“The
highest patriotism is not a blind acceptance of official policy,
but a love of one's country deep enough to call her to a higher
plain”(SIC)
George McGovern
'Work
is not a curse, it is the prerogative of intelligence,
the only means to manhood and the measure of
civilization.'
Calvin Coolidge
Chapter One:
1. The equality of all persons is
a basic democratic concept. Can a democracy exist without both
equality of opportunity and equality before the law?
2. Consider Martin Luther King,
Jr.'s statement that "injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
Why is such a belief necessary to maintain a democratic society?
Chapter Two:
1. How does the history of America
from 1600s to 1789 demonstrate that "questions of politics and economics
are, in fact, inseparable"?
2. It is 1788. Write a
letter to the editor of your local paper in which you express you opinion on
whether or not the Constitution should be ratified. (use 3rd person)
Chapter Three:
1. The text says that the
Constitution is a flexible document. Do you agree with this? Why
or Why not?
2. John Adams spoke in favor of
"arms in the hands of citizens, to be used at individual discretion...in
private self-defense." How might individuals on the other side
respond?
Chapter Four:
1. Who should have the final say
over lands currently under federal control, the States or the Federal
Government?
2. Why did the Framers create a
government that was federal rather than unitary?
Chapter Five:
1. Study the role of minor party
candidates in the most recent presidential election. In your opinion,
would including these candidates in the debates have changed the outcome of
the election? Explain.
2. How has television affected
the state of the two-party system?
Chapter Six:
1. What criteria should Americans
use in deciding for whom to vote in an election?
2. Some people suggest that we
should not try to increase voter turnout in the country because that would
only encourage uninformed voting and result in bad choices made for the
wrong reasons. Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not?
(use 3rd person)
Chapter Seven:
1. Do you favor or oppose
legislation that limits the amount of money candidates can spend on
campaigns?
2. Mark Hanna stated "There are
two things that are important in politics. The first is money, and I
can't remember what the second one is". Is this author expressing a cynical
view or, instead, was trying to emphasize a point?
