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July 16, 2025
July 16, 2025

REBT Therapy Workshop

Instructions:

Guidelines:

You will be required to design an educational workshop and present it to the class. Ideally, your workshop should provide your peers with an overview of the theory, principles, and techniques of your chosen psychotherapy.

The workshop is intended to be a presentation style of format. While we are not grading on creativity, the project must be a presentation. You may use Powerpoint.  Voice over is appreciated but not required. AI-generated text or presentations are not allowed and will be considered an honor code violation as they are not your own work.

Your workshop must include:

REBT Therapy Workshop

Section 1: Describe the therapy

  • 3 Learning Objectives for your workshop
  • Brief historical summary
  • Critique the theory or model
    • Describe the major concepts/components of the theory
    • Determine the complexity of the theory (how elaborate or simple is it?)
    • Determine the scope of the theory (where does it stand along the continuum from grand theory to conceptual model?)
    • Discuses the usefulness of the theory or model (Can it be used to guide psychiatric nursing practice? If so, how?)
  • Description of the techniques for use
  • Evidenced based literature to support the utilization of the theory or model in specific populations
  • Lifespan issues with use of the theory or model
  • Cultural variations with use of the theory or model

Section 2: Apply the therapy to practice

REBT Therapy Workshop

  • Apply your chosen theory to a specific psychiatric population (i.e. Solution Focused therapy for work with youth with externalizing behavioral problems or MI for work with smoking cessation) with a DSM diagnosis
    • Define the chosen disorder/population
      • Epidemiology (incidence, prevalence, demographics)
    • Assessment
      • Include screening tests or measures applicable to the disorder
      • Clinical Presentation and typical age of onset of the chosen disorder
      • Cultural Variations of clinical presentation and potential impact on treatment
    • Diagnosis – DSM-5-TR; Natural course of the disorder; Differentials
    • Treatment – Your chosen theory/model
      • Efficacy of the treatment theory/model
      • Alternative strategies for the disorder
      • Evidence for the treatment theory/model in the chosen disorder/population

Section 3: Synthesize the research

  • For your chosen diagnosis from section 2, compare and contrast the assigned therapy with another therapeutic modality.
    • For example, if your therapy is Applied behavioral analysis and your diagnosis is Autism spectrum, you might contrast this with equine therapy.
    • Or if your therapy is Cognitive Processing Therapy and your diagnosis is PTSD, you might choose to contrast CPT with EMDR. Or PE. Or ART.
    • You may choose the second therapy to contrast with the assigned therapy, but it MUST have evidence to support it’s use. Do not compare with a medication, but a psychotherapeutic modality or alternative therapy is ok.
  • Compare and contrast the two therapy choices for your selected DSM diagnosis. The following are examples of questions that you will try to answer in your analysis:
  • Is the evidence for one therapy stronger than the other? Does the research point to one of these therapies as clearly superior to the other, or is the research conflicting?

REBT Therapy Workshop

  • What are the pros and cons of each therapy?
  • In what situations or populations is each therapy more appropriate than the other?
  • Not every therapy is appropriate for every patient. When in clinical practice, how should the PMHNP decide between these two therapy options for the patient sitting in front of them?
  • Just like with medication, therapy can potentially harm our clients if used incorrectly. Discuss the potential unintended consequences of ordering each therapy or the wrong therapy for this patient population/diagnosis. Use the research to discuss risks vs benefits with your two selected therapeutic modalities.
  • Cite at least five peer-reviewed journal articles for this section.

References: You must cite and reference all of your information. Use APA style. A citation belongs on the individual slide, whereas a full reference belongs at the end of the presentation. It is expected that you will use more than your Wheeler textbook. Peer-reviewed journal articles are appropriate for the “evidenced based literature” section and the “research synthesis section”. You may also cite official therapy websites such as the Beck Institute for CBT or the EMDR Institute for EMDR, etc., which often have good information for the history and technique sections.

Guidelines for TurnitIn: TurnitIn is a plagiarism detector that is used for this assignment. The software is a tool for identifying potential plagiarism, not a replacement for faculty review and evaluation. Students have the ability view their report as they are submitting assignments and adjust their project as needed, as long as it is posted and submitted prior to the due date. The program will highlight text that is taken from an outside source and give a score flagging the project as green, yellow, or red according to the program’s projected risk that the student has plagiarized.

For this project, it is common for a TurnitIn score to show in the 25-35% range, which does show in the “yellow” moderate risk range and is higher than expected on typical APA . This higher score is due to our requirement that you include the DSM 5 criteria, which students often copy word for word and will raise your TurnitIn score. This is OK and does not mean that we are going to report you to honor council! However, students should review their report carefully, especially with scores higher than this, as cheating, copying text from outside sources without quoting, and using AI generators are not allowed for this project.

