e e Your reading assignments for Lesson # 2 are:
A) Chapter 2 from Edward Greenberg’s Struggle for Democracy particularly the section on Charles Beard.
B) Chapters 2 and 3 from Dr. Parenti’s Democracy for the Few
Optional reading Assignment (the following chapter is not mandatory.)
I highly recommend you read one or two chapters from William Domhoff book “Who Rules America”
Or C. Wright Mills book ” The Power Elite.” In which Mills introduces his readers to the Concept of the Ruling Class and its hegemony over the society.
Again Domhaff and Mills chapters are optional but very useful resources for this assignment.
After reading the above chapters you must answer the following question(s).
Question(s):
Many political scientists and sociologists suggest that this country was established by the rich upper-class (white Male Property Owners) and its foundation was designed to mainly protect and promote their interest. Those scientists argue that despite couple hundred years of history and a number of social movements by non-male property owner groups which have led to the right to vote by those groups as well as their participation in the social and political process in this nation, yet the foundation of the society is still intact and mainly operates to promote and protect the interest of the rich upper class.
a. Do you agree or disagree with those scientists as well as with Michael Parenti?
b. In your essay you must deal with issues such as “class power in early America.,” Was there a class power in early America?
c. If yes how did that affect the writing of the constitution and the quality of democracy in the United States?
d. How all these authors deal with the issue of class power in those assigned chapters from their books.
e. Do they believe that the United States is still dominated by white male property owners?
f. Do you agree or disagree with them? Which one of those three authors? Why? Fully explain your position and support it.
I have to caution you that I do not want an emotional response to these questions. As students in a political science class in a higher education institution, you are required to write a scholarly essay.
You have to answer the entire question (s). Your essay must cover your response to parts a, b, c, d, e, and f.
Keep in mind that you must post at least one long post and two short posts.
Again your long post must be at least two and a half pages long and your short posts must be at least a couple of paragraphs long.
Information about citation
The file that I gave you is a textbook for the class.
Most of the citing has to be from that book.
Some websites I can give you or help you out are down below. If not you can search up other realiable sources.
Webquest # 2 – Education
Your text book (and the CD ROM) contains a copy of the Constitution, or you can read it online at http://www.usconstitution.net/
(Links to an external site.)
. Read through the Constitution and see what it says about education.
Can’t find anything specific? Go to the site of the nation’s largest educational organization, the National Education Association, and ask their search engine (http://www.nea.org//
(Links to an external site.)
) to find Constitution. What sorts of issues do you find? Are any of those issues linked to the Constitution?
Or, check out Overlawyered.com
(Links to an external site.)
. If the courts are involved in education does that mean Constitutional questions are being asked?
The point of this exercise is not to find anything specific; it is to begin your exploration of the topic and begin to think about whether the Constitution defines education policy or more recent political developments.
Webquest # 3 – Technology
Can the Constitution withstand the challenges of cyberspace?
Find out what you think. The links provided below contain background information:
• The Congressional Institute
(Links to an external site.)
is a private organization providing brief issue analysis and legislative Updates. Hopefully the link will send you to the background reports on censorship and regulation..
• The Electronic Frontier Foundation at http://www.eff.org/blueribbon.html
(Links to an external site.)
is an organization on the Internet devoted to free speech.
• The Freedom Forum First Amendment Center athttp://www.freedomforum.org/
(Links to an external site.)
is a private international foundation dedicated to the first amendment freedoms of speech and of the press. The First Amendment timeline at http://www.freedomforum.org/first/timeline97.asp
(Links to an external site.)
is part of the Freedom Forum’s website. They also have an interesting link to news stories on technology at http://www.freedomforum.org/technology/welcome.asp
(Links to an external site.)
• The Progress and Freedom Foundation at http://www.pff.org/
(Links to an external site.)
is a conservative think tank.
