Module 15: Recent Division and Changes

Describe characteristics of consumerism in the 2000s.

Many Americans wanted to have a wealthy life style and have nice things that they were in so much debt. Global economic growth and growth in community. Having community requires so much: smartphones, tablet, laptop, smartwatch, headphones, video games, internet, entertainment, social media, and more. Internet has become more about advertisements and making money.

Describe attitudes regarding the internet and how they changes in the 2000s.

In the beginning people thought that the internet was great because it was a way to spread information and build community, but later it was seen more as another way that citizens could be easily manipulated through propaganda.

What attitudes and ideas were prevalent regarding immigration?

Since the 1980s people were worried about there not being a white majority anymore because so many people were coming into the US. For instance Arizona tried to make English by law the office language of the state which after was seen as an unnecessary thing to create discrimination. They even tried to stop tenants from renting their property to immigrants without documentation of citizenship but that was deemed unconstitutional.

Discuss the Supreme Court’s decisions and reasoning regarding same-sex marriage and abortion.

Vermont was the first to allow relationships between the same sex, but they did not call it marriage, but they were allowed to have all the benefits of a married couple nevertheless, “civil unions” But the court decided that allowing same-sex couples to have a “civil union” and not marriage is unconstitutional so Massachusetts was the first state to allow gay marriage. But it got a lot of backlash

What supreme court cases dealt with fundamental rights?

Obergefell v. Hodges

• Dealt with same sex marriages

Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization

• dealt with abortions

Deciding what is a right and what is up for debate with these rights

What is Obergefell v. Hodges?

The majority said that same-sex marriage is a fundamental constitutional right protected by the Fourteenth Amendment.

• Marriage is a basic liberty tied to:

  • Personal autonomy

  • Love and relationships

  • Family and children

• Same-sex couples are not different in these ways, so denying them marriage is unconstitutional

• It violates:

  • Due Process Clause (liberty)

  • Equal Protection Clause (equality)

→ Main idea:
The Constitution protects the right of same-sex couples to marry just like opposite-sex couples.

The dissent argued that:

• The Constitution does NOT mention same-sex marriage

• The Supreme Court should not decide this issue

Instead:

→ State legislatures (elected officials) should decide

• Judges shouldn’t create new rights

• Decisions like this should come from voters and lawmakers

→ Main idea:
This is a political issue, not a constitutional one.

What is Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization?

The majority said:

• Abortion is NOT a constitutional right

• It is not found in:

  • The Constitution’s text

  • U.S. history

→ Therefore:
The issue should be decided by the people through state legislatures

• States can:

  • Allow abortion

  • Restrict it

  • Ban it

→ Main idea:
Return power to the states and elected representatives

The dissent argued that:

• Abortion IS a protected right under:

  • Liberty

  • Equality

• Women should have the right to choose

• Government should not control:

  • A woman’s body

  • Her life decisions

→ They believe:
The Constitution protects this right, not the states

→ Main idea:
Women—not the government—should decide, with constitutional protection.

What is the comparison between the two court cases?

• Obergefell majority → expands rights (Court protects rights)

• Dobbs majority → limits rights (states decide)

When did globalization develop as a broad global idea?

Globalization developed as a major global idea in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

• This happened after:

  • The Cold War was ending

  • Countries like the Soviet Union began opening up economically

• Western countries started spreading:

  • Free markets

  • Trade and investment across borders

→ It became a worldwide system connecting economies and people.

How was globalization tied to democracy?

Globalization was strongly connected to the belief that:

→ Free markets would lead to democracy

• Western leaders thought:

  • If countries adopted capitalism

  • They would also adopt liberal democracy

• The idea was:

  • Trade would create peace and cooperation

  • Countries wouldn’t fight if they depended on each other economically

→ Basically:
More trade = more democracy + less war

What is the current status quo of globalization?

Declining and becoming more divided

→ What’s happening now:

• Rising tensions between countries (ex: U.S. vs China, Russia war)

• Countries are forming separate blocs

• Trade is becoming less cooperative and more strategic

What was the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022?

US operations like McDonalds are withdrawing from their operations in Russia after their recent conflicts with Ukraine. They said that they don’t think that their corporate values align with the “unpredictable operating environment” that is in Russia. Also leading to MASSIVE unemployment.

How have Americans recently been divided about US security at home and abroad?

The war between Ukraine and Russia is put onto the US to decide whether they want to spend their effort making sure the border is safe and focusing on national problems or if they should spend their efforts on helping Ukraine.

Which of the following was a key reason behind the growth of globalization?

• An increased interest in international space exploration.

• An increase in global communications.

• An increase in concerns over climate change.

• An increase in new democratic countries.

• An increase in global communications.

Which of the following summarizes America's recent debate about security?

• Division over whether or not to increase funding for school security.

• Division over whether to increase or decrease immigration.

• Division over internal security vs protecting a broader global community.

• Division over whether or not increase the use of unmanned drones.

• Division over internal security vs protecting a broader global community.

Which of the following describes the status of globalization in the last few years?

• Globalization has created new conflicts around the world.

• It has continued to expand and grow.

• Globalization has decreased and countries have become less open.

• Globalization created new technologies, like unmanned drones.

• Globalization has decreased and countries have become less open.

Which of the following best describes the general attitude towards globalization in the early 1990s?

• People were worried that globalization would lead to job loss.

• People were cautious that globalization would help countries other than America.

• People were hopeful that globalization would lead to technological advances.

• People were hopefully that a more globalized economy would spread democracy and bring people together.

• People were hopefully that a more globalized economy would spread democracy and bring people together.

Which of the following best describes the division seen in both Obergefell v Hodges and Dobbs v Jacskon?

• A division over the definition of marriage.

• A division between guaranteed fundamental rights and democratic debate.

• A division centered around political ideology.

• A division over the issue of abortion.

• A division between guaranteed fundamental rights and democratic debate.

Which of the following was a politically divisive issues in the 2000s and 2010s?

• Discussions about how to respond to terrorism.

• Debates about gender equality.

• Debates over school bussing and race.

• Worries about how to handle immigrants and migration.

• Worries about how to handle immigrants and migration.

Which of the following best describes attitudes about the internet and politics in early 2010s?

• People were worried about the internet as a source of disinformation.

• The internet was seen as new and unconnected to politics.

• People worried that the internet would hurt democracy.

• People were hopeful that the internet would be open and breakdown barriers.

• People were hopeful that the internet would be open and breakdown barriers.