1. Describe the major social issues in the United States that we discussed in class.
- Gay Marriage: first became a real issue in 1970 in Minnesota, first legalized in Hawaii in 1993; first fully legalized in Massachusetts in 2004; officially supported by Obama in 2012; mains views are Christian morals vs freedom of speech, religion, etc.; gaining popularity
- Marijuana: first became a big issue in 1970; California first to legalize in 1996; fully legal in Washington and Colorado; main views are gateway drugs vs tax profit/medicinal use; gaining popularity
- Abortion: initially a problem in the 60s; first reforming state was New York; made difficult to legalize by the Supreme Court; Roe v. Wade; fairly even; taking a life vs the person’s body
- Gun Control: 2nd amendment; Gun Act of 1968; Brady Bill; NRA; handguns are #1 killer; 2nd amendment vs weapon abuse
- Immigration: citizenship test; Dreamers; streamlining deportation; deport them vs let them prove themselves
2. What are the main economic and political systems that are practiced in the world and how do they differ?
- Democracy
- Direct:
- Everyone participates
- Majority rules
- Direct:
- Representative:
- Everyone votes for people to make laws for the country
- Majority rules
- Monarchy
- Absolute
- The king/queen has total power
- Like a dictatorship
- Constitutional
- King/queen doesn't have full power
- More of a symbol of spirit
- Dictatorship
- Absolute power for one person or a small group of people
- Anarchy
- Lack of government
- The people do what they want
- Communism
- Government has complete control
- All money is evenly distributed
- Absolute
3. What are the major differences between democrats and republicans in the United States?
Philosophy | Liberal | Conservative |
Economic Ideas | Favor minimum wages and higher tax rates for higher income brackets. | Believe taxes shouldn't be increased for anyone (including the wealthy) and that wages should be set by the free market. |
Stand on Military issues | Decreased spending | Increased spending |
Stand on gay marriage | Support (some Democrats disagree) | Oppose (some Republicans disagree) |
Stand on abortion | Should not be made illegal; support Roe vs. Wade (some Democrats disagree) | Should not be legal; oppose Roe v. Wade (some Republicans disagree) |
Stand on Death penalty | While support for the death penalty is strong among Democrats, opponents of the death penalty are a substantial fraction of the Democratic base. | A large majority of Republicans support the death penalty. |
Social and human ideas | Based on community and social responsibility | Based on individual rights and justice |
Traditionally strong in states | California, Massachusetts | Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas |
Symbol | Donkey | Elephant |
Color | Blue | Red |
Founded in | 1824 | 1854 |
Senate Leader | Harry Reid | Mitch McConnell |
Chairperson | Debbie Wasserman Schultz | Reince Priebus |
Famous Presidents | Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Bill Clinton, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama | Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Richard Nixon |
5. Discuss 9-11 and the impact it had on the US.
9/11 was the hijacking of 4 different US planes by 19 Al-Qaeda members. Al – Qaeda is a deadly terrorist group located out of the Middle East. These planes destroyed the twin towers, part of the pentagon, and what was thought to be the capitol or white house but failed in its mission. All planes still in the air were forced to land immediately, all planes down that did not follow those orders were shot down; all airports were closed for weeks. President Bush’s speech the night of the attacks was about letting the people know they were not going to stop until they found the people responsible, and to keep the people within the US living as normal as possible. Positive aspects of the attacks on the US were that it brought society together, and the country overcame it as one. Negative aspects were that it led us into the Afghanistan war which has been the longest war the US has ever fought in so far, around 3,000 died from it, immigration became a bigger concern, the economy was ruined, and the dow (stock value of the 30 largest businesses in the United States) dropped drastically. Also, all data and information in the World Trade Center was gone, many jobs were lost, and racial profiling started.
6. Discuss the Iraq War and the impact it had on the US.
August 2, 1990 Persian Gulf War began it ended on February 28, 1991. Codenamed operation desert storm. It was a war waged by a UN - authorized coalition force form 34 nations led by US. Coalition lost 392 and killed 20,000-35,000 people in Iraq. Many United Nations countries held economic sanctions on them, set in weapons inspectors, and there was a no fly zone. No fly zone was were the United states flew around daily to make sure that everything they said to do was being followed. Iraq War (2003-2011) also known as operation Iraqi freedom by the US. We knew Iraq chemical weapons because Saddam used them, but then made up that he had lots more and only said this to protect the country. Causes for the war: fight on terror; terrorist train bases there, had a lot of good oil and US wanted it, to help establish a democracy, and we thought they had nuclear weapons. Really wanted rid all of Saddam Husain's power. Obama took down the Saddam Husain regime, “surge"(stay at war until the government is in control) has worked tremendously, abjure prison scandal did not help us it just made more countries look at us negatively.
7. Discuss the situation in Iran.
In 1957 the United Nations started a program, The Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which prohibited the use and the making of nuclear weapons. Iran signed the treaty, as did every other country except 5. Now, Iran is believed to be making nuclear weapons and has been using them on their people. Now the United States must dilute/get rid of uranium enriched over 5%. We also are making sure that they are not transporting them anywhere.
8. What are some of the major problems the world is facing, what are the causes of these problems and what is being done to help solve these problems?
- Eradicate Poverty/Hunger
- Halving the proportion of people with an income of <$1.25 per day by 2015
- Achieving full productive work for all, women and young people include
- Halving the proportion of people living in hunger by 2015
- Universal Primary Education
- All children go to elementary school before 2015
- 90% of children attend
- Up from 82% in the 90s
- Education helps stop poverty
- 61% of those not going to school are women
- Gender Equality
- Provide equal opportunities/empower women
- Middle East, SE Asia, Southern Africa have the biggest problems
- Brazil has an online program for women going through domestic abuse
- Ruwanda farmers are getting more yields
- Uruguay role in politics
- Yemen women are getting education
- Child Mortality
- Death of children before age 1
- Children born into poor families are 5x more likely
- Highest rate in Sub-Saharan: 1 in 10
- Children of mothers with education are more likely to survive
- Improving Maternal Health
- Health while pregnant/soon after birth
- Reduce mortality by ¾
- Combat HIV/AIDS and Other Diseases
- Reversed by 2015
- On the decline
- No cure as of right now
- Find a treatment by 2010
- Still none found in 2011
- More people being treated
- Ensure Environmental Sustainability
- Reverse loss of environmental resources
- Forests are poor peoples' fallback
- Basically stop deforestation
- Africa/South America
- Reverse loss of environmental resources
- Sanitation
- Halved proportion of people without clean water 5 years ahead of schedule
- Proportion of people using clean water went up 80% since the 90s
- 40% of the people without clean water are in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Keeping people from slumsProvide drugs and medicine
- Dropped 6% in 12 years
- UN hopes to accomplish by 2020
- 200 million of these people gained access to improved water sources, sanitation facilities or durable/less crowded housing
- Global Partnerships
- Protect the trade
- Address the needs of developing countries
- Landlocked countries
- Difficult to export goods
- Debt of developing countries
- Access to benefits of technologyCellular reception
- Internet access
- Business opportunities
- Education
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