Comparative Politics (POL 210) Extra Credit
you may earn up to 10 points; each assignment is worth 5 points
Other opportunities may arise throughout the semester
1. Take the practice/knowledge quiz (on WebCT) the first week of the semester
this DOES NOT count towards the 5 points maximum -- you can still do two other assignments.
2. Attend ONE of the following Democracy Days Lectures & write a short summary of the discussion including one or two things you learned or found interesting in the presentations: (1/2 - 1 typed page) -- you may do two of these for up to 5 points each
- Monday, Sept 12 : 1 - 2:20 Bioterrorism & Public Health; (Steve Randoll)
- Wednesday, Sept 14: 12 - 12:50 The Patriot Act; (Panel: Berry, Randoll, Pettus)
- Wed, Sept 14 1 - 2:20 Prison at Guantanamo (Michael Keulker)
- Thursday 9/15 10- 11:20 Democracy Movements and US Foreign Policy after 9/11 (Roesler)
3. View Roesler's discussion of the 2010 Health Care Reform Bill (here) and list (based on the discussion) the following: Due by Midterm
- one reason why supporters want health care reform
- one thing that is NOT in the bill
- one thing that happens in 2010
- one thing that happens in 2014 and
- one tool used to pay for the plan
4. Read the two articles on Uganda and Mozambique -- Compare their approaches to dealing with civil conflict (1 page) -- due by the last regular class period
- Ugandan’s Welcome Terrorists…” http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1023/p01s03-woaf.html & Healing lessons from... http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/0508/p11s01-coop.html
5. ***NEW*** Watch first part of the Harvard Justice Project (Episode 3) beginning around 5:50 to about 24 minutes. Discuss the distribution of wealth in the US (give the numbers from the clip) & explain the 3 aspects of the Libertarian view of government. Explain the libertarian concept of justice. Do you think taxing Bill Gates or Michael Jordan for public services/redistribution (to victims of hurricane Katrina, for example) is fair/just or theft/slavery?
Note: Billionaires Bill Gates and Warren Buffet both support increasing taxes on the rich.