1. What is distinctive about the US policymaking process?
2. What types of public policy are there?
3. What types of ideology are there and how do you fit in these schemes of belief?

Serow 9:
Liberties 
& Rights

48: Miranda v Arizona (1966, rights of accused) [Case Notes] [#]
49: Donald Kettl, "System Under Stress," (Patriot Act) [+ 4e]
53: Alderman & Kennedy, "In Our Defense" (Native American right to religion, 1991). [#]

1. What types of civil liberties are there in a liberal democracy?
2. In what sense do civil liberties compromise society's need for order and security?
3. What sort of need can justify a state overriding the right to religious practice?

Serow 9:
Liberties 
& Rights

47: Anthony Lewis, "Gideon's Trumpet" (1964, Right to counsel.) [#]
50: Richard Kluger, "Simple Justice: Brown v Board ..." (1975, schools desegregation)  [#]
51: Charles Ogletree, "With All Deliberate Speed," (2004, on Brown II's meaning.)  [+ 4e] -- needs outline
52: Craig Rimmerman, "From Identity to Politics," (2002, gay rights factions) [+ 4e] -- needs outline
54: Mary Ann Glendon, "Rights Talk" (what do rights mean, 1991) [#]

1. How are civil rights anchored in the US Constitution?
2. What types of equality are there and which ones are valued in the US?
3. How was the right to counsel established?
4. How did school desegregation come about and why is the black middle class said to be frustrated?
5. Did the two Brown v Bd cases contradict each other?
6. Is the gay rights movement too divided to be successful?
7. What are the difficulties of implementing affirmative action, and how do people's rights conflict?
8. Can there be rights without responsibilities?

1. What types of economic policy are there, and with what effects?
2. What does political economy mean?
3. Is there really no poverty or squalor in modern America?
4. What are the virtues of the free market?

Serow 15:
& Public 
Welfare

86: Sharon Hays, "Flat Broke with Children,"  [+ 4e] -- needs outline

1. What types of entitlements are provided in the US, and to what groups in society?
2. To what extent is there poverty in the modern US?
3. Is it fair to say welfare benefits breed dependency instead of a helping hand?

Serow 16:
America
in Changed
World

87: Ben Barber, "Jihad vs McWorld", [+] 
88: Sam Huntington, "Clash of Civilizations." [+]
Great Decisions [Local]AWAC [Local] recommended
Old and New diplomacy; Multilateralism v Unilateralism (Lewis, lecture outline.)

1. What are the key concepts of international relations?
2. How can the world function safely without a world government?
3. Should nation states conduct their foreign policy by realism -- or is there room for idealism?
4. Is public opinion capable of exerting influence on US foreign policy?
5. What should replace the cold war as a theme of US foreign policy for the 21st century?

Serow 17:
America
in World

89: Joseph Nye, "Soft Power," [+ 4e] -- NEW
90: Chalmers Johnson, "Blowback," [+ 4e]

1. What types of forces does the US need?
2. Why have a triad of nuclear forces?
3. Can the US remain dominant indefinitely?
4. can soft power produce better results than force?
5. Is it better to be feared than loved by other countries?

Brewster

2: Education: Everybody's Opportunity, Nobody's Responsibility 

1. What are the problems of US education system, and what reforms have been suggested or tried?
2. What is the federal role in US education, and should it be increased?

Brewster

Old 4: AIDS: Keeping the Lid On [discontinued]
Video documentary (if time permits) PBS, "Dr. Solomon's Dilemma"

1. Is the health care system more based on a private market or on public delivery?
2. Does the US system distribute health care resources efficiently?
3. Why are so many Americans left out of the health insurance system?
4. Should the US health care system be reformed, and how?

Brewster

1. Is the criminal justice system so irrational that it is failing to control crime?
2. Should the war on terrorism actually have extended to Iraq, and why? [Pro]
3. Should we allow some civil liberties to be infringed in order to search out terrorists? [Pro]

PBS video, "Settin' the Woods on Fire: George Wallace" [Documents Index].
Jeremy Lewis, "George Wallace", Ency. of Political Parties & Elections, 1991.

1. What are the central beliefs of Plunkitt about local politics?
2. Is there anything about Plunkitt's argument that fits your own state's politics today?
3. To what degree was George Wallace a southern version of Plunkitt -- and what are the contrasts between those men?

Reserve 

Reserve 

Alexis de Tocqueville, "Equality" (excerpt of Democracy in America). 
PBS Video, "Going to Great Lengths: AL Constitution of 1901".
Election '08 Results | Election '06 Maps | Analysis

1. How do the powers of state institutions vary from those of the federal government?
2. Does Alabama retain any characteristics now that Key found in 1949?
3. What kind of society did Tocqueville espy -- and is anything still the same?
4. What's wrong with the 1901 constitution and what reforms have been proposed?

1. What are the characteristics of Alabama's electoral districts and elected officials?
2. In what sense does Alabama lag behind other states, and why?
3. What are the powerful groups in Alabama politics?

Video, "Big Jim Folsom" -- if time permits.

1. What are the characteristics of Alabama governance?
2. How is the public administration of Alabama improving?
3. What's wrong with taxing and budgeting in Alabama?
4. In what ways do job discrimination continue to haunt Alabama?
5. Check out recent articles on Alabama politics at AL.com.
6. How did the AL voters realign in the 1990s toward the Republican party? 
7. How did AL's realignment in the 1990s reflect changes across the South?