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Chapter 13- Bureaucracies

1. Research federal agencies and explain which one you feel is the most important one and why?

I researched the National Security Council. The NSC is the President’s principal forum for considering national security and foreign policy matters with his senior national security advisors and cabinet officials. The function of the council is to advise and assist the President on national security and foreign policies. The NSC is chaired by the President and attended regularly by the Vice President, Secretary of State, Secretary of Treasury, Secretary of Defense, and the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. Other federal officials such as the Attorney General are invited to attend when the meetings pertain to their responsibilities. This agency is important because it is necessary for our government to do all it can to keep its citizens safe while promoting good relationships with foreign countries.

 

2. Which federal agency could be terminated with the least impact (if any) and why?

After researching the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, I believe it would have little impact if it was terminated. The FMCS was created in 1947 and is an independent agency whose mission is to preserve and promote labor-management peace and cooperation. It proves mediation and conflict resolution serves to industry, government agencies, and communities. It concentrates its efforts on assisting employers and employees in coping with the demands of a rapidly changing workplace. I believe these issues could be solved on a closer and more local level, without having to contact federal agencies while helping to reduce government spending and tax dollars at the same time.

 

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 do not feel like we need any new federal agencies. If anything, there are a lot of agencies that need to be done away with. When I was going through the list of federal agencies, I couldn’t believe how many there were! A lot of them seem to overlap one another and could definitely be combined to save money. Some others are outdated yet are still active and wasting money. And then again, there are those that should have never been created to begin with. I believe the president should take some time to go through and combine and eliminate agencies that are no longer serving their full purposes. Any way that our country can eliminate spending without negative impact should be taken advantage of, instead of just creating new agencies to clean up the mess others have created.

Chapter 12

1. What makes a great President (not which Presidents have been great) . . . what qualities are essential to greatness?  Why?
An article I read on CNN noted that presidential greatness is determined by being in the White House at the right time, or the wrong time. Americans expect a lot from the leader of our country. They want the President to take quick action on problems facing the nation. A good President should be able to respond quickly in pressured situations while being strong and caring. Author Michael Siegel identified four leadership qualities that define excellence in the White House. First, the president should have a compelling vision for his presidency. Second, the president has to have the wherewithal to implement his vision.  Third, he has to focus on a few major goals at a time. Finally, the president must understand the process and implications of decision making.

2. Other than Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, which two Presidents have been the greatest and why?
Franklin Roosevelt is considered one of the greatest presidents in history, largely because he was good at communicating with the public. He knew what people wanted, which was action, words, and optimism. He took large action against the Great Depression and many believe he was the reason the Depression ended. His words and actions regarding the Pearl Harbor attacks are still quoted today and still left him as a role model to presidents after him. Roosevelt’s successor Harry Truman was also considered to be one of the best presidents. He ordered the use of atomic bombs to end World War II, which was called one of the boldest presidential decisions in history.

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?
I chose to research President John F. Kennedy because even though I have heard about his assassination, I have not heard about anything he accomplished during his presidency. President Kennedy was sworn in as the 35^th president on January 20, 1961. He gained a lot of fame in his inaugural address, speaking the now famous phrase “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country”. Kennedy wanted to organize his presidency like the structure of a wheel, with all the spokes leading to the president. On April 17^th, 1961, Kennedy ordered the Bay of Pigs Invasion in Cuba. The intention was to invade Cuba and cause an uprising among Cuban people in hopes of removing Castro from power. His approval rating increased after the Cuban Missile Crisis because it was believed to have improved the image of American willpower and the president’s credibility.

Chapter 11: Congress

1. Who are your Senators and your Congressman?

The two senators who represent Tennessee are Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker. They are both republican. There are nine congressional districts in Tennessee. The first district is represented by republican David Roe. The second district is represented by John “Jimmy” Duncan Jr. who is also a republican. Republican Charles “Chuck” Fleischmann represents Tennessee’s third district. The fourth district is represented by republican Scott Desjarlais. One of Tennessee’s two democratic representatives, Jim Cooper, represents the fifth district. The sixth, seventh, and eighth districts are all represented by republicans who include Diane Black, Marsha Blackburn, and Stephen Fincher. The second of Tennessee’s two democratic representatives is Steve Cohen, who represents the ninth district of the state.

2. Research the areas they champion and find one you support. What is it and why do you also support it?

I researched Senator Lamar Alexander’s role in the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act. It was introduced on February 7, 2013 and is a bill to reduce preterm labor and delivery and the risk of pregnancy-related deaths and complications due to pregnancy, and to reduce infant mortality caused by prematurity. The bill seeks to increase studies on the clinical, biological, social, environmental, genetic, and behavioral factors relating to prematurity, as well as tracking the advances and findings of these studies. The goal is to greatly reduce the amount of preterm births first and foremost to ensure healthy births, but also to reduce the costs of extended hospital stays. I feel that it is extremely important to continue studies on this subject so that the number of babies born prematurely could possibly be reduced. This bill requires that a plan of action be reported to congressional committees, followed by progress reports every two years.

