The biggest problem facing American politics today is voter apathy and disinterest. Low voter turnout isn’t news to anyone, and anything more than filling in a ballot is a lot to ask from even those Americans. According to the NES Guide to Public Opinion and Voting Behavior (http://www.umich.edu/~nes/nesguide/gd-index.htm#1), in 2004, just 21% of eligible voters displayed a bumper sticker or sign or even wore a button supporting a candidate. Further, only 13% gave money to a campaign; only 7% attended any type of political meeting, and just 3% volunteered or worked for a party or a candidate. Most Americans just don’t care enough. Those that vote are not usually accurately representative of those eligible to vote; historically, wealthy citizens are much more likely to vote than their poorer neighbors; likewise, older voters use their votes much more than younger citizens. Most minorities are much less likely to vote than whites and blacks, too. A government that is more and more disconnected from the populace becomes less and less responsive to the same.
There are many reasons for voter apathy and disinterest. One of them is a sense of powerlessness—what can one vote change?—that seems to be prevalent, especially in younger voters. Another is the complexity of issues before voters: though parties attempt to make them so, issues are rarely black and white. Few people have the time or interest to sift through the sound-bites and partisanship that’s the news to get down to brass tacks on things. The voting system is itself a problem; many lower-class citizens are paid hourly, and the time they must take off to stand in line for hours at some random fire station isn’t worth the cut in pay. And it feels American, exercising one's freedom not to participate. It’s doubtful, unfortunately, that any of that will change soon.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
What is wrong with American politics and why?
The problem with American politics is that no one takes pride in America like they used to. Free speech is one thing, but the lack of support in the government and the constant tirade on the president and his cabinet and the people leading the war by the citizens of the United States has lowered morale for even the most patriotic people. The government will never be able to make everyone in the world happy with its decisions. There are things that we do not and should not want to know about the governments inside dealings. Though I believe there is corruptness in the government, I believe that the more enemies of the U.S. know our secrets and see people slamming their own government, the worse the war will be. The government’s ultimate duty is to keep us safe and the citizens of the U.S. and the media have been compromising that for years.
I believe the cause of this breakdown in unity stems from far right and far left thinking. We should all want less government: taxes, laws, guidelines, etc. and we should stop fighting on how to get it that way. We have become too dependent on the government for help and yet when the help isn’t there we criticize. The same goes for our foreign policy. When Hitler was killing hundreds of thousands of people and we stayed out of it for so long, we berated the government for not doing something about it. Yet Saddam Hussein does the same thing and we were to never get involved. During and after Vietnam the lines were clearly drawn between the two major political parties and the divide has been deepened throughout the years. We need to take pride in our country and how lucky we are to live in a place that we are free, no matter what race, creed, religion or party we vote for (those who actually vote). Why else would everyone be sneaking in to live here?
I believe the cause of this breakdown in unity stems from far right and far left thinking. We should all want less government: taxes, laws, guidelines, etc. and we should stop fighting on how to get it that way. We have become too dependent on the government for help and yet when the help isn’t there we criticize. The same goes for our foreign policy. When Hitler was killing hundreds of thousands of people and we stayed out of it for so long, we berated the government for not doing something about it. Yet Saddam Hussein does the same thing and we were to never get involved. During and after Vietnam the lines were clearly drawn between the two major political parties and the divide has been deepened throughout the years. We need to take pride in our country and how lucky we are to live in a place that we are free, no matter what race, creed, religion or party we vote for (those who actually vote). Why else would everyone be sneaking in to live here?
I believe the greatest failure of the American political system was the very slow respond for the victims of hurricane Katrina. It took several days for these victims to receive little if any help which resulted in the lost of many lives. With America being one of if not the wealthiest countries in the world, one would come to the conclusion that help should have come faster than it did. I do not understand how this country can go off to other counties to help and when its own needs them, it takes twice as long if not longer. This hurricane destoryed lives and also the well known city of New Orleans.
The cause of this failure is because the American political system has become so corrupted that those in office have forgotten the people who elected them to do their jobs and when those people are in need of the help of the politicians there was no help at least until after several days had past, in this situation. The American society has been consumed by greed and power, and has lost its sense of compassion and caring for others. Even after a year has pass there are still victims in need of help. Our political system is so involved in arguing over issues and where money should go for these victims; most have stopped thinking of the victims and has resulted in very little help being provided.
The cause of this failure is because the American political system has become so corrupted that those in office have forgotten the people who elected them to do their jobs and when those people are in need of the help of the politicians there was no help at least until after several days had past, in this situation. The American society has been consumed by greed and power, and has lost its sense of compassion and caring for others. Even after a year has pass there are still victims in need of help. Our political system is so involved in arguing over issues and where money should go for these victims; most have stopped thinking of the victims and has resulted in very little help being provided.
