February question #1

1.  Consider the leaders of industry of late 19th century America and how they compare to industry leaders in the 21st century.  What are their similarities?  Their distinctions? Be as specific--with names and examples of everything from miserliness to philanthropy--as possible.

February question #2

2.  American life in the years following Reconstruction are known as the Gilded Age, for on the surface there is opportunity and industry:   "progress."  At the same time, there is abject poverty, harsh nativist ideals, and rabid racism that did not disappear simply because of the 13th-15th Amendments and several Civil Rights acts.  What aspects of late 19th century "progress" most closely match our own era?  How do our own conversations about race in America reflect on the tremendous (actual) progress we have made--or not?

February question #3

3.  Justice Antonin Scalia's death leaves a tremendous opportunity for the White House to nominate a new justice whose presence will affect law and policy for decades.  What leading nominee interests you for this position, and why?

Thanksgiving question #1

1.  What responsibility do countries of the EU have toward screening immigration in each other’s countries?  What role would you like to see the US take in this process?

Thanksgiving Question 2

2.  In an ideal situation, the UN would be able to assume the responsibility for easing the suffering of the Syrian refugees.  What would you like to see the UN do?  Can it?  Why or why not?

Thanksgiving question 3

3.  What is our responsibility  to the Syrian refugees? (by “our” put your home country or adopted country into this slot)  How does that responsibility function in concert or in contrast with our responsibility to our own nation's’ inhabitants?  Defend your perspective.

Thanksgiving question 4

4.  Western news coverage has been focus almost exclusively on the events from Friday, November 13 in Paris.  There was also an attack in Lebanon.  Why isn’t that covered?  Should it get the same amount of time/attention in the Western press?  

Thanksgiving question 5

5.  Take some time to watch your local news (use several channels for comparison).  Then, watch a national news program.  And then, check key news websites.  Draft a brief comparison of how the different news outlets share information about the Paris .  Consider how much time is dedicated to the topic.  Consider when in the news program the information is revealed.  Is the information editorialized?  Or is the opinion of the program more subtle (time given to the topic, placement in the broadcast, etc).

March Question #3

3) Flags are symbolic representations of any country, whether displayed at the Olympic Games, raised during wars/battles, or in the case of the United States, even saluted ritualistically in a "Pledge of Allegiance."   Please read the article below:
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/california-student-group-bans-american-flag-from-lobby/ar-AA9vm3X
In your opinion, should the display of the American flag be banned at either LJCDS or TASIS, for all of its symbolism?  Is it okay at American institutions for the flag to be flown each day, or, out of respect to others, should it be banned, as it was in this university's lobby?

March Question #2

2) ISIS (the Islamic State) is a fundamentalist Islamic organization that is making headlines for its "ruthless" treatment of those with alternative beliefs.   In their minds however, they are following acceptable cultural/religious practices.  Contrast this to the Ku Klux Klan of the late 19th century and early 20th century and its "ruthless" attacks on African-Americans.   Should there be limits on "free speech" and "freedom of religion" when it leads to fatal consequences?   To what point should such groups be allowed to hold and express their beliefs?

March Question #1

1) It was less than 100 years ago that women finally earned the right to vote in the United States.   Even today, there are renewed calls for an Equal Rights Amendment to be passed that states, "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State on account of sex."   In your opinion, what would the advantages of disadvantages be of passing such an amendment?   Is this a necessary step to continually promote the equal treatment of women?

January question #1: Reparations

1.  The Civil Liberties Act of 1988 and the subsequent Civil Liberties Act Amendment of 1992  made it possible for the families of those Japanese Americans placed in Internment camps during World War II (per Roosevelt's order 9066) to receive reparations for their mistreatment at the hands of the American government.  However, no such reparations have ever been offered by the US government for those families who are descendants of slaves, an insidious institution that lasted for centuries longer than the horrible four years of internment for West Coast Japanese Americans.  Are reparations the answer for a government's fear-induced/unethical/racially motivated practices?  Why was it possible, do you think, for the US government to provide reparations to (most) of the 10,000 Japanese Americans and/or their descendants yet no one has offered reparations to the descendants of slave families?

