Please, choose one (1) question in Part I  about issues concerning modern socialism. Everyone answer the question in Part II.
PART I.

 A.) While Marxist theory has generally been unreflective of the reality of most Americans through much of its history- (economic mobility and property ownership open to most of population, deeply individualistic cultural mindset, etc.)- events in recent years have made it seem more credible as a way of describing the relationship between workers and management, especially as national economies have become more globalized.  Namely, the gap between the very rich and the very poor is expanding:  the real value of  wages for workers has dropped in the last 20 years and unionized jobs are decreasing while profits and examples of malfeasance  by corporations and their CEO's are increasing.  In addition, many high-paying manufacturing jobs in the United States are being eliminated as transnational corporations shift production to developing nations where labor costs are significantly cheaper and there is less government regulation on their operations.  What do you think? Do Marx's ideas have any current relevance to today's globalizing economy? If so, why so? If not, why not?

B.) One of the strongest campaigns in the US now, which is supported by modern socialists, is the "living wage" campaign. This campaign calls for all public employees (state, local, county, and national) to receive at least $11.00 an hour, as the minimum amount needed, working full-time, to make a living wage in today's economy.After public employees, modern socialists would like to further expand this pay scale to all private industries as well. Business interests argue that being forced to pay employees a higher wage than is determined by the market will make them uncompetitive, as they will carry higher overhead. They argue, instead, that if workers desire to make a higher income, that they upgrade their skills and market themselves to a job that pays a higher wage. In other words, let the market determine the wages of the workers and keep the government out of it. Modern socialists, argue, in turn, that workers at the bottom of the economy cannot improve their skills until they are economically stable enough to do so, which won't happen without a "living wage". What do you think? Who seems more right here?

C.) While communitarians and socialists both agree that the needs of the community come before the negative liberty of the individual, they define community in very different ways and their focuses are different. Communitarians would stress the role of volunteerism and trying to create a society in which the bonds between people are stronger as the best way to ensure that everyone understands their moral obligations to each other, eliminating for the most part,  the need for government at all. Socialists would argue that these obligations  to the most vulnerable will never be honored  without government mandates especially by the very rich whose life experience has nothing in common with the very poor. Therefore, it is necessary for governments to step in and play the role of "equalizer" and protect the poorest in society by redistributing revenues on the basis of human need in order to create a viable community for all.  For communitarians, big government erodes community; for socialists, it provides the foundation for community. Taking into account the trade-offs involved in each position, who seems most right on this issue, in your opinion? Why? Please feel free to illustrate your answer with an example.

PART II. (Everyone answer this question).

 Please select one (1) of the following subjects: welfare policy,  campaign finance reform,  worker's rights,  how to improve public education.  Please analyze this issue and probable causes and likely solutions  from a libertarian, socialist, communitarian, and welfare state liberal perspective.   (Be sure and develop fully the logic of each ideological approach and  discuss  the value priorities, and the role of government in each approach.).  Describe both the strengths and weaknesses of each approach to the problem you have chosen. Which approach do you consider to be the most useful in solving this particular issue? Why?