Presidential Politics by the Numbers

While the Olympics are winding up, the political season is about to move into full swing with the upcoming party national nominating conventions just around the corner! In the past few months, I'm sure you've all heard news commentators reporting on "the latest polling numbers" with regard to the presidential election. The latest MSNBC/Wall Street Journal poll provides some interesting insight regarding the dynamics of the campaign. Click on the link below to view a video clip highlighting some of most interesting findings of the poll:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26316412#26316412

Then comment on one or more of the following findings of the poll:

* Reduction of Obama lead over McCain
* Generational differences in support for each candidate
* Implications of allegiance of undecided voters to Hillary Clinton
* Candidate strengths on certain issues
* McCain's "Bush Problem"

Note: This post is not about your preference for one candidate over the other; it's about objective political analysis. Do your best to adhere to the OBJECTIVE part.

To Drink or Not to Drink...that is the Question for College Presidents

Here's an issue that may affect many of you in the not-so-distant future: the legal drinking age in the U.S. This issue causes a lot of controversy in this country; people feel very strongly about it on both sides. Read the following article about the Amethyst Initiative, an organization of college presidents that is advocating the re-lowering of the drinking age to 18 years of age:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26271328/

Then think about the pros and cons of this issue. You might even want to do some additional research to help you decide what you think. If you choose to respond to this post, address the following debate proposition:

The legal age for persons to drink alcohol in the United States should remain at 21 years.

In formal debates, the issue to be argued is always stated in terms of the status quo position; that is, how the issue currently stands.

When you write your response, tell us whether you are making a pro or con argument. If you agree with the proposition above, you are making a pro argument. If you disagree with the proposition, you are making a con argument.

The most important part of your response is to SUBSTANTIATE YOUR POSITION!!! Tell us why your position is correct. Using legitimate information you find outside of the article will make your position more persuasive. If you use outside information, tell us where you got it.

Olympic Manners

SUMMER PROJECT: If you have been watching the Olympics as obsessively as I have over the past week and a half, you've probably lost out on a lot of sleep, staying up until all hours of the night just to catch the latest news on Michael Phelps, Shawn Johnson and all the other Olympians.

Prior to the opening ceremony, Chinese citizens living in Beijing received a book telling them how to behave when the throngs of foreign guests arrived for the Olympics. Here's a link to an article about the code of behavior the Chinese were expected to observe:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/31/beijing-issues-style-guid_n_116041.html

Questions to ponder:

Why would the city government in Beijing care so much about how its citizens act in front of foreign visitors?

How do you think Americans would react if our government tried to do the same thing? Would we react differently than the Chinese people? If so, why?

Comment on any of the behavior rules discussed in the article.

Could Climate Change Affect Our National Security Negatively?

SUMMER PROJECT: Here's a great topic for AP World History students, but AP Government students might want to tune in to it as a foreign policy issue. The new National Intelligence Assessment that was recently delivered to Congress draws a link between climate change and U.S. national security which could be endangered, according to the study. Instead of an article to read, the link below will take you to a segment that recently aired on National Public Radio to which you can listen:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91819098

After listening, consider responding to the following questions:

According to the National Intelligence Assessment, how might climate change threaten our national security?

Can you think of any other times, circumstances or places in history when climate changes caused major problems for human societies and forced them to make significant changes in their lives in order to survive? If so, describe them.

Do you think the National Intelligence Assessment is a realistic portrayal of what may happen in the future? Assuming it is, what would it take to prevent it from occuring?

A Way Out of High Gas Prices? Or Just a New Set of Problems?

SUMMER PROJECT: Recently, President Bush and some Members of Congress have been promoting the idea of opening up areas where it is currently illegal to drill for oil in order to alleviate the high price of gasoline for Americans and our heavy dependence on foreign oil. However, some others are critical of this idea. Click on the link below to read about why they object and what the response of the oil companies is.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/06/23/news/economy/oil_drilling/index.htm?eref=rss_topstories

Then respond to some of the following questions:

What are some advantages to allowing drilling in some areas that are currently off limits? What about disadvantages? Based on these pros and cons, what is your evaluation of whether we should permit drilling on these sites and why do you think so?

Defending Our Right to Offend

SUMMER PROJECT: This one may spark some spirited debate. The New York Times article linked below examines how much farther the United States has been willing to go to protect free speech -- even offensive hateful speech -- than other developed nations have.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/us/12hate.html?pagewanted=3&_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Questions to Ponder:

According to the article, what criteria are necessary in order for our court system to restrict free speech in the United States?

Describe a hypothetical case for us to consider whether it is an example of the type of speech that should be restricted in the U.S.

Do you think the U.S. should become more strict about what types of speech are protected by law? Why or why not?

Could you live to be 100?

SUMMER PROJECT: Life expectancy for Americans has been rising steadily, but it's still lower than that of at least 30 other countries. Read the article at

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080611/ap_on_he_me/med_life_expectancy

and then add your thoughts on the following questions:

Why might the life expectancy for Americans be lower than that of 30 other countries?

Are there any down sides to the fact that Americans are generally living longer? If so, what?

What might account for the differences in life expectancy between men and women?