Current Issues Final Review
People: Explain why the following people have been in the news this year. Look through your current events notes for the answers.
John Boehner
Joe Biden
Hillary Clinton
Ron Paul
Mitt Romney
Rick Perry
Michelle Bachman
John Huntsman
Newt Gingrich
Herman Cain
Chris Christie
Gabrielle Giffords
Leon Panetta
Eric Holder
Bob Casey
Pat Toomey
John Edwards
Marco Rubio
Tom Corbett
John Roberts
Bill Shuster
Mahmoud Abbas
Mohmar Khadaffi
Anwar al-Awlaki
Steve Jobs
Bashar Al-Assad
Jerry Sandusky
Joe Paterno
Hu Jintao
Kim Jung Il
Kim Jung Un
Haylee Barbour
Mahmoud Amadinijad
Ayatollah Khomeini
Xi JinPing
Benjamin Netanyahu
Vladimir Putin
Rush Limbaugh
Sandra Fluke
Hamid Karzai
George Zimmerman
Trayvon Martin
Countries in the News: Below is a description of something a country has been in the news for this year. Determine which country each statement is about.
-The U.S. pulled all of its combat troops out of this country this year.
-This country tried launching a weather satellite that was really a test of a long range missile. It failed
-This European country has had enormous problems because of its debt this year. It has led to many riots
-A large cruise ship wrecked off the coast of this country earlier in the year
-NATO airstrikes pounded this country until its leader was captured and killed.
-The newest country in the world is:
-The dictator of this country has killed thousands of his own people this year as they have protested his family’s 40+ year dictatorship
-This country has captured a stealth U.S. drone and has been working to develop nuclear weapons.
-This country has the largest population and often clashes with the U.S. on human rights issues.
-This is the country where U.S. Secret Service personnel hired prostitutes
-U.S. soldiers in this country have angered much of the population after Koran burnings and a mass murder of 16 people.
-For the rest of your lives, this country will be involved in disputes with the Palestinian people over land.
Topics for possible essay questions:
Israel:
Chances are that for the rest of your life there will be conflict between Israel and its Arab neighbors. Understanding the history of this conflict and why it persists today is very important. Develop an essay that addresses the following:
-Creation of Israel – when and why
-The two state partition- proposal and why it was not adopted
-Conflicts since the creation of Israel – don’t need to be too specific, but how have they changed the map of Israel
-Address the following with your opinion: Should the Israelis be allowed to build settlements on ground that was once Palestinian ground? Why or why not.
China:
The United States and China both need each other but often find themselves at odds on key issues. Develop an essay that addresses the following.
-Why is the relationship between the U.S. and China so important for each county? What do they need from the other?
-Provide a brief summary of the main areas of conflict between the two: Tibet, Taiwan, human rights, and freedom of speech.
Upcoming Election:
Many of you will be able to vote in the upcoming election in November. Starting pretty soon you will notice that political ads will swamp your television sets. Explain how the Supreme Court ruling allowing “Super PACS” will influence these ads.
-Address what the Supreme Court said about “Super PACS”
-Why can’t you necessarily trust a “Super PAC” advertisement
-What is your opinion on “Super PACS”? Why do you think they should or shouldn’t be allowed?