Student Governmental Affairs Program Announces Results From National Student Poll
Dallas, TX (PRWEB) November 17, 2014 -- Student Governmental Affairs Program (SGAP), which distributes a monthly, nonpartisan newsletter called the Student Forum to government classrooms in all 50 states to update students on current events in Congress, today announces the result of its latest student poll. Each month, SGAP’s Student Forum provides a bipartisan background on two issues in front of Congress and then polls the students to see how they would like to see Congress react. Earlier this school year, SGAP asked students for their thoughts on the unaccompanied minors arriving at the border and on raising the gasoline tax.
“The purpose of The Student Forum is to provide government teachers a nonpartisan supplement to their text books so that they can bring lessons to life with current events,” said Randy Ford, president and co-founder of SGAP. “Not only does it further immerse students in the discussion on current issues in Congress, it also provides them opportunity to get involved in their government and learn to voice their opinions. It is our hope that SGAP students remain informed and grow up to be active citizens and participants in our government.”
Should most Central American children be deported within 72 hours of their arrival in the U.S.?
Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) introduced legislation that would treat unaccompanied immigrant children from Central America the same as minors from Mexico. The bill calls for unaccompanied children, who may be eligible to make a legal claim to stay in the U.S., to make their case for asylum court within seven days of being screened. If the judge decides the child’s claim is legal, the child will be allowed to stay in the U.S. with a sponsor while the case is heard by the courts. Otherwise, the child will be returned home.
SGAP asked students: Should Congress pass a law to deport most illegal Central American migrant children?
● 73 percent responded: “Yes, I believe we should pass it because it is illegal. We can barely take care of the people we have.“
● 21 percent said: “No, they can’t help it that their parents sent them off for a better life.”
● 6 percent of students were undecided
Should Congress raise the gasoline tax?
The U.S. is at a critical juncture in how it pays for roads, bridges and transit, because the federal tax on gasoline has lost one-third of its buying power since it was last raised in 1993. States add their own tax on top of that, but the federal tax accounts for 45 to 50 percent of capital spending for transportation. Some believe raising the gasoline tax is the answer, while others believe in finding a different solution.
The Student Form polled students, asking: Should Congress pass a law to raise the gasoline tax?
● 7 percent answered “Yes, our roads need to be fixed.”
● 84 percent answered “No, gasoline prices are high enough already!”
● 9 percent were undecided
In October the students were asked about net neutrality and the Environmental Protection Agency. Current issues of the Student Forum can be viewed at http://sgap.org/student-forum-newsletter/. Students enrolled in the SGAP program can also participate in real-time discussions via the SGAP app, available now for download in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
About Student Governmental Affairs Program
SGAP, the nonprofit arm of National Write Your Congressman, provides high school government teachers a free, nonpartisan, factual, current events supplement for engaging students in the classroom on the application of bills in Congress. The materials, including a monthly newsletter, online presence and interactive app are designed to empower students to voice their opinions on current issues and become interested in what is happening in the world today. SGAP is currently used in schools in all 50 states reaching more than 200,000 students annually, with an estimated 3.1 million engaged since inception. For more information, visit us at http://www.sgap.org, like us on Facebook.com/sgapvoice or follow us on Twitter @SGAPvoice.
Amanda McLachlan, Minerva Consulting, 972-238-7798, [email protected]
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