Name: Circle Period #: 8A / 8B Current Political Issues Homework

Introduction: As the country gets ready to select candidates for the 2016, November elections, a number of political issues dominate discussion among the candidates and voters. Below are summaries of some of these most important issues.

Gun Control

Over the past few years, there have been too many mass shootings around the country. The June, 2015 shooting at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, SC which left nine dead and the December, 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut that left twenty-six dead (including twenty children) are just two examples.

Gun violence in general is also epidemic in the United States. Guns are also extremely common in the country. Study the following chart. Gun Statistics for Selected Countries (last years available) Country Guns per 100 people Homocides per 100,000 GDP per person in US $ people Honduras 6.2 90.4 $2,283.00 South Africa 12.7 31 $6,621.00 United States 90 4.7 $53,143.00 United Kingdom 6.2 1 $39,372.00 Japan 0.6 0.3 $38,468.00 Canada 30.8 1.6 $52,037.00

Supporters of increased gun control want more restrictions placed on gun ownership. They want to make it more difficult for potentially violent people to legally purchase a gun. Supporters of increased gun control may also want certain types of guns banned, such as military style assault rifles. They point out that in most mass shootings, the weapons used were legally purchased. They think more restrictions will keep guns out of the hands of the wrong people and that will make us all safer.

Opponents of gun control argue that owning a gun is an American right which should be protected. They also argue that increased gun ownership will actually make people safer since responsible gun owners could fight back against violent criminals and mass shooters.

Border Security/Immigration

There are probably at least twelve million illegal immigrants in the United States (although some estimates are as high as thirty million). An illegal immigrant is someone who was born in another country and has traveled to live in the United States without the permission of the United States government. There are many opinions on what to do about illegal immigrants. Some people think all illegal immigrants should be deported (kicked out of the country) because they broke the law.

Some people think there should be a process that allows illegal immigrants to become citizens of the United States and remain here legally (often called amnesty).

Some people think that the United States should allow more legal immigration.

Some people think that the United States should maintain our current levels of legal immigration and worry more about providing for people that already live here legally.

Some people think that more money should be spent on border security so that people cannot continue to come to the United States illegally.

ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria)

ISIS was created partly by former members of Al Qaeda (the group responsible for the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States) during the fighting between the American military and insurgent fighters in Iraq. American soldiers invaded Iraq in 2003 and left in 2011. Even after American forces left, fighting continued between the American backed government of Iraq and insurgent groups such as ISIS.

ISIS wants to create an Islamic state throughout the Middle East that is ruled based on a strict interpretation of Sharia law (the law of the Qur'an). As fighting raged in Iraq, neighboring Syria plunged into a civil war as well. ISIS crossed the border and managed to conquer territory in Syria. In the summer of 2014, ISIS launched a major offensive into Iraq, and conquered much of the western part of the country. ISIS has fought and ruled with extreme brutality, often executing captured enemy soldiers.

ISIS has encouraged supporters to use terrorism against the United States and Europe. The man responsible for the July, 2015 Chattanooga shooting that killed five American military personnel may have been inspired by ISIS.

The United States has responded with large scale bombing (with manned fighters/bombers and also unmanned drones). Opinions very on whether more should be done.

Some people want the United States to send soldiers back to Iraq to defeat ISIS and finish the job of stabilizing the country.

Some people think that the United States was responsible for creating chaos in Iraq in the first place by starting a war there, and that ISIS would never have existed if not for the invasion of Iraq. These people are worried that more American military action might just make things worse.

Some people think that bombing ISIS should continue and that American leaders should convince other Middle Eastern countries to do more to fight ISIS. Taxes and Services (and welfare)

Tax Rates for 2015 Tax Rate Single Married filing taxes Married filing Head of household jointly separately 10% Up to $9,225 Up to $18,450 Up to $9,225 Head of household: Up to $13,150 15% $9,226 to $37,450 $18,451 to $74,900 $9,226 to $37,450 $13,151 to $50,200 25% $37,451 to $90,750 $74,901 to $151,200 $37,451 to $75,600 $50,201 to $129,600 28% $90,751 to $189,300 $151,201 to $75,601 to $115,225 $129,601 to $230,450 $209,850 33% $189,301 to $230,451 to $115,226 to $209,851 to $411,500 $411,500 $205,750 $411,500 35% $411,501 to $411,501 to $205,751 to $411,501 to $413,200 $464,850 $232,425 $439,000 39.6% $413,201 or more $464,851 or more $232,426 or more $439,001 or more

The American tax system is progressive, which means that people who earn more money pay a higher percent on the money they earn to the government in taxes.

