...Democracy in the United States: A comprehensive look at the Pros and Cons of a Federalist Society and Individual Freedoms. What is democracy, do we really understand the concept and the implications of the freedoms that our society enjoys. Democracy by definition is a “government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections”.(1) The United States democracy in current times can be a difficult situation to grasp, due to the fact that we are operating off of the Constitution written over 200 years ago, and individuals modern interpretations of what the founding fathers of this country would have considered appropriate doctrine and methodology. Through the aforementioned definition and the perspective of current lawmakers are the tools with which we will define whether the United States has become more or less democratic throughout its history. So what then are the advantages of a democracy? The first point would be that it is better for the population, everyone having an equal part or say in the laws which govern them is advantageous for any group of people. Democracy is often seen as a fairer and less arbitrary form of government as it allows the "will of the people" to become the law. To some degree, this prevents scenarios like a small, powerful minority exploiting...
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...The Federalist papers were written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay. These were a series of eighty-five anonymous essays published in the New York newspapers. The main focus of the Federalist papers was to convince the people to ratify the proposed United States Constitution. During this time period, the people of the states were hesitant of the new written constitution. They were concerned that this new proposed form of government was going to be a too similar setup as to the King they had just fought a war to declare independence from. The states were also concerned that they were going to lose the majority of their powers to a declared and newly established federal government. The federalist papers were written with the intent of informing...
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...Pros-Federalists ♥ Supporters of the Constitution that were led by Alexander Hamilton and John Adams. They firmly believed the national government should be strong. They didn't want the Bill of Rights because they felt citizens' rights were already well protected by the Constitution. ♥ Felt that there should be three independent branches each representing a different aspect of the people, and because they are equal one cannot overpower the other. ♥ The more organized party. ♥ The party that wanted the constitution to be ratified and it was! ♥ Federalist vision of the country supported the belief that a National Government based on the Articles of the Confederation was inadequate to support an ever growing and expanding nation. ♥ Federalists were made up of the wealthy and elite plantation owners and businessmen. ♥ The Federalists believed the articles of confederation which were the first attempt to unite the country into a continental nation had failed ♥ Cons-Anti Federalists ♥ Thought Congress held too much power. ♥ Did not like it that there was no bill of rights. ♥ Opponents of a strong central government who campaigned against the ratification of the Constitution in favor of a confederation of independent states ♥ Believe Executive Branch held too much power. ♥ Did not want the constitution Ratified ♥ Did not get their way. ♥ Anti-Federalists believed the Constitution and formation of a National Government would lead to a monarchy...
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...III) Articles of Confed a) Confederation b) Specific Terms c) General Results d) Shays Rebellion IV) Constitution a) 4 key debates B) Specific terms of the articles (about the national govt.) • Unicameral legislature • No power to tax • No power to raise army • No executive branch (could make laws but not enforce them) • No judicial branch • Unanimous vote needed to change Articles C) General results of the Articles • Weak and incomplete national govt. • Economic chaos o States fund the war by borrowing money from federal govt. o Govt. wants the money back o Economy dries up and leads to a “trade war” with competing interest o States taxes their own citizens since they can’t borrow money o People (mostly farmers) lose their possessions and property since they can’t pay taxes o Damages the economy even more since farm family is out of work • No sufficient national defense o Enemy 1 the British o French and the Spanish also potential threats o Native Indian tribes also potential threat • States are left largely on their own (13 separate states, no unity) D) Shay’s Rebellion 4 Key debates 1. Representation of the states (large population vs. small population) o States might be equal but not for individuals o Creates a Bicameral Legislation (2 houses) 1. Senate 2. House of reps (representation based on population) which is known as “the great compromise” o Defensive compromise; better at not getting stuff done than getting stuff done. 2. Slavery...
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...But I also can't say that electoral college works the way it supposed to work. There are certainly positive effects of electoral college, but let's take a look at two main problems that it should help with, but actually it doesn't. Is it helpful against tyranny? The last elections showed that answer is no. A candidate still can manipulate people's feeling through creating the cult of personality or whatever, but just instead of the one big campaign you need to make 51 small campaigns. The other pro of the electoral college, that we can argue about, is giving opportunity for all states become equal candidates attention. Let's see at this year's election, the candidates most visited states during campaign are Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania. Why the candidates spent more time and money in those states more than in others? Because the electoral college force them to do that. They know that if they will lose even with the small difference they will lose all electoral votes. So, the candidates have no reason to pay that much attention to the states with big margins, like California for democrats or Texas for republican. Instead, they are interesting in the needs of just few states with close...