3. Find an issue one of your Senators or Congressman champions that you disagree with. Why do you disagree?

      

I disagree with republican representative Diane Black’s efforts to terminate the authority of the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to provide assistance under the Tenant Resource Network Program through H.R. 224: Stop Tenant Organizing Promotion Act. The Tenant Resource Network Program reaches out to people in need of housing assistance. Its purpose is to award grants to qualified applicant organizations to assist, inform, educate, and engage tenants of eligible assisted properties regarding their rights, responsibilities and options. Representative Black does not want the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to be able to provide assistance to this program, which doesn’t seem like it should be an issue. The program is trying to help people in need and I don’t see why a person shouldn’t be able to help, no matter what position he or she holds.

Chapter 10

1. Read Bush v. Gore in the text. Do you agree with the majority or the dissenting opinion? Why?
I think I agree with the dissenting opinion. From what I understand, the Constitution gives the right to the states to control their election. If the election was so close that officials were unable to determine a winner, I think the only fair way would be to recount the votes. It seems strange that the Supreme Court happened to make their decision only a couple hours before what they said was Florida’s intended deadline. The state should have made a more standardized way to recount votes so that it didn’t come down to a matter of opinion, but I think they should have been recounted either way just to be fair to both candidates.

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 definitely believe fundraising is too important in elections. Money becomes an issue on many different platforms. A candidate who has more resources has more opportunity to reach voters, which could be unfair to an amazing candidate who just doesn’t have as much financial flexibility. More money means more advertising as well. It’s like at a kids Christmas party. Teachers put limits on how much gifts should cost so that one child doesn’t get a gift that is so much better than the other children. More money is more power. I think there should be stricter limits placed on how much can be spent on a campaign so that it is more fair.


3. Why is there such voter apathy - in other words, why is there often such low voter turnout for elections? Is there a way to rectify this problem?
Demographics such as race, sex, age, income, and education all play a role in who shows up to the polls. Voter turnout peaks at 45 years old and continues at that rate until advanced age sets in (about 80 years or older). If more young adults were educated on politics and how important elections are, maybe more people would care to vote. Income also plays a big part, because the more a person makes the more likely they are to vote because they have more at stake. They are also more likely to have a way to get there. Transportation could be provided to those less fortunate. Education has the most to do with elections in my opinion, because those who have been taught about what is important are more inclined to vote as well as teach others.

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?

         This is probably the most confusing question anyone could ever ask me. I am so on the fence about this topic that it is too difficult for me to choose. Religious issues sway me one way, while economical reasons sway me another, and to be honest I really haven’t figured it all out for myself yet. There are things that I agree with and disagree with in all party platforms. I am still young, and living under the wings of my family my entire life mostly just left me in the dark on political issues. I am still learning, and because I AM still learning, I do not see myself fit to blindly associate myself with a certain party. I actually picked this class over other humanities so that I could understand our government better. Maybe by the end I’ll have it all figured out!!!

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

Because America is so diverse, I do believe we need political parties. Political parties help to hold our government accountable, promote public debate about policy options, and get citizens involved in the public sphere. Some political scientists believe that parties are in decline and that the decline is causing a major problem. Other scientists believe that the parties aren’t declining, but merely changing, and that they are just as strong as they used to be. While researching, I found a lot of articles that dealt with the possibility of the creation of a new party. The idea is that after highly charged elections or in a string of such elections, big and lasting shifts occurred in how voters behaved. Because of this, some political scientist believe we are on the edge of a political revolution. Because people need that influence and back up of people who believe in the same things, I do not believe that America could ever go without parties. There are too many different opinions, with strong supporters behind all of them.

3. Please research lesser known political parties. Which one do you identify with? Why?

I was surprised at the length of the list of political parties. Most were serious, but there were some (such as the United States Pirate Party) that I was shocked actually made the list. I believe I identified the most with the America First Party.  The party is pro-life, opposes all gun control, seeks to end affirmative action, racial quotas, and illegal and unlimited immigration. The party opposes the idea that the Constitution bars expressions of religious faith in the public square. It supports allowing organized prayer in public places, especially in public schools, as well as allowing displays of religious icons (such as tablets of the Ten Commandments) by the government on public property. I agree with most of the beliefs of this party, but would have to deeper research them.

Chapter 8 Blog Comments

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