Political,+Social,+Economic

Questions to ask when selecting a topic:

 * 1) How much information is available? Is it readily available or do I have to dig deep?
 * 2) Is the information credible? written by an expert? current?
 * 3) Is the information written on a level I can understand?

Is he **American middle class** gaining or losing ground? Does it matter?

How might companies and the government do to **increase diversity** in all areas and levels of the the American work place?
 * http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/10/12/silicon-valley-diversity-tech-hiring-computer-science-graduates-african-american-hispanic/14684211/
 * http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/06/diversity-jobs-professions-america/396632/
 * http://fortune.com/2015/06/25/women-friendly-tech-jobs/
 * http://fortune.com/2015/06/25/women-friendly-tech-jobs/

Is **food waste** a serious problem deserving serious attention?
 * http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/09/16/440825159/its-time-to-get-serious-about-reducing-food-waste-feds-say
 * http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2015-01-06/environmental_outlook_food_waste
 * http://www.npr.org/tags/141123294/food-waste
 * http://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/2014/03/11/turning-food-waste-into-fuel-takes-gumption-and-trillions-of-bacteria/

How might **immigrants and refugees be successfully integrated** into developed countries?
 * http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/18/business/international/migrants-refugees-jobs-germany.html?_r=0
 * http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/11/assimilation-nation/309518/

What **lessons have been learned from the Hurricane Katrina** storm and its aftermath during the last ten years?
 * http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/29/us/mississippis-recovery-after-hurricane-katrina-holds-lessons-for-policy-makers.html
 * http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/09/the-lessons-america-never-learned-from-hurricane-katrina/403750/
 * http://www.ffiec.gov/katrina_lessons.htm
 * http://www.pri.org/stories/2015-08-14/ten-years-later-lessons-hurricane-katrina-apply-all-us

Should students have to pass the **U.S. citizenship test**?

Do companies like CVS make a smart decision when they decide to modify or not to sell certain products because of **social or health issues**?
 * http://www.cvshealth.com/newsroom/message-larry-merlo
 * http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/09/us-mcdonalds-eggs-idUSKCN0R91SJ20150909
 * http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2015/05/22/was-cvs-cigarette-decision-the-right-one.aspx
 * http://time.com/4019987/cvs-tobacco-cigarette-ban/
 * http://www.coca-colacompany.com/sustainabilityreport/me/active-healthy-living.html
 * http://greatist.com/health/coca-cola-health-campaign-011413

Why do so many **unaccompanied children** want to enter the U.S., and what might be their future?
 * http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2014/06/analysis-whats-the-real-reason-behind-central-american-immigrant-wave-u-s-law/
 * http://www.npr.org/2014/07/09/329848538/whats-causing-the-latest-immigration-crisis-a-brief-explainer
 * thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2014-07-08/white-house-weighs-options-surge-unaccompanied-children-us-mexico-border

Should companies or schools be responsible for training their work force?
 * http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/on-the-job-training-OJT.html
 * http://news.walmart.com/news-archive/2015/02/26/walmart-and-the-walmart-foundation-announce-16-million-in-grants-to-seven-nonprofits-to-provide-training-education-and-career-pathways-for-us-retail-workers
 * http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2015/02/26/walmart-workforce-training-donation/24047309/

Should a "sharing economy" be promoted and/or regulated?
 * http://www.forbes.com/pictures/gfkg45j/airbnb-snapgoods-and-12-more-pioneers-of-the-share-economy/
 * http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2014-07-02/sharing-economy
 * http://www.cnbc.com/id/101822531
 * http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2014/07/13/how-grow-sharing-economy/O3gEPDImYYbO2BNujh93AK/story.html

Has drug use in North Carolina become a critical problem needing a solution?
 * http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/04/05/3757841_heroin-use-and-deaths-on-the-rise.html?rh=1
 * http://www.midtownraleighnews.com/2014/02/23/3640109_nc-health-officials-warn-of-powerful.html?rh=1
 * http://www.journalnow.com/news/local/high-point-heroin-overdoses-on-the-rise-again-with-reported/article_4da8399e-30bc-11e4-b881-001a4bcf6878.html

Should organ donors be paid in order to encourage needed organ donations?
 * http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/kidney-10-000-paying-donors-actually-pays-new-study-finds-f8C11459939
 * http://www.npr.org/2012/05/22/153293669/the-ethics-of-compensating-organ-donors
 * http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304149404579322560004817176
 * http://www.organdonor.gov/faqs.html

Will the planet be able to feed itself in 2050? (NC Live: CQ Researcher)

Is "upper mobility" or "moving up" still a real possibility in the U.S. today?
 * http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-08-19/only-rich-know-wage-gains-with-no-raises-for-u-s-workers.html
 * http://www.marketplace.org/topics/wealth-poverty/wage-growth-us-stuck-70s
 * http://www.businessinsider.com/harvard-upward-mobility-study-2014-1
 * http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2014-08-20/prospects-upward-mobility-america
 * http://www.brookings.edu/research/reports/2013/06/13-facts-higher-education

Can consumers realistically expect to protect their privacy online?

