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.