Homework 5

 

 

 

 

BE SURE TO FOLLOW THE FILE-NAMING CONVENTIONS FOR THIS COURSE (5% penalty if you do not).

All files should be saved on your computer as: your last name, followed by an underscore ("_"), followed by the first two letters of your first name, followed by an underscore ("_"), followed by the assignment number. So if a student named Saddam Hussein were to submit assignment number 5, the file name would be:

hussein_sa_5.doc

 

 

Don't stop until you see "end of assignment"

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

1) Central to the authors' arguments is the concept of "frames" in political discussions. Using your own words, explain what a "frame" is and then, choosing one of the three examples below, describe how the choice of frames would dictate different policy responses for the issue.

Example 1: Immigration

Discussions over immigration often choose one of two frames: (A) the virtue (or lack thereof) of individual immigrants or (B) the collective impact of immigration on society. How might framing the debate using one rather than the other of these two frames suggest very different policy responses?

Example 2: Terrorism

Discussions over terrorism often choose one of two frames: (A) terrorism is the product of a clash of civilizations or (B) terrorists are a type of criminal and police can adapt to meet this new type of crime. How might framing the debate using one rather than the other of these two frames suggest very different policy responses?

Example 3: Teen Pregnancy

Discussions over teen pregnancy often choose one of two frames: (A) teens get pregnant because their parents haven't supervised them closely enough or (B) teens get pregnant the same way adults get pregnant--by not using birth control. How might framing the debate using one rather than the other of these two frames suggest very different policy responses?

2) Explain in a detailed paragraph or two how and why, according to the authors, did the success of the civil rights movement give rise to discussions of "law and order" and the "war on crime"? Remember to support your argument with specifics from the reading.

3) As the authors note, by 1972 race became central to voters' self-identification. What previously had been key to how voters saw themselves and how did the shift to race-based identities alter American politics, according to the authors? (requires a detailed paragraph)

4) What was the "southern strategy"? Be sure to use your own words and to provide specifics.


5) What about the federal role in narcotics enforcement as opposed to other types of crime lead the Nixon administration to declare a war on drugs and why? (Be sure to use your own words)

6) How did President Reagan shift both enforcement priorities and our definition of what constitutes "crime"? Did the shift in enforcement reflect a shift in public sentiment? Explain why or why not and using specifics from the reading to support your arguments.

7) What "frame" did President Reagan use when discussing crime? How accurate was this frame?

8) Describe the policy differences between Republicans and Democrats regarding crime in 1990s. Were the two political parties' policies more similar or more different?



"END OF ASSIGNMENT"