Chapter 14 The Judiciary

1. Read online bio's of the U.S. Supreme Court Justices.  What do you find interesting about their backgrounds?  Pick one of the Justices, read about cases this Justice has written (majority or dissent) and explain whether you agree or disagree with his/her judicial philosophy.

In the biographies that I read the thing that I found most interesting was that very little was actually said about them personally.  It seems as if they have had a very full career but very little personal time to focus on family.  Of course, I’m sure that there is a lot that is not said about the Justices for protection of privacy.

Antonin Scalia decision in Alexander v. Sandoval was very interesting.  From what I can understand about the case, the case was in regards to the Alabama Department of Public Safety and their decision to have all state driver’s license issued in English.  Sandoval claimed that this was a basis of discrimination and the courts upheld that decicision but Scalia reversed it.  I do personally agree with Scalia because I think that English should be  the primary language and any one that lives in the United States should speak English.

2. Is Judicial Review a power that should be exercised regularly or sparingly?  Why?

Judicial review is the authority of the courts to declare laws passed by Congress and acts of the executive branch to be unconstitutional (text).  Based on the amount of power this gives the federal judiciary, I think that this is a power that should be used sparingly.  I think that there should be checks and balances but I do not believe that there should be such power granted to one particular group of people.  I think instead that there should be a strict limit of those powers and that there should also be a checks and balances placed on them.  To say that one group of people knows what is best is an injustice in itself in my opinion.

3. Is it the job of the High Court to apply the Constitution in light of the intent of the framers of the Constitution (strict construction) or should they interpret the Constitution in light of changes in society/technology (living Constitution)?  Why?

I think that the High Courts have to look at both in order to render fair and equitable decisions.  The framers of the Constitution obviously made some very good points in the drafting of the Constitution but as times have changed so have the ways that some of those points were made must be taken into consideration.  With the way that the Constitution was written, it leave room for the changes in society and we should respect that.  Thus, that is why we have amendments.  Obviously some of the points were written with the current place and time in mind and did not take into consideration the changing of those points over the years.  Thus we have to look at both sides of the coin always in order to determine the intent and decision to move forward.

Robert Cook, Tinisha Key, Ed King

Chapter 13 The Bureaucracy

1. Research federal agencies and explain which one you feel is the most important one and why?
            I think one of the most important federal agencies is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). I think it is important because it help to monitor the environment and protect not only the air we breathe but also monitors other important resources as well.  It also monitors the disposable of waste, the cleanliness of water and stays abreast of climate change.  This particular agency does many things to make sure that we are protected from the harms that would otherwise cause us to live in a very unhealthy environment.  I can not begin to imagine how the environment would be without the EPA to monitor it.  I think that the job the EPA does not only protects us but helps to ensure that all living things live in a clean, healthy environment.

2. Which federal agency could be terminated with the least impact (if any) and why?
            In my personal opinion, I believe the Internal Broadcasting Bureau (IBB) could be terminated.  I have researched their website and can very little useful purpose for it to exist.  I also think that with the invention of the internet and the fact that technology has made so many improvements that there is really little use for them.  News around the world is published and known before it is even broadcast on TV in a lot of cases and although the (IBB) may be very useful in a handful of situations, I do not think that is a worthwhile organization to spend a hefty amount of our budget on.  I think the monies could be better spent elsewhere and on better causes.

3. Are any new agencies needed?  In other words, if you were president would you create new agencies?  If so, in what area(s)?

            I personally would like to see an agency established that provided more assistance to people who earned lower incomes.  I believe that there are many unfortunate individuals who need to have a better source of assistance and an agency that can provide, create and monitor those sources.  I also believe that there is a lot of abuse of the current systems and believe that if an agency were established to better monitor those systems and work with Health and Human Services (HHS), some of that abuse could be eliminated or at least reduced.  Everyone should have some kind of assistance in times of need but there should be a good checks and balances of those programs and I think it needs to be monitored for both the good and bad.

I commented on: Tinisha Key, Edward King and Robert Cook.

Chapter 12 - The Presidency

1. What makes a great President (not which Presidents have been great) . . . what qualities are essential to greatness?  Why?

            I think that the attributes of a great President varies by personal opinion.  The text talks about Presidential greatness and gives a very good insight into what makes a great President but I think that other factors also play a part.  I think that a great President, without even knowing it maybe, is a President that is a natural leader.  It is the kind of person that can juggle many things and still remain focused on the public and what is in their best interest.  A great President worries less about being the best President ever and more about the public interest.

