Find Web sites that explain positions of major political parties, such as www.rnc.org, www.democrats.org, or http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/psusp.html#party ·Individual Assignment:

Write a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper, explaining differences in position on the issue between the parties. Smaller parties may be included. · Select a major national issue.

· Determine if social mobility affects political party identification. A registered independent may vote one way instead of the other. o Summarize the role of political parties and their effectiveness as change agents versus preserving the status quo. ·

· Consider how the groups encourage members to participate in the democratic process and support a specific party. o Discuss factors that promote and inhibit corporate influence on your issue.

· Explain why the U.S. political structure encourages major political parties and the effect this has on your issue.

o Discuss how the groups educate its members, the public, and the government about its concerns or mission.

· Identify forces in the party that help drive it toward its position.

· Include the following elements:

These may be newspaper or magazine articles, or articles from journals such as the ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, the American Political Science Review, Political Science Quarterly, or PS: Political Science and Politics.

· Format your paper according to APA standards· Use at least three additional resources.