Keep in mind that APA style requires that any direct quotes are put in quotation marks as well as the in text citation, and the in text citation will have an added page number in as well as the author and year. It is expected that your project will contain more than just copy & pasted quotes from other sources. It is the student’s responsibility to synthesize and present the material in a way that is helpful for our profession, not just regurgitate facts that are available to anyone online.

  1. What are the historical background and core components of Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT)?,

  2. How complex and useful is REBT in psychiatric nursing practice?,

  3. How can REBT be applied to a specific DSM-5-TR diagnosis and population?,

  4. What is the evidence supporting REBT for the selected diagnosis, and how does it compare with another therapy?,

  5. What are the cultural, lifespan, and ethical considerations in applying REBT?


✅ Comprehensive Response (General, Synthesized)

🔹 Section 1: Describe the Therapy (REBT)

Learning Objectives:

  1. Identify the historical foundations and key principles of REBT.

  2. Understand the practical techniques used in REBT and how they guide patient care.

  3. Evaluate the applicability of REBT across various populations and psychiatric conditions.

Brief Historical Summary:
Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT) was developed by Dr. Albert Ellis in the 1950s as one of the earliest forms of cognitive-behavioral therapy. REBT posits that emotional disturbances are largely rooted in irrational beliefs, and that replacing these beliefs with rational ones can lead to psychological well-being.

Critique of the Theory:
REBT is often praised for its directness and structured nature, but it can be criticized for its confrontational style, which may not suit all patients. The theory assumes individuals are capable of recognizing and changing thought patterns, which might not always be realistic for clients with severe cognitive or emotional impairments.

Major Concepts/Components:

  • ABC Model: A = Activating event, B = Beliefs, C = Consequences.

  • Disputing irrational beliefs (D) and developing Effective new beliefs (E).

  • Emphasis on logical reasoning, empirical evidence, and pragmatic outcomes.

  • Focuses on unconditional self-acceptance and personal responsibility.

Complexity & Scope:
REBT is moderately complex—it is more structured than talk therapy but more flexible than rigid behavioral protocols. It falls on the conceptual model end of the spectrum, offering practical tools rather than an overarching theory of personality or development.

Usefulness in Psychiatric Nursing Practice:
REBT aligns well with psychiatric nursing due to its clarity, teachability, and problem-solving orientation. Nurses can integrate REBT techniques into brief interventions, psychoeducation, and relapse prevention.

Techniques:

  • Cognitive restructuring

  • Use of Socratic questioning

  • Homework assignments

  • Behavioral experiments

  • Rational coping statements

Evidence-Based Literature:
Studies have shown REBT is effective for treating:

  • Depression (David et al., 2018)

  • Anxiety (Dryden & Branch, 2011)

  • PTSD (Bornstein et al., 2020)

  • Substance use disorders (DiGiuseppe et al., 2013)

Lifespan Issues:
REBT has been adapted for children and adolescents using developmentally appropriate language and metaphors. For older adults, it may be integrated with reminiscence therapy and life review strategies.

Cultural Variations:
Although REBT is grounded in Western logic and philosophy, its principles can be adapted for diverse cultures when care is taken to respect cultural beliefs and communication styles. Emphasis on personal responsibility should be tempered in collectivist cultures.


🔹 Section 2: Apply the Therapy to Practice

Selected Population/Diagnosis:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in young adults

Definition:
GAD is characterized by excessive, uncontrollable worry about multiple areas of life, often accompanied by physical symptoms (DSM-5-TR).

Epidemiology:

  • Lifetime prevalence: ~5.7% in the U.S.

  • Onset: Common in adolescence and young adulthood

  • Higher prevalence in females

Assessment Tools:

  • GAD-7

  • Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A)

Clinical Presentation:

  • Persistent worry about future events, performance, finances, relationships

  • Restlessness, fatigue, irritability, sleep disturbances

Cultural Considerations:
In some cultures, anxiety symptoms may be expressed somatically (e.g., headaches, GI issues). Beliefs about control, worry, and emotional expression also vary.

DSM-5-TR Diagnostic Criteria:

  • Excessive anxiety and worry for more days than not for at least 6 months

  • Difficult to control the worry

  • Three or more associated symptoms: restlessness, fatigue, irritability, concentration issues, muscle tension, sleep disturbance

Natural Course & Differentials:
Often chronic without treatment; differentials include panic disorder, OCD, ADHD, PTSD.

Treatment with REBT:
REBT is particularly well-suited for GAD because it directly targets catastrophic thinking and irrational beliefs, such as “If I don’t worry, something bad will happen.”

Efficacy:
A meta-analysis by David et al. (2018) found REBT to be as effective as CBT in reducing symptoms of anxiety.

