HCC GOVT2305 Discussion 2 Latest 2020 December

GOVT2305 Federal Government

Discussion 2

READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS VERY CAREFULLY BEFORE PROCEEDING. DISCUSSION 2 IS PART QUIZ AND PART DISCUSSION.

You will not be able to see other students' posts until you have posted your responses to the following questions/prompts. Once you post, you will not be able to edit your posts. Your initial post will be graded along with any responses to the posts of other students.

DO NOT CUT AND PASTE FROM THE INTERNET, DO NOT USE QUOTES FROM OTHER SOURCES. NO CHARTS OR DIAGRAMS ARE TO BE USED. ANSWER IN COMPLETE SENTENCES.

Task 1. Here is a scenario for Task 1. "The City of Houston passes a city ordinance making the sacrifice of animals during a religious ritual a Class C misdemeanor." Do you think this is more closely related to the free exercise clause or the establishment clause? Briefly explain your answer...explain why you think it is more closely related to one clause than the other.

Task 2.  Here is a scenario for Task 2. "The University of Houston School of Law erects a statue  in the law school's main lobby. The statue portrays Moses carrying the two tablets of the Ten Commandments, as in the account in the Old Testament of the Bible." Do you think this is more closely related to the free exercise clause or the establishment clause? Briefly explain your answer...explain why you think it is more closely related to one clause than the other.

Task 3. Freedom of the Press. Here's a scenario for Task 3. "CNN reports a story in October of 2016, 30 days before the election, that Presidential Candidate No. 1 had been caught colluding with Russian agents to rig the upcoming November 2016 election in his favor Their only source was an "anonymous" source, and CNN refused to reveal the name.  In January of 2018, after trials and hearings, there is a judicial conclusion that there was no such collusion at all. The court further concludes that the "anonymous" source was actually someone who was paid by the opponent of Presidential Candidate No. 1 (somebody who was paid by the other campaign to "leak" the false information)."

Regarding CNN:

     a. After the court trial in January 2018, should CNN be held accountable for printing a story it claimed to be true but was in fact proved later to be false? Explain your answer.

     b. Does your answer change if in fact CNN knew that anonymous source worked for Presidential Candidate No. 1's opponent?

 Task 4. For you personally, who/what has been the biggest influence on you regarding your political values or inclinations? Identify the top three on your list.