Expansion or Contraction—Big Bangs in Politics!

Purpose: The primary goal of this weekly summative assignment is to examine one of the most important governmental institutions that embody the U.S. government, the Executive Branch.

Prepare: Review Chapters 5 to 7 in the course text.

Reflect: The role of human nature in the construction of political institutions is a very important dynamic in how those political institutions are created, how they evolve over time, and how they solve problems. In the past and today, many very important political institutions have faced and are still facing complex and multi-faceted challenges. Responding to these challenges often creates unintended side effects that change the very nature and capabilities of the institution. For example, the executive institutions of the U.S. government (also known as the Executive Branch), before the Civil War consisted only of the Departments of State, War, and Treasury. However, during the Civil War, thousands of new employees were added to the federal government and new Departments (i.e., Agriculture) and many new responsibilities were added to the central government. The nature and capabilities of the Executive Branch of government rapidly changed as a result of the Civil War.

Write: In your essay of at least 600 words, investigate the executive institutions of the U.S. government. First, describe a historical event that significantly affected the nature and capabilities of the executive institutions of the U.S. government. Next, explain how and why this event changed the nature of the Executive Branch. Finally, explain how and why this event changed the capabilities of the Executive Branch.

NOTE: There can be many examples of events that have significantly changed the institution’s nature and capabilities; however, due to length constraints, focus only on one institution and one event.

The Week Two Assignment:

• Must be at least 600 words (not including title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in Introduction to APA.
  • Must include a separate title page with the following:
  • Title of paper
  • Student’s name
  • Course name and number
  • Instructor’s name
  • Date submitted
• Must use at least three appropriate sources.
  • These could include the course text and any of the required or recommended resources for this week.
  • You can also include additional resources found on the Ashford University Library website. The Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types.
• Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Citing Within Your Paper.
• Must include an introductory paragraph with a succinct thesis statement.
• Must include a conclusion that summarizes the main points and restates the thesis.
• Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in Formatting Your References List.