week 3 

Look in the news for a protest in the United States from the past 3 months. Once you have identified a protest, provide the following information as the first part your discussion post:

• What was the date of the protest?
• What was the issue(s) being protested? 
• Generally, who were the protesters?
• What were the actions of the protesters? (What did they do as part of the protest?)
• Were there any counteractions such as counter-protests, retaliation, or extra security visible during the protest? If so, describe the counteractions.

For the second part of your post, respond to the following:

Do you think the government, universities, or businesses have the right to censor protests (threaten protesters with legal action or disciplinary action for protesting) or set limits on protests (including social media), such as where and when protests can happen by citizens/students/employees? Why or why not? Did your choice of protest influence your opinion at all? Explain. 

1.

your text states that the mass media can play a relatively positive role in influencing and shaping the public agenda through the following techniques: 

• Setting the public agenda.
• Framing issues.
• Serving as a watchdog to guard against fraud and abuse. 

Choose one of the three methods above and explain how the mass media coverage informs the public about politics and public affairs in a positive way, and how it can also mislead and distort the truth.

2

Our two-party system tends to draw the voting population toward either the Democratic or Republican party. However, many people refer to themselves as politically Independent when polled.

Take a look at the most recent Gallup poll on Party Affiliation. What keeps Independents from saying that they align with either the Democrats or the Republicans? Or do they really align with one side? Explain your response.

Is the two-party system working? Why or why not? 

3

• Analyze two ethical and legal considerations in using standardized interviews or employment tests that assess aptitude, attitude, honesty, and personality during the selection process.
• Provide specific examples to support your rationale.