17 Aug Does the Government of the United States of America function the way it was designed
1.Does the Government of the United States of America function the way it was designed
to function? Why or why not (or both)? [HINT: this question is asking you to talk about
two things: how the government was designed to function (the first part of the semester)
and how the government actually does function (the latter part of the semester)] Give
examples to support your explanation.
2.We spent several days discussing Marbury v. Madison in class. What are the specific historical events that led directly to the controversy in this case? Why do Jefferson and Madison refuse to give Marbury his appointment? Why does Marbury take his case directly to the US Supreme Court? What is Marshall’s rationale for deciding the case the way he does? Do you think Marbury v. Madison was decided correctly? Why or why not?
3. Judicial review is becoming more and more controversial these days, as the Supreme Court continues to overrule laws exacted by the states on gun control, and revokes rights that have existed for 50 years (the overturning of Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022). This entire process is rooted in the Court’s claim in Marbury v. Madison that it alone has the power to review the constitutionality of laws, and that it can overrule all laws not pursuit to the constitution. Should the Supreme Court have the power to overrule Roe v. Wade? Or should state legislatures and the US Congress have the ultimate power to decide what the constitution means and what rights it should protect? Make a case one way or the other using all of the evidence and argument that you can muster.
4.We discussed (in a lecture video) the election of the President according to the Constitution, via the Electoral College. We also discussed a movement called the National Popular Vote (go look at nationalpopularvote.com), which tries to bypass the electoral college without changing the constitution. Describe both processes, and then make an argument for why one is better than the other.
HINT: you must read the website to understand National Popular Vote. Read. Read. Read. Don’t guess. Also, I explain this in a very basic way in the Lecture Video called How the President Gets Elected
