Prepare: Prior to beginning work on this discussion, read Chapters 8, 9, and 10 in American Government and review the Week 4 Instructor Guidance. Be sure to read about the different party platforms, including the Democratic Party (Links to an external site.), Republican Party (Links to an external site.), and one third party (e.g., Libertarian Party (Links to an external site.), Green Party (Links to an external site.), Constitution Party (Links to an external site.), etc.).

Reflect: Our political system is characterized by certain fundamental features to include a system of laws, rights, and liberties. The laws, created and supported by the Constitutional framework, are designed to protect and secure the rights and liberties of individuals and groups throughout the United States. However, the government also must provide for the security of its citizens from serious internal and external threats that could cause severe damage to our country. Think about how the need for homeland and national security can create a dilemma where conflicts emerge between these security needs and the demands for civil rights and liberties.

Write: In your initial post,

• Explain what obligations the U.S. government has towards its citizens and how these obligations impact individual and group rights.
• Provide real-world examples to support your explanation, including one personal example from your own experiences.
• Using your personal example, explain the position of the two major parties and a third party, regarding the example you presented.

Your initial post must be at least 300 words. If you are citing statistics our outside resources, please list the website or the reference entry.

Respond to Peers: By Day 7, respond to at least two of your classmates’ initial posts. Your peer responses should be substantive and at least 100 words each. As your reply to your classmates, attempt to take the conversation further by examining their claims or arguments in more depth or responding to the posts that they make to you. Keep the discussion on target and try to analyze things in as much detail as you can. For instance, you might consider if your classmate’s arguments are well supported with valid sources and logically argued.