Research Prompt:
PROMPT:
Consider how government is important in your daily life.
For example, our alarm clocks are powered by electricity provided by a public utility. Our shower water comes from a municipal water system, our breakfast foods are safe because of governmental inspections.
Think about what you do from the moment you wake up to when you go to sleep. Think about a typical day in your life. Before you write your essay, perhaps make a time-table of what you do every hour.
Write an essay, 750 to 1000 words (i.e., 3 to 4 pages double spaced) that addresses all the ways you encounter the government on a daily/frequent basis. For each item, answer how is that experience related to the government and why is it relevant.
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Search Terms:
SEARCH TERMS:
- public utilities
- electric power, telecommunications, natural gas, water companies
- California Public Utilities Commission
- Caltrans (roads)
- Fire Dept.
- Police Dept.
- FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration)
- EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency)
- U.S Department of Education
- Federal Communications Commission (phone service; net neutrality)
- Dept. of Social Services
- National Assoc. of Insurance Commissioners
Other Terms:
- oversight
- regulation
- standards
- policy
- legislation
- consumer protection (Bureau of Consumer Protection)
- consumer rights
- consumer watch
Examples:
- air quality
- pollution
- e-cigarettes
- public schools
