I’m working on a writing discussion question and need an explanation to help me understand better.

Threaded Discussion Instructions

Review the threaded discussion question posted by the course faculty. You are required to submit at least two (2) responses to this question by 11:59pm EST on Sunday. The first response should be to the faculty; the second response can be directed either to the faculty or to other students in the class. Your responses should be substantive, and reflect analytical and critical thinking skills, as well as, a thorough understanding of your reading assignment. A typical response should consist of 100-150 words in a single-spaced format. Refer to the TDQ Rubric below for more guidance on how to respond.

Government presents us with the formal institutions through which we live our social, economic, religious, and other cultural lives and the political institutions that men and women use to see to our government. Our textbook describes politics, the process by which our government works, as follows: “Politics centers on actions among a number of people involving influence. How do people get others to do what they wish? How does our society or any group…distribute its valued things, such as wealth, prestige, and security? Who gets these values, and how?”

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So, government is the formal expression of influence .Government as institutions, whether national, state, or local, does two fundamental things. First, people in government determine who will benefit from society’s values, when and how they will benefit from them, and why? Benefits range from public assistance to the right to vote, from national health care insurance to assistance in times of natural disaster. Second, those who are elected, appointed, or hired in government also regulate the use of society’s legitimate force against members or enemies of that society, which is generally done for the benefit of others.

Along with introducing you to government and politics, your readings this week introduce you to the Constitution, which as our textbook authors point out, provides us with “rules of the game” for conducting government and politics. It provides an historical background of the drafting of the original Constitution document and the debate over ratification of that document. It then discusses two fundamental characteristics of the government created by the Constitution: the separation of powers and checks and balances. So, with your readings and the above brief summary of what was written in your textbook for this week’s lesson, please respond to the following:

Government is the expression of power; power is the creation of influence; and, influence affects the relationships between people and groups of a particular society. Now, think for a moment: What types of relationships can you think of, within our American society, and identify as being influenced by power within the institutions of government? How might the influence be exerted, with what guarantee of power (consequences), and by what institutions or agencies of government? Please identify and discuss at least three examples.

Your response to this initial post should be at least two or three paragraphs in length (at least five sentences per paragraph) and include specific examples to support your opinions. Once you have responded to this post, I will read your response. At that time, I will either provide a follow-up post for your response or direct you to critique another students’ response. Please wait for me to do this before you continue.

Your second response, or critique of another student, should be at least one to two paragraphs and do the following: state what you agree with as to what is written; state what you might not agree with; and, add something else to the discussion. It is expected that you will be on your best netiquette when you respond to either my of other student’s writing.

Rubrics

• TEM Threaded Discussion Rubric