Chapter 14 Blog

I find it interesting that most of the United States Supreme Court Justices attended Harvard or Yale. Stephen G. Breyer is the 108^th Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. He was appointed in 1994 by President Bill Clinton. Breyer argues that the job of the Supreme Court is to apply the Constitution’s values to modern circumstances, using the tools of judging: precedent, text and an assessment of the purpose of the constitutional provision at issue. I agree that the Constitution should be applied to modern day circumstances. Our country was built and is based upon the Constitution, and no matter what the circumstances may be, the Constitution should stay relevant to today.

I think judicial review should be exercised regularly. In today’s world, I think most people in charge of the country have disregarded the Constitution. Every time a school shooting happens, they start talking about taking guns away, when it is the people’s Second Amendment right. They never think that maybe the people, who use the gun to do these horrendous things, have serious mental health problems. I think the government should start with mental health people than all of the United States.

If it is possible to strictly apply the Constitution and apply the Constitution to the changes of society, then I think both. I think the constitution should be applied strictly to the changes of society. The Constitution needs to be strictly enforced, but it also needs to adapt to society. The way I think it is now, is the government has kind of pushed aside enforcing the Constitution as a way to work around what is needed for society, essentially governing unconstitutionally. 

I commented on the blogs of Robert Johnson, Mathew Cooper, and Stephanie Steele.

Chapter 13

The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) is responsible for administering the Department’s programs that provide financial and other forms of assistance to Veterans, their dependents, and survivors. Major benefits include Veterans’ compensation, Veterans’ pension, survivors’ benefits, rehabilitation and employment assistance, education assistance, home loan guaranties, and life insurance coverage. I think this agency is important, because I think it is important for the people, who risked their life for our country, to be taken care of after their service. I could not find any agency that could be terminated with the least impact, because they all seem to have an important mission. I would create an agency that aids in self-help for depression and mental illnesses. I think depression and mental illness has become a huge issue in the United States. People want to blame the gun for killing innocent people, when it is actually the person behind the gun that is suffering from severe depression or a mental illness. These issues are being taken too lightly, and something needs to be done.

I commented on the blogs of Robert Johnson, Mathew Cooper, and Sarah Ham.

Chapter 12 Blog

Presidents are judged by their ability to implement policies, and people love to rank presidents based upon “greatness.” Policy vision, communication and negotiation skills, and effective use of powers are all aspects that make a president great if they succeed in these areas. First, they have to have a policy vision that the people will approve, next, they have to have good communication and negotiation skills to get the government and people on board, and then, they have to use their powers effectively to implement their policy vision. 

Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Ronald Regan have been two of the greatest presidents. The key points of Roosevelt’s presidency that makes him great is: he was elected at the height of the Great Depression and he attacked the financial crisis with a vision for a “New Deal,” he was responsible for the significant expansion of the size and the role of the federal government, and he created job programs by suggested creation of new agencies to train and put people back to work. Regan thought that tax cuts were essential, and he wanted to reduce the size and scope of the government. He was a good communicator, because of his previous acting. He focused on building up the military, and he sparked a military spending war with the Soviets that strained its economy.

A president I was previously unfamiliar with is Millard Fillmore. I learn that he was the last Whig president, and the last president not to be affiliated with either the Democratic or Republican parties. I also learned that he was the only Whig president that did not die in office or get expelled from the party. He was not an effective president, and he is in the bottom ten of historical ranking of presidents. One reason he was not an effective president is because he backed the Compromise of 1850 that delayed the Southern state’s secession by allowing slavery to spread.

I commented on the blogs of Katelyn Dozier, Mathew Cooper, and Robert Johnson.

