Rachel Wolfmen
Immigration
Overview: Immigration into the United States is a complex demographic phenomenon that has
been a major source of population growth and cultural change throughout much of US History.
The economic, social, and political aspects of immigration have caused controversy regarding
ethnicity, economic benefits, jobs for non-immigrants, settlement patterns, impact on
upward social mobility, crime, and voting behavior. Wikipedia.org
Importance: Nearly 14 million immigrants entered the United States from 2000 to 2010, and over
one million persons were naturalized as U.S. citizens in 2008. Since the per-country limit applies
the same maximum on the number of visas to all countries regardless of their population, it has
had the effect of severely restricting the legal immigration of persons born
in Mexico, India, China, and the Philippines – currently the leading countries of origin of
immigrants to the United States. Migration is difficult, expensive, and dangerous for those who
enter the US illegally across the Mexico–United States border. Wikipedia.org
Problem areas: Immigration effects just about everything: demographics, society, economy,
religious diversity, politics, crime health, environment, education, and African Americans.
Contemporary immigrants settle predominantly in seven states, California, New
York, Florida, Texas, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Illinois, comprising about 44% of the U.S.
population as a whole. The combined total immigrant population of these seven states was 70%
of the total foreign-born population in 2000. If current birth rate and immigration rates were to
remain unchanged for another 70 to 80 years, the U.S. population would double to nearly 600
million. Immigrant segregation declined in the first half of the 20th century, but has been rising
over the past few decades. This has caused questioning of the correctness of describing the
United States as a melting pot. One explanation is that groups with lower socioeconomic status
concentrate in more densely populated area that have access to public transit while groups with
higher socioeconomic status move to suburban areas. Another is that some recent immigrant
groups are more culturally and linguistically different from earlier groups and prefer to live
together due to factors such as communication costs. Another explanation for increased
segregation is white flight. Wikipedia.org
Solutions: Possible solutions to immigration issues are cutting off aid to foreign countries,
enhancing border security, deploying the National Guard, mass deportation of immigrants, and
executive action to more resources to the border to increase security. National Journal.com
Pros and Cons: Some people say that illegal immigration benefits the US economy through
additional tax revenue, expansion of the low-cost labor pool, and increased money in circulation.
They contend that immigrants bring good values, have motivations consistent with the American
dream, perform jobs that Americans won’t take, and that opposition to immigration stems from
racism. ProCon.org
Opponents of illegal immigration say that people who break the law by crossing the US border
without proper documentation or by overstaying their visas should be deported and not rewarded
with a path to citizenship and access to social services. They argue that people in the country
illegally are criminals and social and economic burdens to law-abiding, tax-paying
Americans. ProCon.org
Work cited
"Immigration ProCon.org - What Are the Solutions to Illegal Immigration in
America?"ProConorg Headlines. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.
"Immigration to the United States." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Oct. 2014.
Web. 2 Nov. 2014.
"Here Are Some Possible Solutions to America's Border
Crisis." Www.nationaljournal.com. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.
Jared Kline
Education
Unlike in many other countries, the United States central government does not control the
educational system. Rather, the higher education systems are either: 1) controlled by independent
groups of people, or trustees (in the case of private schools); or 2) shared between local and state
governments (in the case of public schools). A major difference between these two types of
schools is the cost. Private schools are generally much more expensive to attend than their public
school counterparts, mainly because the private schools must rely on sources outside of the
government for their funding.
http://www.internationalstudent.com/study_usa/choosing-the-usa/usa-education-system/
American children start school at the age of five years. The first year at school is called
kindergarten. It is required of all American children enrolled in the American education system
Upon completion of fifth grade (the last year of primary school), American children enrolled in
the American education system advance to secondary school. Secondary school most commonly
consists of a total of seven years, referred to as sixth through twelfth grades. The ninth through
twelfth grades are most commonly referred to as high school. Upon completion of twelfth grade,
American students are awarded a certificate called the high school diploma. In the American
education system, students must have obtained a high school diploma before they are admitted
into college or university.
http://www.usastudyguide.com/overview.htm
Problems with education
A majority of students in public schools throughout the American South and West are lowincome for the first time in at least four decades, according to a new study that details a
demographic shift with broad implications for the country.
