Category: Government

Ranking the Amendments
The
Constitution and the 27 Amendments lay out, sometimes in very fine detail, how
our government works and the specific rights and protections we have from the
government. In fact, the 1st Amendment alone has between 6 and 8 rights packed
in one long sentence, depending on how you read it.
The
Constitution was meant to be hard to amend, and that is a good thing. For
instance, prohibition of alcohol was a popular political movement for about 30
years, so the 18th Amendment was passed to settle the issue. Passing an
amendment for even a popular movement turned out to be a really bad idea, so we
had to pass the 21st Amendment to fix it. Oops. You can probably think of other
things you see constantly in the news we argue about, and it might seem like a
good idea to just end the debate with an amendment, but we should bear these
past mistakes in mind.
Your
job in this paper:
1.
Rank the top three rights found in the Amendments to the Constitution. I want
you to dive deep – you can’t just say the 1st or 15th Amendment, I want you to
spell out a specific right in the Amendment and discuss why it is there and
what it means.
2.
Explain your reasoning for each right you chose and why you ranked them over
the others – points will be determined by originality and depth of the
explanation.
3.
If you could pop back in time to 1791, what is one Amendment (an enumerated
right or protection) you would have tried to get the founders to add?
4.
Get back into the time machine to 1787 – what would you warn the founders they
needed to change in the actual Constitution? Bear in mind your audience of
founders, do you think they would listen after the war they just fought?
For
#4, I am excluding a couple of things that are too obvious or too modern:
Slavery, guns, healthcare, student loans. Find something else the Founders
would have no idea might break.
The rules:  Remember, this needs to be at least three pages of solid,
thoughtful material to even be considered for full credit.   Students
receiving full credit usually turn in papers more than the minimum.  Have
some fun with it, but remember this is an academic paper. use proper grammar and proof-read before sending, use the spell-checker,
do not end a sentence with a question mark (you are supposed to answer
questions, not ask them), et cetera.  
Do
not put a heading at the top of your paper, as it does not count towards your
page minimum. 
If
you are citing to an article or website then you need to use citations. 
However, don’t bog down your essay with a bunch of statistics.  I
encourage research on what each amendment does, but I don’t want a list copied
from a website. This needs to be your logic and writing.

The zip code you can use 78222/  this my state: Texas/just need to find out 
My state representative and senate are etc. these are the instructions from 
The instructor.
Purpose:  The purpose of this assignment is to emphasize the importance of the Texas Legislature, and to introduce you to your members of the Texas Legislature and the work they have done. 
Please follow this format: 
Copy the question in bold font and then type the answer below it in regular font. Do this for each individual question.
Put a blank line in between your answers. 
Do not highlight any portion of your assignment.
Do not give your assignment file a long name. 
Do not include spaces when naming your assignment file. 
Instructions:
This assignment has 2 parts, so please follow the steps below carefully. The questions you need to answer for the assignment are found within each part of the assignment, and will be labelled as such. 
Part A: Who Represents You in the Texas Legislature
Step #1:   Watch the following video:
My Vote Don’t Count
Step #2:    Find out which Texas House and Senate districts you live in. 
a) Go to this website, and type your full address. 
b)  Write down your Texas House and Senate districts numbers. 
Step #3:   Find out who is your  State Representative.
a) Go to the website of the Texas House of Representatives. From there, click on Members.
b) Find your district number by clicking on the District # drop down menu. 
c) Once you have found your State Representative, click on his/her picture to get his/her background information and the district’s information. 
Question 1: 
Which Texas House district do you live in? Who represents you? What party does he/she belong to?
I highly encourage you to go through their website, so you can read about what they have done and how they have represented you.
(This question is worth 5 points.)
Step #4:  Find out who is your State Senator.
a) Go to the website of the Texas Senate. From there, click on Senators.
b)  Choose Members from the drop down menu.
c)  Find your State Senate District and Senator and click on his/her picture to get their background information and the district’s information. 
Question 2: 
Which Texas Senate district do you live
in? Who represents you? What party does he/she belong to?
I highly encourage you to go through their website, so you can read about what they have done and how they have represented you.
(This question is worth 5 points.)
Part B: 
Step #1:
Question 3: Choose ONE of the following bills:
(This question is worth 10 points in total.)
** Remember to pay close attention to the Legislative Session information. ***
Advice: Don’t bother using Google to complete this assignment. These are controversial bills, so you are better off reading what the bill actually says yourself. Don’t get frustrated if you don’t fully understand what the bill is saying after your first attempt. Take the time to dissect the bill.
OPTION #1:
Bill: HB3 
Legislative Session: 88(R) – 2023
** Remember to pay close attention to the Legislative Session information. ***
a)  The key provisions of this bill are found on pages 6 to 16 of the PDF file (i.e. enrolled version of the bill). What is the minimum number of armed security officers that must be present in each school/campus during regular school hours? What training is required for those who are not commissioned peace officers? What duties are they prohibited from performing? What is the exemption? (This part of the question is worth 5 points.)
b)  According to this bill, what type of training will be required of school district employees who regularly interacts with students? What documentations must a parent/guardian and/or the student’s former school provide before the student can be enrolled?  (This part of the question is worth 2 points.)
c)  Who is/are the primary author(s) of this bill? (This part of the question is worth 1 point.)
d)  When was it introduced? (This part of the question is worth 1 point.)
e)  When did this bill become law or become effective?  (This part of the question is worth 1 point.)
