Hey everybody,
This is the blog you will go to in order to find your blog assignments. Each week, there will be 1 or two articles posted here. You are to read each article and post a 2 paragraph summary to your own blog, as well as answer any questions that are a part of the blog post here.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Monday, February 25, 2013
Blog Post 3.13 "SCOTUS: Voting Rights Act"
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?
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?
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?
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