Beyond Labels

A 360° Discussion of Foreign, National and Local Policy Issues

National

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The Media: Are we well served by it?

July 16, 2013
5 Comments

This subject was discussed on September 16, 2013.

  • Is the line between “news” and “opinion” blurring and becoming increasingly problematic?
  • Does the availability of right- and left-leaning “news” outlets exacerbate the partisan divide in the country?
  • Given the constitutional protection of “freedom of the press,” is there anything we can really do about any issues?  (Other than not buying the newspaper, reading the blog or watching the TV news?)
  • What is the audience for today’s news media…does it address only a small and skewed (by age, education, economic well-being) portion of the population?
  • Is the general population sophisticated enough to critically evaluate what they read, hear or see on the “news?”

Immigration Reform: What should it look like?

July 16, 2013
0 Comments

This topic is scheduled to be discussed August 12, 2013

  • What penalty, if any, is appropriate for current undocumented immigrants?
  • What should be the path to “green card”-type eligibility and citizenship?
  • At what point along this path should the “social safety net” and other benefits (education, social security, Medicare/Medicaid) be available to immigrants?
  • What quotas or other limits to immigration should be in place?
  • Who should accompany an eligible immigrant (how broadly should “family” be defined)?
  • What should be the criteria for citizenship of children born in the U.S. to non-citizen parents?
  • How important is enhanced border protection (particularly the southern border) to immigration reform?

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Related Materials:

As a registered Beyond Labels participant, consider the following resources:

Immigration Idea Offers Compromise (WSJ 08-04-2013)

 

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Health Care Reform

July 16, 2013
1 Comment

This topic was discussed on July 22, 2013
This session will focus on the dramatic changes in the U.S. health care system. Among the potential sub-topics are:

  • What should be the federal government’s role in health care?
  • What changes should there be in how health care organizations (doctors, hospitals, device manufacturers, etc.) are compensated? (Existing fee-for-service model vs. more “outcome-based” compensation?
  • Why does the U.S. lag other developed countries in certain “health” metrics (despite spending a greater proportion of GDP on healthcare)?

[groups_member group=”Physical”]RESOURCES
U.S. Life Expectancy on the Rise, but Progress Lags Global Peers’ (WashPost 7/10/2013)

 

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