Voting in America is at an all-time low, and it's not looking any brighter in the near future. This is due to the lack of education, lack of interest in politics, and the lack of exposure to politics. Instead of watching a convention or a Q & A session with candidates, Americans are tuning into Modern Family and Biggest Loser instead. Teens today are the future of American and they need to be exposed and educated in politics. Even though it's going to start arguments among friends, and rivalries in History class, it's needed to have a successful nation.
In the United States, people who vote are old. Young people have much more fun things to be doing than driving to a building, filling out tons of paperwork to register to vote, and then filling out a paper to vote for president or even city measures. This is the future. And it's not looking so good. Schools need to educate their students on politics, along with their families. Besides media, school plays a huge role in educating young people about politics in America. Teenagers should be informed about current issues in their country and all around the world. If not, then America is going to drown in uneducated and uninterested teens.
Media is a huge linkage institution and is easily leading the rest of them in the power to educate Americans about politics. In relation to citizens, it is everywhere. Almost every single household in the U.S. has a T.V., computer, and/or radio with AM, and by simply flipping to FOX or Nightly News, or googling "u.s. president" anyone can quickly become up to date with politics in the United States of America and beyond. National, state, and a local elections and bill/measure campaigns are all shown on T.V., and it is simple to learn about what's going on with the simple click of a button.
Americans are in desperate need of education of American politics. Without educating our youth, American has really no potential in bring the number of voters and the knowledge of voters up. It's inevitable that without political participation, America will suffer, and even though we have on of the lowest voter turnouts of any country in the world, our democratic system could fail, and we could be in deep trouble.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Interest Groups
Interest groups choose from a variety of tactics to achieve their goals. Some of which are litigation, campaign contributions, and grassroots lobbying/mass mobilization. The number of interest groups in America has increased quickly within the last years; especially from 1959 to 2001 when the number of groups went up by 16,000. Trade groups use to dominate, but now there are so many groups that most of them are similar in how big/popular they are.
Litigation is used when an interest group is unable to get a piece of legislation passed in Congress, and enter into a court. Suits against federal agencies by the public scare interest groups, and they know that to avoid these, they have to give their all and even if that means going to court to try to pass a law, they will do it. It has become such a regular thing they do that going to court is their main objective in order to avoid lawsuits from citizens.
Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy you a voice in the American political system. Campaign contributions are vital to a groups success. Whether knowingly or not, money will ensure success when trying to achieve a goal/going to court. Millions of dollars are spent each year by interest groups, but only wealthy people are heard in the system because money gives them a voice.
Lobbying used to be the name of a person who waited in a lobby outside a building where Congress was meeting in hopes of talking to a member on their way out. Nowadays they are political persuaders who represent political groups. They are very important because they have lots of knowledge about politics, but are seen as ordinary people to some. They are able to "sneak" around and gather information about everything, and can even from allies.
For some groups such as the NAACP, litigation is in their best interest to achieve a goal. Looking back to the victory with Brown vs. Board in 1954 desegregating schools, they have gone to Congress numerous times and have won. Ratifying constitutional amendments, creating new laws, and arguing rights with Congress have made them successful in being able to have a voice in the political system.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Senator Wyden
In March of 2013, he was part of a filibuster, in which he joined forces with Republican Senator Rand Paul to block the election of John. O. Brennan as the director of the CIA, questioning the use of drones. He stated to President Obama, "Mr. President, what it comes down to is every American has the right to know when their government believes that it is allowed to kill them." On December 16, 2010, Wyden was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and after a sugary on December 20th, he was back in Congress the following month. He has five kids with his ex-wife and current wife, who now live in Portland, Oregon.
Committees:
- Committee on the Budget
- Committee on Finance
- Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure
- Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight
- Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness (Chairman)
- Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (Chairman)
- As Chairman, Senator Wyden is an ex-officio member on all subcommittees.
- Select Committee on Intelligence
- Special Committee on Aging
- Joint Committee On Taxation
Background/Discussion on 1-2 issues
(2-3 paragraphs) It would be great to research some of the bills he's sponsored, or his position on the issues. You can find these pretty easily on his website, under priorities.
Sex Trafficking: Ron Wyden led a campaign to put domestic sex-trrafficking of children on the national agenda with Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy. The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) was passed as an amendment to the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act in 2013. The VAWA provided 4 block grants worth $1.5 to $2 million to ares of the country with the most sex trafficking taking place. He is currently working on a fund to help victims become survivors of sex-trafficking and to address it in the child welfare system.
