politics discussion board

1. What are civil liberties? 

a. Where, specifically, can our civil liberties be found? 

b. Give an example.

2. Where does the balance lie in our political system between individual freedoms and rights on the one hand and individual responsibilities toward community values on the other?

a. Think about Locke’s Classical Liberalism as depicted in the “natural rights” of the Declaration of Independence; the emphasis on popular democracy under the Articles of Confederation; the Bill of Rights secured by the Anti-Federalists during the ratification debate; and the degree to which individuals have, or do not have, the freedom to express their own version of political reality and what consequences they face when expressing outright lies. 

b. Give an example.

3. Do we have the right to abridge the civil liberties of an unpopular/minority/fringe individual or group? 

a. What if either the majority or the minority are ignorant, swayed by a demagogue, or acting in order to further some larger political goal?

b. Give an example.

4. Should we be concerned about the long-term health of democratic institutions? 

a. Do we have the kind of representatives Madison called for in Federalist #10 “whose wisdom may best discern the true interest of their country, and whose patriotism and love of justice will be least likely to sacrifice it to temporary or partial considerations” in order to guard against the dangers of Factions? 

b. Will the checks and balances outlined in Federalist #51 be strong enough to correct any contemporary threats to our democratic institutions?

c. I’m looking for your opinion here but the greater the degree you can back up your opinion with contemporary political examples, the better.

Tips for Success:

· I will be looking for direct references to assigned readings (author and page # citations are adequate). Again, this is an assignment in which I am looking for your ability to display your knowledge of course materials!
 - I recommend composing your content in an offline text editor and then copying and pasting in post.  That way you will have an offline copy of all of your hard work!