The Exchange - A Marketplace of Student Ideas

Should same-sex couples have the right to marry?

January 21, 2010

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For more than a decade the question of whether same-sex couples should have the right to marry has divided Americans, setting off a sharp debate about the purpose of marriage and the claims of equality. Supporters of same-sex marriage say that gay and lesbian couples should be treated the same as heterosexual couples as a matter of fairness. Those who oppose same-sex unions say that giving gay couples the right to marry will weaken an institution that is essential to a stable society.

Should the government make sure that every American has affordable health insurance?

November 6, 2009

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Even before the current economic crisis began, Americans were already straining under the burden of shrinking health care coverage and rising health care costs. Over the last decade, millions of Americans have joined the ranks of the uninsured, and millions more have become underinsured. At the same time, health insurance premiums and out-of-pocket costs have risen steadily, and the number of families who are facing unmanageable health care costs has grown.

Should the United States reduce immigration?

September 25, 2009

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Research Document Set (PDF)

From the time of the nation’s founding, immigration has been crucial to the growth as well as a periodic source of conflict within the United States. The debate over immigration has polarized the nation, sparking rallies and marches, prompting congressional hearings and generating bills in Congress for immigration reform. Most Americans believe that something should be done to regulate the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants and an estimated 500,000 H-1B visa holders currently living and working in the U.S.

Should a clean and healthy environment be a constitutional right?

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This research and deliberation activity is designed to encourage students to look at the issue of climate change and environmental regulation from a constitutional perspective and then to find political and economic measures to address environmental regulation.

Is the Constitution Color-Blind?

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This research and deliberation activity is designed to encourage students to look at the issue of affirmative action from a variety of perspectives and then to find political, social and economic measures to address the issues of fairness and inequality.