Chapter 14 Blog

     I found it to be interesting that all of them have a fairly lengthy record of being involved with other governmental affairs or offices before becoming a member of the U.S. Supreme Court Justices. After reading through Clarence Thomas’ standpoints on cases he has worked, I agreed with many of them; I was surprised because he is considered very conservative.

       Because there are so many cases that come through the courts, I think only cases that are very questionable or the defendant has committed a truly heinous crime should be up for Judicial Review.

      I think there should be a balance between the both of them. Because of how much has changed over time, things cannot be held to the same standards that they used to be. However, I think that if they were to base it too much on current changes, the Constitution would progressively stop being so highly regarded by U.S. citizens.

Chapter 13 Blog

     TVA is incredibly important because it affects many aspects of the country. It provides jobs, which stimulates the economy, electricity nationwide, and aim to find ways to create cleaner energy sources. They use natural resources such as rivers to create energy which is great for an environment such as ours since we are located in the valley and have become one of the most polluted cities in the States.

      All agencies are implemented for a reason at some point in time but even after doing research I could not seem to find any I thought to be outdated.

     I can’t seem to think of a new agency that could be implemented; however, one that I do think could use some revamping would be the SSA, or Social Security Administration. I believe that it needs to be better prepared for the Baby Boomers, as this aspect of the government already struggles.

Chapter 12 Blog

     To be president, one must not only be great but have the potential and initiative to do great things for a country. He or she must keep in mind what is best for the whole country and not be afraid to make brash decisions when they come about. A president should be strong-willed, very involved with the people of the country, and know when to step it up and take control, without stepping on the toes of our rights.

     I truly think that John F. Kennedy and Franklin D. Roosevelt were both great presidents. Both men did things to create a better America in the sense of concentrating on our citizens and revamping the economy. Kennedy was a huge advocate of the people’s rights, always wanting to help the communities. Roosevelt was a strong leader during an extremely difficult period for the U.S. known as the Great Depression.

     After a bit of research on Millard Fillmore, I learned that he was a member of the Whig party and only served part of a term as president. Because Fillmore supported the Compromise of 1850, his party was not nominated in 1852 and his party was split into two. I believe that Fillmore made an okay president because he became largely unpopular but still stood by what he thought to be right for the country during a time when slavery was still acceptable.

Chapter 11 Blog

      Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander are the Senators for Tennessee. The Congressmen for Tennessee are: Diane Black, Steve Cohen, Phil Roe, Marsha Blackburn, Jim Cooper, Scott DesJarlais, Jimmy Duncan Jr., Stephen Fincher, and Chuck Fleischmann

     I did some research on Steve Cohen and I was really pleased with some of the information I found. He is a huge advocate of people’s rights. Cohen has even won awards for his work in helping against domestic violence, legal representation for those in need, etc. I support the rights of the American citizens because we as a whole are vital to our country. A country cannot function as a democracy without supportive citizens and Cohen keeps the government from stepping on the toes of our rights therefore keeping us content.

    Reading up on Jim Cooper’s ideas about spending cuts left a bad taste in my mouth. Not only does he want to cut back on the Medicaid and Social Security funds, but there is also talk of tax increases that he would like to implement. Although I do agree the country's spending has gotten out of hand, I don’t think he is choosing the right places to cut funds from.

Chapter 10 Blog

    I honestly am not sure where I stand on this case. The election was entirely too close to not do a recount of Florida’s votes; however, if Florida’s votes were to be recounted, why weren’t all votes recounted then? Although the government has a way of handling situations such as these that are constitutional, I don't think it a very foolproof, efficient one and should be revised.

    I strongly believe that fundraising has taken more of a front seat in politics than it should. I don’t believe that whoever has the best looking posters or campaign ads should be leading our country. It should be more of a basis of who can do the best job rebuilding the economy and getting America back on its feet. I would say something should be implemented to allow funds to be more equal amongst the candidates so they all have equal opportunity of promoting themselves with their standpoints on important issues.

    I believe voter apathy has a lot to do with people being uneducated as well as people feeling as if their votes don’t really matter. I have heard from many people the phrase, “I’m just one person; my vote doesn’t make a difference,” but obviously from the percentages shown in the book it does. If many people think this way, it starts to add up. I’m not exactly sure how this could be fixed because so much is already done to promote participation.

Chapter 9 Blog

    I would classify myself as being more so Independent but leaning a bit more towards Democrats because I do agree with a few more of the aspects of the Democratic platform over the Republican. Because there are certain aspects of the Democratic views that I don’t completely agree with, I would not limit myself to voting for just a Democratic candidate. It seems as though they are quick to cut military funds and are sometimes a bit wishy-washy on some hot topics.

