Discussion Questions

  1. What impact, if any, do you think the Tea Party, Occupy Wall Street, and other social movements have on changing political and social institutions?
  2. What impact do you think the Electoral College has on people’s participation in presidential elections? What is the difference between living in a “swing state” compared to a state that historically always votes for the Democratic or Republican candidate?
  3. How would you define the difference between war and terrorism? Do you think your perspective of what is defined as war and what is defined as terrorism might change depending upon what country you live in?
  4. Imagine you were a cobbler (shoe maker) during the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. How might the changes that are taking place in manufacturing affect your life and livelihood?
  5. Compare and contrast representative democracies versus direct democracies. What type do we have in the United States today? Is it possible to have a direct democracy in a country of over 320 million people? Why or why not?
  6. Discuss whether younger generations are involved with polities in the same manner as previous generations.