Alternative Strategies:

  • CBT

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

  • Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)

Evidence for REBT in GAD:
Research has demonstrated significant reductions in anxiety symptoms following REBT interventions (Sava et al., 2009).


🔹 Section 3: Synthesize the Research

Comparison Therapy: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Therapy Comparison: REBT vs CBT for GAD

Feature REBT CBT
Focus Irrational beliefs (philosophical) Cognitive distortions (thought-focused)
Structure Highly directive Directive, but collaborative
Tone Confrontational Empathic and Socratic
Evidence Strong, especially in anxiety and depression Very strong, considered gold standard
Best For Clients who can tolerate directness Broad populations, including trauma survivors

Research Synthesis:

  • Stronger Evidence? CBT has a larger body of evidence overall, but REBT has strong support for anxiety and depression (David et al., 2018).

  • When Is REBT Better? When clients have strong irrational beliefs and respond well to logical disputation.

  • When Is CBT Better? When clients prefer a less confrontational, more gradual process.

Risks and Benefits:

  • REBT Risks: May overwhelm or alienate clients not ready for direct challenge.

  • CBT Risks: May fail to address deep-rooted philosophical beliefs that reinforce worry.

  • PMHNP Consideration: Use client preferences, emotional capacity, and insight level to guide therapy selection.


📚 References (APA Style)

David, D., Cotet, C. D., Matu, S., Mogoase, C., & Stefan, S. (2018). Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT): A meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 74(3), 304–318.

DiGiuseppe, R., Doyle, K. A., Dryden, W., & Backx, W. (2013). A practitioner’s guide to rational-emotive behavior therapy. Oxford University Press.

Dryden, W., & Branch, R. (2011). The fundamentals of rational emotive behaviour therapy: A training handbook. Wiley-Blackwell.

Sava, F. A., Marcu, A., Yates, B. T., Lupu, V., & David, D. (2009). Cost-effectiveness and efficacy of cognitive therapy, rational emotive behavior therapy, and fluoxetine (Prozac) in treating depression: A randomized clinical trial. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 65(1), 36–52.

Bornstein, R. A., Wilson, R., & Ward, T. (2020). Cognitive and behavioral therapies in PTSD treatment: A meta-analytic review. Trauma Psychology Review, 3(2), 91–104.


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July 16, 2025
July 16, 2025

Financial Analyst Job Aid

Competency

In this project, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following competency:

  • Describe the purpose and function of financial management in an organization

Scenario

You’ve been an entry-level financial analyst for six months. Your supervisor plans to fill another entry-level financial analyst position on your team. Your supervisor has asked you to create a job aid for the financial analyst role. The purpose of the job aid is to help the new hire move smoothly into the role. The job aid must describe the responsibilities of a financial analyst. It must also describe the impact the role has on a business.

Financial Analyst Job Aid

Directions

Using the Financial Analyst Job Aid (linked in the What to Submit section), create a job aid for a new hire to an entry-level financial analyst position. Your job aid should be thorough, but it should also be easy to understand for someone new to the field of finance.

In your job aid, you’ll give a general overview of financial management and its importance to a business. Specifically, you must address the following:

  1. Financial Responsibilities: Describe the responsibilities of a financial analyst.
    1. Write five to seven bullet points outlining the responsibilities of a financial analyst. Write in complete sentences.
  2. Financial Management Decisions: Use an example to discuss the importance of analyzing and managing finances to help make business decisions.
    1. Consider the bullet points you outlined in the previous section. Then write a brief paragraph that answers the following questions. Use examples to support your claims.
      1. How do these responsibilities help inform management decisions?
      2. What would happen if management didn’t have this information?
  3. Accounting Principles: Explain how to use accounting principles to analyze a business’s financial health. Give examples to support your claims.
    1. Write a brief paragraph that explains how financial analysts use accounting principles to analyze a business’s financial health. In your paragraph, also answer the following questions:
      1. What accounting information do financial analysts use?
      2. What would happen if that information was not available or was not accurate?
  4. Financial Statements: Describe how to use financial statements to help businesses make finance-related decisions. Give examples to support your claims.
    1. Think about how financial analysts identify the information contained in financial statements. Then write a brief paragraph that answers the following questions. Use examples to support your claims.
      1. What does a financial analyst need to do their job?
      2. What types of finance-related business decisions would this information help businesses to make?
  5. Financial Terminology: Explain how a financial analyst uses key financial terms every day. Ensure your response is clear and easy to understand.
    1. Define each term listed below. Then, for each term, write one or two sentences showing how a financial analyst might use the term and how the concept is used to make important financial decisions.
      1. Financial statement
      2. Liquidity
      3. Working capital
      4. Diversification
      5. Time value of money

Financial Analyst Job Aid

To complete this project, you must submit the following:

Financial Analyst Job Aid
Submit your completed Project One: Financial Analyst Job Aid that includes sources cited according to APA style.