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...In this course, I have learned a lot of knowledge of political. Democratic is a type of a government of a country. To answer the question that how is democratic is the United States, we need consider several aspects. First of all, in our week 3, 4, which are The Constitution and Federalist paper. We can see how is democratic the Constitution. For example, In Federalist No.10. Madison saw the Constitution as framing an "happy combination" of a republic and a democracy government and with "the colossal and total interests being alluded to the national, the neighborhood and specific to the State councils" the power would not be brought together, along these lines making it "more troublesome for unworthy possibility to rehearse the horrendous expressions by which decisions are over and over again conveyed"(Federalist No.10). Moreover, according to the Chapter 2 power point, we can know that the Constitution is the basic law of society, It is society’s rule book, provides a general vision, creates political structures and how those structures will function and it places limits on power and establishes rights(Chapter2 power point). Furthermore,...
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...In the Constitution, “describing the electoral college is longer and descends to more detail than any other single issue”(Guelzo). Guelzo reminds us that the founding fathers cared so deeply for this one subject and went so in depth describing it solely to protect us from “tyranny of the majority”(“Pros and Cons”). When the founding fathers chose the use of electors over the popular vote it was only to protect all citizens, especially the ones living in unpopulated areas(“Pros and Cons”). Alexander Hamilton insisted that the electoral college is if “not perfect, it is at least excellent” because “ the office of president will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications”(“Pros and Cons”). Another reason to support the electoral college is that it has only failed five times; this was when a president who received the most electoral votes did not receive the most popular votes but still became president. The founding fathers did not lack the technology resources when they made the electoral college and it it is the very thing holding our sometimes volatile democracy in line(Prabhushankar). When politics get out of line, the electoral college poses as a constant, which brings a sort of order to society...
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...still has a place and can be seen in this country in 2014. The Cornell University School of Law defines Federalism in the following way: “Federalism is a system of government in which the same territory is controlled by two levels of government” (Cornell, 2014). In basic terms this means that the country's government is broken up into parts that handle various levels of concern. For example, the United States of America has developed a government that functions on the local, state and federal level. Since the layout of the government is broken into these three sections, then American can be considered an example of a country that is run by Federalist principles. With that in mind, there are a number of examples of how this ideal, which can be considered dated, is still functioning within the world today. The development of a federalist type of government allows the national level to deal with issues of national concern, while the states tend to deal with issues within their own borders. “The U.S. Constitution grants the federal government with power over issues of national concern, while the state governments, generally have jurisdiction over issues of domestic concern” (Cornell, 2014). What this means is the National level of the US Government has the ability to do such things as declare war, levy taxes and mint money. On the other hand, states have the powers that are not provided to the highest level of government....
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...This meeting was intended for Jefferson to discuss about plans pertaining to the new government with James Monroe and the site of the capital. Monroe stopped Hamilton and his actions with the government already. This incident damages the relationship between the two. Another situation is that these men already had their own set ideologies and acts to pass within the government. While Hamilton did have allies, he and Jefferson founded their own group in secret. This was named as the Compromise of 1790. Chapter 3 was based on the topic of slavery. Thomas Scott and James Jackson supported slavery at the time. Slavery was discussed with its pros and cons such as the economic yield from it, but the morality against it. To remove all the negative emotion with this topic, the men agreed to make Congress not have the ability to remove slavery. Benjamin Franklin opposed this but had his hands tied because he feared of the southern states’ secession due to...
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...Unemployment Policies in the United States Amanda Bowman Russel Riggs American National Government February 8, 2015 In the United States, unemployment is a common occurrence. At this point you’d think that we would have pretty much everything figured out as far as being able to keep our people afloat financially. But slowly the middle class is disappearing, and there are a lot more Americans trying to survive on an unemployment income. The federal government has a lot of pull in whether people are eligible to receive unemployment benefits, and the amount that they’re entitled. The policies that go into making these benefits available to the unemployed have good points and bad points. The economy in the United States definitely isn’t where it should be in the past few years. A lot of people have been laid off because of either their company is downsizing or they aren’t making enough money to stay open and pay their employees. “More than four years into an economic recovery, the unemployment rate remains abnormally high and long-term joblessness a major problem. The employment crisis has exacerbated longer term U.S. labor market trends of rising inequality, tepid real wage growth for most workers, and a decline in middle-wage jobs” (Katz 2014). And in this sediment, there are thousands of Americans that are jobless and there doesn’t seem to be any relief any time soon. The specific policy that allows an individual to receive unemployment benefits actually gave...
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...Bicameral- two houses, one more populace, one more elitist. Reapportionment- happens every 10 years after census, readjusts how many representatives. Redistricting- within a state, you redraw districts according to how many representatives you have Gerrymandering- You mess around with redistricting…the state senate redraws the districts in favor of how they want. Advantages of being an incumbent- they win 85% of the time. They have name recognition Pro’s for term limits- when politicians become professional they begin to lose touch with the people and become corrupt… Con- when you have a really good one, they are limited to what they can do Who presides over the Senate? Vice President Powers of the Speaker of the House- Call on people to speak, assign bills to committees, set time limits for debates. Nancy Pelosi- Speaker of the House, from San Francisco, California. Pro tempore- has to do with the fact that the vice president never shows up to the senate, the senior member of the major party is the leader of the senate Majority leader- the person who sets the agenda for the party Whip- the one who counts the votes and makes sure it gets done…twists peoples arms to get them to vote their way. Filibuster- somebody talks as long as they want Cloture- two thirds majority vote in the senate, you can limit the amount of time spent debating a bill. Riders- attached to bills and usually have nothing to do with bills, attempt to get politicians...
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...Abstract This paper seeks a philosophical insight of democracy in general and American democracy in particular by unfolding the paradoxes entailed to whittle a credible conclusion. It attempts to explore contradictions of democracy whether democracy is a best system of governance? Is true democracy possible? Has it to be moral in character? Why other systems of governance tend to challenge the basic fabrics of democracy? Why democracy has turned out to be more productive than other forms of government? Then focus shifts to paradoxes entailed in self evident truth of American democracy. Is American democracy a representative of a true democracy? Does it cater the smaller factions of society? Has the democratic system fostered the rights of liberty, justice, life and pursuit of happiness to good effect for masses once challenged by terrorism, racism, poverty and recession? What good it has brought to its people? Why does America deserve to lead world community? Finally, conclusion is inquired about by addressing the question that How American dream can be pursued in its true democratic meaning? Isn’t it strange that few render democracy as the bludgeoning of the people, by the people, for the people? On the other hand, for some, it is a government of all the people, by all the people, for all the people; a government after the principles of eternal justice, the unchanging law of God; the idea of freedom. Idea of democracy as rule of people traces its expression from...
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...Christian Llerena BUS 200 Dr. Lasher 3/19/12 The Electoral College is defined as “a body of electors chosen by the voters of each state to elect the President and Vice President of the United States”. The Electoral College system has been a staple in the United States since the ratification of The Constitution, however there is much debate on whether it should remain or be done away with completely. In this essay, I will give a brief history on the Electoral College, how it works, and why it was created in the first place. Despite the shortcomings and limitations of the Electoral College I believe that it should not be abolished because it contributes to the cohesiveness of the country, it maintains a federal system of government, and it maintains the interests of minority groups. To begin with, I will discuss how the Electoral College works. The Electoral College operates by having each state allocate a number of electors equal to the number of its U.S. Senators (always 2) along with the number of its U.S. Representatives (varies from state to state depending on its population). Next, after all their caucuses and primaries, each party nominates their candidates for president and vice president. After that, the people from each state vote for a party’s slate of electors. Whichever party slate gains the most popular votes becomes the slate of electors for that state. Then, the electors meet in their respective state’s capitol and cast their votes for president and vice...
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...Duterte reveals platform of government Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano were set to lay down their platform of government in a forum on Thursday (January 7) at the Plaza Independencia in Cebu City. In a press conference prior to the event, Duterte revealed some plans he had once elected as president. He said that his administration would be "left leaning" and he has a socialist principle. Duterte said that he would push for an end to the insurgency problem with communist rebels, having direct contacts with the NPA-NDF leaders such as Joma Sison. Duterte also said that he was against contractualization of laborers and would push for reforms in the income tax law which will cover more exemptions such as for those earning below P20,000 a month. The Davao chief executive also said that he would not declare martial law — unlike the "doomsday" scenario painted by his opponents. "But I tell criminals not to push me to go the extreme," Duterte warned. Duterte also specifically said that he would end the problem of illegal drugs in just three to six months into his administration. Organizers and supporters of Duterte said that it would be the first time for the tandem to lay down their platform of government. Duterte: Polls on federalism in 2 yrs DAVAO CITY—Presumptive President-elect Rodrigo Duterte projected a two-year timetable to submit to a referendum his proposal to dismantle the current presidential, unitary...
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...person only sees one side of an argument, they can be confused as to why anyone would believe otherwise, or simply be confused as to whether or not they’re seeing everything. Larry Sanger, in an article for The Federalist claims, “Another mistake is the claim that bias is a trivial problem. ‘It happens, sure,’ I’ve heard repeatedly, ‘but everybody can read between the lines. Maybe if journalists would simply admit their bias, readers would stop being so bothered by it.’”(3 Major Mistakes People Make About Media Bias) Sanger is writing about mistakes in the interpretation of media bias, and it’s quite compelling, however, he doesn’t mention the fact that readers and viewers should not have to read between the lines of their media outlets journalistic bias, they should be able to go to one news story and get the facts about it, not be confused by having to go to multiple sites and “read between the lines.” In an article on the 2016 election and the media’s role in it, John Sides stated, “it varies over time and appears to depend on the most salient events. For example, Donald Trump’s worst weeks may have come in November 2015, around the time he suggested the need for a national database of Muslim citizens and also mocked a disabled New York Times reporter.”(The Pros and Cons of Government-Subsidized Journalism) This particular quote is talking about a study where people made a program that sifted through every news story since the beginning of the election cycle for keywords as an...
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