    I believe that because political parties have been ingrained so far into the interworkings of the electoral process they are important for the way our government currently works. Political parties allow for elections to be a bit more organized and clear cut. If we were to suddenly change this aspect of our process, we would have to start from scratch. I don’t necessarily think the lack of political parties would go over very well presently, unless it was a very gradual change; however, had the U.S. started out without any, it could have been successful. Nonetheless, because of the diversity of opinions, I think parties were almost inevitable.

   Of the lesser known parties, I have chosen the Green party. After reviewing their platforms on certain subjects that are important in my opinion, such as gender equality, decentralizing wealth, economic growth associated with environmental regeneration, and the respect for national diversity. I really liked what the Green party stood for in those aspects.

Chapter 8 Blog

1) I chose the USW, United Steel Workers of America to research. I learned that they actually make many different types of glass, metals, and cement, develop paper and products made of paper, and mine for iron ore. They also create wind turbines for environment-friendly energy. I thought that was interesting because I usually only associate iron workers with skyscrapers, stadiums, etc. Of the many issues they listed on their site, I focused mainly on the trade, economy, and healthcare subjects they discussed. Their main issues with these topics are: trade practices with China and Indonesia that diminish American jobs, the gap between the rich and poor seems to grow continuously and they believe in establishing a strong middle class to maintain better socioeconomic equality, and they support the stance that healthcare is “a right, not a privilege,” therefore, the USW believes in universal coverage, cost control and comprehensive coverage. I agree with some stand points such as their views on the economy because I see the same thing is happening. However, the other stances, I’m not so sure. Healthcare is not available in all countries therefore I do believe in a way it is a privilege; however, with a job that can be dangerous such as this one, it should be considered more of a right. 

2) I chose the UAN (United American Nurses) because it most closely associates with what career path I have chosen. They work towards protecting their healthcare, safety, and economic and general welfare of nurses. I think the goals they have for their interest group are very important, especially being a part of the medical field and being exposed to many dangerous situations.

3) I believe interest groups have a good amount of power right now. They are able to maintain equilibrium through protesting and rallying. I think that the line can be crossed if the needs have been met already but the groups keep pushing for more and more to be done.

Chapter 7 Blog

Media objectivity has gotten lost in the shuffle throughout the years. On some news channels, it is very apparent that they are biased against one political party or the other. For example, CNN seems to be biased, in favor of Democrats, while Fox News usually is partial to the Republican Party. I’m not sure that I have come across any news outlet that doesn’t try to sway its viewers one way or the other.

Talk radio does not affect my political views at all, mostly because I don’t really listen to it. Even if I did, I don’t think it would really make a difference because I would probably listen to one that is mostly relative to my own political views. 

I believe it is very important for the news media to stay objective because it allows those who watch news reports to become more educated on politics to form their own opinions rather than it be swayed by a stations biased reports. If those who are reporting are biased to one side or the other, I think statements made by the opposing side could be taken out of context and used against the opposed to persuade viewers, as many do during political campaigning.

Chapter 6 Blog

Personally, I do think that American news media is very reliant on polls, which can be helpful and harmful at the same time. Because we are all individuals with different opinions as well as feelings about politics, sometimes I question the validity of polls. Those who believe politics are very vital to American society will whole-heartedly participate but others who are less interested in politics may not take a poll as seriously. I think polls can be useful but only if those who are being polled are interested and educated on the subject, only then should statistics be drawn from them. If not done correctly, I think polls would do more harm than help because it would be displaying false information that most Americans take in and use as a basis for voting. Who wants to vote for someone or something that is misrepresented?

Categorizing myself as belonging to a specific political party is semi important to me but it doesn’t make me rule out candidates just because they aren’t labeled as “Democratic or Republican.” I more so believe voting for the person who will do the best for our country rather than my basis solely being a label. I think party identification is more important to my parents and grandparents than my friends for the most part. I think that mostly has to do with the difference in generations. It seems younger generations are less concerned with politics than older ones, especially because these are prime years of change for young adults and most of them are just starting to develop a sense of individualism.  

I think my opinion of politics does get swayed a bit by social issues because it is so easy to get wrapped up in it; although, I would like for it to have a more economic basis after this class. I’m not quite as educated on the subject of economic issues as I would like to be therefore it’s hard for me to develop a completely solid opinion or stance about the things going on.