2. Other than Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, which two Presidents have been the greatest and why?

            This again is left to personal opinion and I think that it is hard to determine if one President was better than the other.  They all just seemed to excel at different things.  My parents think that the best President, regardless of his faults, was President Bill Clinton and I would have to agree based on what they have told me.  He did a lot of great things for the American Public and reduced the American deficit.  Being as I have had a limit number of years and Presidents, I would have to say that I am unable to determine which President I personally feel is the greatest as there have only been 3 since I was born.  I have to say I value my parents’ opinion and it is for this reason that I agree.  The text talks about three great Presidents and based on what it said and my own personal research, I feel like President Ronald Reagan was a great President.  He did many good things such as ending the Cold War.  He also did many things for the public such as welfare reform and the first comprehensive AIDS funding and treatment bill.

3. Research a President that you're previously unfamiliar with - list at least three things you learned.  Was this President effective?  Why or why not?

            President Thomas Woodrow Wilson who was our 28^th President is the President that I decided to investigate further.  On of the things that I learned was that he began the United States’ first draft since the Civil War and had left the war mostly in the hands of the Army during World War I while he focused on diplomacy and financial considerations.  Also during his term in office, Wilson gave a well-known Flag Day speech that fueled the wave of anti-German sentiment that was sweeping the country. I was also unaware that he was involved in the creating of the League of Nations.  I think that this President did some really good things but I don’t think that he was as effective as he could have been.  It seems to me that someone as scholarly as President Wilson could have made some better decisions when it came to public policy and he could have spent more time with the concerns of the people.

Commented on Robert Cook, Tinisha Key and Jesse Griffith

Chapter 11 - Congress

1. Who are your Senators and your Congressman?
            Senator Bob Corker and Senator Lamar Alexander are our Senators and my Congressman based on my address is Congressman John J. Duncan. All 3 are natives of East Tennessee.  Senator Lamar Alexander was the first Tennessean elected to consecutive four-year terms as governor. One of the interesting things about Senator Corker is that he introduced a merit bonus pay for teacher.  As a result, it increased student achievement. Congressman Duncan spends a lot of his time in East Tennessee however he continues to maintain one of the best attendance records in the entire Congress.  I think another interesting fact about all three is that they are all Republicans.

2. Research the areas they champion and find one you support.  What is it and why do you also support it?
            Congressman John J. Duncan Jr, has a very interesting view on college tuition and financial aid.  His stance is that tuition should be affordable enough that students do not have to rely on financial aid to continue their education.  He feels that the tuition increases should be not more than the rate of inflation or less.  I totally agree with Congressman Duncan.  By the time a college student graduates college they find themselves in serious debt and sometimes a debt that will follow them for most of their life.  Unfortunately in today’s economy that makes it very hard on a graduate that is having trouble finding a job because they still have those types of loans that must be paid. Tuition is too expensive to allow a young person to work and pay for school as they go.

3. Find an issue one of your Senators or Congressman champions that you disagree with.  Why do you disagree?
            I disagree with Senator Bob Corker when it comes to breaking down trade barriers.  I believe trade with other countries should be more limited and that those countries that refuse to trade with American should not be allowed to import their good to the United States.  I believe that jobs should be created for Americans and that trade with other countries should be limited to necessity for a while.  It seems like we are making everyone else rich and shutting down America. It’s hard to find anything made in America today and it is sad.  Not only are we putting ourselves out of work, we are doing it while making other countries rich.
Please comment at least 50 words (each) on the posts of at least three of your classmates and then post their names on your blog.

Blog comments:  Robert Cook, Tinisha Key, Jesse Griffith

Chapter 10 - Elections, Campaigns and Voting

1. Read Bush v. Gore in the text.  Do you agree with the majority or the dissenting opinion?  Why?

I do not agree with the Supreme Court ruling and I am not sure that I believe that Bush won the election.  I guess my main problem is that because of the time limits that have been established there was inadequate time to perform a recount.  Also based on the difficult tasks that it would have taken to do the recount, I do not feel that an adequate recount could have taken place.  I personally believe that there should have been and should be a better system in place for being able to revisit voter’s intentions in a case such as this.  In other words, the race was too close to be determined by an inadequate ability to recount the voter’s intentions in a case such as this.

2. Is the ability to fundraise too important in elections?  In other words, are good candidates prevented from running because they cannot raise the needed funds?  Can/should something be done to correct this if it is a problem?

I do believe that the ability or the “need” to raise funds is too important during elections.  I do not believe that it should cost millions of dollars to run for President, nor do I believe that the money is used in a way that would benefit anyone other than the candidate.  I do believe that money issues do keep good candidates from running for President as it seems that everyone that is running is already wealthy in some way.  I do not know how this issue could or should be addressed but I do believe that additional sanctions on the limits that a person can raise should be put into place.  If a candidate wants to run for President, there should be the opportunity to do so and if I had my choice, for once it would be a blue collar worker that has really had to work for a living.

