Committee Work from Challenges to American Democracy - CIVITAS-STL

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Committee Work from Challenges to American Democracy

Bobbi 893 Views

Group A: Promoting democracy

Topic or Issue: __voter suppression_____________________________________

What are three or more questions that you think must be asked in advance to recommend effective policy steps?

  • How do economic situations affect voter situation? (and how do economic situations affect people of different ages, and different living areas?)
  • What does active voter suppression look like?
  • What are some examples of voter suppression?

What possible solutions are you considering?

Option One: automatic voting registration as soon as someone turns 18

  1. The Positive: more accessibility for voting
  2. Risks: Paranoia may become a possibility, though small percentage of population

Option Two: being required to vote

  1. The Positive: places to vote must be more accessible
  2. Risks: people not understand what they vote for, expense, infringing on freedom

Option Three: another voter rights act (buses free on election day, voting booths open for multiple days)

  1. The Positive: same as another two
  2. Risks:

Photo ID huge factor to voter suppression, especially in the southern states

Replicate 1965 VRA in a basic census of sort of who is voting, how they are voting, how they may be oppressed etc.

Photo ID only for voting, proves citizenship. Birth certificate included.

Free buses on election days

when 18 you just automatically get to vote. you get mailed voter ID and just start voting. ID would prove citizenship as said above

Election days would last over multiple days, kind of like countries like Germany or France.

Or follow Australia in the ways of forcing people to vote. Fine would be handed out too people who do not vote

Group Recommendations (include cautionary steps to minimize the chances of unintended or undesirable consequences)

  1. automatic voting registration, no solution for risks
  2. being required to vote
  3. another voter rights act

 

Topic or Issue: _lack of representation in government for women and minorities_______

What are three or more questions that you think must be asked in advance to recommend effective policy steps?

  1. why is there a lack of representation?
  2. What discrimination/stereotypes are perpetuated through American culture that harms women and minorities from running in the government?

What possible solutions are you considering?

Option One: include politics in school curriculum

  • The Positive:
  • Risks: political bias

Option Two: follow what other (freer) countries have done

  • The Positive:
  • Risks: different governmental systems

Option Three: better media coverage and representation

  • The Positive:
  • Risks:

Option One: Major increase in Advocacy Groups such as Emily’s list

  • The Positive: More knowledge within women/minorities of things such as campaign tactics and debate tactics.
  • Risks:

Promoting Social Studies while in Middle school, making it more important like say, math or science

Educate people on the people running

Learn from outside countries on their voter education systems, especially in countries with high women in office rates

make sure the media has a more “Anybody can do great things” standpoint when reporting news, trying to get away from party lines and stereotype.

More TV/Movies that portray that underrepresented demographics can become great people (EX: Black Panther)

More Women running for office in general (applies to minorities as well)

might we note that more women vote then men in elections

keep the voter suppression on minorities and women. this may be a cause of being maybe afraid to run.

Group B: Health Education & Welfare

Topic or Issue: Immigration

What are three or more questions that you think must be asked in advance to recommend effective policy steps?

  1. How can we distinguish people who are a problem between people who are really just coming here seeking refuge? How should we treat them when we reach those conclusions?
  2. Are certain foreign cultures/practices inherently bad or good for America? Does that relate to how we should treat their immigration?
  3. How can we better mix the diversity in America while respecting differences but promoting unison?

What possible solutions are you considering?

Option One: DACA should stay in place and students/children should have protection in America

  • The Positive: People get to stay where they’ve been for their entire life and don’t have to go back to a place where they’ve never known
  • Risks: Promote illegal immigration so parents can give their children better lives, which promotes sacrifice of the parent of their lifestyle for their children’s’ futures. This can tear apart families.

Option Two: Shorter and less complicated immigration process

  • The Positive: People who have been working, have homes, and etc. Permanent residents would get to stay and potentially gain the right to vote after applying through the process. Less demand (more accessibility) would make immigration much less of an issue.
  • Risks: Many people will still get deported. People in this country have priority.

 

Topic or Issue: Rape/Sexual Violence (Broad)

What are three or more questions that you think must be asked in advance to recommend effective policy steps?

  • How do we bring attention to the issue and make it important to people?
  • People are scared to talk about it
  • People are scared to listen

What possible solutions are you considering?

Option One: Finding definitions and drawing the lines (What is rape? What is sexual assault? What does consent look like? What does prosecution look like?)

  1. The Positive: People would have an easier time knowing whether or not they were in the right. less to worry about in the sense of “Will people believe me or not?” because everyone will KNOW the definitions and lines. Making this a bigger movement would encourage people to come forward. Snowball effects with people who have related to this issue
  2. Risks: Cases of false accusations. Removed and blacklisting for accusations. Very large claims can be made that can destroy people’s lives. Every movement has malicious actions that can take place. People also will disagree as to what those accepted definitions. This could be messy in courts. Checks and balances could help, but perhaps the definitions were too lax.

Option Two:

  1. The Positive:
  2. Risks:

Group C: Value Issues

Topics: 1st.Gun Control, 2nd. Prison reform(Involved legalization of Marijuana), 3rd. Separation of church and state(Included Abortion/Reproductive Rights)

Topic or Issue: ____________________Gun Control___________________

What are three or more questions that you think must be asked in advance to recommend effective policy steps?

    1. What are we trying to accomplish with gun control?
    2. To what extent is gun ownership a right?
    3.  Is the 2nd amendment viable in today’s society?
    4. How will everyone affected react when more gun control implemented?
    5. Should we take away all gun control?
    6. What effect has gun control have on different countries?
    7. What are the benefits of owning guns?
    8. What is the current process of buying guns?
    9. Who should be allowed to bye/sell guns?
    10. What are current restrictions?
    11. What are the implications if we allow/or not allow gov. To control gun ownership?
    12. Are we targeting private individuals or manufactures?
    13. Should a mental illness be a denial to own a gun?
      1. What is mental illness?
    14. Is gun education?
  1. How can we reduce the gun homicide rates?
  2. Will increased gun control increase the crime rate as an unintended consequence?
  3. Who should be allowed to buy and sell guns?

What possible solutions are you considering?

Option One: Require gun education to introduce pros and cons in public schools

  • The Positive: Everyone is able to make better buying decisions, and have better conversations about the topic in the future.
  • Risks: Abuse of information, teachers being bias on topic.

Option Two: Restrict who can buy and sell gun by requiring a license

  • The Positive: prevents people who should not own guns,
  • Risks: allow for government to watch gun sales.

Group D: Media Issues/Security

Topic or Issue: _Fake News______________________________________

The main issues surrounding this topic:

  1. How do we avoid having biased media?
  2. New sources reporting fake news
  3. How do we sort through fake news?

Possible solution to issue:

To create a government committee and database to evaluate and decide on a rating for each major news source

  1. The committee will be made up of representatives from each side of the political spectrum. Must not be a current or former employee of any news sources or journalistic companies that could possibly be affected by this measure. These precautions are taken to help to eliminate any possible bias
  2.  Each member of the committee will be in charge of evaluating one aspect of the source and then the team will come up with an average rating
    1. Each of these committee members is the head of a team that evaluates one specific aspect of the source, the committee member represents the team
  3. The ratings for each new source will be posted on a government database that is accessible to the public

 

 

Drawbacks to this solution:

  1. There becomes an agenda to the whole program
  2. There’s still a chance for bias
  3. The committee could become corrupt

 

 

Bobbi

Bobbi Kennedy is the middle school coordinator for Civitas. She also helps with high school activities and keeps the web site from imploding.