POLS101 branches of the U.S. government.

POLS101 branches of the U.S. government.
Primary Task Response: Within the Discussion Board area, write 300 words that respond to the following questions with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. This will be the foundation for future discussions by your classmates. Be substantive and clear, and use examples to reinforce your ideas.
Option 1:
The checks and balances of power between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of American Government (as written and presented in Articles I, II, and III of the U.S. Constitution) protect our freedoms by stopping any one of the branches from becoming too powerful or dominant. As one of our Founding Fathers and former President James Madison once said, “Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.”
Visit the U.S. Constitution Web site for a summary of the checks for all branches of the U.S. government.
Research the Internet and choose a news story about American Government where one of the branches of government “checked” another branch. Discuss the following:
Include the source for the story at the top of the response, and make sure to cite it in APA style.
Summarize the story in 3–4 paragraphs.
Did some of the news stories regarding checks and balances by your classmates surprise or shock you?
Find another student’s post that surprised or shocked you or that you found interesting, and comment on his or her post.
Or
Option 2:
What are the main responsibilities of representatives and senators?
What are the main responsibilities of the president?
For the next questions, choose either a U.S. representative or one of your U.S. senators, and review his or her Web site to answer the following questions:
How long has he or she served in this position?
What party is he or she from?
What are a few of his or her accomplishments and goals?
Has the U.S. Representative or U.S. Senator that you chose to discuss worked with or against President Barack Obama on a particular issue during his presidency?
Explain your response in detail.
Provide examples of collaboration and support (or refusal of support) of the president from news stories or the representative’s Web site.
Be sure to cite the Web site in APA format both as in-text citations and on a reference list.