Comparing the two. Must meet the proficient level or better
Write a 6-8-page essay comparing two U.S. states’ approaches to issues of same-sex marriage or immigration policy.
Note: You must complete Assessment 4 before beginning this assessment.
How can sociological research help us understand how laws and policies are made and how they change over time? How might we use the sociological perspective to develop more effective solutions to political and social issues or create policies that are effective and based on sound research? These are questions to consider as you explore the connection between political and economic power and legislative decision making.
In this final assessment, you study how our culture’s beliefs about diversity are reflected in the law-making and policy-making process, including laws and policies that pertain to immigration and same-sex marriage. As you compare and contrast how two specific states have approached immigration or same-sex marriage, reflect on which sociological theories (such as power elite theory, state autonomy theory, or pluralism) best apply to the policy decisions that have been made in your states. Something to think about, too, is whether the policies and positions maintained by those in power actually reflect the research and data on the topic or issue they address. The research you do for this final assessment should show you how power and politics, as well as population demographics, influence policy making.
Demonstration of Proficiency
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the course competencies through the following assessment scoring guide criteria:
· Competency 1: Describe theoretical ideas of power in relation to policy.
. Discuss contrasts in how states approach a diversity issue, using theoretical ideas of power.
· Competency 2: Identify historical and contemporary influences of discrimination in U.S. culture.
. Discuss law, policy, or politics in states with varying approaches to a diversity issue.
· Competency 3: Analyze the effects of social policy using aggregated data.
. Analyze data to project how state policies might affect population migration.
· Competency 4: Analyze how laws are applied or created based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, and social class.
. Discuss contrasts between two states in areas of law, politics, or policy as they apply to a diversity issue.
· Competency 5: Apply diversity strategies in professional, educational, and personal contexts.
. Apply historical solutions to an issue where there are discrepancies between state and federal diversity law.
· Competency 6: Communicate effectively.
. Write coherently to support a central idea in appropriate format and with few errors of grammar, usage, and mechanics.
Instructions
Building on your research and analysis of the immigration policy or same-sex marriage debates, this assessment asks you to more closely examine the connection between power, policy, and law making by comparing and contrasting how two states have handled these issues.
In order to understand the link between power and political and legal decision making, you will place this process in each state in the appropriate context. That means that you need to assess the historical, demographic, cultural, and socioeconomic factors that have influenced each state’s different approach to immigration policy or same-sex marriage. You will also reflect on the consequences of state-to-state discrepancies in policies and laws regarding controversial social and political issues like these.
This assessment combines the key components of studying cultural diversity from a sociological perspective—placing current social issues in historical context, understanding how demographic and cultural trends influence public opinion, and applying sociological theories to determine the role of power in shaping policy-making decisions.
Write an essay addressing each of the following three parts:
· Part 1 – Complete the following:
. Discuss one of the following for each of the two states you have chosen as it relates to your chosen topic:
. Law (rules and standards enforced by a particular institution).
. Politics (the key political players in the policy-making and law-making processes).
. Policy (principles or methods used to achieve a particular goal or make decisions about political or social issues).
· Discuss theories of power that might explain the differences between how each state has handled your issue.
. Examples of theories of power include power elite theory, the four networks theory of power, pluralism, Marxist theory, and state autonomy theory.
· Discuss other possible explanations for the differences in how each state’s government has approached your topic. Address at least three of the following potential factors, and come up with another of your own that might explain the divergent approaches you have identified:
. Demographics of the state population, including age, race/ethnicity, gender, and percentage of the population in urban versus rural areas.
. Geography.
. Religion.
. History.
. Socioeconomic standing, including median or average income and education levels of the population, as well as the overall economic well-being of each state.
· Part 2 – Answer the following, incorporating data to support your answers:
· To what extent have these states’ existing policies and laws affected past or recent migration patterns of the groups affected (immigrants or those seeking same-sex marriage rights)?
· How might future migration patterns be affected?
· Part 3 – Complete the following:
· Reflect on a historical precedent in which a state has had to alter its laws as a result of inconsistencies with federal law.
. Why and how did the state change its laws?
. What lessons might be learned from this precedent, and how can those lessons be applied to your topic?
Additional Requirements
· Written communication: Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message.
· Length: 6–8 pages, not including the title and reference pages.
· Format: Include a title page and reference page, and format the essay and your citations according to current APA style and formatting guidelines.
· Sources: Cite at least four credible, scholarly sources to support your points.
· Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12-point.
2/16/22, 11’05 AM
Comparing Politics, Law, Policy, and Power Scoring Guide
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Comparing Politics, Law, Policy, and Power Scoring Guide
CRITERIA NON-PERFORMANCE BASIC PROFICIENT DISTINGUISHED
Discuss contrasts in
how states approach
a diversity issue,
using theoretical
ideas of power.
Does not discuss
contrasts in how
states approach a
diversity issue.
Discusses
contrasts in how
states approach a
diversity issue but
does not include
appropriate
theoretical ideas of
power.
Discusses
contrasts in how
states approach a
diversity issue,
using theoretical
ideas of power.
Discuss contrasts in how
states approach a diversity
issue, using theoretical ideas
of power, and includes
supporting citations from
scholarly sources.
Discuss law, policy,
or politics in states
with varying
approaches to a
diversity issue.
Does not list
differences in law,
policy, or politics in
states with varying
approaches to a
diversity issue
Lists differences in
law, policy, or
politics in states
with varying
approaches to a
diversity issue.
Discusses
differences in law,
policy, or politics in
states with varying
approaches to a
diversity issue.
Discusses differences in law,
policy, or politics in states with
varying approaches to a
diversity issue and cites
specific examples of their
application.
Analyze data to
project how state
policies might affect
population
migration.
Does not analyze
data to project how
state policies might
affect population
migration.
Analyzes data but
does not project a
reasonable
assessment of how
state policies might
affect population
migration.
Analyzes data to
project how state
policies might affect
population
migration.
Analyzes data to project how
state policies might affect
population migration, including
a discussion of past migrations
for context and citations for
scholarly sources.
Discuss contrasts
between two states
in areas of law,
politics, or policy as
they apply to a
diversity issue.
Does not list
contrasts between
two states in areas of
law, politics, or policy
as they apply to a
diversity issue.
Lists contrasts
between two states
in areas of law,
politics, or policy as
they apply to a
diversity issue.
Discusses
contrasts between
two states in areas
of law, politics, or
policy as they apply
to a diversity issue.
Discusses contrasts between
two states in areas of law,
politics, or policy as they apply
to a diversity issue, including
real-world examples of their
application.
Apply historical
solutions to an issue
where there are
discrepancies
between state and
federal diversity law.
Does not list
historical solutions to
an issue where there
are discrepancies
between state and
federal diversity law.
Lists historical
solutions to an
issue where there
are discrepancies
between state and
federal diversity
law.
Applies historical
solutions to an
issue where there
are discrepancies
between state and
federal diversity
law.
Applies historical solutions to
an issue where there are
discrepancies between state
and federal diversity law, and
points out areas where the
lessons learned might not be
applicable.
Write coherently to
support a central
idea in appropriate
format and with few
errors of grammar,
usage, and
mechanics.
Does not write
coherently to support
a central idea in
appropriate format.
Does not use correct
grammar, usage, and
mechanics.
Writes to support
an idea. Format is
inconsistent and
contains major
errors of grammar,
usage, and
mechanics.
Writes coherently to
support a central
idea in appropriate
format and with few
errors of grammar,
usage, and
mechanics.
Writes coherently, using
evidence to support a central
idea in a consistently
appropriate format with correct
grammar, usage, and
mechanics.
