Legislative policy

Essay Instructions:

PLEASE read the instructions carefully and use the sources provided for the essay. The slides with the resource info are provided in the files-these must be used, no outside source. Paper must be double spaced, with one inch margins, 12 point font and include section headers for each of the paper sections noted below (Three Representational Roles and Role You Choose, Influence of Legislative Leaders, Rank and Explain Influences of Institutional Factors, and Explain Your Vote) and at least three full pages long. Objective: The objective for this assignment is for students to understand and critically analyze the multiple pressures on policy makers in Texas as they most listen to their leaders, the governor, the voters (social responsibility) and their own conscience (personal responsibility) in deciding how to cast their vote on a controversial issue. Assignment: You have recently been elected as a Republican to the Texas Senate from a competitive district (even number of Democrats, Republicans and Independents) just outside of Dallas. One of the first bills that you must vote on is House Bill 3- a bill to restrict abortion to cases of rape and incest after a fetal heartbeat is detected. Your constituents support the bill as does the Governor your party, because they believe abortion is immoral. However, you oppose the bill because you believe women have a right to make a choice and the bill will result in many babies being born to parents who are financially, emotionally or mentally unable to take care of them. The Speaker of the House opposes the bill as well. In explaining how you will vote on the bill, be sure to explain the following: What Representational Role you will adopt (trustee, delegate or politico). (Unit 4 Written Lectures, Slide 4-25). Be sure to discuss all three representational roles. How will the Speaker of the House, the Lt. Governor and Governor of Texas influence the fate of the bill? (Unit 4 Written Lectures, Slides 4-9, 4-10, 4-18 & 4-22) How do you think constituents might try to influence your vote? (Unit 4 Written Lectures, Slide 4-20) Which factors noted above and in your notes (constituents, governor, party leaders and your own opinion) will influence your vote? Rank them in importance. (Unit 4, Written Lectures, Slide 4-20, 4-21) Will you vote for or against the bill? Please explain your answer thoroughly. You should refer back to the representational role here. (Unit 4 Written Lectures, Slide 4-25) NOTE: Your focus in this paper is NOT the particular bill, but how the various players and your constituents will impact your vote, regardless of the topic of the bill. The paper should include subject headers (ie. Representational Roles, Influence of Legislative Leaders, etc.)

Essay Sample Content Preview:

Legislative Policy Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Legislative Policy Every elected political representative is subject to a range of factors that affect their decisions in the policymaking initiatives. Elected leaders are always faced with the need to balance their personal feelings and understanding of policies against influences from their parties, their political leaders, and their constituents. To that extent, it becomes a challenging dilemma to reach a policy decision the needs of all stakeholders. In this report, emphasis is put on outlining the three representational roles and a personal role, the influence of legislative leaders, and the ranking and explanation of influences of institutional factors in policy decisions. The report is concluded with a declaration of my position on House Bill 3, a bill to restrict abortion to cases of rape and incest after a fetal heartbeat is detected, in the context of the above-influencing factors. Representational Roles In any legislative decision-making process, representatives are confronted with the task of balancing various roles: trustee, delegate, and politico. Each of the above roles bears varying ideologies regarding the responsibility of an elected representative to his/her conscience, that of the political leaders, and that of the constituents. As a newly elected Republican senator from a competitive district in Texas, I must navigate these roles carefully as I approach the vote on House Bill 3. The trustee role asserts that representatives should rely on personal conscience and values in making decisions. The trustee role further indicates that such representatives should act on the interests of their constituents even if such a move contradicts public opinion (Lecture 4-21). In this decision, a representative will need to understand the facts of the issue at hand, weigh its benefits and drawbacks, and make a decision. A representative can also have a delegate role or a politico role in deciding on the bill. The delegate role posits that representatives should act as conduits for the preferences and values of their constituents. Effectively, the decisions of representatives in this role must mirror the majority opinion of those they represent (Lecture 4-21). In this role, my vote would align closely with the wishes of my constituents, prioritizing ...

Updated on May 1, 2024

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