OPTION #2:
Bill: SB14
Legislative Session: 88(R) – 2023
** Remember to pay close attention to the Legislative Session information. ***
a)  According to this bill, what treatments and procedures are prohibited from being given and performed on children? What are the exceptions? List all of them. (This part of the question is worth 5 points.)
b)  What will happen to a physician who breaks this law? (This part of the question is worth 2 points.)
c)  Who is/are the primary author(s) of this bill? You need to include all the primary authors, and not just the first one on the list. (This part of the question is worth 1 point.)
d)  When was it introduced? (This part of the question is worth 1 point.)
e)  When did this bill become law or become effective?  (This part of the question is worth 1 point.) 
Step #2: Do the steps below to look up the information you need for the bill you chose in Step #1.
A) Go to this website. From there,  click on Bill Lookup.
B) Type the bill name AND choose the correct Legislature (i.e. legislative session) using the drop down arrow. Then click Submit. R stands for regular session. S stands for special session. It is very important that you choose the correct legislative session, since different bills are introduced in each session. 
C) Click on the Text tab and choose the Enrolled version of the bill. This is what the final bill looked like when it passed both houses of the Texas Legislature. Click on the PDF version to read the bill. Here are some tips on how to read Texas bills. 
D) Click on the Authors tab. This will give you the name of the legislator(s) who introduced the bill and any legislators who sponsored (i.e. supported it being introduced). 
E) Click on the Actions tab.  
F)  Stay on the Actions tab. Scroll to the very bottom and find the Read First time date. This is the date the bill was introduced in the Legislature.
G) Stay on the Actions tab. Scroll to the top and find the Effective On date. This is the date the bill became law. 
Bonus Question (2 points):
This portion of the assignment is optional. You will not be penalized if you get it wrong. Partial credit is possible. 
Bill: SB3
Legislative Session: 87(2) – 2021
1. According to this bill, how are teachers supposed to teach political/controversial topics? When and if extra credit is assigned, what cannot be counted towards extra credit?
2. Describe what happens to someone who breaks this new law. Who will punish them? Is it the state OR some other entity? If it’s the state, what charges will be brought up against them (e.g. misdemeanor, felony)? If it’s some other entity, what will happen to those that break the law?

Purpose:  As you learned in this module, local governments are separate from the state government and each other. The purpose of this assignment is for you to review the powers and responsibilities of local officials. 
This is a critical thinking assignment – i.e. analyze and evaluate the information before you make a judgment. Critical thinking is one of the skills you are supposed to develop in college no matter what your major is. 
This assignment is worth 20 points.
Please follow this format: 
Copy the question in bold font and then type the answer below it in regular font. Do this for each individual question.
Put a blank line in between your answers. 
Do not highlight any portion of your assignment.
Do not give your assignment file a long name. 
Do not include spaces when naming your assignment file. 
Instructions:
Read the following instructions carefully.
Part A: 
Step #1: Read this: County Officials
This assignment requires you to apply what you are learning, so the answers will not be written straight out of the file above. You need to first understand what each power/responsibility listed for each official(s) mean. The readings in the textbook will help with that if you need further examples of what is written in the slides.
Step #2: 
To which elected county official should one go to for the following? What specific power or responsibility makes this official the correct person to go to? 
The elected county officials you are to choose from for this assignment are the ones discussed in the County Officials handout.
You do not need to put the name of the official, just his/her title (e.g. county judge, etc.).
Do not list all the powers and responsibilities of the official. If you do so otherwise, your response will be marked wrong. The whole purpose of the assignment is for you to determine which specific power or responsibility makes this official the correct person to go to.
You can use the same official more than once.
Each question is worth 2 points.
If you got the “Official” portion wrong, then the “Power/Responsibility” portion of your answer will also be marked wrong for that question. 
If you got the “Power/Responsibility” portion wrong but got the “Official” portion correct, then you will be awarded 1 point for that question. 
Please number your responses and follow the assignment format below.
Example:
pay your property tax bill 
Official – tax-assessor collector
Power/Responsibility – collects county’s property taxes
The tax assessor-collector is responsible for collecting the county’s property taxes. Unless the mortgage on your house has an escrow account (i.e. This is the dedicated amount you pay for your property taxes and home owner’s insurance.), then you will need to go or send a check to the tax assessor-collector’s office to pay your property tax bill. 
Note: You do not need to explain your answer for this assignment.
You live in the neighborhood of Alamo Ranch, which is an unincorporated area in Bexar County. To which elected county official should you go to for assistance on the following issues?
1. get a copy of the birth certificate of your child, who was born in Bexar County, so you can enroll him for kindergarten 
Official – type the title of the official here
Power/Responsibility – type the specific power here
2. express support for putting up traffic lights at a busy intersection in the neighborhood 
Official –
Power/Responsibility –
3. get speed bumps put in front of the elementary school in the neighborhood
Official –
Power/Responsibility –
4. complain about how long it took for the county deputies to respond to your burglary call when your car was broken into at the movie theatre parking lot in the neighborhood 
Official –
Power/Responsibility –
5. challenge a speeding ticket issued by a county deputy while you were driving to the grocery store in the neighborhood
Official –
Power/Responsibility –
Part B:
Step #1: Read this: Forms of City Governments
This assignment requires you to apply what you are learning, so the answers will not be written straight out of the file above. You need to first understand what each power/responsibility listed for each official(s) mean. The readings in the textbook will help with that if you need further examples of what is written in the slides.