Taxes are a significant burden on Americans. Most people have trouble affording everything they want or need as it is, and high taxes can make that even more difficult.

At the same time, most people receive goods and services from the government that they could not live without. Americans drive on government roads, mostly send their children to public schools, and enjoy communities protected by police, fire fighters, and the American military, all paid for by tax dollars. Many Americans in need also receive assistance from the government (welfare), such as food stamps and unemployment benefits.

Much of this is not being paid for, however. Currently, the Federal Government is spending almost half a trillion dollars more this year than it earns through taxes, adding to the more than $18 trillion that the Federal Government owes in debt.

Some people argue that lowering taxes can actually result in the government receiving more money in taxes. If taxes are lowered, people have more money to spend which helps the economy. If more people have jobs that means that more people are paying taxes.

Other people argue that lowering taxes will not be able to help the economy enough to make up lost tax dollars and that the result will be more debt.

Global Warming

Most scientists believe that human caused climate change (global warming) is real and is happening now. The burning of fossil fuels from factories, automobiles, and other sources releases green house gas into the environment which traps heat in the atmosphere. Many people who believe this want the government to pass laws that would limit the amount of green house gas. An example of one of these laws would be to require vehicles to be more fuel efficient (to be able to drive more miles per gallon of gas burned). The government might also use government money to develop cleaner ways to produce electricity. Currently, most of our electricity is produced by burning coal or gas. Sources such as solar or wind are currently much more expensive but also much cleaner. Those in favor of environmentally friendly policies argue that if something is not done now the Earth will warm significantly which could melt the ice caps and flood coastal cities while the warmer temperatures also cause droughts in other areas.

Despite the fact that most scientists do agree that global warming is happening now, there are some scientists and (probably more) politicians who are still skeptical. Some people argue that the evidence is still inconclusive and that it does not make sense to spend time and money on something that may not actually be a problem. Many would argue that green energy, such as solar panels, costs too much. They argue that the government should spend its money on more important things.

Abortion

Abortion is the act of terminating an unwanted pregnancy by destroying a fetus that is growing inside of a woman's uterus. Typically, a fetus will grow for nine months before it (or he/she) is ready to be born. If an abortion is done within a few days of conception (the time when sperm fertilizes an egg and a fetus starts growing), the fetus is only a small collection of cells. If the abortion is done more than seven or eight months into a pregnancy, the fetus looks essentially like a new born baby already (in fact, many babies born a month or even more premature are capable of surviving).

The United States Supreme Court decided in Roe v. Wade (1973) that all women have a right to have abortions. They also decided that state governments may regulate abortion and even ban abortions in the third trimester (final two months). As of 2014, Forty-two states have bans on these late term abortions. The only way to completely ban abortion would be to pass a Constitutional amendment, which many people want to do.

The side in favor of abortion rights is called the pro-choice side, since they argue that they are in favor of a woman's right to choose for herself. The side against abortion rights is called the pro-life side, since they argue that they favor the life of the fetus.

NSA Spying

Following the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, The United States Congress passed the Patriot Act, which gave the government more power to fight against terrorism. The most controversial aspect of the Patriot Act has been the issue of surveillance (in other words, the government spying on people).

For years, Americans did not know how much the government was spying on ordinary Americans. Under the Patriot Act, the National Security Agency (NSA) was tracking and recording internet and phone data for millions of average Americans. The government recorded information about who people e-mailed, who they called, and which websites they visited. The program did not collect actual e-mail messages and did not randomly record phone calls. This is called the bulk collection of data since information was collected on everyone-- not just people who the government suspected of a crime. The government was not allowed to actually look at any of this information, though, unless they suspected a person of involvement in crime or terrorism and asked permission from a special FISA Court (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court). If the government wanted to go further and actually read e-mails and record phone conversations, they would also have to get permission from a court.

