Read the following article from Time magazine about an upcoming case the SCOTUS will hear about the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
http://ideas.time.com/2013/02/25/will-the-supreme-court-open-the-door-to-voter-discrimination/
Write a two paragraph summary of the article and answer the following questions.
1. Summarize the plaintiff claims in Citizens United V FEC and Shelby County V Holder. (you'll have to click the links)
2. What is "preclearance"? How is it different than the way the government looks at the legality of most other laws?
3. Under what part of the Constitution does Congress have the right to pass civil rights legislation?
4. How does the author of this article criticize the justices for taking a role in policy making?
5. What are the negative consequences for minority voters if this law is struck down by the Court?
6. If the SCOTUS strikes down the Voting Rights Act, what will have been the lasting impact of the Roberts Courts on elections in the United States?
Monday, February 25, 2013
Blog Post 3.12 "SCOTUS: Gay Marriage"
Read the following article from the Los Angeles Times about media coverage of the SCOTUS.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-gay-marriage-20130222,0,1391299.story
Write a 2 paragraph summary of the article and then answer the following questions.
1. How have groups urged the Obama Administration to get involved in this California case?
2. What is Obama doing when he states his personal view on the situation?
3. What precedent did the Circuit Court of Appeals set?
4. What would be the impact of a SCOTUS decision striking down Proposition 8?
5. Why would this impact be limited? Where in the Constitution would you find the basis for this limit?
6. What federal law will be challenged in the Court next month?
7. If that law is overturned, what would the impact be nationwide?
8. How is the Obama Administration expected to get involved in that case?
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-gay-marriage-20130222,0,1391299.story
Write a 2 paragraph summary of the article and then answer the following questions.
1. How have groups urged the Obama Administration to get involved in this California case?
2. What is Obama doing when he states his personal view on the situation?
3. What precedent did the Circuit Court of Appeals set?
4. What would be the impact of a SCOTUS decision striking down Proposition 8?
5. Why would this impact be limited? Where in the Constitution would you find the basis for this limit?
6. What federal law will be challenged in the Court next month?
7. If that law is overturned, what would the impact be nationwide?
8. How is the Obama Administration expected to get involved in that case?
Blog post 3.11 "SCOTUS: Free Speech"
Read the following article from the New York Times about a case that the SCOTUS will be hearing soon regarding political campaign donations.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/20/us/politics/supreme-court-to-hear-campaign-finance-case.html
Write a two paragraph summary of the article and answer the following questions.
1. What was the Court's ruling in Citizens United V Federal Election Commission? (you'll have to look it up)
2 What did the Court decide in Buckley V Valeo? (you'll also have to look this up)
3. What are the contribution limits that are currently in place?
4. What are the two ways people can get around those limits?
5. How are campaign contributions interpreted as part of civil liberties protected under the First Amendment?
6. In what two ways did the SCOTUS recently expand the protections of the Fourth Amendment?
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/20/us/politics/supreme-court-to-hear-campaign-finance-case.html
Write a two paragraph summary of the article and answer the following questions.
1. What was the Court's ruling in Citizens United V Federal Election Commission? (you'll have to look it up)
2 What did the Court decide in Buckley V Valeo? (you'll also have to look this up)
3. What are the contribution limits that are currently in place?
4. What are the two ways people can get around those limits?
5. How are campaign contributions interpreted as part of civil liberties protected under the First Amendment?
6. In what two ways did the SCOTUS recently expand the protections of the Fourth Amendment?
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Blog post 3.9 "Obama's Domestic Policy"
Read the following article from The Atlantic that compares Obama's domestic policy initiatives with those of Lyndon B. Johnson.
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/02/obamas-lbj-moment-the-war-on-inequality-is-the-new-war-on-poverty/273165/
Write a 2 paragraph summary of the article. Then answer the following questions.
1. What were the similar themes of Obama's 2013 State of the Union Address and Lyndon Johnson's 1964 State of the Union Address?
2. How are Obama and Johnson's approaches to dealing with Congress different?
3. Why would Obama want to avoid comparisons with the big government 60s?
4. How is Obama relying on federalism to help him come up with policy ideas?
5. Why might letting states create their own programs problematic?
6. What do we call it when the president is using his position to try to convince the average voters to support his policies and pressure their lawmakers?
7. In what ways does the author suggest that Obama needs to be more like LBJ?
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/02/obamas-lbj-moment-the-war-on-inequality-is-the-new-war-on-poverty/273165/
Write a 2 paragraph summary of the article. Then answer the following questions.
1. What were the similar themes of Obama's 2013 State of the Union Address and Lyndon Johnson's 1964 State of the Union Address?
2. How are Obama and Johnson's approaches to dealing with Congress different?
3. Why would Obama want to avoid comparisons with the big government 60s?
4. How is Obama relying on federalism to help him come up with policy ideas?
5. Why might letting states create their own programs problematic?
6. What do we call it when the president is using his position to try to convince the average voters to support his policies and pressure their lawmakers?
