It is important to know and understand how class material connects to outside events. This assignment consists of accessing a news article pertaining to the Texas State Government. Choose an article from the list below or, if you want to choose your own article, it must be less than 4 months (120 days) old and from one of the following sources: 1) The Texas Tribune or 2) The New York Times.

The purposes of this assignment are:

1. to analyze primary research, current events, and new or original works;

2. to develop written communication skills;

3. to express ideas in discipline-specific language;

4. to connect concepts you are learning in class material, with real-world issues.

You are to include the following criteria in your assignment:

1. Article title and source – 5 points

a. Using the MLA style of citation, where did you get the article?

b. For this assignment, you must include the url in your citation.

2. Summary – 5 points

Briefly and in your own words, summarize the content of the article.

3. Connection – 15 points

Connect the article to a concept we have covered in class.

a. Define the concept(s) that you state the article connects to.

b. Describe how the article illustrates the concept(s).

4. Viewpoints – 10 points

Identify the different perspectives that could be present in, or affected by, what is included in your article. Think about our discussion of changing demographics. How might the information in the article affect people from different groups such as race or ethnicity, age, region, religion, family structure or size, education, gender, etc.

5. Reaction – 10 points

Take a position on the issue contained in the article.

a. What ideas, positions, or assumptions do you want to challenge?

b. What do you agree with and why?

Write your paper in paragraph form using good sentence structure with proper spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Your paper should follow the MLA style guide, see the “Starting Here/ Resources” tab in BlackBoard for information on MLA. Write the paper in your own words. If you need to use a short quote, cite properly. The paper should be approximately two pages in length, double-spaced, one-inch margins, and 12-point font. It should be turned in via eCampus in .doc, .docx, or .pdf format.

This is not a critique of whether the article is good or bad. This assignment is to make a connection to the classroom material and to explore the different sides of the issue.

Most migrants cross at the Texas border. Here’s how the flow of people intersects with Trump’s policies.

https://apps.texastribune.org/features/2019/migrant-texas-border-trump-policies/?_ga=2.234865118.1528837628.1568081733-663046730.1566854871

How a decade of voting rights fights led to fewer redistricting safeguards for Texas voters of color

https://www.texastribune.org/2019/09/10/texas-enters-2021-redistricting-fewer-safeguards-voters-color/

Two years after Trump announced an end to DACA, “Dreamers” look ahead with hope and anxiety

https://www.texastribune.org/2019/09/06/dreamers-filled-hope-anxiety-two-years-after-trump-tried-end-daca/

Trump administration announces rollback of Obama-era methane regulations

https://www.texastribune.org/2019/08/29/trump-administration-announces-rollback-obama-era-methane-regulations/

Will Texas Turn Blue in 2020 or Simply Become More Deeply Divided?

https://www.tribtalk.org/2019/07/08/will-texas-turn-blue-in-2020-or-simply-become-more-deeply-divided/

Migrant apprehensions continue to surge on Texas-Mexico border

https://www.texastribune.org/2019/06/05/migrant-apprehensions-continue-surge-texas-mexico-border/

Trump’s tariffs could hurt Texas, U.S. economies as much as Mexico’s, border leaders and analysts say

https://www.texastribune.org/2019/05/31/border-leaders-criticize-trumps-threat-tariffs-mexican-goods/

Where is Texas’ growing population coming from?

https://www.texastribune.org/2019/05/08/texas-keeps-growing-where-are-newest-transplants-coming/