It’s no surprise, then, that according to a new study by the National Student Clearinghouse
Research Center, schools with a high percentage of students from families who live in poverty
sent fewer graduates to colleges in 2012 than schools with a high percentage of higher-income
schools.
until school reform puts alleviating some of the effects of living in poverty into their school
improvement plans, they will be doomed to fail, because blaming ineffective teachers (of which
there are, for sure, many), and low expectations (of which there are, certainly, many), and low
standards (of which there have been) and dysfunctional parents (of which there are many) will
simply not do anything to help kids who are hungry, sick, tired and stressed to learn how to
multiply and divide.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2013/10/17/public-educations-biggestproblem-keeps-getting-worse/
John Harkins
Alternative energy sources
At the moment the united states rely heavily on non renewable resources such as coal, oil,
and natural gas. These sources will eventually run out and on top of that they are harmful to the
environment. Renewable energy sources are both unlimited and they aren’t harmful to the world.
There are multiple forms of renewable energy resources such as solar, wind, hydro, and
geothermal. Solar energy is drawn directly from the sun and can be used to either directly warm
homes or businesses, produce electricity, and to absorb some of the excess rays of sunlight.
Technology exists that if used would replace every major roadway with a type of solar panel that
is highly durable. These “solar roadways” would produce several times the amount of energy
that america needs a year. In areas in the north when it snows solar roadways can be heated to
melt the snow and prevent patches of ice from forming. Wind energy harnesses the power of the
wind. It turns turbines which produces an electrical current that is harnessed by a type of
generator. Wind farms are areas where multiple turbines have been built these areas are capable
of being used for farming and grazing areas. Hydro power uses the Earth's water resources to
create power. Hydro power is used in dams and areas with high tidal activity the water is used to
turn turbines in these facilities. Dams can reduce and increase the amount of energy that they
produce to match demand. Energy can be produced continually because there are no outside
forces interfering with the water. Water used in the production of hydropower (depending on the
type of facility) can be used over and over again. Some facilities can use pumps powered by their
own energy to put the water back into the reservoir to be used again. Geothermal energy uses the
heat given off inside the earths crust to create steam which is used to turn turbines creating
power. Once opened geothermal plants are generally self sufficient when it comes to energy, and
they take up very little space.
For this we were gonna say that money more money should be put into increasing the
number of alternative energy sources in use. Such as starting to replace normal roadways,
creating more wind farms, and geothermal plants.
Citations:
"Types of Renewable Energy." Why Is Renewable Energy
Important?RenewableEnergyWorld.com, n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/tech/home>
Powell, Corey S. "Energy." Solar Roadways -energy. Solar Roadways, n.d. Web. 31 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.solarroadways.com/energy.shtml>.
Orloff, Jeffery. "Learn the Pros and Cons of the 4 Most Common Alternative Energy Sources."
Pros/cons of Alt Energy. About.com, n.d. Web. 02 Nov. 2014.
<http://saveenergy.about.com/od/alternativeenergysources/a/altenergysource.htm>.
