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To complete the following discussions, go to this week’s links in the left navigation. Prior to beginning work on this discussion question, read Chapters 5 and 6 in . In addition, read the following articles: “ ,” “ ,” and the ProQuest article “Why the Electoral College is Bad for America.” Also, please watch this week’s videos, and regarding the U.S. Constitution. As the textbook author asserts, the Framers intentionally designed a process for selecting presidents that would minimize the president’s political power – the Electoral College. They hoped this institution would insulate the chief executive from the public because they feared the power of presidents who might be elected by the people. However, the Electoral College has also spawned a long ongoing debate about whether the Electoral College should be abandoned in favor of new methods, which would ensure that the candidate elected has the most popular votes. The controversy over the Electoral College must be understood in order to better understand how and why U.S. presidents are elected. In your initial post, summarize how the Electoral College works. Explain some of the main pros and cons in the debate about whether to keep or abolish the current Electoral College process. In addition, evaluate one proposal to change how the system works . Would this proposal effectively address some of the cons that you identified earlier in your post? Please explain your response. Fully respond to all parts of the question and write your response in your own words. Your initial post must be 200 to 250 words. Support your position with APA citations from 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 should be 75to 100 words each. As your reply to your classmates, attempt to take the conversation further by examining their claims or arguments in more depth or responding to the posts that they make to you. Keep the discussion on target and try to analyze things in as much detail as you can. For instance, you might consider comparing your classmates’ proposals for changing the Electoral College against your own proposal. Prior to beginning your reflection this week, read chapters 5, 6, and 7 in . Review the videos, and regarding the U.S. Constitution. The executive and judicial branches of the U.S. national government often seem to operate independently and with little conflict. Many laws are signed by the President and then implemented without a word from the judicial branch. However, there are times when executive decisions are challenged by the judicial branch in a process called judicial review. In addition, there are times when a judicial review has direct impact on your life. For example, when the Supreme Court declared the constitutional, many people without health care insurance were finally able to purchase health care insurance. Additionally, when the Supreme Court declared sections of the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional, some of the constraints that prevented many gay and lesbian coupl

es from marrying were eliminated. Executive Order 13658 on February 20, 2014 also had a direct impact on many business people that contract with the federal government by increasing the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour. Clearly, the actions of the executive and judicial branches often directly affect our lives. In your initial post, explain how and why the actions of the executive and/or judicial branches have personally affected your life. 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. Fully respond to all parts of the prompt and write your response in your own words. Your initial post must be 200 to 250 words. 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 should be 75 to 100 words each. As your reply to your classmates, attempt to take the conversation further by examining their claims or arguments in more depth or responding to the posts that they make to you. Keep the discussion on target and try to analyze things in as much detail as you can. For instance, you might consider contrasting the impacts of the executive and/or judicial branches on your life with the impacts of these branches described by your peers on their lives. To complete the following quiz, go to this week’s link in the left navigation. Complete the quiz on the assigned readings for the week. Carefully read and critically reflect on this week’s readings before attempting this quiz. Keep in mind that you may use your book as you complete this quiz. You will have two opportunities to take this quiz. This quiz utilizes a test bank so each attempt may contain different questions. Please note that your last attempt will be the grade recorded in the gradebook. Once you open this quiz, it will remain open for 12 hours. However, you must finish it in one sitting, as it will time out after 45 minutes of inactivity. When finished, click on and then on . The amount of time the quiz will take to complete will vary by individual. To complete the following assignment, go to this week’s link in the left navigation. The three branches of our government each play crucial roles in the U.S. national government. Each branch has specific power, duties, and responsibilities that are the most apparent features of our system of separate powers. Nevertheless, each branch has been critiqued for having definite strengths and weaknesses that become obvious in certain situations. Analyzing these strengths and weaknesses will enable you to evaluate and recommend ways to enhance and correct these fundamental assets and deficiencies of the branches of our national government. To complete the assignment, save the to your computer, fill it out, and submit it. Develop a detailed outline of your third main point using the Week Three Learning Activity Worksheet. View the for help on how to find and evaluate sources for assignments in this course. Carefully review the for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.