Our Environmental Policy, the Greatest Threat to the American Way of Life
The fact that America is in its present day politics is so obsessed with security that we forego environmental issues is one of our greatest hypocrisies. America defends itself from every form of attack or possible threat to its survival yet without the environment there is nothing left to protect. The possibility of the environment dying is so far down the road, or so we think, that we do not care because it will not affect us directly. Yet with the help of the government and automotive companies we could be completely independent from fossil fuels for personal transportation. The technology has been around for a long time and I understand that the change over from fossil fuels to alternate energy must be made slowly to keep the economy from crashing. But consider the slowness to change the look of hybrid cars: surely someone in the American government realized that these cars are so ugly that some one to buy them would have to be so environmentally conscious that they would be willing to have their sexual orientation questioned.
This is not the only way our government has failed us. The rapid increase in population is a major factor in the health of our environment. Our planet can only support one third of the people it already has to support. Yet we send aid to countries in the form of either food (which will only result in a higher population for the receiving country) or pamphlets about how to have safe sex, (usually calling for abstinence) instead of sending condoms. Our outlook being that other countries have this problem, not America. We do not have a population problem we just love not having a yard. The American view is a very selfish one in that we do not care what toll it takes on the environment as long as we feel comfortable. No one wants to give up their car or adopt a child; we would rather just destroy the world for our children than be shaken out of our sphere of complacency: complacency in not only feeling, but in thought and finally in action.
This is not the only way our government has failed us. The rapid increase in population is a major factor in the health of our environment. Our planet can only support one third of the people it already has to support. Yet we send aid to countries in the form of either food (which will only result in a higher population for the receiving country) or pamphlets about how to have safe sex, (usually calling for abstinence) instead of sending condoms. Our outlook being that other countries have this problem, not America. We do not have a population problem we just love not having a yard. The American view is a very selfish one in that we do not care what toll it takes on the environment as long as we feel comfortable. No one wants to give up their car or adopt a child; we would rather just destroy the world for our children than be shaken out of our sphere of complacency: complacency in not only feeling, but in thought and finally in action.
for tomorrow
We have 8 different postings up as of 6:50. Why don't we try to discuss those in class tomorrow? Please read the essays that are posted below this message. If you post yours later than this message that is ok too but we will probably not get a chance to discuss your essay in class.
Michael Reinhard
Michael Reinhard
My Frustration...
Matthew P. Black
8/31/2006
Introduction to American Government
My greatest frustration with my fellow Americans stems from a creation of a "culture of ignorance" that has stuck with this country far before its culmination. It is a human habit to generally take a path with the least resistance, to live in a simple day-to-day routine that takes no thought, and to elect politicians to make the decisions so the voter doesn’t have to. And why should the populous make a decision, when they can have family, television, radio, or even the internet tell them what they can and cannot believe in? I personally have a grandfather who has never once doubted anything he has heard from his favorite AM Talk Radio personality, but my grandfather is not alone. There is an incredible ease with falling into a trap of watching loud men on CNN or Fox News to send Iran to the Stone Age or believe the Iraq War was a sham. I cannot even begin to describe the frustration that I build up concerning the ignorance we as a country hold concerning the thoughts and ideas of the rest of the world.
Who or what is to blame? It’s easy to tag the ignorance on the federal government, or even better, the President. What faith or interest from the American masses can arise from a President who fumbles words on a regular basis or reelecting men who graduated from high school years before the first desegregation movements of the early 1950's? The majority of the population lies between the ages of 18-60, and yet we look to those even older as our guides for the future. In my opinion, we as an American society can only begin to prosper when we come to the realization that we can no longer rely on our grandfathers’ opinions on the course this country should take in the 21st Century. The country, even the world, has changed dramatically from when some of the ‘senior senators’ were first elected, and there is only so much longer we can still look at these relics for advice as to what course the country should take.
8/31/2006
Introduction to American Government
My greatest frustration with my fellow Americans stems from a creation of a "culture of ignorance" that has stuck with this country far before its culmination. It is a human habit to generally take a path with the least resistance, to live in a simple day-to-day routine that takes no thought, and to elect politicians to make the decisions so the voter doesn’t have to. And why should the populous make a decision, when they can have family, television, radio, or even the internet tell them what they can and cannot believe in? I personally have a grandfather who has never once doubted anything he has heard from his favorite AM Talk Radio personality, but my grandfather is not alone. There is an incredible ease with falling into a trap of watching loud men on CNN or Fox News to send Iran to the Stone Age or believe the Iraq War was a sham. I cannot even begin to describe the frustration that I build up concerning the ignorance we as a country hold concerning the thoughts and ideas of the rest of the world.