Chapter 11 Blog

My Senators and Congressman are Lamar Alexander, Bob Corker, and Diane Black. Lamar Alexander sponsors more bills that address environmental issues. Is support his efforts to conserve the environment while still allowing public access, because I believe people should be able to whatever they wish with environment and its surroundings  as long as they are not taking advantage of it or doing illegal things with it. Bob Corker sponsors more bills that address foreign affairs.  I agree with his efforts, because I think some foreign involvement is good, but there should be a limit as to how much involvement there is. Diane Black sponsors numerous bills that address insurance issues.  I support her concerns for insurance, because I believe it is important for everyone to have insurance that covers health, dental, and etc. 

Lamar Alexander sponsored a bill to amend the Clean Air Act to prohibit the regulation of emissions of carbon dioxide from new or existing power plants under certain circumstances, and I disagree with, because I think plants can prevent some emission or carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.  The
Earth is not going to last forever, but I think everyone needs to do their part to prevent as much pollution as possible.

I commented on the blogs of Katelyn Dozier, Mathew Cooper, and Robert Johnson.

Chapter 10 Blog

In the Supreme Court case, Bush v. Gore, I think there should have been a recount allowed, because even though the Court ruled in Bush’s favor that it would have violated his equal protection right, I think it violated Gore’s equal protection right by not allowing the recount. I do not think that a recount would have violated Bush’s equal protection right, because with the recount, he may have still won the election.

Yes, I think the ability to fundraise is too important in elections; good candidates are prevented from running, because they cannot raise the funds they need. I witnessed firsthand this problem in action when my uncle ran for sheriff. He did not have the funds, so he relied on the money he raised. The person he was running against had more money to contribute to their campaign; so therefore, his opponent had his name seen more than my uncle. I think something should be done to fix this problem. Maybe like a maximum amount that candidates can put forth in their campaigns should be put in to affect, so people who do not have access to numerous funds can have a fair chance.

I do not really have an answer for why there is low voter turnout for elections, other than what excuses I have heard and my theory. Most of the excuses I have heard is that people do not have time or they do not care enough to vote, but my theory is that for today’s youth, there is not an emphasis on voting. Yes, they are taught that it is their right and duty as an American citizen to vote, but other than that, they are not taught or told that they need or should vote.

I commented on the blogs of Robert Johnson, Mathew Cooper, and Katelyn Dozier.

Chapter 9 Blog

I identify most with the Democratic Party, because I believe that people have the right to make their own choices, free of government interaction. I read the party platform, and I could not find anything with which I disagreed. I suppose this is why I identify with the Democratic Party; I cannot find anything in the platform that I am opposed to.

I do not think political parties are a necessity, but I look at it as labeling different point of views. I think that if political parties did not exist, that government and politics would still operate the same way as it does now. People who believe in the ability of others to make their own choices free of government interaction are given the label Democrats; People who want the government to uphold traditional moralities are labeled Republicans. People will have similar views or agree with the candidates’ views, so I feel that political parties are just giving people with similar views a label.

I researched and found that I agree with views of the Independence Party. I also found out that Governor Jesse Ventura created the party after leaving the Reform Party in 2000. The views of  the Independence Party is for campaign refinance and is pro-choice, pro-gay rights, pro-medical marijuana, pro-gun rights and fiscally moderate. The Independence Party consists of separately organized state affiliates in Florida, Illinois and Minnesota with no central national leadership. The reason I identify most with them is because of their belief in the right of the people to make their own choices.

I commented on the blogs of Katelyn Dozier, Mathew Cooper, and Robert Johnson.

Chapter 8 Blog

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is North America’s strongest and most diverse labor union. I learned that in 1903, the Teamsters started as a merger of the two leading team driver associations. I found it interesting that Teamsters have 1.4 million members, and there are nearly 1,900 Teamster affiliates throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Teamsters stand ready to organize workers who want to bargain collectively. Wages and benefits under Teamster contracts are markedly better than those of non-union employees in similar jobs. Teamster contracts are the guarantors of decent wages, fair promotion, health coverage, job security, paid time-off and retirement income, and they also perform vital tasks in such areas as pension management, safety & health, community outreach, governmental affairs and communications. I agree with their positions, because they are trying to help their members and others, who are not a part of their group, have better wages and benefits.

