HEARING QUESTIONS
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT LEVEL
Unit Six: What Challenges Might Face American Constitutional Democracy in the
Twenty-First Century?
1. Why does the United States’ commitment to the rule of law appeal to other peoples?
• How would you explain the meaning of the rule of law?
• How do America’s founding documents express the nation’s commitment to the
rule of law?
2. What do you think are the greatest challenges of American citizenship today?
• Why and how does constitutional democracy in the United States depend on the active
participation of its citizens?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages, if any, of being a citizen of both the
United States and the state in which you reside?
3. What do you think are the best ways to achieve constitutional change?
• Thomas Jefferson argued that the Constitution should be revised every generation.
The Founders provided instead for an amendment process to take place only if and when
revisions may be deemed necessary. Which method do you think is better? Why?
• In what ways, if any, have constitutional amendments helped the United States become
“a more perfect union”? Explain.
HEARING QUESTIONS
CONGRESSIONAL STATE LEVEL
STATE HEARING QUESTION
1. “Judicial Review relies on a ‘fire-alarm’ model using the complaints of damaged parties to trigger
scrutiny of government policy.” How would you describe the "fire-alarm" model of challenging government policies? What are its advantages and disadvantages
• Why and how did African-Americans and other groups use the "fire-alarm" to call attention to their grievances?
• In addition to court challenges, in what other ways have “damaged parties” tried to change government policies?
With what success?
2. “Four decades of high volume immigration from virtually every country, rising intermarriage and persisting fertility differentials have transformed the United States into the most demographically complex society in the world.” On balance, does increasing the diversity enrich the nation's economy and culture or are there limits to how much diversity the country can absorb?
• Why has immigration reform become what some scholars call a “political minefield”?
• Evaluate the argument that because the federal government has failed to regulate immigration, that
power should be given to the states.
3. “American rights and American freedom were not a gift of the country's "founding fathers." They are and have always been a work in progress.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why? What evidence can you offer to support your response?
• What has been the role of Congress and state legislatures in the establishment and expansion individual rights?
• What do you think are the major challenges to the rights of Americans today and what should be done to
address those challenges?
1. “Judicial Review relies on a ‘fire-alarm’ model using the complaints of damaged parties to trigger
scrutiny of government policy.” How would you describe the "fire-alarm" model of challenging government policies? What are its advantages and disadvantages
• Why and how did African-Americans and other groups use the "fire-alarm" to call attention to their grievances?
• In addition to court challenges, in what other ways have “damaged parties” tried to change government policies?
With what success?
2. “Four decades of high volume immigration from virtually every country, rising intermarriage and persisting fertility differentials have transformed the United States into the most demographically complex society in the world.” On balance, does increasing the diversity enrich the nation's economy and culture or are there limits to how much diversity the country can absorb?
• Why has immigration reform become what some scholars call a “political minefield”?
• Evaluate the argument that because the federal government has failed to regulate immigration, that
power should be given to the states.
3. “American rights and American freedom were not a gift of the country's "founding fathers." They are and have always been a work in progress.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why? What evidence can you offer to support your response?
• What has been the role of Congress and state legislatures in the establishment and expansion individual rights?
• What do you think are the major challenges to the rights of Americans today and what should be done to
address those challenges?