Rachel Wolfman
National Debt/Spending
Overview: The U.S. has been spending more than it makes for some time now, creating a
significant deficit since the end of the Clinton administration (which grows on a daily basis and
can be tracked to the penny). Just like any average American household, overspending can carry
on for extended periods by rolling over debt and borrowing more and more money in what seems
like a never-ending game of chasing our tail. The battle rages between those who stand behind a
balanced budget and those who tolerate massive amounts of national debt as part of our way of
life, believing that financing it keeps our country moving along. While both sides argue, no one
will really know the answer for many years as both spending and intake tug and pull at each
other. Investopedia.com
Importance: The economy has not been as healthy over the last 15 years as our historic numbers
show. Historically, the U.S. economy has grown comfortably in the 4-5% range since the 1950s,
yet we have only seen two such GDP growth years since the late 1990s.To encourage growth the
government has been using deficit balances to push the economy forward with programs like
the Bush tax cuts and government job programs, which are considered more elective. Costs that
have been unavoidable are skyrocketing costs in Medicare, Medicaid and the tremendous
military spending. Investopedia.com
Problem areas: The main problem is that spending less and raising taxes present risks and don’t
always offset each other like two moving targets. For example, simple spending cuts on
government jobs could decrease the spending base of many government employees, which could
create a slower-growing economy with fewer taxes to collect. On the income side, simply raising
taxes can have the same effect by reducing disposable income for households and reducing
corporate profits. This is exactly why the process of reducing a deficit is a delicate tradeoff, and
politicians do a complex dance to get those results. On the revenue side of the equation,
individual taxpayers contribute nearly half of annual tax receipts and are usually the first group
tapped for tax increases. Unfortunately, consumer spending makes up over 70% of our economic
spending. Investopedia.com
Solutions: Possible solutions include raising taxes, cutting discretionary and entitlement
spending, an accountability system to reward politicians for focusing on the general welfare,
efficiency with making the government smaller while performing their tasks and even better than
they currently are, more jobs, economic growth, financial stability with simple reforms, and
individuals cutting their own personal debt. NationalDebtSolutions.org
Pros and Cons: Proponents of lowering the corporate tax rate to create jobs argue that it
incentivizes job creation in the United States instead of overseas, encourages increased
investment in research and infrastructure, and passes savings on to consumers through lower
prices. They say that the United States already has the highest corporate income tax rates in the
world, which creates a competitive disadvantage for US businesses. ProCon.org
Opponents of lowering the corporate tax rate to create jobs argue that it results in more profits
for corporations without affecting job creation, and that unemployment rates were the lowest in
recorded US history during the time when corporate income tax rates were highest. They say that
lowering the rate would increase the US deficit, and that companies hire employees based on
need, not because of corporate tax rates. ProCon.org
Work cited
"The U.S. National Spending And Debt." Investopedia. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.
"It's Time to Get Out of Debt!" Getting America out of Debt. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.
"Corporate Tax Rate & Jobs - ProCon.org." ProConorg Headlines. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.
Samuel Berman
Health care System
Overview: Currently in the US Health care has gone through major reform. This reform came by
way of Obama Care or Patent Protection Affordable Care Act. This acts main purpose was to
regulate healthcare costs, protect individuals from unfair health care practices and also to insure
44 million noninsured Americans so that everyone can get healthcare.
Importance: This is a very highly debated topic because before Obamacare was passed USA
was ranked the poorest among other world powers in their healthcare. USA spends the most on
healthcare by far and we are the least efficient. Obamacare is such a highly debated bill because
it was such a radical change to the healthcare system. Also the debate on the effects of
Obamacare on spending, efficiency and quality of healthcare are highly debated. Democrats
praise the program saying that it’s going to reduce the federal deficit by 210 billion dollars and
provide healthcare to everyone in America. Republicans say that Obamacare is a socialist
program that is going to increase health insurance to those who are already insured. For the
effects of Obamacare, it is too soon to tell whether or not this program will be a success and any
change in medical premiums. But healthcare premiums will increase in the next year drastically
leaving many individuals to have distrust in the program.
What the Straight Talking Part is going to do
The straight talking party does concur with what Obamacare has brought to the table. We believe
in regulation of healthcare, making sure that healthcare costs the same over the entire US
everywhere. We want to see a little more regulation in lifestyle chooses effect on insurance and
giving more incentive to taking health into Americans own hands. This means that we want to
give money to individuals to spend on healthcare the way they choose. This will increase the
efficiency of the system. Also this will drive prices lower through competition. Regulation of
lifestyle choices means that we want to encourage things like exercise and nonsmokers by giving
cheaper premiums to individuals who don’t smoke or are members of sports clubs. By doing
these things we hope to decrease spending and also make US healthcare more effective.
Work Cited
"ObamaCare Facts: Affordable Care Act, Health Insurance Marketplace." Obama Facts. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2014. <http://obamacarefacts.com/>.
"Obamacare / Healthcare Laws." Pro Con. Pro Con, n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.
<http://healthcarereform.procon.org/>.
"Once Again, U.S. Has Most Expensive, Least Effective Health Care System in Survey."
Washington Post. Washington Post, n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2014/06/16/once-again-u-shas-most-expensive-least-effective-health-care-system-in-survey/>.
Young, Jeffrey. "Obamacare Premium Increases." Huffington Post. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/21/obamacare-premiums2015_n_5691773.html>.
