The opening moves in the 2016 presidential race

There's little surprise that this has been popular. The only issue with this subject is how it is framed - what specific topic is drawn from it.

Too many students are proposing make an overview of the candidates and assess their competitiveness in some unspecified manner. While there are ways that this can be done well, I'm worried this might leads to rambling, disjointed commentaries. I don't want that. It would likely turn into the writer's personal feelings about this person and that person, which says nothing about their actual competitiveness.

The chore for this topic will be to find an interesting approach to the subject.

Some of the proposals so far have proposed the following:

- looking at where the money is coming from.
- comparing this stage of the election process with where we were in 2012.
- analyzing the dominant issues in the race so far.
- determining what criteria tends make the best candidates and whether that criteria also makes for the best presidents.
- comparing the strategies for winning the Republican nomination with that for winning the Democratic nomination.

Click on the label - 2016 election - to look through what I've posted so far. Scroll down to the e's and look through past stories on previous elections for more.

All about that executive order on illegal immigration

President Obama's executive order on immigration is also topical to 2305 students - as well as some 2306 students that are approaching it from the state's perspectives.

- In case you're interested, if you click on this label - illegal immigration - you'll go to past blog posts on the subject. This label - immigration - might be helpful too.

These are some of the questions raised in the proposals. Some papers will address more than one.

- Is it constitutional?
- What roles do each level of government play in immigration policy?
- Is it good policy?
- Beyond the order itself, is our immigration policy broken?
- What impact do illegal immigrants have on the budget?
- Do employers like illegal workers?
- Do they really destroy the economy? Might they benefit it in someway?
- Will it be reversed by the Republican Congress?
- Will it be reversed by the courts?
- What impact will the order have on Texas?

Is Congress dysfunctional?

A few 2305 students are investigating congressional dysfunction and trying to determine whether the 113th Congress was the most dysfunctional yet. Here are some sources.

- From Vox: What is Congressional Dysfunction?
- From Politico: The Least Productive Congress in History?
- CNN: Don't say "dysfunctional Congress."
- The Hill: Worst Congress ever?
- The Fiscal Times: How the 113th Do-Nothing Congress Lived Up to Its Name.
- Pew Research Center: Congress ends least-productive year in recent history.
- NYT: Senate Prepares to Wrap Up Sluggish 2013.
- CQ Roll Call: 2013 Legislative Summary. 

Remember that there is no reason to agree with the premise. A key issue here will be defining just exactly what the word "dysfunction" refers to. What is Congress supposed to do anyway?

Criminal justice in the 84th legislature

A number of 2306 students have opted to analyze the various proposals for modifying criminal penalties. These include proposals to look at the debate over specific bills, including the interest groups that are aligning themselves on different sides of the issues.

Marijuana and the death penalty are dominating attention, but there are also proposals in the leg to alter punishments for infractions at school (truancy for example) and other issues involving juvenile justice.

Many of the proposals are focusing on the argument that current punishments are not cost effective, a reasonable approach in my opinion.

These source might be helpful.

- Grits for Breakfast is a great general resource.
- Here's Grits for Breakfast's a look at the what 83rd session did regarding criminal justice.
- Texas Tribune: Texas Among States Facing "Raise the Age" Debate.
- Texas Tribune: Lawmaker Says Death Penalty in Jeopardy.
- Texas Tribune: Law and Order.

For activities in the legislature:
- Texas Legislature Online: Bills that came up in a search on "criminal justice."
- Legiscan: Bills that came up in a search on "criminal justice."
- Texas House of Representatives: Criminal Jurisprudence Committee.
- Texas Senate: Jurisprudence Committee.

Just in case you want to peruse through the existing Texas Penal Code - click here for it.