Will diversity help the Republicans?

Read this article from CNN and answer the following questions.  What is the main idea of the article?  Do you agree with the main idea?  Why or why not?  Be sure to cite the article in your response to earn credit, but also paraphrase when necessary to reflect your own understanding of the article.  How does this reflect the difficulty Republicans have faced as a political party in the past?  What does this article illustrate about the broader role of political parties in American politics?

Is the American political system corrupt?

Read this article about the influence of millionaires and billionaires on campaigning and answer the following questions.  Write in complete sentences and be sure your passage makes sense if you read it without knowing the questions.  One word answers will not earn you points.

Must there be an explicit deal made between candidate and donors in order for it to be considered corruption?  Why or why not?  What will happen to a candidate if they do not do what these big donors want them to do when they get into office?  Why do they have so much influence?  Which of the alternate methods of campaign funding offered in the article do you most agree with?  Why?  Do you think there should be a limit on campaign funding?  Should citizens get a say in how campaigns are funded?  Why or why not? 

NSA: Privacy or security?

Read this article about a bill progressing in Congress called the USA Freedom Act.  It is meant to deal with the recent revelations that the NSA is collecting massive amounts of data from Americans and American companies in the name of national security.  Answer the following questions.

How much power should the NSA have in collecting data from Americans without our knowledge or permission?  Should they be able to do it at all?  Do you think this is a violation of the 4th amendment, or is it simply a necessity for the government to keep us protected?  Explain your response.

If the NSA was able to access pictures on your phone, would that disturb you?  Even if they were not actively doing so, what do you think of the government having that type of power of surveillance?  Should the government have that much power to look into our personal lives?  Is the fact that the government has the capacity (as it seems that they do from the Snowden leaks) to do such a thing an invasion of privacy in itself?  Is this type of program necessary to keep our country safe?  Why or why not? Where would you draw the line?

State bans on same-sex marriage: Should the Supreme court intervene?

Currently the Supreme Court is debating what to do about state bans on same-sex marriage.  Should they uphold the states right to enact such a law, as their elected officials have? Or does it amount to discrimination by the government?  Read this article and answer the following questions.  For each question you should cite the article in your response.  Be sure to explain yourself throughout your response.

Which justice has the most convincing legal argument in your eyes?  Why or why not?  Cite the article in your response.  Remember to explain why you think the justice you picked has the best argument.

In your opinion, should marriage be left up to the states, or is this a case where the federal government should intervene?  What part of the Constitution is justification for the states rights, pro-ban advocates?  What part of the Constitution is justification for the anti-ban, same-sex marriage advocates?  Which part of the Constitution should, in this case, hold more legal weight?

What does this article say about the role of the judicial branch in American politics as a whole?  What kind of sweeping changes have been made in the past b the Supreme Court?  Should the Supreme Court be social engineers, who are there to "make things right" when others fail to see the immorality of their ways?  Or should the Supreme Court simply be an arbiter of the law, with no consideration to the moral or social ramifications? 

Listen to this segment from NPR and answer the following questions.  First, briefly summarize the main idea of this segment.  Do you agree?  Why or why not? 

Equal pay for equal work: It seems simple, so why is it so difficult to achieve?

First, read this article about the gender pay gap and how it has evolved over the years.  What are two possible solutions to closing the gap cited in the article?

Second, read this article about the debate going on in the halls of Washington.  What is the Republican approach to solving this issue?  What is the Democrats approach?  Which one do you agree with and why?  Do you think this is an issue that the government needs to address or do you think the private sector will eventually correct itself?  How do both sides use statistics to argue their case?

Third, read this article about a relatively new approach to the problem made by some companies.  Summarize the general idea of the article.  Do you think this approach will help to solve the problem?  Why or why not?  Cite the article in your response.

Lastly, read this article about the broader impact of the equal pay issue.  How are politicians framing this as an issue that goes beyond mere gender equality?  Do you agree with the central idea of this article?  Why or why not?  Be sure to explain your reasoning, citing the article in your response.  Should all people be concerned about this issue?  Why or why not?  Do you think this issue will make an impact on voting in the 2016 Presidential election?  How might it have an impact?  Will Democrats or Republicans benefit more from this being a major issue in 2016?  Explain your reasoning.