Step #2: 
To which city official should one go to for the following? What specific power or responsibility makes this official the correct person to go to? 
The city officials you are to choose from for this assignment are the ones discussed in the Forms of City Government handout.
Do not list all the powers and responsibilities of the official. If you do so otherwise, your response will be marked wrong. The whole purpose of the assignment is for you to determine which specific power or responsibility makes this official the correct person to go to.
You can use the same official more than once.
NOTE: Individual city departments are not possible answers for this assignment.
Each question is worth 2 points.
If you got the “Official” portion wrong, then the “Power/Responsibility” portion of your answer will also be marked wrong for that question. 
If you got the “Power/Responsibility” portion wrong but got the “Official” portion correct, then you will be awarded 1 point for that question. 
Please number your responses and follow the assignment format below.
Example:
You live in the city of San Antonio. It uses the council-manager form of city government. You want to complain about the fireworks ban in the city. You don’t think it’s fair that your family can’t light fireworks for the Fourth of July. 
Official – mayor and council
Power/Responsibility – adopt ordinances
Fireworks bans are examples of city ordinances (i.e. city laws). The city of San Antonio uses the council-manager form of city government. Looking at the Forms of City Governments handout, we can see that in a council-manager form of city government, the mayor and council have the power to adopt city ordinances. Therefore, the mayor and council were the ones that passed the fireworks ban ordinance. They will then have to pass another ordinance getting rid of this ban, if they choose to do so. 
Note: You do not need to explain your answer for this assignment.
1. You live in the city of Houston. It uses the strong-mayor council form of city government. You want to express support for the city’s gun buyback program. A gun buyback program is when a government asks citizens to turn in their guns in exchange for money. Gun owners are not forced to sell their guns. 
Official –
Power/Responsibility –
2. You live in the city of Houston. It uses the strong-mayor council form of city government. You want the pot holes on downtown streets fixed. 
Official –
Power/Responsibility –
3. You live in the city of White Oak. It uses the weak-mayor council form of city government. You want the city to hire more police officers as a response to the increased crime rate in the city. 
Official –
Power/Responsibility –
4. You live in the city of Leon Valley. It uses the council-manager form of city government. You would like to make homeless camps illegal in the city.
Official –
Power/Responsibility –
5. You live in the city of Helotes. It uses the council-manager form of city government. You want to complain about the increased traffic on your street caused by people living in a nearby unincorporated area. These drivers are using your street as a short cut to bypass the traffic on a main road. You would like to make it illegal for non-residents, non-visitors, and non-delivery personnel to use your street. 
Official –
Power/Responsibility –
Bonus Question (2 points):
This portion of the assignment is optional. You will not be penalized if you get it wrong. Partial credit is possible. Each question is worth 1 point. 
1. get a copy of the transcripts of your child custody case heard at the district court
Official –
Power/Responsibility –
2. complain about how there’s only a few dog parks in the city of San Antonio
Official –
Power/Responsibility –

The zip code you can use 78222/ Texas
Purpose:  The purpose of this assignment is to emphasize the importance of the Texas Legislature, and to introduce you to your members of the Texas Legislature and the work they have done. 
Please follow this format: 
Copy the question in bold font and then type the answer below it in regular font. Do this for each individual question.
Put a blank line in between your answers. 
Do not highlight any portion of your assignment.
Do not give your assignment file a long name. 
Do not include spaces when naming your assignment file. 
Instructions:
This assignment has 2 parts, so please follow the steps below carefully. The questions you need to answer for the assignment are found within each part of the assignment, and will be labelled as such. 
Part A: Who Represents You in the Texas Legislature
Step #1:   Watch the following video:
My Vote Don’t Count
Step #2:    Find out which Texas House and Senate districts you live in. 
a) Go to this website, and type your full address. 
b)  Write down your Texas House and Senate districts numbers. 
Step #3:   Find out who is your  State Representative.
a) Go to the website of the Texas House of Representatives. From there, click on Members.
b) Find your district number by clicking on the District # drop down menu. 
c) Once you have found your State Representative, click on his/her picture to get his/her background information and the district’s information. 
Question 1: 
Which Texas House district do you live in? Who represents you? What party does he/she belong to?
I highly encourage you to go through their website, so you can read about what they have done and how they have represented you.
(This question is worth 5 points.)
Step #4:  Find out who is your State Senator.
a) Go to the website of the Texas Senate. From there, click on Senators.
b)  Choose Members from the drop down menu.
c)  Find your State Senate District and Senator and click on his/her picture to get their background information and the district’s information. 
Question 2: 
Which Texas Senate district do you live
in? Who represents you? What party does he/she belong to?
I highly encourage you to go through their website, so you can read about what they have done and how they have represented you.
(This question is worth 5 points.)
Part B: 
Step #1:
Question 3: Choose ONE of the following bills:
(This question is worth 10 points in total.)
