In the end, Alex Bumberg asks Russ Feingold why no one is pushing for a change in the system. His response, though it could be described as disheartening, is something that I can understand. “It’s the system, and it’s the water in which we swim…[they] were elected under the system...It’s hard to get people to change something after they win that way.” It is crushing to think that Congress could be so corrupt. But any system can be difficult to challenge, especially when it benefits so many people with so much influence. Bumberg points out how many of the politicians and lobbyists they spoke to hate the mess that is political fundraising. I honestly don’t think I understand the system well enough to fully appreciate that these individuals who…
The campaign respects the decision made today by NYSUT, to endorse Jim Tedisco. However we are still saddened, and worried by this action. This campaign are still of the belief that what is best for teachers, students, and all public schools is to fully fund them.…
In the article “Is there Value in Uninformed Voters?” Brian Dickerson discusses his views on whether or not if people who are apathetic to politics should really cast their ballot on Election Day. Mr. Dickerson believes the way elections are held today are very restrictive to those who are willing to put in the time and effort to study the candidates and the issues, by having a small period to cast their ballots and difficulty to cast an absentee ballot. Citizens that are ill-informed are undermining American democracy because they are putting incapable leaders into office by not studying those who are running or what their values are, they mostly look at the letter that is next to the name. Dickerson states that even lower-tiered, local elections…
With the ability to win over voter’s hearts and gain political support Plunkitt comfortably knows how to keep a seat in Tammany Hall. One of his, again, “honest” tactics, Plunkitt knows how to target specific types…
Legislators cannot be swayed by public opinion or the media; they cannot make a decision based on what will make them popular or get them reelected. In order to get public trust back, our legislators must, more than ever before, act in the best interests of the nation—to keep the long run in mind. They must take Coolidge’s words to heart—they cannot be afraid of being called a standpatter or a demagogue and instead focus on legislating to the best of their abilities. Legislators must do whatever is necessary in order to gain back the trust of their constituents—they must “Do the day’s…
Secondly, many of the things candidates do in the hope of winning elections (meeting voters, attending events, appearing in the media etc) are part of the job description of members of congress. In other words, they do not need to take time out of their jobs to campaign – they are effectively paid to campaign. Any challenger must figure out a way to campaign without it effecting their income or financial stability.…
Vice-Presidential candidates Mike Pence(R) and Tim Kaine(D) took to the stage Tuesday to debate which of their running mates could best lead the United States through a turbulent period in its history.…
The American system of government is democratic. Democracy is a form of government in which people choose leaders by voting. In America, they hold elections at the local, state, and federal level. In the elections the voters choose among the leaders of political parties for the open office position. America has two major political parties: Democrat and Republican. There are more political parties than that, but with the way the electoral process works most third parties are doomed to fail since they will not get the popular vote. Though for President and Vice President the popular vote does not matter since the Electoral College chooses the President and Vice President. Many eligible voters have decided to “protest vote” meaning not voting…
The way he worded the question gave an indication as to his side. “Were representatives supposed to act as simple proxies for their constituents? Or were they supposed to exercise independent judgment?” He uses the word “simple” to underscore that this route leads to dumb representatives. He then Introduces the two sides of the argument.…
After finishing the quiz, my Personal Score was 48% and my Economic Score was 32%. Then, my political philosophy results labeled me as a “Moderate Liberal Populist.” Upon reading more into the quiz results, I find that, since my Economic Score is below 40%, it meant that I “believe that a good society is best achieved by the government distributing wealth [and that] the government’s purpose is to decide which programs are good for society, and how much should be spent on each program” (ontheissues.org).…
A congressman can be a person from either house of Congress. Members of Congress play a huge role in every American’s life. Congressmen mold our health care system, make critical decisions about the U.S. economy, and represent the hopes and interests of every American in U.S. It is usually huge for people to look into a congressman to see if they hold the attributes to even run or to be a congressman and represent many Americans. If someone's behavior is untrustworthy or disagreeable, that will make the news. But the characteristics and skills that set good congressmen apart should draw more attention. Some characteristics that make a capable congressman is preparation, proactively, and loyalty.…
Giffords convinces the audience that because she has represented southern Arizona she has the basic knowledge about passing hopeful bills and what goes on “behind closed doors”. She informs her audience, “They will try to hide their decision behind grand talk, behind willfully false accounts of what the bill might have done — trust me, I know how politicians talk when they want to distract you”. Because Giffords understands how politics operate, she knows the skills and methods that Senators use. She clearly knows how they will try to manipulate others and divert the truth of their decisions. Giffords also introduces her pedigree through stating, “I was elected six times to represent southern Arizona, in the state Legislature and then in Congress. I know what a complicated is; I know what it feels like to take a tough vote”. Because Giffords is engaged in politics and an appointed government official, the audience tightly clings to her argument and finds the proper respect. She gains the trust to be able to talk about. Not only is Giffords fully qualified of persuading the readers through her expertise but she is unbiased and fair in her…
The word “reticence” is not a common word to hear in everyday life. The word “politician” while more commonly used, has received a bad reputation, at least in the United States, because it has been associated with power-hungry, manipulative public officials who value the progress of their agenda over their own integrity. Public officials, from Presidents to mayors, have been caught lying to the public within the U.S. liberal democracy, have tainted their own reputations, and have lost trust from the people they were elected to serve. By entering into a position of service to over 300 million people in the United States, political officials, especially those who serve at the federal level, should be held to a higher…
These elected people in congress should be valued for their experience especially if they have served there for a very long time. These people have worked there and know what they are doing. It would just be a longer process if we had to re-elect new people into congress.’’It takes more than a term or two to fully understand the intricacies of tax law dealt with by members of the House Ways and Means Committee’’( Kaufman). If the congressmen…
In the past century, people continued to express an increasingly discontent view of Congress especially true when one looks back before the Clinton Impeachment debacle As the size of the nation and the number of congressman have grown, the congress has come under attack by both public influences and congressman themselves. Yet looking at one congressman's relationship with his or her constituents, it would be hard to believe that this is the branch of government that has come under suspect. In "If Ralph Nader says congress is 'The broken branch,' how come we love our congressman so much?" author Richard F. Fenno, Jr., provides insight into this view and why, through congress coming under fire, constituents still feel positively about there congressmen. Although congress is often criticized, its fine tuned functioning is essential in checking the power of congress without hindering the making of legislation…