Reference no: EM133204244
1. What is the purpose of government? Is the US achieving that purpose? Why or why not?
2. We have been reading about and discussing religious freedom in class. Should we make exceptions to generally applicable rules for religious groups that claim obeying the rule would violate their religious beliefs? So, for instance, let's say a religious group thinks it is an affront to God to wear a mask over one's face. But the City of Savannah has made a rule during the pandemic that one must wear a mask over one's face when not in one's home. Let's assume the people of the religious group can't stay at home all of the time. So, should the City of Savannah enforce the rule on this religious group? Or should they be given an exception to the rule? Discuss.
3. There is a lot of discussion among scholars about whether or not we should have more than 2 political parties in America. How would you go about developing a system of government that has more than two political parties? Why would we want more than two political parties?
4. There are some people who believe that not everyone in the US should have the right to vote. People who don't work, people who aren't educated, people who don't pay taxes, and people who are critical of the country are some of the groups that are often highlighted in this debate as not worthy of the right to vote. Discuss whether or not all people who are citizens of the US should have the right to vote. Give reasons for your position.
5. Should we retain the current structure of the US Senate, in which each state gets two Senators? Why or why not? What are the benefits/problems of our current structure? What are the benefits/problems of potential alternatives?
6. We elect presidents through the electoral college. But there are serious problems for democracy with this method, one of which is that the candidate with the most votes overall doesn't always win. One of the alternatives is the National Popular Vote movement (nationalpopularvote.com). Take a look at this website and then discuss whether or not this would be a better alternative to the electoral college format. Give reasons why?