** Remember to pay close attention to the Legislative Session information. ***
Advice: Don’t bother using Google to complete this assignment. These are controversial bills, so you are better off reading what the bill actually says yourself. Don’t get frustrated if you don’t fully understand what the bill is saying after your first attempt. Take the time to dissect the bill.
OPTION #1:
Bill: HB3 
Legislative Session: 88(R) – 2023
** Remember to pay close attention to the Legislative Session information. ***
a)  The key provisions of this bill are found on pages 6 to 16 of the PDF file (i.e. enrolled version of the bill). What is the minimum number of armed security officers that must be present in each school/campus during regular school hours? What training is required for those who are not commissioned peace officers? What duties are they prohibited from performing? What is the exemption? (This part of the question is worth 5 points.)
b)  According to this bill, what type of training will be required of school district employees who regularly interacts with students? What documentations must a parent/guardian and/or the student’s former school provide before the student can be enrolled?  (This part of the question is worth 2 points.)
c)  Who is/are the primary author(s) of this bill? (This part of the question is worth 1 point.)
d)  When was it introduced? (This part of the question is worth 1 point.)
e)  When did this bill become law or become effective?  (This part of the question is worth 1 point.)
OPTION #2:
Bill: SB14
Legislative Session: 88(R) – 2023
** Remember to pay close attention to the Legislative Session information. ***
a)  According to this bill, what treatments and procedures are prohibited from being given and performed on children? What are the exceptions? List all of them. (This part of the question is worth 5 points.)
b)  What will happen to a physician who breaks this law? (This part of the question is worth 2 points.)
c)  Who is/are the primary author(s) of this bill? You need to include all the primary authors, and not just the first one on the list. (This part of the question is worth 1 point.)
d)  When was it introduced? (This part of the question is worth 1 point.)
e)  When did this bill become law or become effective?  (This part of the question is worth 1 point.) 
Step #2: Do the steps below to look up the information you need for the bill you chose in Step #1.
A) Go to this website. From there,  click on Bill Lookup.
B) Type the bill name AND choose the correct Legislature (i.e. legislative session) using the drop down arrow. Then click Submit. R stands for regular session. S stands for special session. It is very important that you choose the correct legislative session, since different bills are introduced in each session. 
C) Click on the Text tab and choose the Enrolled version of the bill. This is what the final bill looked like when it passed both houses of the Texas Legislature. Click on the PDF version to read the bill. Here are some tips on how to read Texas bills. 
D) Click on the Authors tab. This will give you the name of the legislator(s) who introduced the bill and any legislators who sponsored (i.e. supported it being introduced). 
E) Click on the Actions tab.  
F)  Stay on the Actions tab. Scroll to the very bottom and find the Read First time date. This is the date the bill was introduced in the Legislature.
G) Stay on the Actions tab. Scroll to the top and find the Effective On date. This is the date the bill became law. 
Bonus Question (2 points):
This portion of the assignment is optional. You will not be penalized if you get it wrong. Partial credit is possible. 
Bill: SB3
Legislative Session: 87(2) – 2021
1. According to this bill, how are teachers supposed to teach political/controversial topics? When and if extra credit is assigned, what cannot be counted towards extra credit?
2. Describe what happens to someone who breaks this new law. Who will punish them? Is it the state OR some other entity? If it’s the state, what charges will be brought up against them (e.g. misdemeanor, felony)? If it’s some other entity, what will happen to those that break the law?

Purpose:  The purpose of this assignment is for you to review the court structure of Texas. Remember, state courts are separate from US courts. 
This assignment is worth 20 points.
Please follow this format: 
Copy the question in bold font and then type the answer below it in regular font. Do this for each individual question.
Put a blank line in between your answers. 
Do not highlight any portion of your assignment.
Do not give your assignment file a long name. 
Do not include spaces when naming your assignment file. 
Instructions:
Read the following instructions carefully.
Step #1:
a)  Read pages 291 to 296 of the textbook under the heading “Court Structure”. 
b)  Use this chart of the Texas Court Structure to complete the assignment. 
Step #2: 
Which court or courts can hear each of the cases below? 
Each question is worth 2 points.
NOTE: If there is more than one court, then you must list all of them and also not have any incorrect ones in order to get the 2 points.
You can use the same court more than once.
Please number your responses and follow the assignment format below.
This is the list of your choices for possible answers:
a) Municipal Courts
b) Justice Courts
c) Constitutional County Courts
d) Statutory Probate Courts
e) District Courts
f)  Courts of Appeals
g) Texas Supreme Court
h) Texas Court of Criminal Appeals 
NOTE: Statutory County Courts is not a possible answer for this assignment because in real life, the type of cases these courts can hear varies depending on their locations. 
Example:
original jurisdiction over criminal misdemeanors punishable by fine only, no confinement
Court(s) – Municipal Courts, Justice Courts 
Looking at the Texas Court Structure chart, you can see that there is more than one court that has original jurisdiction (i.e. have the power to hear and decide a case for the first time) over the same case. When this happens, if it’s a civil case, the plaintiff (the party filing the lawsuit) gets to choose which court to file the case. If it’s a criminal case, then the location of the crime or which law enforcement responded to the case will determine which court the case will be tried. 
Note: You do not need to explain your answer for this assignment.