Hillary's small scale start

Hillary Clinton has basically had the last two years to start her campaign on her own terms and clearly a lot of thought has been put into how she is courting Iowa voters.  Her motto seems to be "think small."  Read this article, respond to the following prompts and questions.  Cite quotes and use evidence from the article throughout your response. 

Explain the role of the media in Presidential campaigns.  What is their main job when covering a presidential campaign?  Why do you think Clinton is trying to "go small" in Iowa?  Why is there such an emphasis on Iowa and New Hampshire at this stage in the long road to the primary and eventually the general election?  Do you think Clinton's strategy will work?  Why or why not?

Marco Rubio's strategy

Research the strategy of Marco Rubio heading into primary season and answer the following questions.  In your responses, cite your research parenthetically and use direct quotes from the source.

What is his main strategy?  Who is his biggest competition in the primary?  Why do you think so?  If he makes it through the primary as the nominee, do you think he stands a chance against Hillary Clinton or another democrat?  Why or why not?  Will his youth and inexperience help or hurt his chances?  Explain the reasons behind your opinion, relating to his overall campaign strategy.  What are the main policies he will focus on throughout his campaign?  Why will he focus on these policies?  How will that help him win the nomination?   

Joe Biden: VP of the United States of Awkward

Joe Biden was picked as VP because of his foreign policy experience, but lately he has been in the headlines for a different reason.  He has often the been the subject of scrutiny for his, at times, uncomfortable closeness in public with total strangers and friends alike, that likely has the White House cringing.  Take a look at the three links embedded in this post..  Talk about awkward. Post a (school appropriate) Biden meme for a little bit of credit.  No repeats!

Ready to Cruz the USA or for a new bRand of President? (or Bush or Walker or Christie or Rubio)

So far (officially) only two candidates (with backing from a major party) have thrust themselves into the media spotlight by launching their campaign to run for the office of President of the United States in 2016.  The Senator from Kentucky, Dr. Rand Paul, is a former ophthalmologist by way of Kentucky and son of venerated libertarian darling Ron Paul.  His announcement came on Monday.  Since his announcement he has been under fire for his sometimes questionable reactions to media scrutiny.  Before Paul there was Senator Ted Cruz from Texas, the first official candidate for the Republican party, who is branding himself as the values-based religious option for the Republican palette.  Both share the Republican sentiment that Washington is broken, that they are newcomers/outsiders and the government that governs best governs least.  What are there chances against someone with the political clout of Jeb Bush or the more mainstream grassroots support of Gov. Scott Walker? Also, can they compete with the support of their likely Democratic challenger Hilary Clinton, who is set to announce her candidacy on Sunday?

Read all the linked articles to get an idea of how the 2016 Presidential race is shaping up in its infant stages and answer the following questions.  The thoughtfulness and in-depth analysis contained in your response will determine the value of your post. It is undeniable that these two first official candidates provide a fresh look on the field for 2016, but do you think they have a chance to win the primary?  What about the general election?  Why or why not?  If you were a Republican voter in the primary booth this fall, who would you vote for (assuming Christie, Walker, Rubio, Bush, or anyone else you might think of run) and why?  Would it be better for someone like Bush (center-leaning conservative) or Paul (right-leaning conservative) to win the primary?  What do you think the American people want in 2016?  If you were a voter (which most of you will be) what would you want the new President to address when they take office in 2017?  What issues do you think need to be on the policy agenda?  Be specific in your answers.

Opening the door for religious freedom or legalized discrimination?

In the wake of the controversial Indiana law and proposed Arkansas state law, a very provocative question has been dominating the headlines.  Should a business, if that business is owned by people with certain religious beliefs, be able to refuse service to someone because they believe what they are doing is against their beliefs?  Read this article for a good overview of the controversy.  For example, should there be a law that allows a bakery to refuse (based on religious beliefs) to make a cake for a wedding between two people of the same sex?  Does it hinder their ability to freely exercise their religion per the 1st amendment? Or does it simply allow businesses to discriminate based on sexual orientation?  Is this similar to the racial discrimination of the past?  Is refusal of service based on sexual orientation any different from refusal of service based on race or gender?  Be sure to explain your reasons for your opinion, don't just answer yes or no.  Start a discussion below of the core ideas at work here (e.g. freedom of religion, separation of church and state, unlawful discrimination, expectations of private business, etc.).  Opinions are welcome, and necessary for this discussion.  Disagreement is inevitable, but keep in mind this is no place for ranting or personal attacks (like the comment section on so many articles pertaining to this subject, we're better than that).  Points will be awarded based on the thoughtfulness and completeness of the response.  Also, be sure to cite the articles I posted (or an article you found, or the law itself) at least twice in your response for credit.

