For Yhtomit ONLY

Political scientist Harold Lasswell defined politics as who gets what, when and how. Policy, both domestic and foreign, is made to balance a nation's political, economic and security interests with its political culture and values.

For the forum this week, students will read opposing views on three different public policy topics: Affirmative Action, national health care, and the use of "enhanced interrogation." Choose one topic to develop your response for this forum. Be sure to read all three so you can engage in the discussion with your classmates on all topics. Don't forget the lesson notes as supporting documents.

Once you have chosen your topic for the response post, evaluate the following question in relation to the American policy making process:

For Affirmative Action: How does Affirmative Action affect racial equality?

For national health care: How would national health insurance affect health care in America?

For "enhanced interrogation": Is it a valid form of defense against terrorists, or is it just torture that violates human rights and American principles?

SOURCES TO USE:

Ezra Klein, from "The Health of Nations," The American Prospect (May 2007) ATTACHED John C Goodman, from "Health Care in a Free Society: Rebutting the Myths of National Health Insurance," Policy Analysis, (Jan. 27, 2005) http://www.cato.org/publications/policy-analysis/health-care-free-society-rebutting-myths-national-health-insurance Charles Krauthammer, from "The Truth about Torture," The Weekly Standard, (December 2005) ATTACHED Andrew Sullivan, from "The Abolition of Torture," The New Republic (December 2005) ATTACHED Walter E. Williams, from "Affirmative Action Can't be Mended," in David Boaz, ed. Toward Liberty: The Idea that is Changing the World (Cato Institute, 2012) ATTACHED   From the eBook Taking Sides (2014) read the following articles:      "Does Affirmative Action Advance Racial Equality?" on pp. 109-117.      "Will the Affordable Care Act Successfully Transform the American Health Care System?"         on  pp. 145-155. "Politics and the Policymaking Process" http://www.pearsonhighered.com/assets/hip/us/hip_us_pearsonhighered/samplechapter/0205011616.pdf The following links will take you to a series of think tanks which publish regularly on domestic and foreign policy issues: The American Foreign Policy Council www.afpc.org/ The Brookings Institute www.brookings.edu/ The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace carnegieendowment.org The Cato Institute www.cato.org/ The Baker Institute for Public Policy bakerinstitute.org/ The Pew Research Center www.pewresearch.org/