Unplagarized and Original

Part A

Read the articles, Bowling Alone: America’s Declining Social Capital and Still Bowling Alone? The Post-9/11 Split from the Project Muse database in the Ashford University Library. For this discussion, complete the following:

• In your own words, describe what is meant by the term “social capital.”
• Examine the influences of social connections and technology and civic engagement in academic and professional pursuits.
• Evaluate the significance of social capital in the context of global citizenship and multicultural understanding.

Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. In addition to the assigned reading, support your answer with research from at least one scholarly source, and properly cite any references.

Part B

In recent years, immigration, health care reform, and fiscal policy have emerged as key issues in U.S. federal policy. There are many sides to each debate, and research is proliferating.

Using the Ashford Online Library, identify a scholarly article that answers research questions associated with the debate over immigration, health care reform, or fiscal policy (select one). Apply the principles of critical thinking to the selected issue. Cite the article or website that contains the research. Then, describe the findings of this research and provide your perspective on the validity of the findings.

Your initial post should be at least 250 words in length. Support your claims with examples from required material(s) and/or other scholarly sources, and properly cite any references.