SLI 2009 Seminars*

Student participants will attend three of the six public policy seminars led by a member of my Washington, D.C. legislative staff. Students will have the opportunity to debate major public policy issues facing New Mexico and our country and formulate solutions to address these issues.

C r i m e

In recent years, juvenile justice issues have once again moved to the forefront of public debate, in part because of the widely reported incidents of violence in American schools. How should we as a society punish a young person once he or she commits a crime? How can we prevent young people from engaging in crime in the first place? In this seminar, you will play the role of a United States Senator, working with your fellow Senators to resolve the final controversial amendment to a comprehensive juvenile justice bill.

E c o n o m i c  D e v e l o p m e n t

The crests and dips in our economy over the past several years are reminders that we live in a dynamic world. How we anticipate and respond to these changes determines to a large extent whether we maintain our economic growth or slip into a recession. While these reactions occur globally, decisions must also be made on a state and local level that will determine whether our communities experience economic growth or decline.

In order for our communities to succeed, we must make hard decisions that might have a dramatic effect on what our state looks like in 20 years. You will be asked to determine the fate of San Cristobal, a community in need of changes.

E d u c a t i o n

A high school diploma is one of the most important keys to a successful life.  Yet, thousands of students drop out of school each day around the nation. During this seminar, you will be asked to identify what might lead you or your fellow students to leave school and to propose specific changes to lower dropout rates.  The problem is at the mythical Enchantment High School, where only 250 seniors graduated from a class that held more than 500 students four years ago.

E n v i r o n m e n t

Many communities continue to struggle with difficult choices about growth. One leading example is the tension between protecting the environment and creating new jobs.  While some people view these choices as mutually exclusive, you may find the decision is not so black and white.  During this seminar we will discuss a simulated community called Simmeon, New Mexico, that is weighing the various environmental and economic impacts of a proposed new hydroelectric dam.  You will participate in a mock Senate committee hearing where all sides of the issue will be debated. Your vote as Senator will help shape the future for the people of Simmeon.

H e a l t h

Infectious diseases have plagued mankind throughout history. For a brief period of time doctors and scientists thought that the defeat of infectious diseases was imminent due to the combination of public health measures (clean water and food, sanitation, immunizations) and antibiotics.  However, because of antibiotic resistance, the threat of emerging infections, and bioterrorism, the U.S. government is trying to decide on the best ways to protect the public should a new infectious disease emerge.  Avian Influenza has raised the specter of a global pandemic and it gives us an opportunity to think about the ways that the U.S. government might respond to this threat.  In this seminar you will work your way through some of the questions that your community would need to consider during a widespread outbreak of pandemic avian influenza.  You should try to imagine ways to protect your community, but still try to imagine how you would want to be treated if you or someone you care about was ill.

N a t i o n a l  S e c u r i t y

On March 20, 2003, the United States successfully launched an invasion of Iraq.  The three primary reasons used as justification for the conflict (disarming Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction, to break the regimes support of terrorism, and to end Saddam Hussein's abuse of human rights) remain hotly debated.  The measurements used to assess progress made in Iraq are not exact, making it difficult for the American people to accurately gauge success or failure there. On one hand, the country has held several elections, created a national constitution, and formed a new government. On the other, the United States has paid a steep price for these accomplishments. There have been nearly 3,000 American soldiers killed and more than 20,000 American soldiers injured. Also, it has been estimated that the cost of the conflict may reach nearly $2 trillion dollars.

While these tangible costs cannot be overlooked in any analysis of the war, it is important to look deeper and see what the American investment in Iraq means in other contexts. There are other potential costs and potential benefits for American success, just as there are for failure.  They include what our presence there means for our ability to take military action elsewhere in the world, how our actions in Iraq influence the way other nations view the United States, what an Iraqi democracy could mean for the region at large, and whether the conflict affects other American priorities abroad like the war on terror and helping to speed democracy.

*Though the main topics of the seminars will remain as shown on this document, the details of some of the seminars may slightly change.