• Each side gets approximately 1 minute for an introduction
  • The Founders were self-interested [Sources of information: "EH.net: Economic Interests and the...Constitution", Wikipedia: "Charles A. Beard"]
  • The Founders were true nation-builders [Sources of information: Google: "Robert E. Brown", Wikipedia: "Forrest McDonald"]
• KEEP IN MIND: Your positions are not absolute (i.e., self-interest and nation-building are not necessarily mutually exclusive).
• Debate 2 topics (of your choosing) for approximately 4-5 minutes each (for a total of 10 minutes or less), using this format for each topic:
• The associated Federalist Papers (see Signup) may or may not be included as part of your debate. If you include them, you should include...
  • The self-interest position.
  • The nation-building position.
  • discussion/debate [Google search]
• Each side gets approximately 1 minute to close.

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• Each side gets approximately 1 minute for an introduction
  • What is a Liberal? [Sources of information: "Modern Liberalism", "I'm proud to say I'm a liberal ", "US Liberal", "Turn Left"]
  • What is a Conservative? [Sources of information: "Conservatism Defined", "Townhall.com", "US Conservative", "The Conservative Caucus"]
• THE BASICS (from our lecture notes): Liberalism—equality & progress; Conservatism—liberty & status quo
• Debate 2 topics (of your choosing) for approximately 4-5 minutes each (for a total of 10 minutes or less), using this format for each topic:
• The associated Google News article (see Signup) may or may not be included as part of your debate. If you include them, you should include...
  • The Liberal position.
  • The Conservative position.
  • discussion/debate [Google search]
• Each side gets approximately 1 minute to close.

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• Each side gets approximately 1 minute for an introduction
  • Why does the media need freedom to report on government? [Sources of information: Electronic Frontier Foundation, Freedom Forum, MediaMatters]
  • Why does the government need to control the media? [Sources of information: "The Impact of Media on National Security...", Townhall: Media, Heritage: Media]
• KEEP IN MIND: Your positions are not absolute (i.e., media are neither always good nor always bad). The media should argue that, in general, some (though not necessarily absolute) protection of the media is beneficial. The government should argue that, in general, some (though not necessarily total) control over the media is beneficial.
• Debate 2 topics (of your choosing) for approximately 4-5 minutes each (for a total of 10 minutes or less), using this format for each topic:
• The associated Google News article (see Signup) may or may not be included as part of your debate. If you include them, you should include...
  • The media position.
  • The government position.
  • discussion/debate [Google search] [News War interviews]
• Each side gets approximately 1 minute to close.

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• Each side gets approximately 1 minute for an introduction
  • Interest Groups can be harmful [Sources of information: Center for Public Integrity's Lobby Watch]
  • Interest Groups can be helpful [Sources of information: Georgia Professional Lobbyists Association]
• KEEP IN MIND: Your positions are not absolute (i.e., saying that interest groups in general may be harmful does not mean that none of them have good intentions, and saying they are helpful in general does not mean that none are selfish or abusive).
• Debate 2 topics (of your choosing) for approximately 4-5 minutes each (for a total of 10 minutes or less), using this format for each topic:
• The associated Google News article (see Signup) may or may not be included as part of your debate. If you include them, you should include...
  • The pro-interest group position.
  • The anti-interest group position.
  • discussion/debate [Google search: Interest groups] [Google search: lobbying]
• Each side gets approximately 1 minute to close.

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• Each side gets approximately 1 minute for an introduction
  • Our elections work [Sources of information: USA.gov: Voting and elections, MSU-Denver: Why democracy needs peaceful power transfers..., OSCE-ODIHR: Elections, ]
  • Our elections don't work [Sources of information: Common Cause: voting, Common Cause: Election Reform, Brennan Center: Federal Election Reform]
• KEEP IN MIND: Your positions are not absolute (i.e., saying that elections work in general does not mean to deny that problems occur occasionally, and saying they don't work does not mean that there are no successes anywhere in the country).
• Debate 2 topics (of your choosing) for approximately 4-5 minutes each (for a total of 10 minutes or less), using this format for each topic:
• The associated Google News article (see Signup) may or may not be included as part of your debate. If you include them, you should include...
  • The "elections work" position.
  • The "elections don't work" position.
  • discussion/debate [Google search: elections, voting, and reform]
• Each side gets approximately 1 minute to close.

