Respond to the issues raised in this unit. Begin with a thesis that highlights your argument by considering the following:
Do you believe that the U.S. government, as a democracy and based on its founding documents and their subsequent amendments, is working to ensure your personal freedoms? (In other words, do you see yourself included in the “We” of the “We the People” of the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution?)
-What specifically about the way the government works, as outlined in these founding documents, needs to change to ensure the freedom of all Americans?
-How will you, as an informed citizen, work to affect this change?
Narrow your topic, and then reflect on the following essential questions:
-What is the definition of a democracy? Does the United States have a democracy?
-Whose freedom was America originally founded for? Whose freedom does it currently serve?
-Is the U.S. Constitution a rigid document or a “living, breathing” document?
-Have founding documents like the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights outlived their utility?
-What’s the process for making amendments to founding documents such as the U.S. Constitution? Which articles and sections still need to be amended in order to ensure freedom for all?
