Political Science - Coursework Example

Role of Government in Social Issues College: Role of Government in Social Issues The U.S government is en d to limit freedom of speech when the freedom is infringing on the rights and reputations of other people, when national security is at stake, when it is a public order and when the freedom is against the set morals (Graham, Amos & Plumptre, 2003). The government can also limit the freedom of speech where the law dictates, when it has a legitimate aim of restricting and when it finds it is necessary to restrict.

This is done with the aim of not causing threat to anyone and to avoid any violation of state laws (Volokh, 2000). , the government’s role in social issues is to ensure that the state’s rationality is maintained. The Internet development has helped by offering a platform where the government can limit freedom of speech. Similarly, reading newspapers and watching news has enabled people to recognize some of the expressions that can or cannot air publicly.In the arguments presented before the Supreme Court for both DOMA and Prop 8, the basis of sexual discrimination was that DOMA which is an anti-gay law that followed marriage laws to the end.

DOMA unlike Prop 8 is against gay marriages and prohibits the state to allow gay marriages. This has resulted in the rise of discrimination on basis of sexual orientation whereby couples who are gay tend to be discriminated (Murray, 2009). However, through the passing of prop 8, gay marriages are legalised in some states in the United States bringing gay discrimination to a halt. Discrimination based on sexual orientation should not be prohibited. This is because the DOMA law is still in existence only that during the ruling it was overpowered by the voting judges.

The best way that the ruling could be conducted was through opinion poll whereby the public would have a say. This way, it would have been possible to clearly get the number supporting gay unions and those rejecting it.ReferencesGraham, J., Amos, B., & Plumptre, T. (2003). Principles for good governance in the 21st century. Policy brief, 15, 1-6.Murray, M. (2009). Marriage Rights and Parental Rights: Parents, the State, and Proposition 8. Stan. JCR & CL, 5, 357. Volokh, E. (2000). Freedom of speech and information privacy: The troubling implications of a right to stop people from speaking about you.

Stanford Law Review, 1049-1124.