Role play with the President

The recent talks with Iran in negotiating a deal on limitations of nuclear weapons in the Middle East has been dominating the headlines lately.  Clearly the President plays a big part in these negotiations, but exactly what role does he play?  Go to this article for background and details and answer the following questions.  What role (of the roles we talked about in class) is the President playing here?  How so?  What secondary role is he playing?  Use specific details from the article to back up your analysis and be sure to explain your reasoning behind your answer.    

Reflections on the legislative process (due Friday 3/27)

For credit, respond in complete sentences with more than one sentence answers.  Focus on your analysis and answering they why and how questions.  This is the last post for the 3rd quarter.

1. 3-6% of bills introduced in Congress become law. Is this passage rate good or bad? Why?
2. Members of Congress know that a bill they introduce has a very small chance of passing. Why do they do it anyway? What purpose is served by introducing a bill?
3. To what extent is each step of the process an opportunity for elected officials to represent the interests of their constituents?
4. How does the legislative process enable the House and Senate to test ideas before they become law?
5. How does the process by which legislation is made affect its outcome?
6. What do the documents studied in this lesson show about how citizens can affect the legislative process?
7. What do you think the public does not know but should learn about how Congress works?
8. What features of the legislative process do you think should be preserved? What features should be changed?
9. In what way does understanding the legislative process factor into voters' opinions in favor of or against incumbent candidates?

Congressional "Power of the Purse"

After reading the NPR article I handed out in class, answer the following questions by end of school on Friday for credit.

1. How does this illustrate the use of Congress "power of the purse" as a check on executive power?
2. How does htis article illustrate the influence of political parties in Congress?
3. Do you think what Obama is doing with his executive actions is unconstitutional (as Republicans clearly do)?  What if you framed the legal argument as the President using his pardoning power?  What then?  Does that change your opinion of his actions?  Why or why not?
4. Do you think it is justified for the Republicans to threaten government shutdown or should they go another route?  Justify your answer.

Gerrymandering simplified

Here is a really simple and easy to understand explanation of gerrymandering courtesy of the Washington Post.

Gun violence and gun control: Impact of the NRA

After watching the PBS Frontline documentary about the history and rise of the NRA's political influence answer the following questions.  Keep in mind this is an emotionally charged, controversial and sensitive subject.  Feel free to express your opinions, but be respectful of other opinions as well.

1. Identify two reasons why the NRA is successful in stopping gun control legislation.  Explain your answer.
2. If you were a Senator, would you have voted for or against the bill proposed by Senator Manchin? Would it depend on what your voters/constituents think? Do you agree that "something" has to be one about gun violence in America?  If so, what should be done?  If not, why not?
3. What is your opinion on the gun control debate in the United States? Is it more about ensuring our fundamental freedoms as American citizens or ensuring public safety? Why?
4.  Do you agree with the logic of Wayne LaPierre's response to the Newtown tragedy, in that "the only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun"? Is the solution to the problem of gun violence at schools only a matter of providing better, armed security at these vulnerable places? Or is decreasing access to the type of military grade automatic weapons used in the shooting the answer?
5. Do you think that the writer's of the Constitution and the 2nd amendment anticipated it would protect people's right to own semi-automatic weapons and high capacity magazines?  What do you think is the intention of the 2nd amendment?  Or in this case does intention not matter?

Midterm Money Analysis

Go here to read the full report on how much money was spent in last years midterm elections.  It's a lot.

Political Parties and the Gerrymandering Issue

It is hard to deny that gerrymandering (rewriting legislative House districts to strengthen each parties hold on their respective districts) exists.  Check out this cool photo essay and take a look at some of the wacky shapes of these districts.  Like I said, it is hard to deny it happens.  Both parties do it, but many Democrats blame this practice is abused by Republican state legislatures.  The result is that the Democrats can not win back the House, despite having a majority of voters in many of the states where they hold far fewer House seats.