Should student athletes be paid? (NC LIve: CQ Researcher)

Same-sex adoptions should be allowed in all states.
 * http://abcnews.go.com/Health/sex-adoptions-frontier-lgbt-advocates/story?id=20780309

Should more states offer online voting ?

Should our state or the national minimum wage be significantly increased?
 * http://www.nbcnews.com/feature/in-plain-sight/whos-getting-raise-minimum-wage-hikes-gain-steam-states-cities-n190516
 * http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/01/04/economists-agree-raising-the-minimum-wage-reduces-poverty/
 * http://www.marketplace.org/topics/wealth-poverty/wage-growth-us-stuck-70s

Does North Carolina have enough affordable housing?
 * http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2014-08-28/challenge-finding-affordable-housing-us

Should the right to hunt be constitutionally guaranteed?

Same-sex marriages should be allowed in all states.
 * http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/28/us/same-sex-marriage-fast-facts/
 * http://harvardmagazine.com/2013/03/how-same-sex-marriage-came-to-be

Should e-cigarettes be regulated?

Is it possible to both protect and promote universal voting rights in the U.S.?
 * http://www.nytimes.com/pages/science/index.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage®ion=TopBar&module=HPMiniNav&contentCollection=Science&WT.nav=page

How can parents provide their children online security?

How young is too young for a digital presence?

Should new handguns be required to include personalized technology so that only the owner of the gun is able to fire it? (Handgun Trigger Safety Act)
 * http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2014/03/03/handgun-trigger-safety-act-edward-markey-carolyn-maloney--editorials-debates/5992393/

Will good jobs be an option when young adults are ready for them? > Has the national park system grown too big to maintain? > Should hybrid car drivers pay an extra fee to go towards highway maintenance costs?
 * http://library.cqpress.com.proxy067.nclive.org/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2014031400
 * http://library.cqpress.com.proxy067.nclive.org/cqresearcher/document.php?id=cqresrre2014011700
 * http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/cars/2013/04/28/hybrid-taxes-gas-tax-highway-funding/2110297/

Do unpaid internships benefit young people or take advantage of them?
 * http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/21/jobs/unpaid-interns-silent-no-more.html
 * http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/25/opinion/sunday/working-for-nothing.html

Should drivers be taxed on the miles they drive to pay for infrastructure improvements?

Should food truck businesses be permitted in NC cities?

Should the military change its deployment policies to reduce stress on military families?

Should flash stock market trading be regulated?

Should taxes be collected routinely from Internet sales?

Does the Transportation Security Administration need an overhaul to improve the safety of travelers?

Does the U.S. two-party system still work?

How does the tax/benefit situation in the U.S. compare to that of other countries?

Should young people support the Social Security program?

What can/should be done to reduce long-term unemployment?

Does the U.S. prison system need to be overhauled?

Should the Federal Government bail out private industries?

Should the U.S. adopt a single-payer health care plan to cover all Americans?

Could a jobs program like the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s work today?

Does Cobra meet the medical needs of the unemployed?

Should non-profits lose their tax-exempt status to help reduce the deficit?

Do bankruptcy laws encourage irresponsibility?

Does our 911 emergency response system need a major overhaul?

Are Americans safe traveling on all U.S. and foreign planes that fly within our borders?

Should our world population growth be slowed?

Are U.S. consumers adequately protected by existing government agencies and regulations?

Is a voter ID system needed to ensure honest, reliable elections in the U.S.?

DId the auto bailout work? Could it work in another industry?

Should the U.S. undertake a major renovation of its highway system?

Can the U.S. reduce its national budget while promoting a good quality of life for its citizens?

Should U.S. election campaigns use only public financing?

Should national and state parks charge visitors' fees?

Should Internet gambling be legalized?

Are sentences for crack-cocaine fair?

How can the U.S. maintain its borders in a legal, fair, efficient, and cost-effective way?

If another natural disaster hits the U.S., will FEMA help efficiently, effectively and in a timely manner?
 * http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129466751

Do U.S. mines need stronger regulation and enforcement?
 * http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2010/08/26/129459810/feds-vow-crackdown-on-mines-that-game-safety-checks
 * http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1150

Will New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) lower the risk of nuclear war or terrorism?

Do the poor and malnourished need more protection or help to weather the current economic crisis OR break the cycle of poverty?

Have we as a country learned anything by preparing for a potential H1N1 flu pandemic?

Should the U.S. be doing more to prepare for natural disasters like tornadoes?

Should discrimination on the basis of looks be made illegal?

Is our tax code dysfunctional?

What can be done to stem the growth of anti-government militias?

Should judges be elected?

Should CEOs and union chiefs have to claim responsibility for political ads they sponsor?

Should women’s roles in the military be expanded?

Should the U.S. government loosen its restrictions on trade and travel with Cuba?

Should paintball games be regulated?

Is neglected maintenance of infrastructure putting Americans in danger?

