Signature Assignment Option 3 (Unit 6): Governor and Public Policy Paper
Last Name: O-Z
(3-5 page)
16% of final grade
Paper must be double spaced, with one inch margins, 12 point font and include section headers for each of the paper sections noted below (Effective Campaign Issues, Summary of Formal and Informal Powers, Formal Powers Applied to Issues, Informal Powers Applied to Issues) and at least three full pages long.
Objective: The objective for this assignment is for students to understand the critical linkage between participatory democracy (elections) and public policy in a representative democracy. It is the individual and corporate responsibility of the voters to make sure that elected officials implement public policy beneficial to the public and, if they do not, to remove them from office the next election. Students must explain how elected governors can use their formal and informal powers to influence public policy.
Congratulations! You have recently been elected the Governor of Texas. You built your successful campaign around promises to address four issues that are significant to the voters of Texas: controlling immigration from Mexico, controlling spending on social programs (welfare, food stamps, Medicaid), making sure the death penalty is applied fairly and improving k-12 education. Please discuss each of these issues and focus on the following:
Why these issues likely helped get you elected Governor (refer to Campaign message and campaign strategy from Unit 2)? (Unit 2 Written Lectures, Slide 2-25)
Discuss the formal and informal powers of the Governor Texas? (Unit 6 Written Lectures, Slides 6-5, 6-6, 6-7, 6-8, 6-9, 6-10))
What is at least one formal power (do not use the same formal power all of the issues) that you can use to get each policy passed by the legislature? (Unit 6 Written Lectures, Slides 6-5, 6-6 & 6-7)
What is at least one informal power (do not use the same informal power for each of the issues) that you can use to get each policy passed by the legislature? (Unit 6 Written Lectures, Slides 6-9 & 6-10)
Paper should be organized using subject headers (ie. Campaign issues, Formal and informal powers, etc.).
Assessment: Your Assignment will be assessed based on the following rubric.
