Interesting articles about MN from this week's election

From donning a hijab on Capitol Hill to LGBT representation, a look at Minnesota's firsts this election

Nearly 2.6 million Minnesotans turn out, set midterm voting record in state

Dean Phillips defeats Rep. Erik Paulsen for Third District seat, which was Minnesota's most expensive House race

Last post of the trimester

What do you think the results of the midterm elections on November 6th mean?  What is their significance nationally and in MN?  

Please post at the latest by Friday 11/16 at the latest.  Your post should use a minimum of 3 sources to support your argument.  I look forward to reading your posts.  :)

Post 1 - Due Sept 14th

On Tuesday, November 6, 2018 Americans will have the opportunity to vote in the midterm elections. These midterm elections will take place in the middle of Republican President Donald Trump's first term. All 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate will be on the ballot.  

Answer the following prompt(s):

*  Which party do you think will win control of the House of Representatives and Senate?  Why?

*  Who will win Minnesota's most contentious representative races?

     - Rep. Erik Paulson (R) v. Dean Phillips in the 3rd District (which includes Bloomington)

     - Dan Feehan (D) v. Jim Hagedorn (R) in the 1st District

     - Pete Stauber (R) v. Joe Radinovich (D) in the 8th District

Please answer the following prompt by class time on Friday, Sept 14th. Your answer should be well explained and use sources to support your argument. You are expected to cite your sources but you are not required to use MLA formatting. Please include links to internet source. Your goal is to use at least 3 sources in your post. Please proofread before posting. Your post will be read by me, your classmates, and even potentially others. :) A great place to look for arguments you might want to use is the opinion section of any major newspaper.  See me if you need help researching or writing your post. I look forward to reading what you have to read.

Note:  you will be graded on how & whether you back up your opinion with evidence.  You will NOT be evaluate on your opinion.

Post 4: Due Friday 2/21

After the 2012 presidential election many people believed that Congress would take immigration reform more seriously because of the growing demographic and strategic importance of the Latino vote.  However, recently Speaker of the House Boehner said that despite his previous claims this year the House would not be considering any immigration bill.

Is immigration reform a significant public policy issue?  What is the fate of immigration reform?  If it's dead now, when will it be a viable issue?  Do you think Congress and the president should put immigration reform higher on their agenda for this year?  Why or why not?

There has been a lot of coverage on this issue but right now sometimes it is hard to find with all the Olympic coverage.  I recommend doing a Google search for "immigration reform".  There are a lot articles on this topic currently.  See me if you need help researching.  Your goal is to have somewhere between 3-5 sources please.

Due Friday, 2/21st

Post 2: Congress, the president & the budget showdown

The federal government is about to run out of money.  If Congress doesn't pass and the president doesn't sign a continuing resolution which gives the federal government money to continue to operate by September 30th there will be a government shutdown.

As you know the House of Representatives is controlled by the Republicans and the Senate and the White House are controlled by the Democrats.  In order for a continuing resolution to be passed it would need bipartisan support.  Some members of the Republican Party are using the tight timeline to push for something they have long wanted - the defeat of the Affordable Care Act (ie. Obamacare).

A lot of political commentators are speculating on the upcoming showdown.  You will join your voice in this national debate:

• Do you agree with the strategy of some Republicans to use this showdown as an opportunity to try to defund the Affordable Care Act ?
• If there is a government shutdown who should get the blame - the Republicans or the Democrats and why?  
• Do you think a government shutdown is or is not a responsible outcome from this showdown?

Please post your answer with a minimum of 3 sources backing up your argument.  See me for help if you are having trouble finding articles you can use.  Please cite your research and integrate your citations into your argument.

If you need an introduction to this topic I suggest this article from the Washington Post.

This post is due on Friday, September 27th.

Post 1 for 2013!

Please answer the following prompt by class time on Friday, Sept 13th. Your answer should be well explained and use sources to support your argument. You are expected to cite your sources but you are not required to use MLA formatting. Please include links to internet source. Your goal is to use at least 3 sources in your post. Please proofread before posting. Your post will be read by me, your classmates, and even potentially others. :) A great place to look for arguments you might want to use is the opinion section of any major newspaper.  See me if you need help researching or writing your post. I look forward to reading what you have to read.

The US Congress will vote soon whether to give the president the authority to conduct military strikes on Syria. If you were a member of the Congress would you vote yes or no to authorize the president's plan and why? 

If you watch the Congressional debate(s) on CSPAN on this for your government observation paper you can use them as a source for this as well.

If you need background considering the topic I would recommend the following resources to familiarize yourself with the situation in Syria:

• BBC: The BBC has put together a page with articles on Syria & key background
• From the Washington Post "9 questions about Syria you were too embarrassed to ask" See me if you need more help
• From PBS "Your Cheat Sheet to the Syrian Conflict"
• From NPR "Which Bad Syria Option Do You Prefer"

Please don't use the articles I recommended as your own research.  You still need your own research.  Thanks.

Note:  you will be graded on how & whether you back up your opinion with evidence.  You will NOT be evaluate on your opinion.

2010 Midterm Elections

Midterm elections are always important but they seem to be especially important this year. Read up on this year's Congressional midterm elections and answer the following questions in your post. Please use complete paragraphs, cite your information and proof read BEFORE posting. I look forward to reading your first posts!

*What is the significance of this November's Congressional election?
*What do you predict the results from the midterm elections will be?
*What advice do you have for the Democrats and the Republicans? What does each party need to do in order to be successful in November?

Places you could start your research:
NPR: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=125693903
CNN: http://www.cnn.com/POLITICS/election.2010/the.basics/
Time article: http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,2004646,00.html
Cook Political Report: http://www.cookpolitical.com/
Nate Silver: http://www.fivethirtyeight.com
Polling Report: http://www.pollingreport.com/2010.htm
Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/2010-race-maps/house/

DUE MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 13TH by classtime

Issue before Congress

Research an issue that is currently or will be before Congress and write a persuasive letter to either Sen. Klobuchar or Sen. Franken on how you think they should vote. Be sure to cite your information in your letter the way we normally do and to use at least 4 sources. Use the business letter format.

I look forward to seeing what issues you'll pick and what your opinions are.

Post is due Monday, 2/22. For class on Tuesday, 2/23 please bring your letter printed out to class so that I can send it to Klobuchar or Franken for you.