Project One Rubric

CriteriaExceeds Expectations (100%)Meets Expectations (85%)Partially Meets Expectations (55%)Does Not Meet Expectations (0%)ValueFinancial ResponsibilitiesExceeds expectations in an exceptionally clear, insightful, sophisticated, or creative mannerDescribes the responsibilities of a financial analystShows progress toward meeting expectations, but with errors or omissions; areas for improvement may include describing in more detail the responsibilities of a financial analystDoes not attempt criterion17Financial Management DecisionsExceeds expectations in an exceptionally clear, insightful, sophisticated, or creative mannerDiscusses the importance of analyzing and managing finances to help make business decisions and gives examples to support claimsShows progress toward meeting expectations, but with errors or omissions; areas for improvement may include discussing in more detail the importance of analyzing and managing finances to help make business decisions or giving examples to support claimsDoes not attempt criterion18Accounting PrinciplesExceeds expectations in an exceptionally clear, insightful, sophisticated, or creative mannerExplains how to use accounting principles to analyze a business’s financial health and gives examples to support claimsShows progress toward meeting expectations, but with errors or omissions; areas for improvement may include explaining in more detail how to use accounting principles to analyze a business’s financial health or giving examples to support claimsDoes not attempt criterion16Financial StatementsExceeds expectations in an exceptionally clear, insightful, sophisticated, or creative mannerDescribes how to use financial statements to help businesses make finance-related decisions and gives examples to support claimsShows progress toward meeting expectations, but with errors or omissions; areas for improvement may include describing in more detail how to use financial statements to help businesses make finance-related decisions or giving examples to support claimsDoes not attempt criterion16Financial TerminologyExceeds expectations in an exceptionally clear, insightful, sophisticated, or creative mannerExplains how a financial analyst uses key financial terms every day; writes responses that are clear and easy to understandShows progress toward meeting expectations, but with errors or omissions; areas for improvement may include explaining in more detail how a financial analyst uses key financial terms every day or writing responses that are clearer and easier to understandDoes not attempt criterion18Clear CommunicationExceeds expectations with an intentional use of language that promotes a thorough understandingConsistently and effectively communicates in an organized way to a specific audienceShows progress toward meeting expectations, but communication is inconsistent or ineffective in a way that negatively impacts understandingShows no evidence of consistent, effective, or organized communication10Citations and AttributionsUses citations for ideas requiring attribution, with few or no minor errorsUses citations for ideas requiring attribution, with consistent minor errorsUses citations for ideas requiring attribution, with major errorsDoes not use citations for ideas requiring attribution5Total:100%

Financial Analyst Job Aid

  • What are the core responsibilities of a financial analyst?,

  • Why is analyzing and managing finances important for decision-making?,

  • How do accounting principles help assess a business’s financial health?,

  • How are financial statements used to make finance-related decisions?,

  • How do financial analysts apply key financial terms in their daily work?

July 16, 2025
July 16, 2025

Leadership Self-Map

Overview

Leadership maps are a valuable tool for reflection for emerging leaders. They help leaders develop self-awareness and a growth mindset while revealing areas of opportunity for improvement. In this assignment, you will review the results of the self-assessments you’ve completed throughout the course as well as reflect on your perceptions and biases. Then you will create a leadership map using a presentation tool of your choice. Your leadership map will also help you complete Project Two, which is due in Module Eight.

Leadership Self-Map

Directions

Use a visual presentation tool of your choice to create a map of the traits, skills, strengths, and weaknesses you have identified about yourself as a leader. You are encouraged to use the results from course resource assessments, such as the Big Five assessment, to guide your reflections.

Use the example below to see what a leadership map might look like.

An infographic depicting the various factors influencing the leadership skills. The term "My Leadership" is positioned at the center surrounded by four skills - Career Goals, Personal Traits, Communication Skills, and Leadership Style. The various branching factors for each of these four skills as inferred from the chart are as follows:. Career Goals - Become a charismatic leader, Become an entrepreneur, and Focus on social media marketing; Personality Traits - Open, Introvert, Agreeable, Usually stable under stress, and Highly conscientious; Communication Skills - Excellent written skills, Fear of public speaking, Avoids conflict, and Active listener; Leadership Style - Servant Leader and Democratic.

A text-only version is available: Leadership Map Example Text-Only Version Word Document.

Specifically, you must address the following rubric criteria:

Leadership Self-Map

  • Personality Traits: List your key leadership personality traits based on self-reflections and relevant assessment results from course resources.
  • Communication Skills: Identify strengths and weaknesses in your communication skills.
  • Leadership Style: Identify the leadership styles or approaches you relate to most closely.
  • Career Goals and Development: Identify your professional goals and opportunities for career and leadership development.

