrictions?  What happened to this proposal during the regular session?  Do you believe that the governor exceeded his authority during the pandemic or do you believe the governor’s actions did not go far enough?  Be sure to explain your position in detail.  

• How are state judges selected in Texas?  Discuss two different methods used in other states for selecting judges. What are the arguments for each of the selection methods you discussed?  How do you think that Texas judges should be selected?  Explain your reasoning.   How does being appointed or elected affect the accountability and independence of judges?  How informed do you think the public is about judicial elections and judicial candidates?

• Read Chapter 11 in the textbook.  Texas is considered to have one of the most regressive tax structures in the nation.  Define “regressive” and “progressive” taxes.  What makes the Texas tax system “regressive?”  How might Texas make its tax system more “progressive?”  What would prevent Texas from having a more progressive tax system?  Is it the job of the tax system to promote equality of taxation across all income groups?

• Read about Welfare Policy and Medicaid and Health Care Policy in Chapter 12 of your textbook. Also, review Sections 2 and 5 of the Poverty in Texas content by the Texas Politics Project and the Texas Tribune article “Poverty in Texas drops to lowest level in a decade.”   Why does Texas have such a high poverty rate (when compared to other states in the U.S.), and what steps might the state government take to reduce the poverty level?  How does the political culture of Texas (refer back to Chapter 1) influence the government’s response to poverty?  What are the conservative vs. liberal explanations for poverty (see section 5 in the “Poverty in Texas” content)?  What role do you believe the state and federal governments should play, if any, to reduce the poverty rate?

• Discuss how the racial/ethnic makeup of the overall prison population and the death row population in Texas compares to the racial/ethnic breakdown of the general population in Texas.  (Review “Who are Texans?” – Chapter 13)  What might explain the racial/ethnic makeup of the prison population in Texas?  Which regions of the country have higher incarceration rates and death penalty usage?  (Review “Texas and the Nation” – Chapter 13)  What do you think explains the differences in the regional patterns of incarceration and death penalty usage?  After reading Chapter 13, how do you feel about the fairness of the Texas criminal justice system?  To respond to crime in Texas, should the state decriminalize certain behavior, reduce sentence lengths, invest in crime prevention (such as drug and alcohol rehabilitation), or build more prisons?

Texas Government

 CHOOSE ONE

• The current Texas Constitution was designed to provide greater public control over government, effectively limiting the government’s power.  Thus, the people are given a direct say in the amendment process.  Look at the proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution from 2017, 2019, and 2021.  Choose one of these amendments to research.  In your response, you should explain the amendment process in Texas and the background of the amendment you have chosen to discuss.  What groups support or oppose the amendment and what are their arguments?  Explain which side you agree with and why.  If the amendment received a vote in an amendment election, what was the result?  

• According to Chapter 5 of the textbook, what are some of the historical and more recent barriers to voting in Texas?  (Be specific) What accounts for the low level of voter participation in Texas?  What can be done to increase voter participation?  (Specifically, discuss at least two policy proposals that election officials could adopt.)  After the 2020 election, state legislatures controlled by Republicans (including the Texas Legislature) have been debating and passing election reforms. Counties are in charge of administering elections in Texas. What were some of the proposed changes to election laws in Texas in 2021 and how would they impact a county’s ability to administer elections?  Do you think these changes pose undue restrictions on the ability of Texans to vote?  

• Using the data from Chapter 7, discuss in detail the gender, racial and educational makeup of the Texas Legislature. Does it adequately represent the population of the state?  If the Texas Legislature had more people of color, more women, or more people of varying levels of education, do you think it would pass different policies? If so, what kinds of policies might they pass?  (Be specific here.)  Does the part-time nature of the Texas Legislature encourage or discourage people from particular occupations to run? Do you think a full-time legislature could make the legislature more representative?  Why or why not?

Federal Government (J)

choose one.

• The Founding Fathers wanted the courts to be protected from politics. In what ways was the judiciary designed to limit the role of politics? Are the courts completely immune from politics in their work? Why or why not?  What role does politics play in Supreme Court confirmation proceedings? Should there be term limits for federal judges, including Supreme Court justices?  Why or why not? 

• The number of people represented by each member of the U.S. House of Representatives has more than tripled since the size of the House was permanently set at 435 members in the early 20th Century. How does the size of the House of Representatives compare to similar legislative bodies in other democracies?  Should the number of representatives be increased in the House right now? Would representation be improved if more representatives were added?  Why or why not?  Is there a limit to the size the House can reach before it cannot operate effectively and efficiently as a legislative body?  Explain your position on this question

Staffing

Imagine that your current organization (or a former organization has had tremendous turnover within the last three months. Some positions have been vacant for over 60 days. Based on the information covered, what sourcing and recruiting methods would you utilize within your organization? Why would these methods work best for your organization?  

Religion And Happiness

Choose from the list below a religion that is NOT your own:

• An Ancient Egyptian belief
• Hinduism
• Greek or Roman Polytheism
• A Native American religion
• Buddhism
• Taoism
• Judaism
• Christianity
• Islam

Write a 1–2 page page answering the following:

• Describe three features or tenets of the chosen religion.
• Mention any written works and prophets.
• Share how this religion compares to your religion (or beliefs if you do not have a chosen religion).
• What role does religion play in being happy? Provide detail and examples.

Support your position by providing three pieces of evidence from the readings and lesson content.