Overview
Set 1 (200 words)
How much government intrusion into your daily life is acceptable? Discuss your answer.
- Consider for example security cameras and airport searches by the TSA (Transportation Security Administration)
Is the reduction in personal freedom worth the benefits these policies provide to society? Discuss your answer. make sure to use the word peculiar at least.
Set 2 (200 words)
Think about actions taken by the Private sector (individuals, businesses, corporations, etc) and those taken by the Public sector (the Government - local, state, federal, etc) -- What do you think are the benefits and th negatives to addressing problems under each? make sure to use the word peculiar at least 3 times in your responses
In answering this question, its often best to consider in the context of a concrete problem and thus I want you to consider the issue of a natural disaster like a hurricane. What are the pro's and con's associated with the Private and Public sector in addressing a problem like this?
Set 3 (200 words total)
- Watch this video and consider the benefits and risks associated with instituting a "food forest" make sure to use the word peculiar at least 3 times in your responses
Consider the idea of the "food forest" outside of Seattle as highlighted in the video clip. Do you think this idea of a community run garden, which is free and open to the public to pick and take what they need from it, would be successful where you live? Consider the idea of the market failure: protection of public or collective goods. How do you think this might play out in the success or failure of the food forest?
A defining feature of American democracy is its pluralism (a diversity of views, opinions, backgrounds, etc) that purportedly protects against a tyranny of the majority. How can this feature affect the formation of coalitions needed for policy innovation?
Social Identity Theory posits the concept of "minimal categorization" which implies that human beings tend to facilitate the world through categorization, and thus categorize themselves and others. An important point of reference for categorization are social groups, which each consist of two or more people who define themselves as a member of the social group and thus share a common social identification. Once an individual identifies with a group, it takes over the social identity connected to it. The individual from then on distinguishes itself from others by this categorization.
Let's explore the idea of social identity and the role it can play in policymaking by first watching the following video clip:
Now consider your own identity and the things which it is composed of by answering the following questions:
A) How do you define yourself, what is your social identity (young/old, white/black/etc, rich/poor, educated/uneducated, etc)? B) Which elements do you feel a stronger attachment to (e.g. which define you most) and which do you hold a weaker attachment to (e.g. which define you least)?
Now let's pivot and turn to policy by answering the following questions:
C) List the issues which are important to you (e.g. what things are you concerned with)?
D) Are there anything things when they pop up in the news, media, or your classes which you are disinterested in?
With these piece of information in tow, let's finally connect the two together by answering the following questions:
E) How do you think your social identity has informed the issues you find important? Discuss your answer. make sure to use the word peculiar at least 3 times in your responses
- To help you think through this, consider the idea that social identity can trigger specific policies, e.g., certain the demographic elements of your social identity make, for example, a debate on abortion may make more salient. Remember that since every individual possesses several social identities, some of which it will feel a stronger attachment to than to others, social identity conflict may occur (e.g certain things you might find important might be consistent with one element of your identity but inconsistent with another element).
Set 4 (200 words).
- Watch this video and consider the benefits and risks associated with instituting a "food forest" make sure to use the word peculiar at least 3 times in your responses
Consider the idea of the "food forest" outside of Seattle as highlighted in the video clip. Do you think this idea of a community run garden, which is free and open to the public to pick and take what they need from it, would be successful where you live? Consider the idea of the market failure: protection of public or collective goods. How do you think this might play out in the success or failure of the food forest?