1. Overview: Political parties are the principle institutions for the popular control of government.

2. The two major characteristics of American political parties: (1) Dispersed power/decentralization – multiple power centers in our political party system. Reasons: federalism, separation of powers, the nomination process, campaign finance, the spirit of localism, significance of outsiders in our political process.  (2) The strengthening of the political party organization: the state and local party is stronger and more effective today than a few decades ago. Yet ironically, the state and local party organization has less impact on public policy than they once did. Discussion of reasons why.

3. Party Competition: (1) Overview – effective competition between political parties is not always the norm. In some states and localities and at various times it is strongly competitive and in other areas and at other times it is dominated by one party. (2) Competitiveness in Congressional elections. (3) Competition on the state level.  (4) Party competition and issue positions. 

4. The role of the political party system in government: (1) Definition of “party in government”: Public officials who are either elected under the party label or are appointed by those who are elected constitute the party in government. (2) The greater the level of party cohesion in government the more able is party leadership to enact public policy and govern.   (3) Why do members of the same party in government (for example in the Legislature), as we have seen so clearly over the past few years, disagree on legislation so often? (4) How the design of the American political system works against a unified party in government. (5) How, over the past several years, the major political parties have been acting more like responsible and cohesive parties in government.

 Answer the questions below. (1-2)pages

1. Pick either the Syrian Civil war or the Rise of ISIS and using the levels of analysis, discuss what factors you think led to the start of each.
2. Think about the current complexity of the conflict (actors/interests/power capability) and what the options may be for resolving the conflict.
3. What is the Responsibility to Protect and why do you think it hasn’t been used in Syria?  

If you prefer reading, there is the BBC description.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-26116868

• Go to http://www.unoosa.org (Links to an external site.) and read the 1972 Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects
• View the Dr. Gerardine Goh Escolar video “State Responsibility and Liability in International Space Law.”
• Using materials from links on the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs website,
• the Journal of Space Law, (e.g.)
  • Andrew Brearly, “Reflections upon the Notion of Liability: Kosmos 954 and Space Debris.” v.34/#2 (Winter 2008)
  • Paul Dembling, “Catastrophic Accidents; Indemnification of Contractors Against Third Party Liability.” v.10/#1&2 (1982)
  • Paul Dembling, “The 1986 Challenger Disaster: Legal Implications.” v.19/#1 (1991)
• The Space Review, (e.g.)
  • Scott Kerr, “Liability for space debris collisions and the Kessler Syndrome.” parts 1&2 (1/2/2018)
• and other resources (Googling is encouraged), write a 4-7 page, double-spaced essay (footnoted with bibliography) on the following:
  • Summarize the Articles of the Liability Convention (definitions, grounds for liability, exceptions to liability, compensation and exceptions, and mechanics of processing claims)
  • Who is bound by the Convention?
  • What if a state/entity has insufficient funds to settle a claim?
  • Is there a statute of limitations for settling claims?  What if damages do not become apparent for decades?
  • Can a state claim sovereign immunity from paying claims?
  • How to determine what type of “claims commission” to agree to?  Is there a role for the International Court of Justice?  Should a special court be created like is the case with the Maritime Tribunal established for the Deep Seabed Authority in the 1982 Law of the Sea Treaty?  Utilize the Permanent Court of Arbitration (see their “PSA Optional Rules for Arbitration of Disputes Relating to Outer Space Activities” https://pca-cpa.org/en/search/?q=outer+space+rules (Links to an external site.))
  • How do states govern the liability for private entities and their activities?

This is for International Relations Theories…..

This assignment is a take-home essay assignment of 1 question, 3 full pages, to test knowledge and assimilation of the course objectives. Use required readings and outside scholarly sources as needed. This means that you must use materials from the course lessons on this assignment, focusing on integrating as many readings as possible from lessons 1-3 in addition to reliable outside sources. This is a formal assessment; you must demonstrate that you can synthesize and analyze the material. This means quotations can only be used sparingly, if at all.  

How can theory help us to study, understand, and explain the twenty-first-century world?

Please submit your assignment as a Word doc, using Times New Roman 12-point font, standard one-inch margins, and double spacing.

Assignment Rubric: First Essay Length: 1250 – 1700 words Format: Double-spaced, using APA, MLA, or Chicago styling Due date: Midnight on Friday, 7 February 2020 Submission type: DOC or PDF file on Canvas Instructions: For this essay, you (1) must address discrimination against Hispanics in the US (does it happen, in what forms, is it improving?), and (2) assess whether Hispanics are successfully assimilating to American society. Feel free to cite outside sources, or material from the lectures or course readings to support your arguments. All facts and figures require appropriate citations. Devote 1 or 2 pages of your paper to (3) reflect on your personal experiences with discrimination and assimilation. (4) Do your personal experiences or the experiences of people you know fit into the assimilation model? In brainstorming, consider concepts discussed in class, like the glass ceiling, and the geographic distribution of Hispanic immigrants across the US, etc. Are places like Miami, New York, or Los Angeles unique in their treatment of Hispanic ethnic identity from the rest of the US? In other words, do all Hispanics across the US have the same experiences with discrimination and assimilation?