1. file eviction suits
Court(s) –
2. original jurisdiction over divorce cases
Court(s) –
3. original jurisdiction over probate matters (e.g. settling the estate of a deceased person)
Court(s) –
4. original jurisdiction over juvenile matters
Court(s) –
5. original jurisdiction over mental health and guardianship matters
Court(s) –
6. original jurisdiction over felony criminal matters
Court(s) –
7. final appeals over juvenile cases
Court(s) –
8. original jurisdiction over a contested election case
Court(s) –
9. magistrate functions (e.g. issue search warrants, perform marriages)
Court(s) –
10.  final appeals of death penalty sentences
Court(s) –
Reflection Question (Please respond.):
What did you learn or take away from this assignment? Please respond in 1 to 2 sentences. 
Bonus Question (2 points):
This portion of the assignment is optional. You will not be penalized if you get it wrong. Partial credit is possible. Each question is worth 1 point. 
1. Which courts are not courts of record?
2. Which courts have original jurisdiction over civil actions over $10,

Complete the 3 tasks below, in graphic form. There must be a horizontal timeline and the key information tagged to specific dates or time frames. Do not submit columnar information. You can use the the same basic horizontal graph from 1940-present for each. This assignment will require you to research and prepare key information regarding the IC, its evolution, and its operations. First Timeline. Create a graphical time frame of key dates in the creation of the organizations that currently comprise the intelligence community, including key laws and executive orders that provide legal authority for the IC. Start this timeline at 1940 and ending 2024. You should have key dates for each of the members of the IC and the associated laws. There should be at least 6 key laws noted that have transformed the IC. There should be at least the creation date for each member of the IC. Second Timeline. Create a graphical time line that shows time horizontally from 1940-present and shows Europe, Africa, Asia/Pacific, Latin America, Near East/Middle East, and Eastern Europe on the vertical axis. List at least 15 US covert action operations by name and country, geographical area (the 6 listed above), operation name, and dates.
Third Timeline. Create a graphical time line that shows time horizontally from 1945-present and highlights at least 15 key technological innovations created by the IC that support intelligence collection (imagery, HUMINT, ELINT, COMINT, MASINT, etc.). Citation and Reference Style
Students will follow the Chicago Style as the sole citation and reference style used in written work submitted as part of coursework to the course. See http://www.apus.edu/Online-Library/tutorials/chicago.htm. A quick guide may be found at: The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2017 available online at: http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html The Author-Date system is recommended. https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/717/10/. Make sure to put the citations on its own page, clarifying which graph those citations belong to.
NOTE: I requested 10 sources, but feel free to use as many as you need for this assignment as I am unsure how much is needed. Just make sure it is no less than 5. All submissions must be in graphical format, presented horizontally, with clear timelines and labels. Given this is a project, the grading will be based on the whether you have included key information, correct dates, names and labels, and that the presentation is clear.

At least 4 full pages
 (Plus bibliography/works cited is additional)
 Use Microsoft Word (or similar program)
 12 point
 Times New Roman (or similar) font
 Double-spaced
 1 inch margins
 Title page up to your discretion
 Not included in page count
Part 1: Introduction
 Make sure to have a thesis sentence
 Part 2: What are you arguing…
Evidence.
 Part 3: Other side would argue…
Evidence they would provide.
 Part 4: Why wrong.
 Part 5: Conclusion
 Bibliography
Acceptable Sources
 Government Data
 Data from some non-governmental
organizations
 Government Policy Papers
 Newspaper Articles
 Scholarly Articles
 Etc.
UNacceptable Sources
 Data derived from TV pundits
 Newspaper editorials
 Blogs
 Wikipedia
 Etc. 
I highly recommend using an average of
one source for each page written.
 This does not mean only cite one source a
page.

Please read the Rubric and other doc attached.
Write an Executive Summary on the case study “NCOs Take on Multiple Roles to Ensure Success in Panama” using the NCO C3 lenses of Readiness and Program Management.
Answer the questions: WHAT INSIGHTS ARE DERIVED FROM THE CASE STUDY (NCOS TAKE ON MULTIPLE ROLES TO ENSURE SUCCESS IN PANAMA) IN REGARDS TO THE NCO COMMON CORE COMPETENCIES (NCOCCC) OF (READINESS & PROGRAM MANAGEMENT?

This is the assignments content.
The issue of gun violence continues to persist within the United States with mass shootings, while still statistically low in occurrence, seemingly becoming more commonplace.  The nation has experienced many mass shootings (Columbine, Sandy Hook, Pulse Nighclub, Las Vegas, Parkland, FL, Buffalo, NY, Nashville, TN, etc.), though it seems as if Texas has specifically experienced an increasing share of these events (Sutherland Springs, TX, Santa Fe, TX, El Paso, TX, Uvalde, TX, and now Allen, TX, to name a few), several of which rank amongst the deadliest in history and in a state which is often synonymous with gun rights, including passing a law known as Constitutional Carry, which allows anyone 21 or older and without an exclusion such as felony or domestic abuse convictions to carry a concealed handgun without obtaining a license or a minimum amount of training.  