7. In what ways does the author suggest that Obama needs to be more like LBJ?
Monday, February 11, 2013
Blog Post 3.8 "Social Security Problems"
Read the following article from the New York Times about the problems facing the Social Security program.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/06/opinion/sunday/social-security-its-worse-than-you-think.html
Write a two paragraph summary of the article and answer the following questions
1. What has happened for the first time to Social Security ?
2. What will happen to the Social Security Trust Fund?
3. How are assumptions made by the Social Security Administration wrong?
4. How have prediction methods changed since Social Security started in in the 1930s?
5. What are the four options that keep Social Security from running out of money?
6. Why do you think these options would be unpopular with the public?
7. What makes consensus on a solution unlikely?
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/06/opinion/sunday/social-security-its-worse-than-you-think.html
Write a two paragraph summary of the article and answer the following questions
1. What has happened for the first time to Social Security ?
2. What will happen to the Social Security Trust Fund?
3. How are assumptions made by the Social Security Administration wrong?
4. How have prediction methods changed since Social Security started in in the 1930s?
5. What are the four options that keep Social Security from running out of money?
6. Why do you think these options would be unpopular with the public?
7. What makes consensus on a solution unlikely?
Blog Post 3.7 "Fiscal Policy"
Read the following column from the New York Times about taxes and military operations.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/11/opinion/a-tax-to-pay-for-war.html?hp
Write a two paragraph summary of the column and then answer the following questions.
1. What has been the trend in defense spending since 2009, and why?
2. How much does the US spend on defense, and how much of GDP does that spending account for?
3. How does America's debt crisis impact future military plans?
4. How have past wars changed America's tax money?
5. What is the Budget Control Act? (you'll have to look it up)
6. How would a tax tied to military operations change the way the President had to think about committing troops overseas?
7. What potential problems can you see with this tax proposal?
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/11/opinion/a-tax-to-pay-for-war.html?hp
Write a two paragraph summary of the column and then answer the following questions.
1. What has been the trend in defense spending since 2009, and why?
2. How much does the US spend on defense, and how much of GDP does that spending account for?
3. How does America's debt crisis impact future military plans?
4. How have past wars changed America's tax money?
5. What is the Budget Control Act? (you'll have to look it up)
6. How would a tax tied to military operations change the way the President had to think about committing troops overseas?
7. What potential problems can you see with this tax proposal?
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Blog Post 3.6 "The Federal Budget"
Read the following "Times Topics" Summary from the New York Times about the 2013 federal budget process.
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/f/federal_budget_us/index.html
You can stop once you get to the timeline.
Write a 3 paragraph summary and answer the following questions.
1. Who are the key players in a fight between Democrats and Republicans over the federal budget?
2. What exactly was the "Fiscal Cliff"?
3. Why was the problem just delayed instead of resolved?
4. Why would the CBO warn against letting all of the tax cuts expire?
5. How did the results of the 2012 elections shape the debate over the budget?
6. Why might Obama & Boehner working by themselves possibly be more successful than if their parties were involved?
7. What is Obama's budget plan?
8. What is the plan proposed by the Republicans in the House?
9. What is in Obama's new plan for spending cuts?
10. Why do Republicans mainly want to deal with spending cuts? Why do Democrats mainly want to deal with raising more revenue?
11. How did taxes change January 1, 2013?
12. What are some possible options that could produce a balanced budget?
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/f/federal_budget_us/index.html
You can stop once you get to the timeline.
Write a 3 paragraph summary and answer the following questions.
1. Who are the key players in a fight between Democrats and Republicans over the federal budget?
2. What exactly was the "Fiscal Cliff"?
3. Why was the problem just delayed instead of resolved?
4. Why would the CBO warn against letting all of the tax cuts expire?
5. How did the results of the 2012 elections shape the debate over the budget?
6. Why might Obama & Boehner working by themselves possibly be more successful than if their parties were involved?
7. What is Obama's budget plan?
8. What is the plan proposed by the Republicans in the House?
9. What is in Obama's new plan for spending cuts?
10. Why do Republicans mainly want to deal with spending cuts? Why do Democrats mainly want to deal with raising more revenue?
11. How did taxes change January 1, 2013?
12. What are some possible options that could produce a balanced budget?
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Blog post 3.5 "Gerrymandering, Again!"
Read the following article from the New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/03/opinion/sunday/the-great-gerrymander-of-2012.html?pagewanted=all
and the following Info-graphic related to the article
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/02/03/sunday-review/imbalance-of-power.html
Write a 2 paragraph summary of the article and answer the following questions.
1. How can you describe the popular vote across the nation for the House of Representatives?
2. How are the seats actually distributed?
3. What was the Republican party's two step plan for controlling the House of Representatives for a long time?
4. What is unique about the way Arizona handled it's redistricting?
5. How did California tackle the problem of gerrymandering?
6. How does gerrymandering lead to disenfranchisement?
7. Why are proposals to change the way electoral votes are delegated to candidates dangerous?
8. How has our boy, the swing voting Anthony Kennedy, prevented reform of redistricting?
9. What does the author recommend as a solution?
From the infographic:
10. Which states' delegations are most drastically skewed?
11. What can you infer about the makeup of those state legislatures?
12. How do you know this is the case?
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/03/opinion/sunday/the-great-gerrymander-of-2012.html?pagewanted=all
and the following Info-graphic related to the article
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2013/02/03/sunday-review/imbalance-of-power.html
Write a 2 paragraph summary of the article and answer the following questions.
1. How can you describe the popular vote across the nation for the House of Representatives?
2. How are the seats actually distributed?
3. What was the Republican party's two step plan for controlling the House of Representatives for a long time?
4. What is unique about the way Arizona handled it's redistricting?
5. How did California tackle the problem of gerrymandering?
6. How does gerrymandering lead to disenfranchisement?
7. Why are proposals to change the way electoral votes are delegated to candidates dangerous?
8. How has our boy, the swing voting Anthony Kennedy, prevented reform of redistricting?
9. What does the author recommend as a solution?
From the infographic:
10. Which states' delegations are most drastically skewed?
11. What can you infer about the makeup of those state legislatures?
12. How do you know this is the case?
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