Who or what is to blame? It’s easy to tag the ignorance on the federal government, or even better, the President. What faith or interest from the American masses can arise from a President who fumbles words on a regular basis or reelecting men who graduated from high school years before the first desegregation movements of the early 1950's? The majority of the population lies between the ages of 18-60, and yet we look to those even older as our guides for the future. In my opinion, we as an American society can only begin to prosper when we come to the realization that we can no longer rely on our grandfathers’ opinions on the course this country should take in the 21st Century. The country, even the world, has changed dramatically from when some of the ‘senior senators’ were first elected, and there is only so much longer we can still look at these relics for advice as to what course the country should take.
Slow South
Carrie Boone
Reinhard
PolSci
I believe that one of the major failures of American citizens as a whole is our idea that change will come about soon enough. Maybe the next election, maybe not...who knows? I am not only referring to presidential changes, but world changes. But, I digress to stay on the political topic. As a Mississippian, it is (theoretically, politically, religiously, socially....)incorrect for individuals to express their views for change. I, for one, began my life following the correct southern-Baptist-republican standard, and now find myself disliking our president(as the president...I’m sure as a father and husband he is wonderful). So, my point about our political system is, how can we expect it(the political system) to change and improve if we ourselves, the free people who know what’s going on in this great country of ours, do not change ourselves?
While I realize I have chosen the easiest of all the subjects to write about, I find myself becoming more and more interested (as well as frustrated)with this topic. Who I am referring to in this writing are the younger generations of Mississippians. I find myself referring to them (us, I am one)because they are who I know, who I’ve grown up with. The high school I attended was full of youths uninterested in world affairs, and unwilling to become interested. They did not care for change, but if it did come along, it was purposefully ignored or complained about. No action. In conclusion, I state once again my topic in clearer terms.... Why, can’t these certain little pockets in Mississippi catch up to the modern thought process and change, and if it is possible, why aren’t we?
Reinhard
PolSci
I believe that one of the major failures of American citizens as a whole is our idea that change will come about soon enough. Maybe the next election, maybe not...who knows? I am not only referring to presidential changes, but world changes. But, I digress to stay on the political topic. As a Mississippian, it is (theoretically, politically, religiously, socially....)incorrect for individuals to express their views for change. I, for one, began my life following the correct southern-Baptist-republican standard, and now find myself disliking our president(as the president...I’m sure as a father and husband he is wonderful). So, my point about our political system is, how can we expect it(the political system) to change and improve if we ourselves, the free people who know what’s going on in this great country of ours, do not change ourselves?
While I realize I have chosen the easiest of all the subjects to write about, I find myself becoming more and more interested (as well as frustrated)with this topic. Who I am referring to in this writing are the younger generations of Mississippians. I find myself referring to them (us, I am one)because they are who I know, who I’ve grown up with. The high school I attended was full of youths uninterested in world affairs, and unwilling to become interested. They did not care for change, but if it did come along, it was purposefully ignored or complained about. No action. In conclusion, I state once again my topic in clearer terms.... Why, can’t these certain little pockets in Mississippi catch up to the modern thought process and change, and if it is possible, why aren’t we?
Millsaps Introduction to American Politics
Millsaps Introduction to American Politics
In my opinion, the greatest failure in the American Political system is the failure on the part of American citizens when it comes to voting. Americans are quick to complain about whatever problems arise in the country, but ironically many of them are the very ones who passed up the great freedom to vote. Unlike sham “elections” that may take place in some countries, in the United States people actually have a say in which leaders are elected both on a national and local level. Given that fact, it is depressing that many Americans have mindsets that their vote “doesn’t mean anything” or “doesn’t count towards the election because it’s just one vote.” Without elections American’s would lose a primary component of our system of democracy. Many potential voters think about voting but never go through with it, and their potential votes are subsequently lost. The result is a large number of citizens whose opinions are never correctly expressed. Complaining about problems in America is completely acceptable, but only if the person who is doing the complaining has actually spent the mere minutes that it takes to fill out a ballot and place their vote. Registering to vote is very simple and takes minutes. It is a failure on the part of the American political system that so few voters turn out at the polls.