3. Why is there such voter apathy- in other words, why is there often such a low voter turnout for elections?  Is there a way to rectify this problem?

I do not believe that the voter turnout is as poor as we think.  While other countries, it may seem, have a larger turn out that we do, they go other extremes to ensure that voter turnout is mandatory.  I do believe that there are better ways to increase turnout however.  It could be to allow early voting or by allowing voters the option of voting via the internet.  It does seem that too much emphasis is placed on showing up directly at the voting stations to vote and that with technology today, there should be easier ways to increase voter turnout.  In America however, we have the right to choose to vote ourselves and while we want to encourage people to vote, it definitely should not be made a mandatory action.

Blog comments:  Pam Smith, Tinisha Key, Stephanie Griffin

Chapter 9 Political Parties

1.      Which political party do you most identify with?  Why?  Are there things in the party platform with which you disagree?

I don’t consider myself identifying with any party actually.  I believe that I should make my decision based on my own research of the candidates and their positions on the issues.  I think the issues are sometimes lost with the political parties and I disagree with the way the batter each other.  I think that both parties do too much “mud slinging” and that it takes away from what the real issues should be. I think that some people get lost in political parties and forget to look at the overall picture sometimes.  I think this makes it hard for people to really vote in what is in the “best interest” of the people.

2.      Does American need political parties?  The founders originally hoped that American politics would operate without need of parties?  Would that work today?  Why?

I am divided as to the need for political parties in America today.  While I understand that it gives unity to the people and allows for the selection of one person to run for office, I do believe that most of them are in it to win and are not serving the best interest of the people.  I think that political parties sometimes stick together with but do not always think of the political agenda that they are supporting and loose focus of the real issues at hand. I believe if there are going to be political parties, they should be less focused on talking bad about the other candidate and spend more time focusing on the real issues that the public is interested in.

3.      Please research lesser known political parties – which one do you most identify with?  Why?

I think if I were going to identify with a lesser know political party, I would definitely be more likely to identify with the Green Party.  I like their stances in regards to non-violence and decentralization.  I somewhat agree with them in that decision – making should remain at the individual and local levels.  I do not think that all decision making should be at that level but I definitely feel that some of it should.  I sometimes feel that too much power is given to the people that are elected and that sometimes this power is abused in the name of “what’s best”.  I don’t think that a small group of people can always determine that for everyone.

Commented on blogs: David Smith, Ed King, Robert Cook

Chapter 8 Interest Groups

1. From figure 8.1 in the text, select one of the interest groups and do some research on their issues and beliefs.  What did you learn?  What did you find interesting?  Do you agree/disagree with their positions on issues? Why?

I chose the AFGE (American Federation of Government Employees).  They have many issues that they are involved in such as privatization, health & safety, women’s/Fair Practices and Labor-Management Forums, to name a few.  I learned that they are involved in a lot of things and feel strongly about all of them.  One of the things that I found interesting is that under their list of issues, they had military leave list.  This is one of the things that I do agree with.  I do believe that if a person has been on military leave, they are entitled to some benefits for their service.  I do not agree with their stance on Unionization.

2. Find an interest group with which you associate (positively).  What is the name of the group and what do you find persuasive about their position on issues?

I chose the UAN (United American Nurses).  While I once again, do not believe in unions I do believe in their stance. They offer a wide variety of services and information to nurses that may not be available in other places.  Nursing is a hard career and I do believe that it is a career that does not pay as good as it should based on the work they perform.  Nursing is an under appreciated job that needs to have more incentives in my book.  It is nice to see that they have a support system that allows them some accesses to resources that will help them alleviate some of their stresses and concerns.

3. Do interest groups have enough/too much/the right amount of power in the political system?  Most believe it's a fine-line balance between freedom of speech for the groups and keeping unfair persuasion out of government.  Where is that line and when is it crossed?

I believe that the interest groups and the amount of power they have depends on the individual groups.  Not all of them have enough power while others have too much power.  I do believe that based on some of the research, some unions have too much power and it gives way for them to cross the line.  I believe that when the interest groups push so hard that it causes people to loose jobs, such as striking and things like that, they have crossed a fine line between helping people and hurting them. I am not sure that I would support any interest group where I would feel so strongly that I would support a strike or where I would try to speak on the behalf of all. Having said that, there are some that would otherwise not speak for themselves and need the interest groups to speak for them.

Please also comment at least 50 words each on at least three of your classmates' posts and then post on your own blog the names of the classmates whose blogs you commented on.
Tinisha Key
Robert Cook
David Kunsman