In June, 2015, Congress passed the USA Freedom Act, which changed the way bulk collection is handled in the Patriot Act. Instead of the NSA collecting bulk data on everyone, phone and internet companies now have to collect and store this information. If the government wants to look at information for a specific person suspected of a crime, they still have to ask for permission from the FISA Court to see it.

Supporters of bulk collection of data (by the NSA or by the phone/internet companies) argue that it is necessary to stay safe against the kind of terrorism that killed more than 2,000 Americans on September 11th. They also argue that the fact that the government needs permission from the FISA Courts to actually look at any of the information collected protects the privacy of average Americans.

Opponents of bulk collection of data argue that it is a massive invasion of privacy for information to be collected about average Americans who have done nothing wrong. The FISA Courts are also held in secret and usually grant permission to most of the requests they receive, and so many opponents argue they cannot be trusted to protect the privacy of average Americans.

Death penalty

Should the worst criminals be put to death? What about mass killers who murder dozens of people?

Opponents of the Death Penalty argue no. They claim that meeting violence with violence is a recipe for creating a more violent society. If killing people is wrong, why should the government be able to take the life of a murderer? Life in prison is enough. Opponents argue that there is no evidence that having the death penalty lowers crime. Someone who murders is usually either blinded by rage or they do not think they will be caught. In both cases, that person is not going to change their mind and not kill just because they may face the death penalty. The justice system is also not perfect. There have been examples of people on death row who are found innocent on appeal. How many more people have been executed who were actually innocent? There are many studies that have found that race still matters in every level of the justice system. People of color are more likely to sentenced to death than white people are even for similar crimes.

Supporters of the death penalty, on the other hand, argue that the death penalty is an effective punishment. Supporters argue that sentencing a murderer to death is justice. Although the evidence may currently be unclear whether the death penalty lowers crime, supporters argue that it most likely does based on human nature. If the punishment for a crime is death, people will be less likely to commit that crime. Supporters of the death penalty also argue that the fact that the justice system may be imperfect is an argument for fixing the problems of the justice system and not an argument against the death penalty. If the justice system makes errors or has racial biases, those should be corrected, but the death penalty remains a fair punishment for the worst crimes. Education

There are currently a number of political issues being debated about education.

One issue is funding. Many people would like the government to spend more money on public schools. This would result in either higher taxes or it would force the government to spend less money in other areas.

Another issue is vouchers. Under voucher plans, the government would give parents a sum of money to parents that want to send their kids to private schools. This sum of money would be less than or equal to the amount of money that the government would have spent on that child's education if they had gone to a public school instead. Supporters of vouchers argue that the system gives parents more options if their public schools are not very good and that they can even save tax payer dollars. Opponents of vouchers argue that the system takes money out of public schools making the system worse for students who remain.

Health Care

The Affordable Care Act (“Obama Care”) has dominated the health care debate recently. The specifics are complicated, but one part of the debate is clear-- Should the government make sure every American has health insurance? Currently the law allows anyone to walk into any emergency room in any hospital and receive care-- but that does not mean that person will be able to pay for it.

Supporters of the Affordable Care Act claim that a nation as wealthy as the United States has a responsibility to make sure every American can afford to go to a doctor.

Opponents of the Affordable Care Act claim that it is not fair for someone to expect the government to buy health insurance for them if they cannot afford to since that forces everyone to pay higher taxes. Questions 1) Summarize the gun control debate. What does each side want?

2) Summarize the illegal immigration debate. What does each side want?

3) Summarize the ISIS debate. What does each side want?

4) Summarize the taxes/welfare debate. What does each side want?

5) Summarize the global warming debate. What does each side want? 6) Summarize the abortion debate. What does each side want?

7) Summarize the NSA spying debate. What does each side want?

8) Summarize the death penalty debate. What does each side want?

9) Summarize the education debate. What does each side want?

10) Summarize the health care debate. What does each side want?