The National Organization for Women Foundation (“NOW Foundation”) is a 501(c) (3) organization devoted to achieving full equality for women through education and litigation, which I associate positively with. What I find persuasive about their position is that they fight for all women’s rights; they fight for the rights of gay women as well. I think that in this day in age, it is important for groups like this not to exclude gay couples, because they deserve the same rights too. Aside from that, they fight for right of women to be equal to men, and they focus on a broad range of women’s rights issues, including economic justice, pay equity, racial discrimination, women’s health and body image, women with disabilities, reproductive rights and justice, family law, representation of women in the media, and global feminist issues.

I think some interest groups have too much power in the political system. I do not think there is a fine line balance between freedom of speech and keeping unfair persuasion out of government, because I believe groups have the right to say whatever they want to say.  Figuratively speaking, if they project their voice loud enough, then they will be heard, so the groups that seem to have unfair persuasion just project their voice.

I commented on the blogs of Katelyn Dozier, Mathew Cooper, and Robert Johnson.

Chapter 7

I think media objectivity does still exist,but with the exception of some news casters. I think the majority the media sticks to what needs to be reported and not what they want to report. I think the reporters on CNN express their opinions too much on issues, even though they present the hard facts beforehand. I think most news casters like CBS and NBC, for the most part keep opinions out of their reporting.

I do not listen to talk shows, but even if I did, I do not think it would change my views and opinions. I take the hard facts and form my own opinions. Talk shows usually just tell their opinions without any facts to go along with them. I have always thought that opinions do not carry truth, they carry what they want to carry, and nothing I have experienced has proven that wrong. But, that is my opinion.

I think media objectivity is very important. People do not want opinions; they want the facts, so they can form their own opinions. If the media just reported their opinions, then there would essentially be nothing to report or no reason to watch, because there would be no evidence to back up or disprove their opinions.

I commented on the blogs of Katelyn Dozier, Nikki Stair, and Mathew Cooper.

Chapter 6 Blog

I think the news media is too dependent upon polls; almost everything they report they “confirm” or “disprove” with the results of the polls they create, but I do think it is appropriate for them to create and report them. I do not think the results they report will change the way people view issues. The results from these polls are unreliable, because they are biased. I think polls the news media creates have the potential to be beneficial if they were not biased. Political party identification is not really important to me nor am I really involved in politics, but it is/was more important to my parents and grandparents. Although it is/was more important to them, they are not fully involved either. My friends and I never really talk about politics, so I would say it is less important to them. I think my views on politics are influenced more by social issues. My views on personal choice are stronger than any of my views on the economy, even though the economy does need a substantial amount of work. Therefore, even though I do not really identify as either political party, I would say that through my views I would be more of a Democrat.

I commented on the blogs of Katelyn Dozier, Lee Ellison, and Mathew Cooper.

Chapter 5 Blog

I think the government does too little to reduce the instances of racial discrimination. Sure, the government has made laws regarding racial discrimination, but it still happens. People are still discriminated when it comes to jobs; although people may get an interview, they may not get the job, because of racial issues. I also think the government does too little for reduce the instances of gender discrimination, even though they have made laws. You can tell, because some jobs have a more dominance of male employees and other jobs have a more dominance of female employees. This could be because some workplaces think one gender could do the job better, but women can do the same work as men and men can do the same work as women. For sexual orientation, I do not think there is too much of an issue on workplace discrimination, but I do think the government could do more to let gays have the same rights as everyone else. I am a Christian, but I believe they should have the right to marriage.  It is their life, what they do in their life will not affect anyone else’s life.




I commented on the blogs of Robert Johnson, Mathew Cooper, and Katelyn Dozier.