I think that the root of this problem is twofold. First, there is a general sense of voter efficacy. By that I mean that many voters feel that their vote, in the grand scheme of things, means very little overall. In fact, this is completely untrue, and when millions of people think in that manner the result is crippling to American politics. One of the causes of the apathetic attitude exhibited by Americans is a lack of political education. This leads me to the second root of this problem. Many potential voters have no idea whether they are liberal or conservative and have never even thought about which leader they would want to elect. I think that because many high schools do not require an American Government class, when people reach a legal voting age they have not been encouraged to vote. I know for a fact that many of the students that I graduated from high school with were completely politically apathetic, and had no intentions of registering to vote. When I shared with them the ease that I experienced when signing up to vote at the Courthouse, many of them announced that they “didn’t have time” or “just weren’t really interested.” I can understand complete and pure apathy, but only if the apathetic person has actually considered all of the options and then determined not to vote. The very core of the problem is that many people not only think that their vote does not count, but they have no idea how to go about the logistics of actually voting.
In my opinion, the greatest failure in the American Political system is the failure on the part of American citizens when it comes to voting. Americans are quick to complain about whatever problems arise in the country, but ironically many of them are the very ones who passed up the great freedom to vote. Unlike sham “elections” that may take place in some countries, in the United States people actually have a say in which leaders are elected both on a national and local level. Given that fact, it is depressing that many Americans have mindsets that their vote “doesn’t mean anything” or “doesn’t count towards the election because it’s just one vote.” Without elections American’s would lose a primary component of our system of democracy. Many potential voters think about voting but never go through with it, and their potential votes are subsequently lost. The result is a large number of citizens whose opinions are never correctly expressed. Complaining about problems in America is completely acceptable, but only if the person who is doing the complaining has actually spent the mere minutes that it takes to fill out a ballot and place their vote. Registering to vote is very simple and takes minutes. It is a failure on the part of the American political system that so few voters turn out at the polls.
I think that the root of this problem is twofold. First, there is a general sense of voter efficacy. By that I mean that many voters feel that their vote, in the grand scheme of things, means very little overall. In fact, this is completely untrue, and when millions of people think in that manner the result is crippling to American politics. One of the causes of the apathetic attitude exhibited by Americans is a lack of political education. This leads me to the second root of this problem. Many potential voters have no idea whether they are liberal or conservative and have never even thought about which leader they would want to elect. I think that because many high schools do not require an American Government class, when people reach a legal voting age they have not been encouraged to vote. I know for a fact that many of the students that I graduated from high school with were completely politically apathetic, and had no intentions of registering to vote. When I shared with them the ease that I experienced when signing up to vote at the Courthouse, many of them announced that they “didn’t have time” or “just weren’t really interested.” I can understand complete and pure apathy, but only if the apathetic person has actually considered all of the options and then determined not to vote. The very core of the problem is that many people not only think that their vote does not count, but they have no idea how to go about the logistics of actually voting.
Millsaps Introduction to American Politics
Millsaps Introduction to American Politics
In my opinion, the greatest failure in the American Political system is the failure on the part of American citizens when it comes to voting. Americans are quick to complain about whatever problems arise in the country, but ironically many of them are the very ones who passed up the great freedom to vote. Unlike sham “elections” that may take place in some countries, in the United States people actually have a say in which leaders are elected both on a national and local level. Given that fact, it is depressing that many Americans have mindsets that their vote “doesn’t mean anything” or “doesn’t count towards the election because it’s just one vote.” Without elections American’s would lose a primary component of our system of democracy. Many potential voters think about voting but never go through with it, and their potential votes are subsequently lost. The result is a large number of citizens whose opinions are never correctly expressed. Complaining about problems in America is completely acceptable, but only if the person who is doing the complaining has actually spent the mere minutes that it takes to fill out a ballot and place their vote. Registering to vote is very simple and takes minutes. It is a failure on the part of the American political system that so few voters turn out at the polls.
I think that the root of this problem is twofold. First, there is a general sense of voter efficacy. By that I mean that many voters feel that their vote, in the grand scheme of things, means very little overall. In fact, this is completely untrue, and when millions of people think in that manner the result is crippling to American politics. One of the causes of the apathetic attitude exhibited by Americans is a lack of political education. This leads me to the second root of this problem. Many potential voters have no idea whether they are liberal or conservative and have never even thought about which leader they would want to elect. I think that because many high schools do not require an American Government class, when people reach a legal voting age they have not been encouraged to vote. I know for a fact that many of the students that I graduated from high school with were completely politically apathetic, and had no intentions of registering to vote. When I shared with them the ease that I experienced when signing up to vote at the Courthouse, many of them announced that they “didn’t have time” or “just weren’t really interested.” I can understand complete and pure apathy, but only if the apathetic person has actually considered all of the options and then determined not to vote. The very core of the problem is that many people not only think that their vote does not count, but they have no idea how to go about the logistics of actually voting.
