Current Issues and Events Essay Prompts

Essay Prompts from Spring 2017

INVITATIONAL A

Seven states legalized marijuana in some form on Election Day while one proposal failed. “This is really day one of a decade-or-more-long process of bringing this industry into the light and getting rid of the illicit market,” Richard Miadich, one of the authors of California’s Proposition 64, told Business Insider. The landmark election brings a few victories for the budding legal market, which is on pace to hit $20 billion in revenue by 2020, according to the Marijuana Business Daily.
Discuss the issues surrounding the legalization of marijuana, including the proposals on ballots this past fall, in Texas and nationally.

INVITATIONAL B

Donald Trump won the election, beating out Democratic rival Hillary Clinton. He is the 45th president of the United States. But the election process itself was not without problems.
Discuss the problems surrounding the process in last fall’s presidential election.

DISTRICT

In remarks at CIA Headquarters during his first week in office with about 40 invited supporters in the audience, U.S. President Donald Trump said, “I have a running war with the media. They are among the most dishonest human beings on Earth.” NBC Broadcaster Chuck Todd said it may be the worst relationship between the president and the news media since Richard Nixon. This complicated relationship played out in the White House press corps, media coverage of the presidency and on social media. How?

REGION

“Protecting our borders from the illegal movement of weapons, drugs, contraband, and people, while promoting lawful entry and exit, is essential to homeland security, economic prosperity, and national sovereignty.” The mission of the Homeland Security Department of Customs and Border Protection seems clear. Yet over the last year, just how the borders of the United States should be secured and from whom has come into question. Elaborate.

STATE

This year, meeting as part of the Jan. 10 - May 29 biennial legislature, the Texas House is as Republican-dominated as the Texas Senate – both roughly two-thirds GOP majority – and Texas remains a conservative stronghold. In their 140 days, legislators will discuss legislation ranging from the trivial to the monumental. Most of the legislation will go unnoticed and will never make it out of committee. Some legislation, however, will gain national attention setting precedent for other states. Discuss some of the actions and pieces of legislation that have drawn national attention and where they have gotten their support.