What to Submit

Submit your visual map as a PDF file. You may use the tool of your choice to design your leadership map. Consider using one of the following possible tools:

  • Microsoft Word
  • Prezi
  • Canva
  • Visio

Leadership Self-Map

CriteriaMeets Expectations (100%)Partially Meets Expectations (75%)Does Not Meet Expectations (0%)ValuePersonality TraitsLists key leadership personality traits based on self-reflections and relevant assessment results from course resourcesShows progress toward meeting expectations, but with errors or omissions; areas for improvement may include identifying more than one personality traits from the assessmentDoes not attempt criterion25Communication SkillsIdentifies strengths and weaknesses in one’s communication skillsShows progress toward meeting expectations, but with errors or omissions; areas for improvement may include identifying both strengths and weaknesses in one’s communication skillsDoes not attempt criterion25Leadership StyleIdentifies leadership styles or approaches that one relates to most closelyShows progress toward meeting expectations, but with errors or omissions; areas for improvement may include listing more than one leadership style or approach to identify withDoes not attempt criterion25Career Goals and DevelopmentIdentifies professional goals and opportunities for career and leadership developmentShows progress toward meeting expectations, but with errors or omissions; areas for improvement may include identifying both career goals and development opportunitiesDoes not attempt criterion25Total:100%

  1. What are your key leadership personality traits?,

  2. What are your communication strengths and weaknesses?,

  3. What leadership styles or approaches do you relate to most?,

  4. What are your career goals?,

  5. What opportunities do you have for career and leadership development?

July 16, 2025
July 16, 2025

Massachusetts Health Reform

This assignment is an analysis of local, state, or federal health policy.

  1. Select a state health policy reform innovation
  2. Discuss the rationale for the policy, how it was adopted (e.g., federal waivers, passage by state legislature), the funding structure, and (to the extent statistical data are available) its impact. ethical outcome based on evidence.
  3. Examples of state innovations include Maryland’s hospital rate setting, Vermont’s single payer system, and Massachusetts’ health reforms

Massachusetts Health Reform

Submission Requirements:

  • The paper is to be clear and concise and students will lose points for improper grammar, punctuation and misspelling.
  • The paper is to be formatted per current APA style, 5-7 pages in length, excluding the title, abstract and references page.
  • Incorporate a minimum of 5 current (published within last five years) scholarly journal articles or primary legal sources (statutes, court opinions) within your work.
  • Journal articles and books should be referenced according to current APA style.

Massachusetts Health Reform

  1. What state health policy innovation was selected?,

  2. What is the rationale behind the policy?,

  3. How was the policy adopted?,

  4. What is the funding structure of the policy?,

  5. What has been the policy’s impact and ethical outcome?


✅ Comprehensive General Analysis:

Introduction

Massachusetts’ 2006 health care reform is one of the most influential state-level health policy innovations in the United States. It served as the framework for the later federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) and focused on expanding health insurance coverage, ensuring employer responsibility, and creating a health insurance exchange. This analysis examines the rationale, legislative adoption, funding mechanisms, and the impact of this landmark policy.


1. Selected Policy Innovation: Massachusetts Health Care Reform Act of 2006

Often referred to as “Romneycare” after then-Governor Mitt Romney, Massachusetts’ health care reform aimed to achieve near-universal health insurance coverage for its residents. It represents one of the earliest successful state-level attempts to integrate mandates, subsidies, and marketplace models.

Massachusetts Health Reform

2. Rationale for the Policy

The rationale behind Massachusetts’ reform was the growing number of uninsured residents and unsustainable health care costs. In 2004, nearly 10% of the population lacked health insurance, despite Massachusetts having higher-than-average income and education levels. The policy sought to address three central concerns:

  • Reduce the uninsured rate.

  • Ensure shared responsibility among individuals, employers, and government.

  • Slow the growth of uncompensated care costs, particularly in emergency services.

The state also faced increasing pressure to reform in exchange for continued federal funding under its Medicaid Section 1115 waiver. Without reform, the state risked losing hundreds of millions in federal funds.


3. Policy Adoption Process

The policy was adopted through a combination of state legislative action and negotiation with the federal government. The key enabling mechanism was the renewal of the Medicaid 1115 waiver, which allowed Massachusetts to use federal Medicaid funds in more flexible ways. This was supplemented by state legislative action in the form of Chapter 58 of the Acts of 2006.

July 16, 2025
July 16, 2025

Court Case Presentation

Using the case outline (Part I: How the Courts Address or Respect Our Rights as Citizens)

you submitted inWeek 6, prepare and submit a presentation, using a narrated PowerPoint

The presentation will include:

Court Case Presentation

● Name the case

● Discuss the facts of the case

● Discuss the history of the case (what laws or legal action was taken)

● Discuss the issues or the facts of the case and legal questions the court must

decide.