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• Each side gets approximately 1 minute for an introduction
  • Congress Represents the People [Sources of information: About Congress, Center on Congress: Impact of Congress]
  • Congress does not Represent the People [Sources of information: Scholastic.com: Time to Change Congress?, Center on Congress: Is Congress Truly Representative?]
• KEEP IN MIND: Your positions are not absolute (i.e., a representative Congress may have some problematic members, and a Congress that is not representative may still be able to accomplish things).
• Debate 2 topics (of your choosing) for approximately 4-5 minutes each (for a total of 10 minutes or less), using this format for each topic:
• The associated Google News article (see Signup) may or may not be included as part of your debate. If you include them, you should include...
  • The "representative" position.
  • The "unrepresentative" position.
  • discussion/debate [Yahoo! News: US Congress] [Center on Congress: Learn About Congress] [The Congressional Institute] [OU: The Carl Albert Center] [ACSC]
• Each side gets approximately 1 minute to close.

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• Each side gets approximately 1 minute for an introduction
  • President has become too powerful [Sources of information: Our Undemocratic Constitution (book), "Too Much Power for a President" (nytimes.com), "Mr. Cheney's Imperial Presidency" (nytimes.com), "Imperial Presidency" (WikiPedia), "Imperial Presidency 2.0" (nytimes.com)]
  • President is not powerful enough [Sources of information: The Post-Imperial Presidency (book), "Is Obama Weak or Is The Presidency?" (bloombergview.com), "The Green Lantern Theory of the Presidency, explained" (vox.com), "Life Under a Weakened Presidency" (CSPAN), "The Imperiled Presidency" (The Nation)]
• KEEP IN MIND: Your positions are not absolute (i.e., saying presidents are too powerful does not mean that legitimate and standard powers should be stripped from them, and saying presidents are not powerful enough does not mean they cannot accomplish anything).
• Debate 2 topics (of your choosing) for approximately 4-5 minutes each (for a total of 10 minutes or less), using this format for each topic:
• The associated Google News article (see Signup) may or may not be included as part of your debate. If you include them, you should include...
  • The "too powerful" position.
  • The "not powerful enough" position.
  • discussion/debate [Yahoo! News search: presidential power] [White House] [US Presidency Links] [Presidency Research Group] [Miller Center: American President] [The American Presidency Project]
• Each side gets approximately 1 minute to close.

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• Each side gets approximately 1 minute for an introduction
  • Bureaucracy is helpful [Sources of information: "In Praise of Red Tape" (The Nation), USA.gov, "The Case FOR Bureaucracy" (governmentisgood.com)]
  • Bureaucracy is harmful [Sources of information: WikiPedia: Red Tape, Senate Passess Bills to Reduce "Red Tape"... (NY State), Texas Scorecard: The Texas Red Tape Challenge]
• KEEP IN MIND: Your positions are not absolute (i.e., there may still be abuses and difficulties in a bureaucracy that is generally helpful, and the belief that bureaucracy is generally harmful does not necessarily mean it should be eliminated entirely).
• Debate 2 topics (of your choosing) for approximately 4-5 minutes each (for a total of 10 minutes or less), using this format for each topic:
• The associated Google News article (see Signup) may or may not be included as part of your debate. If you include them, you should include...
  • The "helpful" position.
  • The "harmful" position.
  • discussion/debate [Yahoo! News: U.S. Government] [Wikipedia: Bureaucracy] [Bureaucracy (book)]
• Each side gets approximately 1 minute to close.