Riley Mcarthy
Gun Control
The second amendment states that we as Americans have the right to keep and bear arms. Times
have changed since 1791 and although our party agrees and supports the second amendment, we
believe that federal gun laws should be stricter.
Every state has their own gun laws that the people are required to abide by, we believe that every
state should have the same laws. Having stricter, national gun laws will make this country a safer
place to live, learn, and grow in and not being afraid to walk down the street with the fear of
being shot.
This topic is very important to the U.S. at this time because more and more innocent lives are
lost due to gun fire in recent years. These tragic shootings are occurring in schools, work places,
on the streets, and in highly populated public places. These horrible events can be prevented if
we make the laws of owning a gun more stringent.
Our party agrees with the U.S. Gun Laws list of prohibited persons.
Our party disagrees with gun dealers, acquiring from gun dealers, and sales between individuals
regardless of the weapon’s license by the ATF
We believe that antique firearms and replicas are mostly exempt from the aforementioned
restrictions if and only if the firearm is 100% inoperable.
Our party agrees with the U.S. Laws Undetectable Firearms Act which states that it is unlawful
to manufacture, import, sell, ship, deliver, possess, transfer, or receive any firearm" that is not
detectable by a walk-through metal detector or "of which any major component, when subjected
to inspection by x-ray machines commonly used at airports, does not generate an image that
accurately depicts the shape of the component.
We think that individuals cannot and should not transport firearms across boarders unless they
have specific military clearance.
We propose the idea of a firearm license. Similar to a hunting license, a firearm license would
serve as a way to know that someone is eligible to own and operate a gun. Like a hunting license,
the owner of the gun would have to get their license renewed annually. To acquire a firearm
license, the person will have to apply via online or at a registered gun shop, have a thorough
background check, and then the federal government will interview 1-2 random people associated
with the applicant as a reference. Then if they pass the application, background check, and the
references match up, they will finally be allowed to purchase a firearm. Every year for the
license renewal will continue with an in-depth background check and an annual fee. If you own
multiple fire arms you only need to apply once and renew your license once a year.
Citation
"Gun Law in the United States." Wikipedia. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Wikipedia. Web. 2
Nov. 2014. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Gun_law_in_the_United_States#Use_of_firearms>.
Jared Kline
Affirmative Action
Affirmative action policies are those in which an institution or organization actively engages in
efforts to improve opportunities for historically excluded groups in American society.
Affirmative action policies often focus on employment and education. In institutions of higher
education, affirmative action refers to admission policies that provide equal access to education
for those groups that have been historically excluded or underrepresented, such as women and
minorities. Controversy surrounding the constitutionality of affirmative action programs has
made the topic one of heated debate.
Problems with affirmative action
Affirmative action was created to ensure fair admission practices and to rectify a long period of
racial discrimination. The policy is outdated, however, and causes a form of reverse
discrimination by favoring one group over another, based on racial preference rather than
academic achievement. Further, there is concern that minority groups may be stigmatized and
treated differently by peers and professors who may believe that the success of minority groups
in higher education institutions is unearned.
States should focus on other policies or programs that encourage equal opportunity, such as
setting high expectations for all students and improving their college readiness.
Affirmative action may be unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth
Amendment to the United States Constitution. Likewise, the programs may be illegal under Title
VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color or
national origin by recipients of federal financial assistance.
http://www.ncsl.org/research/education/affirmative-action-overview.aspx
John Harkins
Abortion
Abortion is when a woman decides that she does not wish to carry her fetus to full term
which is a decision no one takes lightly. The act of making abortion illegal does not lead to a
total cessation of people trying to have their fetuses aborted. It leads to a severe increase in the
number of people who have their fetuses aborted illegally which is dangerous to the health of the
patient. Legal abortions allow women to remain safe during and after the procedure. Abortion
can be performed using a variety of methods depending on the time frame that the abortion is
taking place during. Early term abortions (ones during the first trimester which lasts until about
week 13) is mostly done by taking pills or being injected with certain chemicals that will prevent
the fetus from developing any further. These methods will ( in all but a very low number of
cases) cause the fetus to dissolve. Later term abortions (second trimester which is week thirteen
until week 27) most often have to be performed by surgery. Second trimester abortions are less
safe and can come about because the person didn’t realize that they were pregnant ,or because of
laws that prevent people from getting abortions. Laws can sometimes cause a shortage of doctors
that are capable of performing abortions ,and in some states the law dictates that minors must
have both parents permission before abortions can be performed. Causes for second trimester
abortions can be changes in situations, discovery of abnormalities that can’t be seen until the
second trimester, and accidents that cause the fetus to have abnormalities or become a danger to
the mothers life (among other things). Third trimester abortions are only done in extreme cases
when the child has become a danger to the mothers life. Though the supreme court ruled that
abortion was legal 97% of counties have no identifiable abortion provider which leads to people
having to travel great distances to obtain abortions.
