One of the overarching themes of PSCI 2306 is the division of policy-making power among the various branches and levels of government. Another is the importance of representation and having a government that reflects the will of the people. This assignment requires you effectively demonstrate core competencies of critical thinking, communication, social responsibility, and personal responsibility within the context of civic engagement in the U.S. political process.

In this assignment, you will

1. Identify a current political issue that affects you and your community.
2. Educate yourself about the issue by reading at least three articles from reputable news sources about the issue.
3. Determine which policy-maker is in the best position to represent your interests with respect to that issue. That could be your representative in the U.S. House of Representatives, your representative in a state legislature, or some member of the executive branch. The key is that you identify a person who has some policy-making authority with respect to the issue you have chosen and a person who might listen to your position (for example, choosing your own representative to the U.S. House rather than some other representative).
4. Draft a letter to your legislative or executive-branch policymaker in which you
   1. identify yourself as one of the politician’s constituents;
   2. identify the political issue about which you are concerned;
   3. clearly state a position on that issue (what should the policymaker do or not do); and
   4. provide an explanation for your position that will persuade the policymaker to agree with you.

You will turn in

1. a .doc, .docx, or .pdf version of your letter; and
2. a .doc, .docx, or .pdf document listing the three articles you read

For tips on writing a letter to Congress, visit https://www.thoughtco.com/write-effective-letters-to-congress-3322301Links to an external site.

Your individual work should be typed, double-spaced, in 12-point font.  Your name and student ID number should be typed at the top of the page (in the right- or left-hand corner).