In my opinion, the greatest failure in the American Political system is the failure on the part of American citizens when it comes to voting. Americans are quick to complain about whatever problems arise in the country, but ironically many of them are the very ones who passed up the great freedom to vote. Unlike sham “elections” that may take place in some countries, in the United States people actually have a say in which leaders are elected both on a national and local level. Given that fact, it is depressing that many Americans have mindsets that their vote “doesn’t mean anything” or “doesn’t count towards the election because it’s just one vote.” Without elections American’s would lose a primary component of our system of democracy. Many potential voters think about voting but never go through with it, and their potential votes are subsequently lost. The result is a large number of citizens whose opinions are never correctly expressed. Complaining about problems in America is completely acceptable, but only if the person who is doing the complaining has actually spent the mere minutes that it takes to fill out a ballot and place their vote. Registering to vote is very simple and takes minutes. It is a failure on the part of the American political system that so few voters turn out at the polls.
I think that the root of this problem is twofold. First, there is a general sense of voter efficacy. By that I mean that many voters feel that their vote, in the grand scheme of things, means very little overall. In fact, this is completely untrue, and when millions of people think in that manner the result is crippling to American politics. One of the causes of the apathetic attitude exhibited by Americans is a lack of political education. This leads me to the second root of this problem. Many potential voters have no idea whether they are liberal or conservative and have never even thought about which leader they would want to elect. I think that because many high schools do not require an American Government class, when people reach a legal voting age they have not been encouraged to vote. I know for a fact that many of the students that I graduated from high school with were completely politically apathetic, and had no intentions of registering to vote. When I shared with them the ease that I experienced when signing up to vote at the Courthouse, many of them announced that they “didn’t have time” or “just weren’t really interested.” I can understand complete and pure apathy, but only if the apathetic person has actually considered all of the options and then determined not to vote. The very core of the problem is that many people not only think that their vote does not count, but they have no idea how to go about the logistics of actually voting.
America's Biggest Problem
America’s Biggest Problem
By Cary Spell
The United States of America’s largest issue is not the “incompetent” officials placed in charge, the communications problems between information companies, or even the war going on overseas. Don’t get me wrong, these are all important subjects that deserve consideration and possible solutions. However, the thing that seems to be hurting America the most is the lack of responsibility in Americans.
This problem is not limited to simply politicians, but to regular citizens of the United States. People head to voting booths every four years voting for a color, not a person. Not skin color, mind you; which might make a whole lot more sense than the truth. Most people vote for their party’s candidate. They either vote red for Republicans, or blue for Democrats. Many people simply do not make the time to learn about the opposing candidate’s character or position on policies. They simply know that either he or she “doesn’t care about black people” or “are too much of a pansy to do what’s right.” I think with a sense of responsibility, more people would watch the news and pay attention to both candidates. Doing so makes them ask themselves questions like what they believe is right and who can make those things happen. As for politicians, it’s not so much that they don’t have a sense of responsibility, but I just wish that they would show a little humility when they push for something so hard for so long and it winds up being a major bust and the whole country is furious about it. For once, I’d love to see a politician not deny an event like this to his death and just say, “Listen…I screwed up. Sorry, I’ll try my best to not let it happen again.” That’s all. Let’s have the people that we put in charge of us act just like they should: people. Despite what their yes-men tell them, they can make mistakes and they can make big mistakes. We’ve seen these mistakes, we’ve heard them, sometimes we’ve been one of those mistakes. So why not just admit that you aren’t a god in a nice suit and just work harder?
Well, one reason politicians have a tough time with this idea is because a lot of them believe that our officials must appear to be perfect and brilliant at all times. Supposedly, if they were to show, for just a moment, that they were just like us then we might think they weren’t good enough for the job. That’s ridiculous. I’d much rather have a guy with some common sense up there in that office, that cares about his family and his country, and is willing to simply admit when he was wrong and is willing to do whatever it takes to correct said mistake. It’s hard to believe that that kind of political leader could still exist today. As for the voters who simply don’t have the time, energy or patience to make a well-researched decision, the cause is simply laziness. Shocking isn’t it, Americans being lazy? The only way I can think of that could possibly solve this problem is simply having all potential voters take a written test on the upcoming election. The questions could be simple, about each candidate’s positions on major issues. If you pass, you can vote. This most basic of tests would weed out thousands of ignorant voters. I’m sorry, but if you don’t have time to watch a presidential debate, you shouldn’t have the right to choose who is going to be one of the most powerful people in the world for the next four years. Somehow I think that that’s a little more important than whether or not the spunky blonde or the tough brunette gets eliminated from American Idol. God bless America.