There are essentially two theories that explain the discrepancy between the number of Democratic votes cast in a state and the number of seats held by the Democrats in the House.  The first theory is the tendency for Democrats to move to urban areas, while Republicans typically reside in rural areas (people tend to congregate in like-minded communities as illustrated in the NPR article from a previous post).  This "Big Sort" builds up enormously lopsided, pro-Democrat urban districts that are few in number.  The Republicans win by small margins in their many rural districts.  The result is that, statewide, more Democratic votes are cast, but Republicans win more seats in the House (winning more seats obviously being the objective for each party).  The second theory is that it is caused by the practice of Republican state legislatures rewriting the district boundaries in their favor, making it impossible for the Democrats to make inroads in these Republican districts.  Read this NYTimes article by Nate Cohn (both "the Big Sort" and gerrymandering), this rebuttal by David Weigel (gerrymandering is the main cause for Democratic losses) and finally read this analysis by Jonathan Bernstein (Dems can't blame gerrymandering).  Answer the following questions and quote the articles in each of your answers to back up your opinions.  I understand this post is a bit more in depth than others and points will be awarded accordingly based on the thorough and thoughtful nature of your responses.  One and two sentence, yes or no answers will not garner you credit.

1.  What do you think?  Is it the "Big Sort," gerrymandering, or both?  There are three distinct opinions here, all backed up by their own analysis.  Who do you agree with? 
2.  Is gerrymandering (as a practice - by either party) fair?  Does gerrymandering compromise democracy in any way? 
3.  Do you have a better idea of how to split up districts?  Should there be a uniform way to divide people of a state into separate representative districts?  Search for campaigns against gerrymandering for ideas.
4.  Should the 'supermajorities' in the cities be broken up?  Are Democrats to blame?  Republicans?  Or is this just the way politics will always be?

An FEC first: catching criminal coordination

According to FEC rules, any superPAC must not coordinate directly with a candidate running for office in spending their money, as the are "independent expenditure only" committees.  For the first time, someone has pleaded guilty and faces criminal prosecution for spending unconnected superPAC money in direct consultation with a candidate.  Read this article from NPR an answer the following questions abotu money in politics.

1.  Do you think superPAC money plays too big a role in American politics?  Why or why not?
2.  Do you think that, concerning political advertisements, money=speech?  Should anyone be limited in the amount of money they can spend promoting their policy goals or attacking their opponents?  Why or why not?
3.  Read more about the Citizens United ruling.  Do you agree with the Supreme Court?  Why or why not?  Is it more an issue of censorship of political speech or curbing the influence of money in elections?  Which is a more pressing issue?

Like father, like son?

Rand Paul is a libertarian leaning Republican contender vying to stake his claim on the nomination next year.  His father, Ron Paul, has a sizable and very loyal following of supporters who emphasize civil liberties and small government.  Should Rand tap into this resource for his potential Presidential run?  Or is it too big of a risk?  Some of his father's policy stances are relatively controversial within the Republican voter base, so Rand is going to be walking a policy tightrope to try and garner the support of his father's base without alienating the larger (and electorally more powerful) Republican party base.  Comment on the article and relate it to the influence of political parties in America. 

Let the campaigns begin!

Read this NPR segment about Presidential hopefuls recent book releases.  What is the goal of these book releases?  Are they meant to provide an outline for their beliefs?  Give them a more personal touch before they get too much in the spotlight?  Is it meant to give them more free exposure?  How could these book deals backfire, or is it typically a win-win for the candidates and voters?  Who are the candidates trying to target with these books?  Why do they do it?  How does this shed light on the historically recent trend of candidate-centered campaigns?

Media? Biased? Noooo.

Take ten minutes to browse the Politics page of each of the following news outlets, NPR, FOXNews, MSNBC, and CNN.  Then answer the following questions.  Write in complete sentences.  You will want to look at the questions before you begin browsing, so you can take notes as you browse.

Take note of the format and presentation of the news stories. What is the top story of the day? Does it vary from site to site? What does this tell you about that particular sources political agenda?  Is the format meant to catch your eye or draw you to a certain part of the site?  Is it a dynamic or static approach?  Is there a difference between the private and public news outlets?  Why might this be?

