Assignment:
1)The term equality has several dimensions: political, social, and economic. Which do you think is the most important and why?
2)The diversity of state laws and procedures creates situations that may seem unfair to many citizens. For example, felony conviction rates can lead to different prison sentences in various states. In addition, some state legislatures invest more in public education than others. Should federal officials exercise more power to require greater uniformity in policy among the states? Why or why not?
3)How much free speech should be allowed in the United States? Should we allow the following individuals to give a speech on this campus: a Caucasian racist, a neo-Nazi, and an African American racist? Why or why not?
4)In a democracy, like that of the USA, what do you think are one's individual responsibilities? Why?
5)Should people who run for public office be compelled to release their income-tax records and medical records? Why or why not?
6)In a prior discussion board, we discussed individual responsibility in a democracy. What do you think are the social responsibilities of a democracy? Why?
7)A continuing problem for interest groups is the free-rider problem. A free rider is one who enjoys the benefits of a group but does not join it. An example is a worker who does not join a labor union but still receives the union-negotiated wages, benefits, and vacations. Unions, of course, want anyone who receives the benefits to belong to the organization. (This is called a closed shop.) Many states have passed right-to-work laws that forbid a closed shop. Should people who enjoy the benefits of a union be required to join? Can a union be effective if people are not required to join?
8)How representative is Congress? Most legislators are white, upper-middle-class males, although this group is a very small part of our entire population. What impact does this skewed representation have in terms of liberty, equality, and democracy? Can these people really represent women, minorities, and poor citizens?
9)Do you think the President has too much power? Why or why not?
10)Do you think Supreme Court Judges should have life tenures? Why or why not?
11)Bureaucracies are inherently antidemocratic. Bureaucrats derive their power from their position in the structure, not from their relations with the people they are supposed to serve. The people are not masters of the bureaucracy, but its clients.--Alan Keyes
Bureaucracy is not an obstacle to democracy but an inevitable complement to it.-- Joseph A. Schumpeter
Which of the following statements do you agree with most and why?