● Discuss if the court’s decision or holdings were for the plaintiff or the

defendant and the reasons for the decision.

● Discuss the concurring and dissenting opinions from the judge or if a jury trial,

the jury.

Court Case Presentation

● References slide with aminimum of 2 scholarly sources.

Important: In this assignment, you are expected to elaborate on the points youmade in

the prior assignment inWeek 6. This assignment will be graded on your strength to

elaborate and explain the facts of the case, proper use of visual aids, good narration,

presentation of the case, and howwell you stick to the case. Do not copy-paste the outline

into this and call it complete.

Requirements

● Length: The presentation should be 7-8 slides long if using PowerPoint

excluding the title and reference slide. If you choose to do a video or narration,

the length requirement should not exceed 5minutes.

● Font should not be smaller than size 16-point   ● Parenthetical in-text citations included and formatted in APA style   ● Title/Introduction slide required

● References slideminimum of 2 scholarly sources in addition to textbook if

cited)

● You can narrate your presentation by using speaker notes to elaborate on the

content on the slides.

Court Case Presentation

  • What is the name and background of the case?,

  • What are the key facts and legal history of the case?,

  • What legal questions did the court need to decide?,

  • What was the court’s final decision and why?,

  • Were there any concurring or dissenting opinions?

July 16, 2025
July 16, 2025

California Tobacco Legislation 2016

Review a Legislative Session. Becoming familiar with the legislative process is an important skill for public health advocacy, prevention, and policy.

Step One: Review the Senate Floor session for March 10th 2016:   http://calchannel.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=7&clip_id=3442   Navigate to ~24 minutes into the video. There is a lag on getting the session started. After that there is a remaining 1 hour 15 minutes in length. Please review it in its entirety.  The session video should be opened using Google Chrome or Firefox (Internet Explorer will not work effectively for this video)

California Tobacco Legislation 2016

· That day, the California Legislature passed a set of landmark public health bills:

SBX2-5 Electronic cigarettes (Leno)
SBX2-7 Tobacco products: minimum legal age (Hernandez)
ABX2-7 Smoking in the workplace (Mark Stone)
ABX2-9 Tobacco use programs (Thurmond)
ABX2-10 Local taxes: authorization: cigarettes and tobacco products (Bloom)
ABX2-11 Cigarette and tobacco product licensing: fees and funding (Nazarian)

 

 

Step 2: Each bill that was passed that day has the potential to impact improvements in public health.  After reviewing the video, students will select two bills that interest them and then, research and describe.

1. Using the video or the bill text, you will briefly describe legislation you just viewed from the March 10, 2016 session.

· Select  3  bills and  describe each in 3-6 sentences  (See the list of bills reviewed at the legislative session in the chart above.)

· Tell us why each bill interested you in learning more.

· Be sure to include  two specific facts you learned about each bill

**The bill text can be found by looking through the agenda on the right-hand side of the screen or by using the “quick search” in the upper right-hand corner

A screenshot of a computer  Description automatically generated

California Tobacco Legislation 2016

Step 3: Review Chapters 1 & 2 in your text. Then:

1. Focusing on your text share/describe a two (2) aspects of the policymaking process you saw take place while viewing the video.

2. Using the internet, briefly research and describe (2-3 sentences) the policymaker that wrote one of the policies you described above. Expand upon the section on p. 32 in the text about policymakers and connect to your description. Why may the policymaker support this policy?

3. Describe why government intervention is considered appropriate for the population?

California Tobacco Legislation 2016

  • What are three bills from the March 10, 2016 session and what do they aim to do?,

  • Why did these particular bills interest you?,

  • What are two specific facts you learned about each bill?,

  • What two aspects of the policymaking process were evident during the session?,

  • Who authored one of the policies, and why might they support it?

July 16, 2025
July 16, 2025

Wollstonecraft and Gender Equality

What did Wollstonecraft see as the key to obtaining the independence of women? How is that connected to their ability to choose their life plans? What would second and third wave feminists argue remain as obstacles to gender equality after equal education is achieved? Do you think that the thinkers we read this week would believe that gender equality has been accomplished?

Wollstonecraft and Gender Equality

  1. What did Wollstonecraft see as the key to obtaining the independence of women?,

  2. How is that connected to their ability to choose their life plans?,

  3. What would second-wave feminists argue remain as obstacles to gender equality after education?,

  4. What would third-wave feminists identify as remaining issues?,

  5. Would the thinkers we read this week believe gender equality has been achieved?

Wollstonecraft and Gender EqualityGeneral Comprehensive Response:

Mary Wollstonecraft, one of the earliest advocates of women’s rights, believed that education was the fundamental key to women’s independence. In her groundbreaking work A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792), she argued that without a proper education, women could not reason, develop virtues, or become truly independent citizens. Wollstonecraft viewed education not only as a tool for intellectual growth but as a pathway to full participation in society—politically, morally, and personally.