I want you to explore these mass shootings, particularly those which have occured in Texas, and determine what, if anything, can realistically be done to prevent such shootings in the future? Some politicians have renewed calls for extended gun control measures such as universal background checks, closing the gun show loophole, or outright bans on “assault” style weapons, and in some cases, bans private ownership of all guns in general. Others have pointed out that no amount of additional background checks would not have prevented most of these shootings given that the most mass shooters had no legal issues in their past to prevent them from purchasing/owning guns, or in the cases where there were, such as Sutherland Springs, the laws that are already on the books did not work because they were not enforced properly to begin with. Many times there are often “red flags” which failed to go unnoticed or reported, or when they are, none were blatantly illegal/disqualifying to prevent the shooter from buying/owning a gun. 
What about the mental illness aspect of most mass shootings? If the mental illness issue is not addressed, then can any amount of gun control prevent sick individuals from harming innocent people? Should one solution be arming more of the populace, especially in places considered “soft” targets where a shooter anticipates little in the way of armed resistance, such as schools arming teachers, or by simply allowing any citizen legally allowed to own a gun to be able to carry it on their person without requiring a special license to do so? After all. shooters rarely target “hardened” locations where the expectation is an overwhelming force response, and evidence shows that most have no intention of continuing their massacre once they encounter armed resistance as they often take their own lives shortly after law enforcement arrives on the scene. Or, does arming more of the populace risk greater carnage as result of more weapons?
Also, don’t forget about the 2nd Amendment in general – what does it say and are there any restrictions that can be assumed from reading it? What exactly is the purpose of the 2nd Amendment? Is it an archaic leftover from a time when the citizenry was expected to act as the military during a time before we had a modern, all-volunteer military, or is it meant to provide the people a means with which to challenge tyrannical government if democratic methods no longer work? While it is true the government has access to far more powerful and sophisticated weapons than average people armed with AR-15’s, don’t forget that the Taliban and other resistance groups around the world have managed to fight off and inflict significant pain upon far superior forces backed by the likes of the Soviet Union and even the U.S. with nothing more than homemade bombs and decades old rifles and other out-dated military equipment. Yes, the government could unleash death and destruction, but as we’ve seen in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, using overwhelming force to subdue a population risks creating even more enemies of the state by turning those who would not have otherwise fought before against the government as a result.  Please think deeply on this question and answer accordingly as these tragedies could have easily occurred at a time and place where you have all been. I look forward to reading your responses to this question. 
Articles must use one
https://www.cato.org/commentary/why-anti-tyranny-case-2nd-amendment-shouldnt-be-dismissed-so-quickly
What the Founders would say about mass shootings | CNN
Mass shootings would not have surprised the Founders, writes historian Dominic Erdozain. A government that tolerates them would.
Dominic Erdozain
CNN
Indianapolis FedEx shooter bought two weapons used in killings legally last year despite FBI concerns | CNN
The 19-year-old who killed eight people at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis late Thursday night purchased the two assault rifles used in the attack legally months after being investigated by the FBI due to his potential for violence, according to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department.
Madeline Holcombe,Harmeet Kaur,Eric Levenson
CNN
Colorado is one of four states whose laws don’t prohibit someone with a mental illness from owning firearms | CNN
The massacre of 10 people at a Boulder supermarket occurred under a confusing mix of local, state and federal gun laws – but no Colorado statute prohibiting a person with mental illness from owning firearms.
Faith Karimi
CNN
Why semi-automatic rifles like those used in the Nashville shooting can cause so much damage
Semi-automatic rifles, such as those used by the Nashville school shooter, cause great damage to the human body. Trauma experts explain why they’re so dangerous.
ABC News
ABC News
Texas mass shooting timeline: 14 years of violence in Texas
Texas has seen nine mass shootings over the last 14 years while lawmakers have steadily loosened restrictions on carrying firearms.
The Texas Tribune
NPR
READ IMPORTANT!!!
Discussion board posts should be a minimum of 500 words and typed in 12-point Times New Roman font and should include at least one outside source other than the lecture materials which you must cite in APA formatting at the end of your post.  If articles are given for reading with the Discussion Board prompt, then you may use them as your required source material, provided that you cite the source used in your post.  All posts should be typed in a Word document to ensure proper length.

1.The City’s Intergovernmental Relation DepartmentLinks to an external site. is responsible for monitoring state and federal government activities, developing legislative programs approved by City Council, managing the City’s federal and state consultants, and coordinating legislative activities with other public and private-sector entities.  
Using the Federal legislative program link for the 118th Congress, select and briefly describe one of the federal priorities San Antonio was seeking assistance from Texas’ Congressional delegation.
2.Continuing at the Department of Government and Public Affairs, link to the State Legislative Program.
Using State legislative Program link for the 88th Legislative session, select and briefly discuss one of the priorities San Antonio was seeking legislative support for.
Choose one of these priorities and explain how this priority would impact your life.
3.Agencies are created to implement policies enacted by the City government, but also to implement aspects of federal and state law associated with their mission statement. Occasionally, it can be difficult to find an agency’s mission statement and it must be inferred from their stated purpose but it can typically be found in the FAQs or About Us page.  
First, visit the Department Directory page at San Antonio’s City Government portal 
This website provides you links to all the agencies (Departments) that implement policies adopted by San Antonio City Council.
Once you are there, hover over “Your Government” and in the second column, under CITY GOVERNMENT & DEPARTMENTS, click All City Departments.
On the new page, locate “HEALTH”  and click on “View Department Website”
Please locate the Mission Statement of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District and provide that in the box below
Flag question: Question 4
Question 43 pts
In order to implement policy, agencies develop programs that enforce ordinances or provide programs to citizens.   