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• Each side gets approximately 1 minute for an introduction
  • Judges should be activist [Sources of information: "Unleash the Judges" (Reason Online), "'Judicial Activism' To Be Thankful For" (washingtonpost.com)]
  • Judges should be restrained [Sources of information: Heritage.org: How to Spot Judicial Activism, Judicial Activism (Florida Family Policy Council)]
• KEEP IN MIND: Your positions are not absolute (i.e., ).
• Debate 2 topics (of your choosing) for approximately 4-5 minutes each (for a total of 10 minutes or less), using this format for each topic:
• The associated Google News article (see Signup) may or may not be included as part of your debate. If you include them, you should include...
  • The "activist" position.
  • The "restraint" position.
  • discussion/debate [Yahoo! News search: Judicial activism] [Wikipedia: Judicial Activism] [Wikipedia: Judicial Restraint] [FindLaw: Judicial Activism] [FindLaw: Judicial Restraint] [Judicial Activism: Bulwark of Freedom or Precarious Security? (book)]
• Each side gets approximately 1 minute to close.

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• Each side gets approximately 1 minute for an introduction
  • Pro-affirmative Action [Sources of information: American Association for Access, Equity, and Diversity, ACLU: Affirmative Action, Stanford Magazine: The Case For Affirmative Action]
  • Anti-affirmative Action [Sources of information: Heritage.org: Discriminating Toward Equality, Atlantic Monthly: Why Affirmative Action No Longer Works, Stanford Magazine: The Case Against Affirmative Action]
• KEEP IN MIND: Your positions are not absolute (i.e., ). .
• Debate 2 topics (of your choosing) for approximately 4-5 minutes each (for a total of 10 minutes or less), using this format for each topic:
• The associated Google News article (see Signup) may or may not be included as part of your debate. If you include them, you should include...
  • The pro-affirmative action position.
  • The anti-affirmative action position.
  • discussion/debate [Yahoo! News search: Affirmative Action] [Lawyers.com: Arguments For and Against Affirmative Action] [Debatepedia: Affirmative Action]
• Each side gets approximately 1 minute to close.

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• Each side gets approximately 1 minute for an introduction
  • Welfare is helpful [Sources of information: Just two sentences make Americans...pro-welfare..., Welfare That Works, Welfare Makes America More Entrepreneurial, Stop demonizing people wh need aid]
  • Welfare is harmful [Sources of information: Welfare is the new work, Welfare System is 'Anti-Work,'..., 12 Reasons to Oppose the Welfare State, Five Reasons to Reform Welfare...Again]
• KEEP IN MIND: Your positions are not absolute (i.e., ). .
• Debate 2 topics (of your choosing) for approximately 4-5 minutes each (for a total of 10 minutes or less), using this format for each topic:
• The associated Google News article (see Signup) may or may not be included as part of your debate. If you include them, you should include...
  • The "pro-welfare" position.
  • The "anti-welfare" position.
  • discussion/debate [Google search] [APECSEC.org: Welfare Pros and Cons] [FranticFoodie.com: 10 Most Important Welfare Pros and Cons] [OccupyTheory: List of Pros and Cons of Welfare] [NYT: Welfare] []
• Each side gets approximately 1 minute to close.

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• Each side gets approximately 1 minute for an introduction
  • Why should we be the world's police? [Sources of information: Why it Pays to be the World's Policeman - Literally, Obama to U.N.: Ok, America Will Be World's Police]
  • Why shouldn't we bet the world's police? [Sources of information: Should America Be the World's Policeman?, US Doesn't Want to be 'World Policeman' - Trump]
• KEEP IN MIND: Your positions are not absolute (i.e., saying we should not police the world does not mean we should never get involved). The Pro-side should argue that, in general, our intervention can make life better abroad. The Anti-side should argue that, in general, our intervention doesn't help.
• Debate 2 topics (of your choosing) for approximately 4-5 minutes each (for a total of 10 minutes or less), using this format for each topic:
• The associated Google News article (see Signup) may or may not be included as part of your debate. If you include them, you should include...
  • The pro-"police" Position.
  • The anti-"police" Position.
  • discussion/debate [Debate.org]
• Each side gets approximately 1 minute to close.

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