Veterans: In 2008, Senator Wyden questioned 2 Pentagon officials and in his follow up with the secretary of defense, 39,000 cases of unprocessed concurrent retirement and disability claims were diacovered and Asa. Result, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service quadrupled the number of staff processing claims in order to reimburse every veteran and accommodate for the tens of thousands of claims they receive.
Questions for the Senator?
A. In regards to foreign countries paying for college for students, is the u.s., more specifically Oregon, looking into funding college through taxes or reducing the price for people?
B. What are your thoughts on marijuana legalization in oregon, and what do you think of Colorado's decisions?
C. Looking back to 2008, did that incident change your view of the government? And do you wonder if there are more things the government is covering up either on purpose of accident?
Thursday, November 14, 2013
The Phillippines
One month after a deadly typhoon hit the Philippines and killed almost 6,000 people, the death toll continues to rise each day. Yet even with all the donations and celebrities going to visit and help out, and the online charities, the people still need help. They are in desperate need of food, clothing,and water. And unfortunately, only 10% of online donations to charities such as Red Cross, actually make it to the country in need. A recent campaign for the Alzheimer's Association by a telemarketing company received $16,101 in donations from Hawaii, but the charity was only given $19.71, according to the latest state Attorney General's charitable solicitation financial report. The best way to help the Philippines would be to directly ship "care packages" or simply tangible items instead of money. If people in America opened their closet and pulled out all the clothes they don't wear or don't fit anymore and put them in a box with some bottles of water and non-perishable food items, wrote an address on the box and shipped it, they would be saving more lives than the person donating $100 to the Red Cross' Philippines relief fund.
Yet if money is the only option for someone to help,they should directly hand it to a charity or organization who then has to send it to the country in need. But think about what happens when you donate money. Even if it reaches the country, what are they going to do with it? A majority of their towns have been destroyed, which means they don't just have a Super Walmart open for business, so in all honesty, sending money there would be a waste- for you and them.
Yet if money is the only option for someone to help,they should directly hand it to a charity or organization who then has to send it to the country in need. But think about what happens when you donate money. Even if it reaches the country, what are they going to do with it? A majority of their towns have been destroyed, which means they don't just have a Super Walmart open for business, so in all honesty, sending money there would be a waste- for you and them.
Friday, November 8, 2013
Watergate: Charles Colson
Charles Colson was born on October 16, 1931 in Boston,
Massachusetts. As a kid, he would organize fundraising campaigns at
school for the war effort and even raised enough money to buy a jeep for the
Army. After working at a self-developed law firm, he became a Captain in
the Marines and once out in
1955, he was appointed as Special Counsel to President Nixon in 1969. Nixon called him his “hatchetman” as he would
make things happen. In an interview with Slate magazine writer David Plotz, Colson said he was “willing to be ruthless to get
things done” and he would “run over his own grandmother to re-elect Nixon.” Soon enough, he became even more radical
about his determination to keep Nixon in power that he hired thugs to beat up
anti-war demonstrators and proposed firebombing the Brookings Institution in
order to steal documents while the fire was being put out in another part of
the building.
Eventually, he and John Ehrlichman appointed E. Howard Hunt to special ops. aimed towards stopping leaks in the Nixon administration. So in order to stop war information from being leaked, they planned for Hunt to steal the Pentagon Papers which expresses the U.S.’s involvement in the Vietnam War. This was just the start of what would be known as Watergate, the biggest political scandal ever. After the scandal was uncovered, Colson admitted to leaking information from Ellsberg’s FBI file but denied all allegations that he was the one who told Hunt to leak the information. Later in a book he wrote in 2005, he “expressed regret” for trying to cover up his involvement in Watergate.
On March 10, 1973, 17 months before Nixon’s resignation, Colson resigned from special Counsel and returned to his law practice. Yet even though he was out of the White House, Nixon used him as a special consultant for many months. On March 1, 1974, he pleaded guilty and was convicted for “conspiring to cover-up the Watergate burglaries.” On July 9, 1974 Colson, along with six others known as the “Watergate Seven” were sentenced to jail in Alabama. He was the first person from the Nixon administration to be jailed for Watergate charges, and was the second to last to be released on January 30, 1975. Years after, a tape recording of a June 20, 1972 White House conversation between Nixon and Colson revealed that they were involved in Watergate.
In 1973,
Charles Colson was inspired by the words and writings of C.S. Lewis and became
a Christian. He wrote over 30 books and
became a public speaker. He also founded
“Prison Fellowship” in 1976 where he spread the Word to prisoners and their
families. He only recently died in 2012,
and worked with George W. Bush about war efforts. His mid-life turnaround was drastic and he was
soon being praised for his good works with Prison Fellowship and his books
rather than being scolded for Watergate.
