Prompts:
1. After reflecting upon liberation movements (e.g., the civil rights movement, women’s suffrage movement, etc.), select one of the following
... [Show More] forms of government and discuss how that particular form of government could unjustly prevent those liberation movements from achieving those sought-after freedoms: monarchy, oligarchy, dictatorship, and democracy. Include textual evidence to support your view.
2. In your view, what is required of a society for its political structure to be considered democratic? While this question might seem straightforward, it actually is not and is a topic of contentious debate in current political philosophy circles. In fact, The Democracy Index lists 60 different indicators that must be considered when discerning whether a nation is a democracy. While you in no way will be expected to discuss all of the possible indicators, discuss a few of the conditions that must exist for a government to qualify as a democracy. Include textual evidence to support your view.
3. In democracies, low voter participation poses a serious threat since it allows for a relatively small number of the most active citizens to select representatives that might not hold views representative of the numerical majority. Discuss two reasons why there is low voter participation in the United States and provide a strategy that could be adopted to increase voter turnout. Include textual evidence to support your view.
4. In recent years in the United States, citizens have increasingly made claims that our judicial system is institutionally racist. Evidence provided for these claims has pointed toward unfair drug sentencing laws, stop and frisk policies, the use of police force, and the overwhelming number of black men in prisons and jails in comparison to the rest of the population. Select one claim and discuss whether these claims have merit, presenting specific examples to support your position. Include textual evidence to support your view. [Show Less]