Debate: Should 'Birthright Citizenship' Be Abolished?
Several G.O.P. candidates are calling for an end to the constitutional rule that a child born in the U.S. is a U.S. citizen. Is this a good idea?

Claim: Abolish Birthright Citizenship
Reason: Citizenship should be earned by people through their investment in the culture and economy.
Warrant 0: a child born in the US has the ability to provide much more to the country than it cost to raise them
Warrant 1: a child born in the US doesn not have the ability to provide much more to the country than it cost to raise them
Correct warrant: 1

Claim: Abolish Birthright Citizenship
Reason: People are abusing the system to create American citizenship for their families.
Warrant 0: the rights of many should not be taken away because of the actions of a few
Warrant 1: the rights of many should be taken away because of the actions of a few
Correct warrant: 1

Claim: Abolish Birthright Citizenship
Reason: The Birthright Citizenship law was intended for free slaves, but is not applicable to today's issues.
Warrant 0: we have many more important holdovers from earlier times that aren't applicable to today's issues but cause a lot fewer problems
Warrant 1: we have many more important holdovers from earlier times that aren't applicable to today's issues but cause a lot more problems
Correct warrant: 0

Claim: Abolish Birthright Citizenship
Reason: The 14th amendment was rushed into the constitution.
Warrant 0: it was ratified quickly, showing there was a lot of support for it
Warrant 1: it was ratified quickly, showing there was little support for it
Correct warrant: 1

Claim: Keep Birthright Citizenship
Reason: Every person in the United States is descended from an anchor baby.
Warrant 0: the practice of anchor babies has gone on long enough
Warrant 1: the practice of anchor babies hasn't gone on long enough to make a positive difference
Correct warrant: 1

Claim: Abolish Birthright Citizenship
Reason: The Birthright Citizenship law was intended for free slaves, but is not applicable to today's issues.
Warrant 0: illegal immigrants are like plantation slaves
Warrant 1: illegal immigrants are paid and not like plantation slaves
Correct warrant: 1

Claim: Abolish Birthright Citizenship
Reason: Birthright citizenship is too easy to take advantage of.
Warrant 0: my family members are planning to come here illegally
Warrant 1: my family members are planning to come here legally
Correct warrant: 1

Claim: Keep Birthright Citizenship
Reason: The 14th amendment is good for the country in that it keeps citizenship rights stable across the states and ensures equal treatment.
Warrant 0: the citizenship will be the same over the states
Warrant 1: every state has different laws and rules
Correct warrant: 0

Claim: Keep Birthright Citizenship
Reason: Every person in the United States is descended from an anchor baby.
Warrant 0: times haven't changed since the country's founding
Warrant 1: times have changed since the country's founding, citizenship now must be earned
Correct warrant: 0