San Antonio Metropolitan Health Services, under its mission, provides both enforcement as well as services to the community. 
Please review the health services SAMHS provides the citizens of San Antonio (Be careful—not ALL of these are SERVICES that are associated with a specific program—i.e. Lab services is not a program—it supports the needs of the OTHER services provided by the City that require lab tests)
List the three health services (not enforcement)  provided by SAMHS .  
(List all three in the blanks–Feel free to copy and paste the text directly from the website)
Flag question : Spacer
As explained in your text, there are two types of cities in Texas home rule and general law.  Home rule cities are larger cities with over 5,000 residents, which have, through an election, voted to adopt home rule and have created a charter.  A charter establishes the city’s governmental structure and describes how power is distributed. 
Unlike “general law” municipalities, whose authority is determined by both the state Constitution and state statutes, all “home rule” municipalities have a city code.  Approximately a fourth of Texas’ cities are designated as home rule—the overwhelming majority are general law cities. 
The City Code represents where ordinances are archived after they are passed by City Council.  These are policies put into place by City Council members and that are implemented by agencies or departments within the City Government. 
You will now explore our City Code to answer the following questions:
Flag question: Question 5
Question 52 pts
The policies written and passed by City Council are interpreted by those agencies that are charged with implementing them are located hereLinks to an external site.
How many garage sales are residents allowed to have annually? (enter the number)
Flag question: Question 6
Question 62 pts
What time must a regular massage studio close?
Flag question: Question 7
Question 72 pts
According to City Code, not more than ______________ percent of rooms rented to guests in a hotel or motel may be designated as smoking rooms.  (Enter only a number—not the % sign)
Flag question: Question 8
Question 82 pts
How much public liability insurance must the owner of a ‘dangerous dog’ hold in the City of San Antonio? (Enter a number without a , or a $)
Flag question: Question 9
Question 92 pts
According to the city code, what is the maximum number of sunfish/perch that can be caught per day in a city lake?  (enter a number value)
Flag question: Question 10
Question 102 pts
According to the City Code, how much does an annual permit fee to operate a mobile food court? (Enter only a number)
Flag question: Question 11
Question 112 pts
According to City Code, a grave must be at least ____________ feet deep  (Enter only a number)
Flag question: Question 12
Question 122 pts
How much is the annual fee for a residential burglar alarm for an owner who is under 65 years of age? (number only)
Flag question: Question 13
Question 132 pts
What is the maximum number of passengers allowed to be transported by a pedicab at one time?    
Flag question: Question 14
Question 141 pts
According to the City Code, the minimum liquid capacity for a septic tank serving a single-family dwelling with three bedrooms is [gallons] gallons.
Flag question: Spacer
There are 254 counties in Texas.  They range in terms of the size of their populations but also in geographical terms—some are densely populated and incredibly urbanized with others, distinctly rural and sparsely populated.  Counties represent the lowest level at which the state government is represented, irrespective of their size or location.  
We are going to look at Bexar County’s GovernmentLinks to an external site. structure.
Using the website hyperlinked above, please address the following questions.
Flag question: Question 15
Question 151 pts
Who is the Election Administrator for Bexar County?
Flag question: Question 16
Question 161 pts
Now we are going to look at the FY2022-23  adopted county budgetLinks to an external site. and how your tax dollars are spent.  
According to the 2022-23 document:
What are the total number of positions authorized by the County to be paid for using general funds for this fiscal year? (please do not round)
Flag question: Question 17
Question 171 pts
Review the General Funds section beginning on page 133 of the PDF.
According to the adopted county budget, what was the total of all revenue funds for the fiscal year? (Do not include, or $ in your answer)
Flag question: Question 18
Question 181 pts
According to the 2022-23 proposed budget, to which specific Department, (excluding General Government ) does Bexar County appropriate the largest share of our tax dollars?
Flag question: Question 19
Question 191 pts
Scroll down to the section on  Elections on page 242 of the PDF (page 240 of the document).
According to the  2022-23 proposed County budget, how much is the proposed appropriation for the Elections Department?
Flag question: Question 20
Question 201 pts
In 2022-2023,  the county budget was balanced and the existing tax rate remained unchanged from last year; however, the total funds increased 1.9%.   This was the result of increased property values. 
What was the average percentage increase in appraised property values in Bexar County?
(a number with up to two decimal places)
Flag question: Question 21
Question 211 pts
According to the 2022-23 proposed County budget, from what revenue source does Bexar County receive the largest share of tax dollars?  (please do not include Proceeds from Debt—These represent bonds which are monies derived from selling debt to investors and will eventually be paid back with tax dollars from the Debt Service Fund, but in the short term, generate interest for investors, which also comes from tax dollars)
Flag question: Question 22
Question 221 pts
Texas received $11.2 Billion dollars in Cares Act money.  Bexar County received 79.4 million of that disbursement to the state. 
Review the chart below and determine what percentage of that money Bexar County allocated to supporting Small Businesses. (enter the percentage without the % sign please and round out 1 decimal place)
First, visit the Department Directory page at San Antonio’s City Government portal 
This website provides you links to all the agencies (Departments) that implement policies adopted by San Antonio City Council.
Once you are there, hover over “Your Government” and in the second column, under CITY GOVERNMENT & DEPARTMENTS, click All City Departments.
