Prompt for American Government and Politics Reflective Essay In the reflective essay you will discuss your – Get help from top-rated tutors 2024

Prompt for American Government and Politics Reflective Essay

In the reflective essay, you will discuss your preconceptions about American government and politics; what you did and did not know about American government and politics before completing the course. You will explain the concepts of American government and politics and will also explain the institutions of government, including but not limited to, Congress, the Executive Branch and the bureaucracy, the courts, interest groups, and the media, and the role they play in politics and the American government system.  The purpose of this essay is for you to make sense of the course and the course materials in the context of the real world and your role in the political process. The main audience for this paper is yourself, so you will be expected to honestly explore your views, be open to new information, analyze the course materials, and demonstrate a full understanding of the issues that most impact American government and politics. 

Your paper should include the following four elements:

I.  Exploration

Discuss the preconceptions you brought to the class and explain how they have been challenged

by the course.

II.  Explanation

Explain what government and politics are. What do they “do”, who/ what is involved in the process, what purpose does government serve, etc.?

III.  Analysis

Based upon your own experiences and what was discussed in class, are there things in American government and politics that you think can be improved upon or changed? In other words, what works and what doesn’t? What recommendations for improvement/ change would you make? 

IV.  Synthesis

Explain how you might put these recommendations into action. In doing so, make sure you reevaluate your preconceptions. How have they changed as a result of this course? How might these changes affect how you view government and politics in the future?

GENERAL GUIDELINES:

1. The paper should be a minimum of 1000 words. A paper of less than the minimum word count will be marked down;
2. Your essay should reference the notes used in class and the textbook and should be cited appropriately; you do not need to include a works cited page unless you use other sources;