Find two or three articles or videos that are reporting the same event, topic, etc. The goal is to find at least two articles written about the same event.

As you read, watch or listen, ask yourself these questions:
a. Is there any evidence of bias in the headlines for the story? Justify your answer.
b. Is there any evidence of bias in the sources used for the story? Justify your answer.
c. Is there any word choice you found particularly indicative of bias? Justify your answer.
d. What are the biggest similarities/differences between the articles you chose?  Be specific, citing at least two of the articles directly.

Finally, after you have located and highlighted possibly biased articles, and answered the quesitons above, consider the following:
a. If we know there is media bias, and can effectively "filter" what we read, does it matter that it exists?
b. Does public opinion influence what the media reports on or does the media influence public opinion?

Can anyone hang with Hillary?

Just as a number of Republican candidates are jockeying for position during the invisible primary (the months before anyone officially declares their candidacy) testing out their positions and promoting their electability, there seems to be a lack of candidates (aside from Hillary Clinton, who still has not officially declared her intentions) on the Democratic side that seem up to the task of competing against Clinton.  Read (or listen) to this article on NPR, along with he corresponding sound bites from her possible Democratic rivals and answer the following questions.

1.  Do you think any of these candidates has a chance against Hillary Clinton in the Democratic primary?  Why or why not?
2.  What is a primary and what are the top five states a candidates needs to win it?
3.  Pick a sound bite from the candidate you selected above and explain how it illustrates a major strength or a major weakness for that candidate.  ?Use an actual quote from the soundbite to illustrate and support your point.
4.  Who would you personally like to see run against Clinton in the primary?  Even if you are a Republican, what race would you like to see and why?

Public Opinion Poll research (required post)

Public opinion polls are a relatively recent development in politics to try and track American public opinion about particular issues.There are two major pollsters that are generally seen as conducting legitimate scientific polls and have gained credibility among most people for the accuracy (or at least representativeness) of their surveys.  To get credit for this post you must perform the following tasks.

Go to Gallup and/or Rasmussen Reports and find a politically relevant poll (that no one else has used so far, this will be easy, there are literally hundreds of polls) that interests you.  In the first line of your response, write the name of the site you accessed and the exact name of the poll you chose as it appears on the site, so no one else can choose it.  Be sure to answer in reference to the particular poll you selected.  I do not want to see generalizations or you will not receive credit. Answer the following questions:
     a. Why did you pick this poll?  How is this poll politically relevant?
     b.  What general concepts (the Constitution, freedom of speech, legitimacy, political parties, media, elections etc.) does this poll relate to in class?  How might it help us better understand those concepts?
     c.  In a sentence or two, describe the main findings of the poll. Are the results of the poll surprising to you? Why or why not?
     d.  Is there any part of the poll that you would consider biased? (in how they ask the questions, how  they present the results, research methods they used, etc.)  Why do you consider it biased?  If it is not biased, explain why you think so.
     e.  Why might politicians be interested in using these particular statistics from your specific poll?  In what ways might it benefit their campaign strategies or voter outreach programs?

Will he or won't he? Turns out, he won't.

Mitt Romney has officially stated that he will not be running for President in 2016 after speculation that he would be considering another attempt at securing the Republican presidential nomination.  Do you think this is a good move for Romney?  If he believes he could have won the nomination, why wouldn't he give it another go?  Who are the other Republican leaders that might step up to run in 2016?  If you were a Republican, who would you want to run and why?  Do you think this will make the road to the Presidency more or less difficult for the likely democratic nominee Hillary Clinton? In all of your responses, be sure to outline the reasoning behind your answers.  Have a good weekend!