On the new page, locate “HEALTH”  and click on “View Department Website”
Please locate the Mission Statement of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District and provide that in the box below.
Flag question: Question 4
Question 43 pts
In order to implement policy, agencies develop programs that enforce ordinances or provide programs to citizens.   
San Antonio Metropolitan Health Services, under its mission, provides both enforcement as well as services to the community. 
Please review the health services SAMHS provides the citizens of San Antonio (Be careful—not ALL of these are SERVICES that are associated with a specific program—i.e. Lab services is not a program—it supports the needs of the OTHER services provided by the City that require lab tests)
List the three health services (not enforcement)  provided by SAMHS .  
(List all three in the blanks–Feel free to copy and paste the text directly from the website)
Flag question: Spacer
As explained in your text, there are two types of cities in Texas home rule and general law.  Home rule cities are larger cities with over 5,000 residents, which have, through an election, voted to adopt home rule and have created a charter.  A charter establishes the city’s governmental structure and describes how power is distributed. 
Unlike “general law” municipalities, whose authority is determined by both the state Constitution and state statutes, all “home rule” municipalities have a city code.  Approximately a fourth of Texas’ cities are designated as home rule—the overwhelming majority are general law cities. 
The City Code represents where ordinances are archived after they are passed by City Council.  These are policies put into place by City Council members and that are implemented by agencies or departments within the City Government. 
You will now explore our City Code to answer the following questions:
Flag question: Question 5
Question 52 pts
The policies written and passed by City Council are interpreted by those agencies that are charged with implementing them are located hereLinks to an external site.
How many garage sales are residents allowed to have annually? (enter the number)
Flag question: Question 6
Question 62 pts
What time must a regular massage studio close?
Flag question: Question 7
Question 72 pts
According to City Code, not more than ______________ percent of rooms rented to guests in a hotel or motel may be designated as smoking rooms.  (Enter only a number—not the % sign)
Flag question: Question 8
Question 82 pts
How much public liability insurance must the owner of a ‘dangerous dog’ hold in the City of San Antonio? (Enter a number without a , or a $)
Flag question: Question 9
Question 92 pts
According to the city code, what is the maximum number of sunfish/perch that can be caught per day in a city lake?  (enter a number value)
Flag question: Question 10
Question 102 pts
According to the City Code, how much does an annual permit fee to operate a mobile food court? (Enter only a number)
Flag question: Question 11
Question 112 pts
According to City Code, a grave must be at least ____________ feet deep  (Enter only a number)
Flag question: Question 12
Question 122 pts
How much is the annual fee for a residential burglar alarm for an owner who is under 65 years of age? (number only)
Flag question: Question 13
Question 132 pts
What is the maximum number of passengers allowed to be transported by a pedicab at one time?    
Flag question: Question 14
Question 141 pts
According to the City Code, the minimum liquid capacity for a septic tank serving a single-family dwelling with three bedrooms is [gallons] gallons.
Flag question: Spacer
There are 254 counties in Texas.  They range in terms of the size of their populations but also in geographical terms—some are densely populated and incredibly urbanized with others, distinctly rural and sparsely populated.  Counties represent the lowest level at which the state government is represented, irrespective of their size or location.  
We are going to look at Bexar County’s GovernmentLinks to an external site. structure.
Using the website hyperlinked above, please address the following questions.
Flag question: Question 15
Question 151 pts
Who is the Election Administrator for Bexar County?
Flag question: Question 16
Question 161 pts
Now we are going to look at the FY2022-23  adopted county budgetLinks to an external site. and how your tax dollars are spent.  
According to the 2022-23 document:
What are the total number of positions authorized by the County to be paid for using general funds for this fiscal year? (please do not round)
Flag question: Question 17
Question 171 pts
Review the General Funds section beginning on page 133 of the PDF.
According to the adopted county budget, what was the total of all revenue funds for the fiscal year? (Do not include, or $ in your answer)
Flag question: Question 18
Question 181 pts
According to the 2022-23 proposed budget, to which specific Department, (excluding General Government ) does Bexar County appropriate the largest share of our tax dollars?
Flag question: Question 19
Question 191 pts
Scroll down to the section on  Elections on page 242 of the PDF (page 240 of the document).
According to the  2022-23 proposed County budget, how much is the proposed appropriation for the Elections Department?
Flag question: Question 20
Question 201 pts
In 2022-2023,  the county budget was balanced and the existing tax rate remained unchanged from last year; however, the total funds increased 1.9%.   This was the result of increased property values. 
What was the average percentage increase in appraised property values in Bexar County?
(a number with up to two decimal places)
Flag question: Question 21
Question 211 pts
According to the 2022-23 proposed County budget, from what revenue source does Bexar County receive the largest share of tax dollars?  (please do not include Proceeds from Debt—These represent bonds which are monies derived from selling debt to investors and will eventually be paid back with tax dollars from the Debt Service Fund, but in the short term, generate interest for investors, which also comes from tax dollars)
Flag question: Question 22
Question 221 pts
Texas received $11.2 Billion dollars in Cares Act money.  Bexar County received 79.4 million of that disbursement to the state. 
Review the chart below and determine what percentage of that money Bexar County allocated to supporting Small Businesses. (enter the percentage without the % sign please and round out 1 decimal place)