Assignment:
Discussion 1
Voter turnout in the United States is lower than most other democracies in the world.
Why do you think so many Americans are unwilling to exercise their right to vote? What changes would you recommend to increase voter turnout in your community?
Discussion 2
The Right to Protest - Please respond to the following (use paragraphs to separate responses):
• Identify a recent protest from the past 3 months.
o Describe the issue or issues that were protested, who the protesters were, and what their actions were.
o Explain and discuss if there were counteractions, such as counter-protests, retaliation, or extra security visible during the protest.
o Do you think the government, universities, or businesses have the right to censor protests (threaten protesters with legal action or disciplinary action for protesting), or set limits on protests (including social media) such as where and when protests can happen by citizens/students/employees?
Discussion 3
The Influence of Interest Groups - Please respond to the following:
• Identify a recent policy debate (besides gun control) from the past 6 months. Research which interest groups participated in this policy. Do you think they had too much influence on the policy, the right amount, or not enough?
Discussion 4
Executive Orders - Please respond to the following:
• Identify an executive order that a U.S. president has issued in the past 2 years. Discuss why you think this was or was not a good use of presidential power. Did the president first try to get Congress to pass the order as a law? Or was it in response to an emergency or national crisis?
Discussion 5
The Right to a Fair Trial - Please respond to the following:
• Select a recent high-profile court case from the past 2 years. Identify and explain at least 3 factors of the trial that could prevent the defendant from receiving a fair trial. Then construct or develop at least 2 policies that could mitigate those issues.