Chapter 4 Blog

Freedom of speech is very important, and it does not go too far. All areas of freedom of speech should be protected. People should be able to say whatever they want whenever they want. People should not be disciplined for speaking their opinions. They know what they say and should be willing and probably are willing to accept the outcomes, negative or positive.

Separation of church and state is necessary. Government is government, and church is church; the two should not have to be combined. Government has a main job, protect the rights of the people and do not infringe their rights with laws. Church has a main job, worship a higher being. Neither of those is similar in any way.

Defendant’s rights should be crucial to our system of government, and I disagree that defendants have too many rights. Defendant’s right should be crucial, because even though they have commit a crime, not matter how bad the crime, they are still entitled to the same rights as everyone else. Saying that a defendant has “too many rights” is like saying the citizens of the United States have too many rights. Just because they have committed a crime does not mean they are any less of a person.

I commented on the blogs of Robert Johnson, Mathew Cooper, and Donna Fox.

Chapter 3 Blog

The national government and state governments should have somewhat equal power. Federalism is all about balancing power and decreasing the chance of tyranny, so the national government should have just enough power to mandate the states. Although, the issues that concern the nation as a whole, like health care and minimum wage, should be left to the national government to solve, but other issues that differentiate among the states or only concern only a few states, like education and poverty, should be left to the states to manage.

National power increased during the Great Depression because the entire nation’s economy was deteriorating, mostly because up until then, the economy was never really a priority. The shift in power happened because voters in the 1960s began to display wariness about powers of the national government. The shift was necessary, because the national government had finished the job of stimulating the economy. Therefore the power of the national government could lessen and give states more authority.

Education is a matter better left to the states, because states can get a better understanding of how students are preforming. States are able to see what needs to change for the better of their students. If the national government regulated education it would set standards that some state’s students might not be able to meet.

 

I commented on the blogs of Robert Johnson, Nikki Stair, and Katelyn Dozier.

Blogs I Commented on Chapter 2

Mathew Cooper
Donna Fox
Robert Johnson

Chapter 2

The United States Constitution is stronger than the Articles of Confederation, because the Constitution creates and imposes new rules that the Articles of Confederation did not. Under the Articles of Confederation: Congress could request states to pay taxes, there were no federal courts, there was no regulation of trade, there was no executive branch, and Congress could not raise an army. Whereas under the United States Constitution: Congress has the right to levy taxes, there is a federal court system, Congress can regulate trade between states, there is an executive branch, and Congress can raise an army. If the country still operated under the Articles of Confederation, the United States would have had no national security, therefore other countries could have invaded the U.S and ceased the existence of the world we know today.

From reading the first three articles of the Constitution, something I learn that I did not already know is that the Vice- President is the leader of the senate.

The Supreme Court ruling in Marbury v. Madison is very important, because it established judicial review, which gave the Supreme Court power to eliminate Congress’s actions that conflicted with the Constitution.

The United States government today is more like what the Federalists envisioned. When the Constitution was written, the Bill of Rights was the only thing the Antifederalists wanted that was included in the Constitution, and the Federalists only included the Bill of Rights to try and get the Antifederalists to agree to ratify the Constitution. The government today is still how the Federalists wanted it to be set up, and their Constitution is still the supreme law of the land.

About Me

Hello, my name is Taylor Wilson and I am from Monterey Tennessee. I attend Roane State at the Cumberland County campus. I love being outdoors, so I am always camping, hiking, or riding ATV’s. A random fact about me is I was voted the quietest person in my graduating class. I also graduated salutatorian of my class, but I do not know if that is really saying much because there were only sixty-seven people in the class. I hope to learn more about our government system in American Government. I also want to learn more about the Constitution, because there seems to be a lot of talk about how the government isn’t abiding by the Constitution. My academic major is Radiology. I want to eventually be able to do x-rays, MRI’s, and CT scans. I mostly want to work in a hospital, but an outpatient facility would be my second choice.