You Decide! Current Debates in American Politics, 2010 Edition

Updated annually, this best-selling, debate-style reader examines the most timely, important, and provocative issues in American politics.   You Decide! Current Debates in American Politics, 7th edition draws students into the key topics that have made headlines and affected our political system during 2009 and will continue to affect our daily lives in 2010.   Designed to get students engaged and thinking about our political system, the topics featured in You Decide! have been selected for their currency, importance, and interest.  The pieces, arguing various sides of a given political issue, come from recent journals, congressional hearings, think tanks, and periodicals. 

Table of Contents:
1. CONSTITUTON  DECIDING ON THE CONSTITUTION’S MEANING:  RELY ON THE ORIGNAL AUTHORS OR INTERPRET IN LIGHT OF MODERN CIRCUMSTANCES : Deciding the Constitution’s Meaning: Rely on the Original Authors Advocate: Keith E. Whittington, William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Politics, Princeton University. Deciding the Meaning of The Constitution: Interpret in Light of Modern Circumstances  Advocate: Erwin Chemerinsky, Alston & Bird Professor of Law and Political Science, Duke University   2.  FEDERALISM ENACTING A FEDERAL HATE CRIMES LAW: UNWISE AND OVER-FEDERALIZATION OF LAW OR JUST AND APPROPRIATE?   Enacting a Federal Hate Crimes Law: Unwise, And Over-Federalization Of Law Advocate: Brian W. Walsh, Senior Legal Research Fellow, The Heritage Foundation Enacting a Federal Hate Crimes Law: Just and Appropriate Advocate: Eric H. Holder, Jr., U.S.  Attorney General   3.  CIVIL LIBERTIES THE PHRASE “UNDER GOD” IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIENCE: VIOLATION OF THE FIRST AMENDMENT OR ACCEPTABLE TRADITIONAL EXPRESSION   The Phrase “Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance: Violation of the First Amendment Advocate: Douglas Laycock, Professor, School of Law, University of Texas; and Counsel of Record for 32 Christian and Jewish clergy filing an amicus curiae brief with the Supreme Court in Elk Gove School District v. Newdow The Phrase “Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance: Acceptable Traditional Expression Advocate: Jay Alan Sekulow, Chief Counsel, American Center for Law and Justice; and Counsel of Record for 76 members of Congress and the Committee to Protect the Pledge filing an amicus curiae brief with the Supreme Court in Elk Gove School District v. Newdow   4.  CIVIL RIGHTS  Reparations for African Americans: Overdue Justice or Illogical and Unconstitutional?   Reparations for African Americans: Overdue Justice Advocate: Kibibi Tyehimba, Co-Chair, National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America Reparations for African Americans: Illogical  and Unconstitutional  Advocate: Roger Clegg, President And General Counsel, Center For Equal Opportunity   5.  AMERICAN PEOPLE/POLITICAL CULTURE THE CULTURAL ASSIMILATION OF IMMIGRANTS: THE MELTING POT IS BROKEN OR BLENDING SATISFACTORILY?   The Cultural Assimilation Of Immigrants: The Melting Pot Is Broken Advocate: John Fonte, Director, Center for American Common Culture, Hudson Institute The Cultural Assimilation Of Immigrants: Blending Satisfactorily Advocate: Gary Gerstle, James Stahlman Professor of History, Department of History, Vanderbilt University   6. PARTICIPATION ALLOWING NONCITIZENS TO VOTE: EXPANDING DEMOCRACYOR UNDERMINING CITIZENSHIP?   Allowing Noncitizens To Vote: Expanding Democracy Advocate:     Ron Hayduk, Associate Professor of Political Science, Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY Allowing Noncitizens To Vote: Undermining Citizenship Advocate:  Stanley Renshon, Professor of political science, City University of New York Graduate Center   7.  MEDIA THE FUTURE OF QUALITY JOURNALISM: IMPERILED OR SECURE?   