Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

2011 Mandate: Should Our President Be Able To Start A War?

CACTUS--Citizens' Assembly for Critical Thinking About the United States

The 2011 Citizens’ Assembly for Critical Thinking about the United States (CACTUS) must study the role of Presidents and Congress in involving the United States in wars and in the overall conduct of wars including the “war on terror,” and consider specific changes that may be needed in the Constitutional provisions governing the war powers of the President and of Congress. Specifically, the Assembly must consider whether changes are needed in the portion of Article I of the Constitution that empowers Congress to declare war, the portion of Article II that assigns the President the role of Commander-in-Chief, the War …

Campus-Wide Electronic Survey Referendum: Announcement And Results

CACTUS--Citizens' Assembly for Critical Thinking About the United States

Campus-wide Electronic Survey Referendum: Announcement and Results

Proposed Constitutional Amendment On War Powers

CACTUS--Citizens' Assembly for Critical Thinking About the United States

The power to declare war or to authorize warfare by the United States, and to regulate the use of funds for military action, shall be vested in the Congress.

Assembly's Final Report

CACTUS--Citizens' Assembly for Critical Thinking About the United States

Each CACTUS brings new excitement along with new challenges. CACTUS 2010 was exciting because it was larger than in past years, more freshmen enrolled than in previous years, and our topic “What should we do about the death penalty? Keep it? Change it? Abolish it?” was by far the most profound, with implications touching on topics such as social justice, safety, equality, religious and ethical arguments, the Bill of Rights, and federalism, to name just a few.

2010 Referendum Question

CACTUS--Citizens' Assembly for Critical Thinking About the United States

The student members of the 2010 Citizens’ Assembly for Critical Thinking about the United States (CACTUS) have studied and deliberated about the death penalty all semester, considering whether to recommend keeping, changing, or abolishing the death penalty in the United States. Having reached agreement on a recommendation for action, the Assembly hereby invites all members of the University community to vote on whether to implement the following recommendation:

2010 Mandate: What Should We Do About The Death Penalty?

CACTUS--Citizens' Assembly for Critical Thinking About the United States

The 2010 Citizens’ Assembly for Critical Thinking about the United States (CACTUS) must study arguments and proposals for keeping, changing or eliminating the death penalty, identify and analyze the perceived issues and problems leading to the proposals, including arguments in support of the death penalty as now it now exists in the United States. The Assembly must then decide whether the death penalty should be kept as it currently exists or that a change is warranted, and if so at what level or levels of government or through what type of Constitutional amendment the changes should be implemented; and if …

2009: Mandate

CACTUS--Citizens' Assembly for Critical Thinking About the United States

The 2009 Citizens' Assembly for Critical Thinking about the United States (CACTUS) must study proposals for changing the current legal drinking age, identify and analyze the perceived problems leading to these proposals as well as arguments in support of the current legal drinking age, and decide if a change is warranted, at what level of government it should be implemented, and whether other provisions should be mandated as a part of the change.

2009: Public Submissions

CACTUS--Citizens' Assembly for Critical Thinking About the United States

Is it time to change the DRINKING AGE in the United States?

2009: Final Report "Is It Time To Change The Drinking Age In The United States?"

CACTUS--Citizens' Assembly for Critical Thinking About the United States

The 2009 Citizens' Assembly for Critical Thinking about the United States must study proposals for changing the current legal drinking age, identify and analyze the perceived problems leading to these proposals as well as arguments in support of the current legal drinking age, and decide if a change is warranted, at what level of government should it be implemented, and whether other provisions should be mandated as part of the change.

2008 Mandate: Is It Time To Change The Way We Elect The President?

CACTUS--Citizens' Assembly for Critical Thinking About the United States

The 2008 Citizen's Assembly for Critical Thinking about the United States (CACTUS) must study models and proposals for electing the President of the United States and the Vice-President, and recommend whether the process, including the current "electoral college" method of electing these officials as described in the U.S. Constitution, Article II and Amendment XII, should be retained or another method should be adopted.

2008: Assembly's Recommendation

CACTUS--Citizens' Assembly for Critical Thinking About the United States

The members of EKU's first CACTUS (Citizen's Assembly for Critical Thinking about the United States, POL 301) have carefully deliberated about the issue for electing the President and concluded that our current Electoral College is not the best electoral system for the United States.

2008: Public Response Submissions

CACTUS--Citizens' Assembly for Critical Thinking About the United States

Is it time to change the way we elect the President?

Does the electoral college work?

Is it democratic?

Should there be a direct popular vote for the president?

Are "faithless electors" an accident waiting to happen?