The position we were gonna take this was to have abortion more widely available for
everyone before the 25th week of pregnancy (which is when the baby begins to respond to the
parents voice) except in extreme cases when the child causes a danger to the mother's life or
develops an abnormality (whether through an accident or a natural development).
Citations
Abortion Facts." National Abortion Federation. National Abortion Federation, n.d. Web. 02
Nov. 2014. <http://prochoice.org/education-and-advocacy/about-abortion/abortion-facts/>.
"Pregnancy Week by Week." Fetal Development: The Second Trimester. Mayo Clinic, n.d. Web.
02 Nov. 2014. <http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/pregnancy-week-by-week/indepth/fetal-development/art-20046151>.
Riley Mcarthy
Gay rights
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We believe that all 50 states in the U.S. should have legal same sex marriage. No state
should be allowed to ban anyone, no matter what their marital preferences, from being
united by marriage.
This topic is important to the U.S. right now because there is a larger openly gay
community that believes they should be entitled to marry who that want, which my party
strongly agrees with. People who support gay marriage aren't all homosexual. Same-sex
marriage recently reached a record breaking high at 55% of Americans who are for it.
That number is likely to increase as time progresses.
32 states have legalized same-sex marriage, 18 states banned it.
A big problem on this topic is that there isn't really a middle ground. No matter what the
outcome with this topic, there will always be a winner and a loser. There isn't really a
situation where both sides can be satisfied.
The southeast region of the U.S. doesn't have as many gay rights as say the northeast or
the southwest.
Gay rights aren’t just the right to marry who you want. It also includes hospital
visitations, adoption, employment, housing, hate crimes, and schools.
Hospital visitation: Federal regulations enacted in 2011 allow patients in hospitals
receiving Medicare and Medicaid funding to decide who has visitation rights or can make
decisions on their behalf regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Visitation
regulations at the state-level, below, are typically afforded as the result of a state's
recognition of same-sex partners.
Adoption: Laws regarding adoption vary widely by state and are often unclear. All US
states allow a single individual the right to petition to adopt a child, though less than half
allow a same-sex couple to petition for joint adoption.
Employment: Anti-discrimination employment laws vary widely by state depending on
the inclusion of sexual orientation or gender identity, and whether the law protects those
working in the public or private sector. Below are the anti-discrimination laws that
protect all workers.
Housing: Federal regulations from the Department of Housing and Urban Development
require housing programs receiving federal funding to prohibit discrimination based on
sexual orientation and gender identity. Less than half of the states have defined antidiscrimination measures for either sexual orientation or gender.
Hate crimes: Federal hate crime laws extend protection for crimes related to one's sexual
orientation or gender identity. At the state level, more than ten states have hate crime
laws that lack the inclusion of gender identity or sexual orientation. Of the others, over 30
states include sexual orientation in their hate crime laws with just under half also
including gender identity.
Schools: Nearly all states address discrimination or bullying as some form of law for
elementary and high school students, though almost half do not define categories for
protection. Below are the states that have addressed discrimination or bullying based on
sexual orientation or gender identity.
Works cited
"Gay Marriage Pros and Cons." ProCon. ProCon.org, n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.
<http://gaymarriage.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=004857>.
"Gay Rights in the US, State by State." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media,
n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2014. <http://www.theguardian.com/world/interactive/
2012/may/08/gay-rights-united-states>.
McCarthy, Justin. "Same-Sex Marriage Support Reaches New High at 55%."
Gallup. Gallup, n.d. Web. 2 Nov. 2014. <http://www.gallup.com/
poll/169640/sex-marriage-support-reaches-new-high.aspx>.