By Cary Spell
The United States of America’s largest issue is not the “incompetent” officials placed in charge, the communications problems between information companies, or even the war going on overseas. Don’t get me wrong, these are all important subjects that deserve consideration and possible solutions. However, the thing that seems to be hurting America the most is the lack of responsibility in Americans.
This problem is not limited to simply politicians, but to regular citizens of the United States. People head to voting booths every four years voting for a color, not a person. Not skin color, mind you; which might make a whole lot more sense than the truth. Most people vote for their party’s candidate. They either vote red for Republicans, or blue for Democrats. Many people simply do not make the time to learn about the opposing candidate’s character or position on policies. They simply know that either he or she “doesn’t care about black people” or “are too much of a pansy to do what’s right.” I think with a sense of responsibility, more people would watch the news and pay attention to both candidates. Doing so makes them ask themselves questions like what they believe is right and who can make those things happen. As for politicians, it’s not so much that they don’t have a sense of responsibility, but I just wish that they would show a little humility when they push for something so hard for so long and it winds up being a major bust and the whole country is furious about it. For once, I’d love to see a politician not deny an event like this to his death and just say, “Listen…I screwed up. Sorry, I’ll try my best to not let it happen again.” That’s all. Let’s have the people that we put in charge of us act just like they should: people. Despite what their yes-men tell them, they can make mistakes and they can make big mistakes. We’ve seen these mistakes, we’ve heard them, sometimes we’ve been one of those mistakes. So why not just admit that you aren’t a god in a nice suit and just work harder?
Well, one reason politicians have a tough time with this idea is because a lot of them believe that our officials must appear to be perfect and brilliant at all times. Supposedly, if they were to show, for just a moment, that they were just like us then we might think they weren’t good enough for the job. That’s ridiculous. I’d much rather have a guy with some common sense up there in that office, that cares about his family and his country, and is willing to simply admit when he was wrong and is willing to do whatever it takes to correct said mistake. It’s hard to believe that that kind of political leader could still exist today. As for the voters who simply don’t have the time, energy or patience to make a well-researched decision, the cause is simply laziness. Shocking isn’t it, Americans being lazy? The only way I can think of that could possibly solve this problem is simply having all potential voters take a written test on the upcoming election. The questions could be simple, about each candidate’s positions on major issues. If you pass, you can vote. This most basic of tests would weed out thousands of ignorant voters. I’m sorry, but if you don’t have time to watch a presidential debate, you shouldn’t have the right to choose who is going to be one of the most powerful people in the world for the next four years. Somehow I think that that’s a little more important than whether or not the spunky blonde or the tough brunette gets eliminated from American Idol. God bless America.
The "Time Bomb"
The greatest problem in American politics today is the social security “time bomb.” This threatens to deny senior citizens, as they get older, from reaping their just reward for a lifetime of paying into the system. Solutions to the problem that have thus far been posited seem to endanger the system even more. For instance, many conservatives claim that privatization is the means to balancing the system. This privatization involves investment in the stock market, which is too risky a venture on which to bet one’s livelihood. Other solutions include raising the retirement age, raising the payroll tax, and increasing taxes on benefits. All of these options introduce a new set of problems to deal with and no one seems to be feasible in the immediate future.
The “time bomb” is due in large part to the tremendous population spike following World War Two known as the “baby boom.” Now that the North American birthrate has diminished significantly and the baby boomers reach retirement age, a much smaller number of working citizens will be paying for a much greater number of retirees. This imbalance could have ramifications that will spread through generations of Americans to come.
The Biggest Flaw in American Government
The American Government is constantly being criticized on every decision and action it makes for its citizens. There are numerous flaws in our government, but I believe the worst flaw in the American Democracy is the lack of input regular citizens have once our leaders have been elected. Our government officials often change their views and political tactics between their campaign and their serving term, which often creates controversy. Also, the people who did not vote for the winning candidate often disagree with the official’s politics. This is why citizens are granted with the rights of free speech, assembly, and petition. These rights enable us to voice our opinions about our government’s actions; the only problem is finding people are willing do these things. One person cannot change a decision made by the President or Congress, but a large group of influential people may be able to persuade the government to change some of their questionable decisions.
This flaw in the American Government has a lot to do with the amount of influence money has on politics. The candidates that are elected are usually the ones with the most sponsorship and financial aid to their campaign from outside parties. Once the officials are elected into office, the campaign sponsors are looking for reimbursement through political decisions that help them, but may not necessarily be the best for the American public. This is why people are often upset with the government because they believe they are not making the best decisions for its people. The First Amendment was created to ensure us that the citizens could have a say in the government. In contrast, modern Americans believe they are too busy and they cannot make a big enough impact in a country with three-hundred million people. This is the reason so little petitions and assemblies are seen today. The key to making an impact in our democracy is to find enough people with similar opinions and let your views be heard by the public, and then possibly persuade the government to consider changing its policies. This is the very reason our forefathers came up with the idea for a democracy, so its citizens would always have an impact in the government, which should be for the people.
This flaw in the American Government has a lot to do with the amount of influence money has on politics. The candidates that are elected are usually the ones with the most sponsorship and financial aid to their campaign from outside parties. Once the officials are elected into office, the campaign sponsors are looking for reimbursement through political decisions that help them, but may not necessarily be the best for the American public. This is why people are often upset with the government because they believe they are not making the best decisions for its people. The First Amendment was created to ensure us that the citizens could have a say in the government. In contrast, modern Americans believe they are too busy and they cannot make a big enough impact in a country with three-hundred million people. This is the reason so little petitions and assemblies are seen today. The key to making an impact in our democracy is to find enough people with similar opinions and let your views be heard by the public, and then possibly persuade the government to consider changing its policies. This is the very reason our forefathers came up with the idea for a democracy, so its citizens would always have an impact in the government, which should be for the people.
Government is a human institution and therefore we can never expect it to be perfect; but, I think that the lack of differences in the two main parties is a big problem for American politics. The two main parties are the democratic and republican party. The democratic party is more liberal and wants the government to be more involved in the lives of their citizens with programs like welfare. And the republican party is more conservative on social issues, craving more independence from government for the citizens. However, there really isn’t that big of a difference between the parties. While in theory the democrats are the supporters of welfare and other social programs, the republicans support them as well, just not with as much zeal. Also, the republicans were the hawks in the war against Iraq. Yet, most democrats supported the war with only a few dissenters. And only after the war began to appear not such a good idea did democrats as a united front speak out against the war.
The American people as a whole are moderate. And so the people that come to power, lie in the middle of the political spectrum, not too liberal, not too conservative. But that middle doesn’t provide a lot of opportunity for change. If a republican is in power rather than a democrat, the change is certainly not life altering for most people. If we as a people look for promises of change in our politicians we must first ourselves be more open to change.
The American people as a whole are moderate. And so the people that come to power, lie in the middle of the political spectrum, not too liberal, not too conservative. But that middle doesn’t provide a lot of opportunity for change. If a republican is in power rather than a democrat, the change is certainly not life altering for most people. If we as a people look for promises of change in our politicians we must first ourselves be more open to change.
Government is a human institution and therefore we can never expect it to be perfect; but, I think that the lack of differences in the two main parties is a big problem for American politics. The two main parties are the democratic and republican party. The democratic party is more liberal and wants the government to be more involved in the lives of their citizens with programs like welfare. And the republican party is more conservative on social issues, craving more independence from government for the citizens. However, there really isn’t that big of a difference between the parties. While in theory the democrats are the supporters of welfare and other social programs, the republicans support them as well, just not with as much zeal. Also, the republicans were the hawks in the war against Iraq. Yet, most democrats supported the war with only a few dissenters. And only after the war began to appear not such a good idea did democrats as a united front speak out against the war.
The American people as a whole are moderate. And so the people that come to power, lie in the middle of the political spectrum, not too liberal, not too conservative. But that middle doesn’t provide a lot of opportunity for change. If a republican is in power rather than a democrat, the change is certainly not life altering for most people. If we as a people look for promises of change in our politicians we must first ourselves be more open to change.
The American people as a whole are moderate. And so the people that come to power, lie in the middle of the political spectrum, not too liberal, not too conservative. But that middle doesn’t provide a lot of opportunity for change. If a republican is in power rather than a democrat, the change is certainly not life altering for most people. If we as a people look for promises of change in our politicians we must first ourselves be more open to change.
The Worst Aspect of American Politics
The worst aspect of the American political system is the lack of trust in the government by the American people. The citizens have no faith in the elected of appointed officials, and most of the time, it is for good reason. In March of 2006, the presidential approval rate for George W. Bush was down to 45 percent according to CNN. Even more dismaying is the Huffington Post’s August 2006 report of Bush’s approval rate by the American youth. Only 20% of the country’s population under the age of 18 trusts the president. This statistic should prove a very important point: If the people, especially the youth who will make up the next group of politicians, law makers, and citizens, do not have faith in their government, the nation will suffer for years to come. People do want to trust the government, especially with the rise in patriotism after the September 11 attacks. It is a crucial time for people to believe in their government.
There is blame to be placed on both the United States government and its citizens for the current situation. Citizens are not informed about what is truly going on. There are press conferences, news briefings, and occasional State of the Union addresses, but the media spin has warped the minds of so many people, increasing the gap between conservatives and liberals; politicians and American citizens. The government is also not always forthcoming with the truth, however. There have been many times in the last few years in which the President, Secretary of State, of other member of the government has said one thing, and done the polar opposite. There is no wonder why so many people question the current administration. Especially with all of the internal changes and resignations, the government does not seem stable at times.
There is blame to be placed on both the United States government and its citizens for the current situation. Citizens are not informed about what is truly going on. There are press conferences, news briefings, and occasional State of the Union addresses, but the media spin has warped the minds of so many people, increasing the gap between conservatives and liberals; politicians and American citizens. The government is also not always forthcoming with the truth, however. There have been many times in the last few years in which the President, Secretary of State, of other member of the government has said one thing, and done the polar opposite. There is no wonder why so many people question the current administration. Especially with all of the internal changes and resignations, the government does not seem stable at times.
American governments biggest failure
The biggest failure in American government today is disaster relief. This is clearly obvious from the delayed efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Being from somewhere that has been devastated by another hurricane, Ivan, I know what it's like to be in need of government assistance to help you get back on your feet. While Katrina's destruction surpassed Ivan's the government did not step up to the level of aid that people in Louisiana and Mississippi required, and because of it many people suffered for much longer than they should have. Several college students proved that they could cut through the red tape and travel down to New Orleans. In the first few days after Katrina FEMA and other government agencies were not in New Orleans providing relief because they were still in Washington D.C. trying to get their act together due to being unprepared for something this disastrous. This shouldn't have been the case. FEMA and Homeland Security should be prepared for the worst case scenarios possible. This situation was one that was definitely forseeable, especially since many people had been predicting for years that a hurricane would directly hit New Orleans. But disaster relief spreads further than just hurricanes to other natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornados, blizzards, and wildfires. The government needs to be prepared if another major earthquake strikes San Francisco, if a tornado ravages through the midwest, if a blizzard freezes over the northeast, or if a wildfire burns through many people's homes out west. The government needs to be ready to take quick, decisive action in all of these circumstances. Just like they were in Katrina people will be entirely dependent on the government to support them. The governments unpreparedness is the biggest problem in domestic relief efforts.
The government was caught off guard by the number of people in need because they simply didn't think something like this would happen. The lack of a real natural disaster in recent history has lead many to feel as if were immune to an ordeal of that magnitude. The recent focus on foreign policy and protecting our citizens from terrorists has also hindered the attention on helping us deal with mother nature. Hopefully, a positive to come out of the midst of Katrina will be that in the future our government will be more prepared to handle similar destructive situations, but until that happens we will never know.
The government was caught off guard by the number of people in need because they simply didn't think something like this would happen. The lack of a real natural disaster in recent history has lead many to feel as if were immune to an ordeal of that magnitude. The recent focus on foreign policy and protecting our citizens from terrorists has also hindered the attention on helping us deal with mother nature. Hopefully, a positive to come out of the midst of Katrina will be that in the future our government will be more prepared to handle similar destructive situations, but until that happens we will never know.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Good morning 2006!
Well, a new year begins and we are all in for a great time!
Your first assignment is:
1) send me an email
2) reply to the email inviting you to join the website
3) write a short 1 to 2 page memo describing what you think is the greatest failure of the American political system. What is the thing we are doing the worst job at. It can be something about the political process, some policy question, an agency in the government or a habit of thought with the American people. It can be a long term challenge or something from history. Your memo should have a minimum of two paragraphs, one describing the problem and one describing what you think is the cause. If you think that a particular politician is an idiot or a bad guy that is fine, but The memos are due by 5:00 PM tomorrow in the box outside my office and should be posted on the website by 6:00 PM tomorrow (Thursday).
Your first assignment is:
1) send me an email
2) reply to the email inviting you to join the website
3) write a short 1 to 2 page memo describing what you think is the greatest failure of the American political system. What is the thing we are doing the worst job at. It can be something about the political process, some policy question, an agency in the government or a habit of thought with the American people. It can be a long term challenge or something from history. Your memo should have a minimum of two paragraphs, one describing the problem and one describing what you think is the cause. If you think that a particular politician is an idiot or a bad guy that is fine, but The memos are due by 5:00 PM tomorrow in the box outside my office and should be posted on the website by 6:00 PM tomorrow (Thursday).
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