1. POL 201 week 2 DQ 1
Ashford 3: – Week 2 – Discussion 1 Your initial discussion thread is due on Day 3
(Thursday) and you have until Day 7 (Monday) to respond to your classmates. Your grade
will reflect both the quality of your initial post and the depth of your responses. Reference
the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric for guidance on how your discussion will be
evaluated. Policy-making in the Federal System The U.S. government’s expansive role in
public policy is caught in a swirl of conflicting cross-currents. On the one hand, popular
expectations about government’s responsibility to solve problems often exceed the capacity
of state and local authorities to respond effectively. On the other hand, policies developed at
the national level may not sufficiently reflect the great diversity of interests across the U.S.
to be effective at the local level. Moreover, the search for effective policy is further
complicated by theoretical debates about the constitutional framework of federalism, e.g.,
what limits on national power can be derived from the Tenth Amendment? A policy area
in the middle of these cross-currents is elementary and secondary education – a subject
traditionally under local control, with some oversight by the states. However, during the
last four decades – especially since 2001 – the national government’s role in education has
grown significantly as a result of initiatives by Republican and Democratic administrations.
Use the assigned resources to inform yourself about this role and the arguments of its
supporters and critics. Before writing your initial post, review the assigned resources. To
easily access the resources from the Ashford University Library, please see the table located
in the Course Materials section. In your initial post of at least 200-250 words, briefly
summarize the national government’s education policies. Explain the main pros and cons in
the debate about these policies. Evaluate them from two perspectives: The policies’
effectiveness in improving the quality of U.S. elementary and secondary education.
(Justify your assessment by clearly explaining your definition of “effectiveness” and how
it should be measured or determined.) Their consistency with the constitutional
framework of federalism. (Justify your assessment by clearly explaining
your interpretation of American federalism’s constitutional framework and
why federal education policies are or are not consistent with it.)Fully respond to all parts
of the question. Write in your own words. Support your position with APA citations to two
or more of the assigned resources required for this discussion. Please be sure that you
demonstrate understanding of these resources, integrate them into your argument, and cite
them properly. By Day 7, respond to at least two of your classmates’ initial posts. Your peer
responses each must be at least 75 words. They must demonstrate critical thinking (e.g., ask
2. a relevant question about your peer’s post while explaining why your question is significant,
or state a perspective that contrasts with your peer’s while explaining or justifying your
position). Respond
