Response paper on trust:

Write a three to four page paper answering the question of if you trust the government to enact policies that progress the wellbeing of its citizens (keep in mind this is about trusting the government to do the right thing, not always the thing that you like – we don’t like many of the of the policies that place obligations upon us but they serve to better ourselves, our community and fellow citizens in the long run). In your answer I want to you draw from the materials that we have covered in class. This includes the institutional design of our government: three branches of government, federalism, our electoral system, government bureaucracy and the policy making process and the influences of various political actors: special interest groups, media, parties, and the voting public.

In your answer I want you to think about which aspects of our government help to build trust and which tend to reduce trust. Your paper should include a minimum of two aspects that help build trust and two that reduce trust. Your discussion should be driven by theories and ideas that we have discussed in class and which have been covered in our reading. Make sure that the opinions you state in your paper are backed up by accurate applying the course material to your argument. Avoid empty arguments. If you make a claim, show the logic that you used to reach that conclusion and demonstrate how what you have learned in this course helps to shape that logic or supports your claims. By the end of your paper it should be clear through your argument and evidence how the strengths and weaknesses you present shape your overall view of trusting the policies that emerge from our political system.