Is campaign finance reform needed in North Carolina?

Should more be done to protect the coal miners of Appalachia?

Should corporate tax rates be cut?

Should the U.S. levy a European-style value added tax?

Does the U.S. need a more restrictive policy on handguns?

Should recordings with controversial lyrics have warning labels?

Should the U.S. change its coinage?

2014-2015 Topics
Should more or something different be done to reduce poverty in the U.S. or in the world?
 * http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/29/opinion/sunday/why-cant-we-end-poverty-in-america.html?pagewanted=all
 * http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/
 * http://www.globalissues.org/issue/2/causes-of-poverty

Does outsourcing harm America?

Should prescription drugs, especially painkillers, be better monitored?

Should drones be used for domestic purposes?
 * http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/14/who-is-flying-drones-over-america/
 * http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/18/technology/drones-with-an-eye-on-the-public-cleared-to-fly.html?pagewanted=all
 * http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/28/science/earth/drones-and-ipad-apps-may-help-in-power-failures.html

Should national driving standards be adopted in the U.S.?

Should more be done to help soldiers returning home after combat duty?

Should our government be more accountable to its citizens for the money it spends?

What can we learn from the tragedy in Ferguson MO about race relations and justice?
 * http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB20001424052970203858004580110154127029786
 * http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/22/living/talking-to-kids-race-class-parents/
 * http://newsok.com/oklahoma-city-police-draw-lessons-from-events-in-ferguson-mo./article/5337242
 * http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21613261-there-no-excuse-rioting-smarter-policing-would-make-it-less-likely-lessons
 * http://www.poynter.org/how-tos/266233/5-lessons-the-st-louis-post-dispatch-learned-from-covering-ferguson/

What conditions brought about the rise of ISIS, and what might be done to inhibit the growth of similar groups in the future?
 * http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28116033
 * http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/iraq-war-on-terror/losing-iraq/inside-the-rise-of-isis/
 * http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2014/08/the-rise-of-isis/

2012-2013 Topics
Is creating more jobs in the U.S. really feasible? Has our economy changed? media type="custom" key="10348966"

Materialism in America

Access to Birth Records

Economic Impact of Agriculture on NC

Strengthening Repeat Offender Drunk Driving Laws

** 2011-2012 Topics **
Should marijuana be legalized for medical use?

** 2010-2011 Topics **
Does the number of wrongful convictions mean an overhaul of the criminal justice system is needed?

Should juvenile offenders ever be tried as adults?

Should convicted criminals be able to submit DNA tests to prove their innocence?

Should the U.S. be doing more to take care of its veterans?
 * http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129532008
 * http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129325820
 * http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128481103

Should laws be made to silence hate groups?
 * Southern Poverty Law Center: hate groups by state: http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/hate-map and CNN report: http://articles.cnn.com/2009-02-26/us/hate.groups.report_1_hate-southern-poverty-law-center-groups?_s=PM:US
 * RIck A. Ross Institute: http://www.rickross.com/groups/hategroups.html
 * NPR: (2008): http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=96227586; (2009): http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120715771; (2010): http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128647537; (2008) http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92033455
 * MSNBC: (2009): http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92033455

Should more be done to keep children with their parents and prevent abandonment?

Should more be done to improve the safety of cars and highways in the U.S.?

Should parent reconsider praising their children? Can praise be too much of a good thing?

Should more be done to eliminate wrongful convictions?
 * The Innocence Project: http://www.innocenceproject.org/
 * News & Observer (Raleigh NC) series on potential wrongful convictions because of faulty crime lab work: http://www.newsobserver.com/search_results/SBI%20lab
 * Northwestern Law School Center on Wrongful Convictions: http://www.law.northwestern.edu/wrongfulconvictions/issues/
 * Life After Exoneration Program: http://www.exonerated.org/content/

Should content restrictions hinder or protect freedom of speech?

Does the label "Made in America" always mean that it is really made in America?
 * http://www.marketplace.org/topics/tech/learningcurve/tablets-do-they-really-help-reading-education

Should national driving standards be adopted in the U.S.?  What can we learn from the tragedy in Ferguson MO about race relations and justice?
 * http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2010/06/09/127592336/later-school-start-times-could-be-safer-for-teen-drivers
 * http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120537839
 * http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6183544
 * http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB20001424052970203858004580110154127029786
 * http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/22/living/talking-to-kids-race-class-parents/
 * http://newsok.com/oklahoma-city-police-draw-lessons-from-events-in-ferguson-mo./article/5337242
 * http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21613261-there-no-excuse-rioting-smarter-policing-would-make-it-less-likely-lessons
 * http://www.poynter.org/how-tos/266233/5-lessons-the-st-louis-post-dispatch-learned-from-covering-ferguson/

What conditions brought about the rise of ISIS, and what might be done to inhibit the growth of similar groups in the future?
 * http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28116033
 * http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/iraq-war-on-terror/losing-iraq/inside-the-rise-of-isis/
 * http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2014/08/the-rise-of-isis/