National Power
This is how much power the national government has.
Although the founding fathers wanted the power of the federal government to be limited, it has grown over time.
Has the federal government gotten too large, or is it necessary for the government to be large in order to deal with 21st century problems?
Federalism
The idea that the national government should have more power than the state governments.
State governments and the federal government argue over who has the final authority within the state when it comes to making laws and controlling taxes.
Does having increased federal power take away liberties and break the balance of power, or is it necessary to ensure justice?
The Judiciary (courts)
This is the branch of government that interprets the laws— the Supreme Court.
The judicial branch of government has been one of the most powerful checks against tyranny because it can declare any acts unconstitutional.
Should the judicial branch act on its own, especially when the Congress and states are not acting, or does an active Court threaten the balance of powers?
Civil Liberties
These are your basic rights as citizens of the United States.
Although these rights are basic and guaranteed, they require interpretation.
Should these rights be allowed all the time, or should there be checks on them (for example, if someone gives a racist speech, or if an assembly threatens the national security)?
Suspects’ Rights
These are the rights of people who are convicted of crimes.
The courts must respect the rights of possible criminals, but at the same time ensure the public safety.
What is the balance between a suspect’s constitutional rights, and the safety of the general population? Should suspected criminals be allowed to go free because of technicalities in the law?
Equality
Despite our differences, all men are ultimately the same and deserve the same rights.
Equal rights have been an important issue in American politics, so important that the government has often actively promoted distributing resources and benefits to all citizens.
Will government involvement really help minorities, or will inequalities exist either way?
Women’s Rights
The benefits and privileges given to women.
Women were not specifically mentioned in the Constitution, nor were they excluded. The government must decide whether to specifically protect the rights of women, or not.
Will it take a constitutional amendment to get equal rights for women, or is that not necessary?
Minority Rights
The benefits and privileges given to people of color, people of a minority religion, etc.
Since the abolition of slavery, the federal government is taking a more active role to ensure that everyone in the nation has equal rights. This is often met with a backlash by the majority who fear their power will be taken away.
Should the government take an active role in protecting minority rights, or will that cause too many problems?
Foreign Policy
How our country deals with other countries.
Many people think that the power to declare and conduct war belongs to the president (the executive), but others believe the Congress should declare war.
Should the president be able to declare war without the approval of Congress, or does forcing the president to get the approval of Congress infringe upon the president’s powers?
Separation of Powers
The idea that the branches of government should share power equally so that no one branch becomes too powerful.
The branches of government were set up with equal power so that no one branch could abuse power, but because of this, each branch is quite inefficient.
Is the history of governmental abuses enough to justify the inefficiency in the government, or are these safeguards not worth the inefficiency?
Representation
The people elect leaders to speak for them in the Congress.
Our government is made up of representatives who bring the problems of the people to the attention of the government.
Are minorities being heard in Congress, or is the Congress not hearing their voices?
Government and the Economy
This deals with the government’s role in the businesses of America.
There has been a long struggle between business and government about how much say the government should have in directing business.
Should government allow totally free enterprise, or should they step in to protect the public from unfair business practices?
Constitutional Change
This deals with the need to modify the Constitution in the future.
The Constitution was intended to be revised to meet growing needs, but it was not intended to be taken lightly, so the process to change the Constitution was made very difficult.
Is it good to make the Constitution hard to change because it protects the ideas in the document, or does the Constitution need to adapt more quickly to changing times?