The Future of Quality Journalism: Imperiled Advocate: David Simon, creator and executive producer of the HBO television series The Wire The Future of Quality Journalism: Secure Advocate: Arianna Huffington, founder of the Huffington Post 8.  INTEREST GROUPS THE OIL INDUSTRY AND ENERGY PRICES: PROFITEERING OR RESPONDING TO MARKET FORCES?   The Oil Industry and Energy Prices: Profiteering Advocates: Tyson Slocum, Director, Public Citizen’s Energy Program The Oil Industry and Energy Prices: Responding to Market Forces Advocate: John Felmy, Chief Economist, American Petroleum Institute   9.  POLITICAL PARTIES  THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE OF PARTY POLITICS: DOMINANT DEMOCRATS OR RESURGENT REPUBLICANS? The Foreseeable Future Of Party Politics: Dominant Democrats Advocates: David W. Brady, Professor of political science,; Douglas Rivers, Professor of political science; and Laurel Harbridge, graduate student in political science, all at Stanford University The Foreseeable Future Of Party Politics: Resurgent Republicans Advocate: Jay Cost, political analyst and blogger, Real Clear Politics   10.  VOTING/CAMPAIGNS/ELECTIONS ELECTING THE PRESIDENT ADOPT  THE  NATIONAL POPULAR VOTE PLAN  OR PRESERVE ECECTORAL COLLEGE?   Electing The President: Adopt the National Popular Vote Plan Advocate:  National Popular Vote, an advocacy organization.   Electing The President: Preserve the Electoral College Advocate:   John Samples, Director,  Center for Representative Government, Cato Institute.   11.  CONGRESS CONGRESSIONAL TERM LIMITS: PROMOTING CHOICE OR RESTRICTING CHOICE? Congressional Term Limits: Promoting Choice Advocate:  Paul Jacob, Executive Director, U.S. Term Limits Congressional Term Limits: Restricting Choice Advocate:               John R. Hibbing, Professor of Political Science, University of Nebraska    12.  PRESIDENCY THE WAR POWERS OF THE PRESIDENT:  CURB OR LEAVE AS IS? The War Powers of the President: Curb  Advocate: Jules Lobel, Professor of Law, University of Pittsburgh The War Powers of the President: Leave As Is Advocate:     Stephen G. Rademaker, Senior Counsel, BGR Holding and former Associate White House Counsel to President George H.W. Bush 13.  BUREAUCRACY  POLICY POSITIONS OF FEDERAL AGENCIES: REFLECT THE PRESIDENT’S POSITION OR BE DETERMINED INDEPENDENTLY? Policy Positions of Federal Agencies: Reflect The President’s Position  Advocate: James L. Gattuso, Senior Research Fellow in Regulatory Policy, Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies, the Heritage Foundation   Policy Positions of Federal Agencies: Be Determined Interdependently   Advocate: Peter L. Strauss, Betts Professor of Law. Columbia University Law School   14.  JUDICIARY THE BASIS OF SONIA SOTOMAYOR’S VIEWS ON THE SUPREME COURT: FIDELITY TO THE LAW OR IDENTIFY POLITICS? The Basis of Sonia Sotomayor’s Views on the Supreme Court: Fidelity to the Law Advocate: Patrick Leahy, United States Senator from Vermont (D) The Basis OF Sonia Sotomayor’s Views on the Supreme Court: Identity Politics Advocate:Linda Chavez, and I am chairman and founder of the Center for Equal OpportunityJonathan H. Adler,.   15.  STATEAND LOCAL GOVERNMENT  ALLOWING STATES TO COLLECT SALES TAXES ON INTERSTATE COMMERCE LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD OR  A THREAT TO ELECTRONIC COMMERCE? Allowing States To Collect Sales Taxes On Interstate Commerce: Leveling The Playing Field  Advocate:  Steven Rauschenberger, Past President, National Conference of State Legislatures   Allowing States To Collect Sales Taxes On Interstate Commerce: A Threat To Electronic Commerce  Advocate:  George S. Isaacson, Tax Counsel for the Direct Marketing Association   16. CRIMINAL JUSTICE POLICY THE DEATH PENALTY: FATALLY FLAWED OR DEFENSIBLE? The Death Penalty: Fatally Flawed Advocate: Stephen B. Bright. Director, Southern Center for Human Rights, Atlanta, Georgia; Visiting Lecturer in Law, Harvard and Yale Law Schools The Death Penalty: Defensible Advocate: John McAdams,  Professor of Political Science,  Marquette University   17.  