Current Events Applied to Old Ideas

Question 1:
The Natural Rights Philosophy was developed by John Locke and states that all human beings have the unalienable rights to life, liberty and property. One example of these rights being protected today is the federal law that provides visas to illegal immigrants who have been abused if they help prosecute their abusers. Although this law was passed in 2000 it is still an issue today because rules about how to get the visa have just been created. This law protects the victim’s rights to life and liberty. This law allows the victims to get away from there abusers and be free from their attacks. It also allows them to start over and live a normal life. The only problem with this law is that “more than 13,000 people took the government's offer but so far only 65 — just 0.5 percent — have gotten their reward.” This is because some government officials don’t think that some crimes are serious enough or that the victim can not help prosecute their abusers.
Source: http://news.aol.com/article/few-crime-victims-helped-by-visa-law-okd/333234

Question 2:
Classical Republicanism is “the theory that holds that the best kind of society is one that promotes the common welfare instead of the interests of one class of citizens.” An example of this happening now is the fact that charities are not receiving less money even through the economic recession. A man named Tuohey, who donates ten percent of his income to charity every year says, "It just means you have to dig a little deeper." Some charities have said that their donations have actually increased in response to the recession. Though people are losing their jobs, they are still thinking about people other than themselves. This is an example of civic virtue that most people would never expect.
Sources: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29056129/ and We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution

Question 3:
A Federalist is an advocate of the ratifications of the U.S. constitution and a strong central government. Unlike Anti-Federalists, Obama believes that there should be more power in the central government than in individual states. Barak Obama wants the government to have more control to help the United States get out of this economic recession. President Obama wants to put a 36 percent cap on interest loans and also have an exception on the bankruptcy laws for medical expenses. He also wants to have more control in businesses by creating the FMLA or Family and Medical Leave Act. This is gives worker leave to take care of their elders and gives them 24 hours of leave to participate in their children’s academic activities. This involvement in banking and companies are examples of how President Barak Obama is a federalist.
Sources: We the People: The Citizen and the Constitution and http://www.barackobama.com/issues/economy/index.php#bankruptcy