Political Participation Assignment

To participate effectively in government, you must have sufficient information about the institutions of government and the provisions they make for citizen participation. A research paper on political participation will teach you how our government works and why participation from citizens is so vital. Paper Masters can explicate any aspect of the political process or government that you need examined to better understand your role as a participant in democracy.

Before you do this, however, check all the sources suggested below. The Political Participation Assignment Research Paper should look at the following aspects of government:

1. Your Political Science Textbook will have excellent topic choices
2. Encyclopedia of Associations, Associations Unlimited (online database)
3. Special Interests: Texas, newspapers, magazines, and library periodicals for publications of interest groups.
4. Consult the group's own publications.
5. Choose a private interest group which attempts to influence the policy decisions of the Texas government or a local government.

Answer the Following Questions for the Political Participation Assignment Research Paper and be sure to list the source at the end of each question:

1. What is the name of the group, and how does one become a member?
2. What is its purpose?
3. Does the group have different levels of organization based on geography? How is it organized?
4. What is the name and title of the highest officer at the national, and at the state (TX), local (Tarrant County) or regional level.
5. What is the address, telephone number, and the e-mail if any of the offices at each of the levels in "D"?
6. When and where are meetings held at all levels? Be specific enough so you could go to one.
7. How are officers chosen at all levels? By what procedure and by whom?
8. How can individual members make their opinions known to leaders of the group? Be specific.
9. Does the group ask members to attempt to influence government directly? How?
10. Does the group have a paid staff? Paid lobbyists?
11. Does the group offer benefits to members such as insurance, subscriptions, etc.? What? Relate this answer to what you've learned about interest groups.
12. Name one governmental executive agency and one committee or subcommittee of a legislative body with which the group regularly works. Be sure you understand this question before you answer it.
13. What is one issue (specific bill, regulation, or decision) on which the group is currently trying to influence an agency, a court, or a legislature? What is the group's position?

As we have seen, a lackadaisical attitude, especially by younger adults, has resulted in a very poor voter-turnout rate. Many simply do not care, feeling their vote does not count, they are not wanted, or they are ignored by elected officials.

As we mentioned above, education is one of the keys to reversing this trend. One 12th grade teacher of civics and government challenges her classes by having them debate controversial issues, such as flag-burning. Students engage in role-playing, some taking the position of Supreme Court justices, while others are lawyers and spectators who are encouraged to become involved.

This teacher's class could well be a model for every high school and even elementary classroom across the country. It does not matter whether the school is in a rich suburban or a poor urban area; participating now means participating later, as well.

Further, given the tragic events of September 11, patriotism has soared in America. Freedom, which we have always taken for granted, was sorely tested. Students wear flag pins, dress in patriotic colors, and are eager to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and sing the National Anthem again. However, this cannot replace educating students in the true meaning of democracy, and that means teaching them the critical importance of voting and getting involved at the local level in civic affairs and community politics. Through such participation, our nation will only grow stronger, our electorate more insightful, and the people united in a unified sense of purpose.