The Odd Couple

Last December President Obama announced a  "new chapter" in US-Cuba relations by reestablishing diplomatic ties with the communist country.  This entailed (among other things) the loosening of the 54 year embargo and establishing an embassy in the coming months.  This was met with strong opposition by Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush of Florida, claiming that it only throws an economic lifeline to the oppressive Castro regime and basically gives them what they want.  The other side of the coin is that this will open Cuba to the democratic pressures of the free market and stir up revolution and rebellion among the long oppressed Cuban population.  It might also have a broader effect on other oppressive regimes in Latin America that have long used the excuse that American policies are to blame for their poor economic growth.  Read this Economist article (and the article linked above) on the possible effects it might have and answer the following questions.  What do you think the net effect on Cuba will be?  Will it only help the Castro regime maintain control by providing them with more resources?  Will it give the Cuban people more firepower to begin the push for democracy and civil rights?  Will it be a mix of the two?  Do you agree with Rubio and Bush or do you agree with Obama?  Explain what side you are on and why.  Use at least two quotes from the Economist article to back up your own analysis.  I am looking only for insightful responses that show individual thought, not a regurgitation of the article.  As Floridians, this is an issue that will especially affect us and our population.  Also, if you are of Cuban decent, or know any Cubans, how might they feel about it? Label this post "Post #1"

After your initial post, read this article about Raul Castro's new "demands" for opening up relations with the US and answer the following questions.  Will we ever give up Guantanamo Bay and return it to the Cubans?  Do you think Castro's demands are reasonable? Why or why not?  Rank the three demands in terms of most likely to least likely.  Why did you rank them this way?  Do you tihnk the united States owes Cuba for "human and economic damage"?  What does Castro mean by this?  Be sure to explain your reasoning throughout to provide a background for your views. Label this post "Post #2"

Veto Corleone: Congress will make an offer Obama can refuse (or is it can't?)

The whole point of checks and balances is to prevent one branch of the federal government from gaining too much power over the lawmaking process.  That is why the President has the ability to, after Congress has passed a law, just say no (veto power).  There is one way Congress can fight back though, by overturning his veto.  Read (or listen to) this NPR segment about the possibility of a veto override from Congress in the next two years and answer the following questions:

1.  What are the numbers need in both the House and the Senate to override a Presidential veto?  Do you agree with the host about whether or not it will happen?  
2.  Where in the Constitution is the veto override power outlined?
These last three questions require a little more research:
3.  What President has the notorious distinction of having the most vetoes overridden by Congress?
4.  Why will Obama veto any more sanctions against Iran?  Explain his reasoning.
5.  What am I referencing in the title of this post? (it's a terrible pun but I couldn't help myself)

State of the Union address

Tonight is the annual State of the Union address, one of the President's constitutionally enumerated powers.  Watch the State of the Union and adress the following questions:
1. What was the general tone of President Obama's address?  Why do you think he took this approach?  Idenitfy the specific excerpt from the Constitution that gives him this power.
2.  Much of President Obama's agenda in his last two years will likely not be passed, as the Republicans are now in control of both houses of Congress.  Do you think this influenced his choice of words or the agenda he was trying to promote?  Why or why not?  Cite specific examples from his speech that support your answer.
3.  Identify one or more statements that President Obama made in the SotU that you most agree with.  Explain why you agree.  Be specific in both the ID and the explanation.
4.  Identify one or more statements that President Obama made in the SotU that you most disagree with.  Explain why you disagree.  Be specific in both the ID and the explanation.
5. What do you think is the most pressing issue in America today?  Why do you think it is so important? Is it something that President Obama talked about in his SotU? If so, what did he have to say?  Do you agree? Why?

Tax cuts: What do you think?

Read this article from NPR about a recent change in Congressional analysis of the impact of tax cuts.  Republicans say that tax cuts increase government revenue by giving more money to job creators, boosting the economy and increasing the tax base.  Democrats believe that tax cuts decrease government revenue through foregone revenue.  What do you think and why?  Explain the reasoning behind your belief.  Does trickle-down economics work?  Why or why not?  Is this just a ploy by Republicans to "institutionalize Republican ideology into the budgetary process" or is it a legitimate analysis of possible economic impact and cost of a piece of legislation?  Explain your reasoning for your answer.  This is a good introduction to the Laffer curve, a concept you will learn about in AP macro.  Essentially the questions is, do tax cuts increase or decrease government revenue?  Answer all of the questions posed above and tell me what you think.

The 114th Congress

Watch the clip below and answer the following questions about what a new Congressman must do in their first days in office.  Answer these on your own, you will not get credit for an answer that is not thorough and does not answer the questions fully.

• Describe what a new member of Congress must do to set up his office. Why is it so difficult?
   
• Explain the importance and process of committee assignments for new members of Congress.
   
• Describe the orientation process for new members of Congress. What types of things do they learn at orientation?