Assignment:
A core component of a well-functioning democratic society is having leaders who will be bound by ethical decision-making.
Within your paper – keeping in mind and evaluating the ethical merits of the decision – you should address the arguments in support of and in opposition to the decision. What evidence is there that lends credence to each side of the argument? Finally, this decision will inevitably have political implications. What are those implications, and how do those realities enhance your understanding of how politics works? You must draw a conclusion and justify your position.
Paper Guidelines:
• Between 1,000-1,250 words in the body of the paper (does not include cover page or references)
• Minimum of 5 academic sources, included at the end of the paper in a works cited page
• Paper must conform to the APA style format (see Purdue OWL for formatting)
o No abstracts
o Section headings are optional
Same-Sex Marriage
o Evaluate and discuss the Supreme Court’s 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, in which the Court held that, based on the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, states cannot prohibit same-sex couples from getting married.
o Read the majority and dissenting opinions of the Court.
o What are some of the major impacts of this case on same-sex couples?
o The dissenters from the decision – including the Chief Justice, John Roberts – argued that it was inappropriate for the Court to circumvent the democratic process. Is this correct? Would it have been better for individual states to make the decision regarding same-sex marriage, or is the majority correct, that the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment protects all in the area of marriage?
o NOTE: One source MUST BE the Supreme Court’s opinion.
