What does it reveal about support for checks and balances, protest rights, the rights of the media to criticize political officials, and the protection of individuals who hold unpopular views?

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How strong are our beliefs?

Political scientists rely on a variety of methods to help us understand political behavior. Whether through field experiments, survey research, content analysis, or observations, political scientists amass verifiable and replicable data from which they make their analyses. For several decades, survey research has been used to assess public opinion on relevant and timely questions about government, public policies, and public officials. In this module, you learn about public opinion, its measurement, and why it is useful to public officials and the general public.

The highly respected Pew Research Center recently published a poll of Americans and their opinions about presidential power and protest in American democracy. Given the inquiry of this module into the question of constitutional crisis, the results of this survey are revealing of a strong confidence is governing institutions and support for protest protections. Please read the results at http://www.people-press.org/2017/03/02/large-majorities-see-checks-and-balances-right-to-protest-as-essential-for-democracy/ (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

Instructions

For this discussion, I’d like you to relate what you have learned in this article to the content of Module 1. Specifically:

  1. What does it reveal about support for checks and balances, protest rights, the rights of the media to criticize political officials, and the protection of individuals who hold unpopular views?
  2. Additionally, I’d like you to discuss your own opinions about these topics and why you believe you hold them.
  3. Complete your essay by describing what you have learned by doing this assignment.

I recommend organizing your essay into three paragraphs that address each of the elements of the assignment. This structure will keep you focused on what is required and it will ensure that you respond fully.

The minimum word count for your essay is 270 (this translates to one page, double-spaced, 12-point Ariel font, one-inch margins). If you fail to meet the minimum word count the highest scores you will earn is 60% of possible points (15/25). All students have the opportunity to earn full credit—100% of possible points (25/25)—if all instructions are followed carefully, you proofread your response to minimize writing errors, and you submit on time.

Remember, you must write in your own words—no quotes or paraphrases or plagiarism from any other source. You do not need to cite the Pew poll as its data the basis of the assignment. Do provide a works referenced list from any other source you consult when preparing your response.