Governing Society—Divide and Rule?

Purpose: The primary goal of this weekly summative assignment is to critically analyze some of the significant political science concepts, terms, and theories that were covered this first week of our course.

Prepare: Review Chapters 1 to 4 in the course text and access the Sedition Act of 1798.

Reflect: This week, you began learning about the major concepts, terms, and theories that embody political science. In this weekly assignment, you will connect the concepts of atomization, peer policing, and preference falsification to how a government can govern. These three techniques are often used by political leaders to prevent revolutionary groups from forming in opposition to the central government. Analysis of how these techniques are used by leaders to oppose any collective action to overthrow the system will broaden your understanding of how governments maintain control over their citizens.

Write: In your essay of at least 600 words, draw connections from the Sedition Act of 1798 to the concepts of governmental control discussed this week in your course text, A Novel Approach to Politics. First, describe theSedition Act of 1798 available online via the Library of Congress. Next, discuss how theSedition Act of 1798 enhanced governmental control over U.S. citizens. Last, explain how atomization, peer-policing, and preference falsification techniques were utilized in the Sedition Act of 1798.

The Week One Assignment:

• Must be at least 600 words (not including title and reference pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Introduction to APA.
• Must include a separate title page with the following:
  • Title of paper
  • Student’s name
  • Course name and number
  • Instructor’s name
  • Date submitted
• Must use at least three appropriate sources.
  • These should include the Sedition Act of 1789, the course text, and any of the required or recommended resources for this week.
  • You can also include additional resources found on the Ashford University Library website. The Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types.
• Must document all sources in APA style as outlined in Citing Within Your Paper.
• Must include an introductory paragraph with a succinct thesis statement.
• Must include a conclusion that summarizes the main points and restates the thesis.
• Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in Formatting Your References List.