General Watergate: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watergate_scandal
Charles Colson:
"Charles Colson." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 2 Nov. 2013. Web. 8 Nov. 2013. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Colson.
Dobbs, Michael. "Charles Colson, Nixon’s ‘dirty Tricks’ Man, Dies at 80." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 21 Apr. 2012. Web. 8 Nov. 2013. <http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-04-21/politics/35454160_1_dirty-tricks-minimum-security-prison-charles-w-colson>.
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Consitution
The meaning of the U.S. Constitution has been tampered with over the last two centuries through both formal and informal methods. In order to add amendments to the constitution, it must be considered and go through a formal method. Proposal and ratification are just two examples of formal methods, in which an amendment must be passed by 2/3 vote in the House, and 3/4 vote by the state national convention. From there it can be ratified by either 3/4 of the state special election or 3/4 of the state legislature. On the other hand, informal methods are possible, and are used more often than the formal amendment process. For example, the two party system was created by the people- no where in the Constitution does it say anything about this. The Democratic and Republican system, formerly federalist and antifederalist, parties were created by citizens. And as a result of being so opinionated, the electoral college votes reflect what the majority of a senators state wants rather than just what the senator himself wants.
Federalism is a way of organizing nation so that two or more levels of government have formal authority over the same land and people. And with that process comes power. Categorical grants, for example, are extremely restricted and come with many terms and conditions by the federal government. States no longer look to grants with a smile because of all the regulation and difficulty to apply them to what it is the state actually needs. Federal mandates force state and local governments to comply with federal rules, and to set a budget for more funds for a project in order to receive more money.
And while the federal government may have more power over the states in some situations, it also works the other way with block grants and the tenth amendment. Block grants are given to states or communities to support local programs such as community development and social services. The percentage of federal aid to states has been increasing since 1995 when Republicans passed for more federal aid in the form of block grants. But the most important power given to the states is the tenth amendment which states that " the powers not delegated to the United states by the Constitution...are reserved to the states...". This is huge for the American people, and through the court cases trying to revise this amendment, the people have only made it stronger. This amendment provides a sense of security for citizens, and lets them know that they do have rights, and the government is not a monarch over them.
Federalism is a way of organizing nation so that two or more levels of government have formal authority over the same land and people. And with that process comes power. Categorical grants, for example, are extremely restricted and come with many terms and conditions by the federal government. States no longer look to grants with a smile because of all the regulation and difficulty to apply them to what it is the state actually needs. Federal mandates force state and local governments to comply with federal rules, and to set a budget for more funds for a project in order to receive more money.
And while the federal government may have more power over the states in some situations, it also works the other way with block grants and the tenth amendment. Block grants are given to states or communities to support local programs such as community development and social services. The percentage of federal aid to states has been increasing since 1995 when Republicans passed for more federal aid in the form of block grants. But the most important power given to the states is the tenth amendment which states that " the powers not delegated to the United states by the Constitution...are reserved to the states...". This is huge for the American people, and through the court cases trying to revise this amendment, the people have only made it stronger. This amendment provides a sense of security for citizens, and lets them know that they do have rights, and the government is not a monarch over them.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Political Participation
Voting- even though the most popular of all political participation- is not the only way citizens participate in the political process. Civil disobedience, made popular by the renowned Rosa Parks, is a way in which someone or a group of people can gain nationwide attention (especially through media) for putting themselves out there by displaying nonviolent refusal to do something. Though not as risky as back when, people will test the governments limits, knowing they might have to face the punishments of their actions.
A more obedient way to become involved in the political process is to run for office. This enables a person's- minority or not- voice to be heard. Their opinions are expressed and heard by a larger population than if they were just having an argument about politics on Facebook form the comfort of their home. While not many want to, or even have a chance of making it to office, even just getting their name out there and what they have to say is much more effective than just talking to their neighbor on a Sunday morning on the way to get the newspaper from their driveway.
A more obedient way to become involved in the political process is to run for office. This enables a person's- minority or not- voice to be heard. Their opinions are expressed and heard by a larger population than if they were just having an argument about politics on Facebook form the comfort of their home. While not many want to, or even have a chance of making it to office, even just getting their name out there and what they have to say is much more effective than just talking to their neighbor on a Sunday morning on the way to get the newspaper from their driveway.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Majority and Minority Power
Back when James Madison expressed concern over majority and minority factions having too much power over government, the House of Representatives (Legislative Branch) was most closely tied to citizens. People voted for representatives from their states and those elected to represent were given shorter terms. They were also required to live in the state they represented and came from small districts within a state so the minorities could have a say. Minority groups were heard when listened to- causing citizens to support the House and believe that they were being heard.