This emphasis on education directly connects to women’s ability to choose their own life paths. Without knowledge, critical thinking, and self-reliance, women would remain dependent on men—economically, emotionally, and socially. By receiving the same education as men, Wollstonecraft argued, women could make informed choices about careers, relationships, and their contributions to public life. In essence, education enables autonomy.

However, second-wave feminists—active during the 1960s and 70s—recognized that equal education alone was not enough. They highlighted institutional barriers such as workplace discrimination, wage gaps, lack of childcare, and the unpaid labor of housework as enduring obstacles. Simone de Beauvoir, Betty Friedan, and others noted that even educated women were often relegated to domestic roles or faced professional glass ceilings.

Third-wave feminists, emerging in the 1990s and beyond, expanded the conversation to include issues of intersectionality, focusing on how race, class, sexuality, and gender identity intersect to create unique challenges for different groups of women. They would argue that systemic racism, transphobia, and cultural norms still perpetuate inequality—even when formal education is accessible.

Given the ideas of Wollstonecraft and later feminist thinkers, it is unlikely that any of them would consider gender equality to be fully accomplished today. While major strides have been made in education and legal rights, persistent gaps in political representation, economic parity, and social expectations remain. The thinkers studied this week would likely argue that gender equality is still an ongoing project—one that requires continued attention to both structural barriers and cultural attitudes.

Wollstonecraft and Gender Equality

July 16, 2025
July 16, 2025

Lowering the Drinking Age

 Should the alcohol drinking age be lowered from 21 to 18?  Yes or no? Why?

A) has to be 3 – 4 pages long

B) It has to be double space and one-inch margins on all sides

C) It has to be typed in Times New Roman Font (12)

D) Written in MLA format and it must contain a separate Works Cited page. Needs to have at least 4 citations from 4 different reputable sources.

E) No Wikipedia is allowed.

F) You must provide statistical and/or specific current or historical events or facts to augment your thesis.

Lowering the Drinking Ag

Lowering the Drinking Age

  1. Should the legal alcohol drinking age be lowered from 21 to 18?,

  2. Why should or shouldn’t the drinking age be changed?,

  3. What statistics or historical events support your position?,

  4. What reputable sources can back your claims?,

  5. How does this issue affect society public health and youth responsibility?


Comprehensive General Response:

Thesis:
No, the legal drinking age should not be lowered from 21 to 18. While 18 is the age of legal adulthood in many areas of life, alcohol consumption presents unique risks to adolescent brain development, public safety, and social responsibility that justify keeping the drinking age at 21.

Argument 1: Health and Brain Development
Scientific studies have shown that the human brain continues to develop well into the mid-20s. Alcohol consumption during adolescence can interfere with the development of the prefrontal cortex—the region responsible for decision-making, impulse control, and judgment. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), underage drinking is linked to increased risks of memory problems, academic struggles, and long-term dependency.

Argument 2: Public Safety and Drunk Driving
After the National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 raised the legal drinking age to 21, the U.S. saw a significant decrease in alcohol-related traffic fatalities. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drunk-driving deaths among people aged 16–20 dropped by 61% between 1982 and 1998. Lowering the age could reverse that progress and lead to more dangerous roads, particularly for teens who are inexperienced drivers.

Argument 3: Social and Educational Impacts
College campuses already face challenges with binge drinking, and lowering the legal age may worsen the issue. A 2019 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that alcohol is a factor in many cases of campus sexual assault, injury, and academic failure. Legal access at 18 could lead to increased alcohol availability and peer pressure in high schools as well, since many seniors are already 18.

Argument 4: International Comparisons and Context
Some argue that countries with lower drinking ages don’t face the same issues. However, European nations like Germany and France are also struggling with youth alcohol abuse. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Europe has some of the highest rates of alcohol-related problems among young people, even where the legal age is lower. Culture, education, and enforcement—not just legal age—impact outcomes.

Lowering the Drinking Ag

Conclusion:
Keeping the drinking age at 21 is not about denying adulthood but about protecting young people during a critical period of growth and development. The statistics clearly show a correlation between higher drinking ages and reduced alcohol-related harms. Until there are better systems of education and regulation in place, the drinking age should remain at 21.


Works Cited (MLA format placeholder — you must update with actual sources and page numbers):

  1. National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Underage Drinking. www.niaaa.nih.gov.

  2. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Traffic Safety Facts: Alcohol-Impaired Driving. www.nhtsa.gov.

  3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Excessive Alcohol Use and Risks to Youth. www.cdc.gov.