EDUCATION POLICY ASSIGNING STUDENTS TO SCHOOLS BASED ON RACE:  JUSTIFIED OR UNACCEPTABLE? Assigning Students to Schools Based on Race: Justified Advocate: National Education Association, et al. Assigning Students to Schools Based on Race: Unacceptable Advocate: Asian American Legal Foundation   18. ANTITERRORISM POLICY PRESIDENT OBAMA’S ANTI-TERRORISM POLICY: ENDANGERING AMERICA OR PROTECTING AMERICAN LIVES AND PRINCIPLES?   President Obama’s Anti-Terrorism Policy: Endangering America  Advocate: Richard B. Cheney, former Vice President of the United States President Obama’s Anti-Terrorism Policy: Protecting American Lives and Principles Advocate: Barack Obama, President of the United States     EXTENDED TABLE OF CONTENTS: WEB ISSUES The following topics are available on the Web at: http://www.ablongman.com/YouDecide/   19 HEALTH CARE POLICY     A SINGLE PAYER SYSTEM OF HEALTH CARE: PREFERRED PRESCRIPTION OR UNACCEPTABLE SIDE EFFECTS    A Single Payer System of Health Care Reform: Preferred Prescription Advocate: Marcia Angell, M.D., Senior Lecturer in Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School   A Single Payer System of Health Care Reform: Unacceptable Side Effects  Advocate: David Gratzer, MD, Senior Fellow, Manhattan Institute   20  ENERGY POLICY    INCREASE THE SUPPLY OF  NUCLEAR POWER SENSIBLE SOLUTION OR UNNECESSARY DANGER?   Increase the Supply of  Nuclear Power: Sensible Solution  Advocate: Alex Flint, Senior Vice President, Governmental Affairs, Nuclear Energy Institute Increase the Supply of  Nuclear Power: Unnecessary Danger  Advocate: Sharon A. Squassoni Senior Associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace   21.  BUDGETARY POLICY A LINE-ITEM VETO FOR THE PRESIDENT: PRUDENT WAY TO RESTRAIN SPENDING OR UNWISE GRANT OF POWER?   A Line-Item Veto for the President: Prudent Way to Restrain Spending Advocate: Paul Ryan, U.S. Representative (R-WI) A Line-Item Veto for the President:Unwise Grant of Power? Advocate: Cristina Martin Firvida, Senior Counsel, National Women’s Law Center   22.  SOCIAL WELFARE POLICY POVERTY IN AMERICA: BAD AND GETTING WORSE OR NOT BAD AND GETTING BETTER? Poverty in America: Getting Worse Advocate:    John Podesta, President, Center for American Progress Poverty in America: Getting Better Advocate: Robert Rector, Senior Policy Analyst, The Heritage Foundation   23.   GAY RIGHTS POLICY   AMENDING THE CONSTITUION TO BAR GAY MARRIAGE: NECESSARY AND PROPER OR  UNNECESSARY AND IMPROPER? Amending the Constitution to Bar Gay Marriage: Necessary and Proper Advocate:     Christopher Wolfe, Professor, Department  of Political Science, Marquette University Amending the Constitution to Bar Gay Marriage: Unnecessary and Improper Advocate:  Sheila Jackson-Lee, U.S. Representative (D-TX)   24.  WOMEN’S RIGHTS POLICY ACHIEVING GENDER PAY EQUITY: TOUGHER LAWS NEEDED OR CURRENT LAW SATISFACTORY?   Achieving Gender Pay Equity: Tougher Laws Needed Advocate: Marcia D. Greenberger, Co-President, National Women’s Law Center Achieving Gender Pay Equity: Current Law Satisfactory Advocate:     Barbara Berish Brown, Chair, Washington, D.C. office of  Paul, Hastings, Janofsky &Walker and Vice-Chair, Labor & Employment Law Section,  American  Bar Association   25. NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY   U.S.TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN: WITHDRAW QUICKLY OR STAY THE COURSE?    U.S. Troops in Afghanistan: Withdraw Quickly Advocate:   Sameer Dossani, Director, 50 Years Is Enough: U.S. Network for Global Economic Justice U.S.Troops in Afghanistan: Stay the Course Advocate: Admiral Michael G. Mullen, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff