250-400 words for each question.

Question 1:

The Bill of Rights was intended to protect certain fundamental rights for all citizens against actions of the national government. Should the U.S. Constitution provide the same protections for all citizens against actions of state governments, or should it be up to each state whether to protect fundamental rights for citizens within the state?

Question 2:

What are your views on members “bringing home the bacon” through pork-barrel legislation? What if the funding is for a project in your hometown?

Question 3.

Understanding the manner in which cabinet appointees are selected and the role that they serve, do you believe that they should primarily support and advocate for the policy positions of the President, or do you think that they should have more independence in expressing their opinions and making decisions regarding their department?

Question 4:

Currently, the Constitution does not contain eligibility requirements for federal judges. Do you believe this is a strength or a weakness? What eligibility requirements would you support, and what affect do you believe this would have on judicial appointments?

Question 5:

Do you agree that a college or university should be able to promote racial diversity through its admissions process? Why or why not?

Question 6:

“Revolving door” laws prohibit public officials from lobbying activities for one year after they leave office. What do you view as some potential political pros or cons of public officials making this transition?

Question 7:

Do you think college students’ participation (the youth vote) made a difference in the election outcome in 2012? Do you believe this segment of the population will/can be influential in future elections? Explain.

Question 8:

Do you believe progressive taxes, regressive taxes, or flat taxes (or a combination of all three) are most “fair.” Explain you answer.

Solution Preview

Question one

The Bill of Rights should be applied nationally, and it should be fully upheld and even reinforced in every state. Every citizen should be allowed to enjoy those rights regardless of whether they are resident in America or elsewhere. The state government should not be afforded the chance to change the Bill of Right and is application should be uniform among all states. The state can be allowed to formulate policies to enable the enforcement of the rights in their jurisdiction, but no state should be allowed to infringe upon the rights protected under the Bill of Rights.

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