January question #2: Wealth and capitalism

2. The Industrial Revolution in America provided an opportunity for those with money to become far richer than the standards of the 19th century had ever allowed for before. It allowed a "middle management" to grow, in effect giving America it's first taste of an "Upper Middle Class" and perhaps a true "Middle Class " at all.  At the same time, others were terribly exploited in the work force, and the sheer overwhelming nature of impoverished Americans is a huge part of what we study as we examine the "progress" that the Industrial Revolution wrought.

Consider the 21st century and the distribution of wealth in our own time.  Are the wealthiest people of the world to be admired?  Why or why not?  Is our capitalist society "fair"--why or why not?

January question #3: Charlie Hebdo

3.  On January 7, three masked men attacked the paper Charlie Hebdo in Paris, killing 12 (including two police officers) and wounding another 11.  At the writing of this question, three terrorists have been killed and at least four hostages have died as well.  There is still one alleged terrorist at large in the area outside of Paris.  The magazine has been under fire in the past (literally and metaphorically) for its controversial depictions of Mohammad (the purported cause of Wednesday's attack).  Should such free speech and freedom of the press (consider the US Constitution's 1st Amendment) always be protected?  Are the depictions of Charlie Hebdo acceptable?  Why or why not?

November question #1: LAND

A core component of any study of 19th century American history focuses on land:  how America acquired it,  how America solidified its borders, and how land--and migration--are reflections of both the American Dream and the impending destruction of the Native American way of life.  In today's political climate, the addition of casinos to many reservations has become a main source of income for the tribes on government-assigned reservations.  Considering the relationship between the voters and the tribes (with respect to the casinos) and/or the realities of American involvement in countries worldwide, do you think this notion of Manifest Destiny exists today?  In what way?  Why or why not?

November question #2: Supreme Court

This year the Supreme Court made some powerful decisions regarding the Defense of Marriage Act.  In your studies, you have examined the Supreme Court cases that shaped the early decades of the court's existence.  Consider a series of Supreme Court decisions (from your own research, from your studies, or from the newspaper).  Do you feel like the court's inclinations have changed?  How so (or why not)?  Choose a court case that you think would have been decided differently in another age.

November question #3: Mid-Term Elections and Looking Forward to 2016

Consider the election results from earlier in the month in the United States.  How does this election set up the country for the 2016 Presidential election?  What hypotheses can you make about the outcome of that next election?  Why?

October question #2

Consider Scotland's recent vote to determine independence from the UK.   Countries such as China and Russia were hoping that Scotland would NOT vote for independence.  Why not?  What promises did the British government make to Scotland in the hopes that the vote would, indeed, be a "no" vote?  Draw parallels between these promises and the hopes/fears of the Whigs and Tories during the era of the American Revolution.

October Question #1

Consider what you've studied about the creation of the earliest colonies.  It is rather amazing that the religious focus of some colonies (Massachusetts) and the economic focus of other colonies (Virginia) eventually came together into one country.  With that in mind, consider which influences the United States more today: religion/morals or the pursuit of economic prosperity?

April question #1

To what extent do you think the failure of Prohibition has influenced many states' decisions to begin legalizing the use of marijuana today? What do you think of the states’ control over these decisions even as the Federal government continues to ban marijuana use.

April question #2

To what extent did the United States' entry into World War I set this country on a path to always becoming militarily involved in international affairs? 

April question #3

Whether it's the start of WWI (the first mechanized war) the start of the Cold War and the usage of the atom bomb, or American soldiers in Iraq who correspond with their families via Skype, America has a long history of technological advancements coming as a result of the money spent on warfare.  Do you think the United States would have the technology as quickly if it did not have the wars?  Where else—and what else—could the impetus for such tech advancements come from?