But in order to allow minorities to have a say, the United States constitution uses separation of powers and the Bill of Rights. The separation of powers within the government allows checks and balances to occur, and diminishes the chances of one branch being able to override all others. The men upstairs have to have the support of say the Senate, or the House, whose representatives were elected by the citizens. Individual freedoms are protected in the Bill of Rights, giving minorities protection over majority rule. This allows everyone to have a say in even the smallest things that affect us all.
Over the last hundred years, the United States has slowly been transformed into an even more democratic system. The 17th Amendment states that two senators are to represent each of the 50 states for six years, each receiving one vote apiece. By acknowledging a maximum term and everyone receiving just one vote, government has become even more tight. Most people would say it's a good thing, and it keeps states equal when it comes to passing laws unlike when delegates were sent to Virginia based on state population. Becoming even more democratic are the primary elections. Unlike caucuses, voters are able to have a say- especially minority groups, instead of the party leader automatically being nominated. Citizens are able to campaign, support, and argue with others about who to vote for, but in the end, they are still able to vote and know that their vote will make a difference in determining who will be the representative for the National Convention.
But in order to allow minorities to have a say, the United States constitution uses separation of powers and the Bill of Rights. The separation of powers within the government allows checks and balances to occur, and diminishes the chances of one branch being able to override all others. The men upstairs have to have the support of say the Senate, or the House, whose representatives were elected by the citizens. Individual freedoms are protected in the Bill of Rights, giving minorities protection over majority rule. This allows everyone to have a say in even the smallest things that affect us all.
Over the last hundred years, the United States has slowly been transformed into an even more democratic system. The 17th Amendment states that two senators are to represent each of the 50 states for six years, each receiving one vote apiece. By acknowledging a maximum term and everyone receiving just one vote, government has become even more tight. Most people would say it's a good thing, and it keeps states equal when it comes to passing laws unlike when delegates were sent to Virginia based on state population. Becoming even more democratic are the primary elections. Unlike caucuses, voters are able to have a say- especially minority groups, instead of the party leader automatically being nominated. Citizens are able to campaign, support, and argue with others about who to vote for, but in the end, they are still able to vote and know that their vote will make a difference in determining who will be the representative for the National Convention.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Ideology on public opinion in America
Ideology in America is no longer- and may never have even been- the distinction between Democrats voting for Democrats and Republicans voting for Republicans. A majority of people, if asked today why they voted for Obama (or anyone in office at the local, state or federal government levels) would only be able to give you one reason or so, such as "healthcare" or "taxes". Most people don't even know what Obamacare really is, or how taxes affect them and their community.
Take a public opinion poll for example, say that a law was passed a pro-abortion law by 60% of the votes. Saying the 40% who voted no are Republicans would be wrong. Sure some of those 40% may have been Republicans, but some of that 40% were Democrats who maybe agree with every other "Democrat belief" just not abortion. There are thousands of so-called Democrats who voted for Romney this past election, maybe just because they didn't agree with Obama's support of abortion. Maybe they didn't look at all the other things he stands for that they would have agreed with.
Today, it is hard to label yourself as a Democrat or Republican unless you have the full knowledge and understanding of what your candidate supports, or what you believe is morally right. We mainly just hear things here and there about controversial topics and seem to just lean towards the candidate who supports the side we like best on a specific topic. Americans need to look deeper into the beliefs and values of Democrats and Republicans before labeling themselves.
Take a public opinion poll for example, say that a law was passed a pro-abortion law by 60% of the votes. Saying the 40% who voted no are Republicans would be wrong. Sure some of those 40% may have been Republicans, but some of that 40% were Democrats who maybe agree with every other "Democrat belief" just not abortion. There are thousands of so-called Democrats who voted for Romney this past election, maybe just because they didn't agree with Obama's support of abortion. Maybe they didn't look at all the other things he stands for that they would have agreed with.
Today, it is hard to label yourself as a Democrat or Republican unless you have the full knowledge and understanding of what your candidate supports, or what you believe is morally right. We mainly just hear things here and there about controversial topics and seem to just lean towards the candidate who supports the side we like best on a specific topic. Americans need to look deeper into the beliefs and values of Democrats and Republicans before labeling themselves.
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Thursday, September 5, 2013
About Me
As a senior this year, I am excited to see what the future hold once I graduate. I hope to go to college right away, possibly majoring in music history/A&R or Criminal Justice. Traveling to other countries is appealing to me in order to gain knowledge about the world and to become exposed to different ways of life, so I look forward to any opportunities that may arise.
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