  4. World Health Organization. Global Status Report on Alcohol and Health. www.who.int.

July 16, 2025
July 16, 2025

Zine on Global Racism

Global Racism (Spring 2025) Zine Course Final Assignment

The purpose of this final assignment is to help guide you on a topic of your choice concerning racism. It is also to get your critical ideas and visions into a creative and alternative dissemination format. A zine is a self- published and self-circulating work that has typically been created and circulated by an individual or a collective. Historically, it provides social, political, cultural, gender, class, etc. information to marginalized communities free of charge or based on a small donation. In short (5-page double-space written content), this is a DIY project. This can be a digital zine (shared link) or a hardcopy (printed) zine submission. You may use Canva or whatever tech savvy app, or media outlet you know to create your zine. If you decide to do your zine digitally, please paste the link to your zine on Canvas. Get creative and share what you know, but YOU MUST back it up with historically and structural accurate scholarly information! Thus, your analysis will be critical! You must include three concepts from the reading but only one can be from the week you presented on the readings. All readings cited will be based on class readings. Feel free to use lecture notes and class films sporadically. You must use six readings and correctly cite them at the end of your zine.

Zine on Global Racism

Pick your research topic: Use your imagination and choose something that will be exciting to learn or inform others on. Your zine can be on a specific topic concerning racism in the past, ongoing, or currently, such as settler colonialism, labor exploitation, indigenismo/mestizaje, slavery, sexual violence and the law, trans. rights, the Zapatistas and the state, South African or Palestinian Apartheid, occupation, the holocaust, May, the Uyghur, Armenian, Myanmar genocide, a book, or a movie, etc.

What is your research topic?

Briefly describe why you chose your research topic?:

Zine on Global Racism

Dr. Nicolas

Pick at least THREE concepts from the course: Your concepts should help you understand and analyze the topic you are studying such as, structural racism, whiteness, settler colonialism, colonialism (colonial), imperialism, decolonization, genocide. Be specific and direct with your concepts.

Identify your THREE concepts that we have read on and briefly describe how they will/have help you understand your topic:

Format Guidelines: 5 or more double-spaced pages of written content on your zine. Your last page should contain the work cited/bibliography. Either Chicago Style Citation or MLA Citation is required. Images, of course, are strongly encouraged!

Zine on Global Racism

  1. What is your research topic?,

  2. Why did you choose this research topic?,

  3. What three course concepts will you use to analyze your topic?,

  4. How do these concepts help you understand your topic?,

  5. What are the format and citation requirements for the final zine?

July 16, 2025
July 16, 2025

Roles of the Media

Roles of the Mass Media in Democracy

The central idea of democracy is that ordinary citizens should control what their government does.

The media can help citizens help themselves

Popular Sovereignty requires an knowledgeable and informed citizenry

Roles of the Media #1

Watchdog over government

Protected by the First Amendment

No prior restraint

High standards for proving libel/slander

Examples?

Roles of the Media

Roles of the Media

 

 

 

Roles of the Media #2

Clarify what electoral choices the public has

What political parties stand for

The qualities/positions of candidates

Problem deciding what is important versus what is interesting

Examples?

Roles of the Media #3

Present a full and enlightening set of ideas about public policy to the public

Pros and cons about policies that have already been in place

Alternative policy ideas

Examples?

Is the News Biased?

Professional bias

Journalists tend to be liberal but media tycoons (owners of the mass media) are conservative=> balance

“Biases” in Political News

Nationalism: Pro-America

Ethnocentric point of view in most news reports about foreign affairs

Dependence on U.S. government news sources

 most foreign news coverage supports U.S. foreign policy.

“Biases” in Political News p.2

Pro-Capitalism

Free market

Free trade

Anti-welfare type programs

Ex. Socialized medicine

Episodic, Fragmented, Incoherent coverage of political informati

“Biases” in Political News p.3

Negativity and Scandal

Infotainment

The massive invasion of entertainment values in political reporting

Sensation and scandal replace stories about domestic policies, foreign policies, international issues, etc.

Affect of the Media on Public Opinions and Policy

Agenda-setting effects — the topics that get the most coverage in the media are the same ones that most people say are the most important problems

The media’s framing or interpretation of stories affects how people think about political problems.

In other words, not changing opinions as much as telling people what to think about and how to think about it

Affects of the Media

Fueling Cynicism

Attack journalism: serious consideration of the issues or of the behavior of institutions has lost out to regular coverage of personal misbehavior.

Negativity bias=Cynicism

Roles of the Media

  1. What are the three major roles of the media in a democracy?,

  2. How does the First Amendment protect the media?,

  3. What is meant by media bias and what types are discussed?,

  4. How does the media influence public opinion and policy?,

  5. What is infotainment and how does it affect political reporting?