chapter 14

1.)    Justice Hugo Lafayette Black was a Supreme Court Justice from 1937 until 1971 and was appointed to that position by Franklin D. Roosevelt. Justice Black was a Democrat and represented Alabama in the United States from 1927 until 1937 when he was appointed to the position of Supreme Court Justice.  Black was noted to have been very supportive of civil rights and liberal policies throughout his career as a Senator and a Supreme Court Justice.  One of the biggest most landmark court cases Justice Black heard during his time in the Supreme Court was Engel v. Vitale.  This case dealt with the separation of church and state and public schools beginning the day with a recited prayer.  Justice Black delivered the opinion of the court for this case.  Black wrote that the court had ruled that government written prayers were not to be recited in public schools and were an unconstitutional violation of the establishment clause of the First Amendment. I agree with Justice Black on his stance in this case. I also believe his views on separation of church and state are right and that there should be a strict wall of separation between church and state.

2.)    I believe that judicial review should be exercised regularly. I feel that it is very important for the judiciary system to review laws passed and actions of the other branches of government.  This ensures that the laws passed and actions of the other branches are constitutional and does not impede on the civil liberties and equal rights of all citizens of the United States.  It is the job of the courts to protect us as citizens from unjust laws and practices that may arise within the national or state level governments. 

3.)    I believe that the framers knew what was right when they wrote the Constitution. However, they knew what was right in that time period and for what was happening in the everyday life of America back then.  Times change and people change and our nation has changed dramatically since the Constitution was written.  With the changing times and changing nation our Constitution must be allowed to grow with it so that fair and just decision can be made for all citizens and it can ensure that everyone shares equal civil liberties. Many people would disagree with this reasoning of an un-strict constitution. But there is no possible way the framers of the Constitution could predict or know the future of the country and could not prepare for how much our nation has evolved, grew, and changed since 1787 when they drafted the Constitution.     

I commented on the following blogs:

Edward King:  http://edking1963.blogspot.com

Tinisha Key:  http://keytd.blogspot.com

Robert Cook:  http://rcookclassblog.blogspot.com

chapter 13

1.)    I believe that many of the federal agencies that are active in today’s government are very important and have vital roles in today’s government.  I feel that the most important federal agency is the Environmental Protection agency, the EPA.  It was established by congress in 1970 to dictate and relate certain aspects when it concerns the well being of our environment.  The EPA has a unique role in the federal government, with responsibility for preserving the quality of air, water, and land. It monitors the quality of the air and the pollution levels in it, and also controls and regulates the disposal of waste and the proper of disposing waste to make certain we live in the cleanest world as possible.  It has the power to create and issue policies to protect the cleanliness of our environment which affects us in our everyday and our health as well. This is a very important agency in and it plays many crucial roles in our government today.  I believe that without the EPA our world and environment would be in much worse shape than it is today.

2.)    I believe that out of all the federal agencies I researched that the International Broadcasting Bureau would be the easiest terminated and have the least impact on government and the citizens of the United States if it were to be terminated.  With modern advances in technology such as the internet, blogs, and the newer technological devices that make the internet and news so readily available I feel that these advances have done away with the importance this agency may have carried in earlier years of its existence.  I believe that if this agency were to be disbanded it would have little effect in today’s government or in the everyday lives of citizens. I also believe that the federal funding for this agency could be used and applied to other agencies and causes that carry more weight and importance in today’s times and government.

3.)    I do not believe that any other agencies are needed necessarily.  I believe that the agencies we have in place now are sufficient in their jobs and cover most bases that we would need a federal agency for. I actually believe that there are a couple agencies that could be done away with for the simple fact that their power is very limited or that the agency itself has run its course and is no longer effective or needed in today’s times.   

I commented on the following peoples blogs:

Tinisha Key:  http://keytd.blogspot.com

Pam Smith:  http://percious3355.blogspot.com

Cheyenne Canter:  http://canterc.blogspot.com

chapter 12

1.)    I believe that it takes many qualities to make a good President.  They must be honest and should have a firm stance in their beliefs and not be wishy-washy in their political views whether they be economic or social issues.  I also believe that the President should not let his or her religion affect the decisions made or their beliefs while in office.  The President should strive for equality of all citizens in the United States and make sure he does everything within his power to ensure that equality for all is instituted.  He should also be gracious and humble; no one likes an arrogant leader.  They should try to implement fair policies and tactics that would better our nation as whole and not just certain groups within it.  The President should also have firm beliefs in national security, not necessarily aggressive ones, but more of a take-no-crap approach but have the skills to negotiate and be diplomatic with other countries to prevent as many national security threats as possible.

2.)    I believe that two of our greatest presidents have been Jimmy Carter and Thomas Jefferson. Jimmy Carter, the thirty-ninth president of the United States was a soft spoken man with strong political beliefs and stood firm in those beliefs throughout his presidency.  He also believed in equality for all American citizens and once said, “Human rights is the soul of our foreign policy, because human rights is the very soul of our sense of nationhood.". He accomplished a great amount during his Presidency, including the SALT II treaty which sought to reduce strategic nuclear weapon manufacturing by the Soviet Union and the United States. Considering that he served during the era of the Cold War this was a very big accomplishment and eased the minds of our worried nation.  He also played a large role for peace in the Middle East when he signed the Camp David Accords. These negotiations directly resulted in the Egypt-Israel peace treaty and he was hailed for being able to negotiate peace between these two countries which were known for their shaky relations.  He also had a huge part to play in Iran Hostage Crisis. This crisis was between Iran and the United States where 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days.  Just minutes after the inauguration of President Reagan these Hostages were released and Reagan got most of the credit for the release even though Carter was the President in office during this crisis.  Many believe that this crisis not being resolved at the time of the election was why Carter was not re-elected for a second term.  Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, is still considered today to be one the brightest and most intellectual people of his time.  He was a very well educated man in many fields of study.  He could read and speak Greek, Latin, French and English.  He is known as one of the framers and founders of the United States and was at the forefront of the revolution in Virginia.  He also drafted the United States Constitution. Without Thomas Jefferson and his influence on the United States during the Revolution it is safe to say that things may have turned out very differently and America would not be the great nation that it is today.

3.)    I was very unfamiliar with our tenth president, John Tyler, member of the Whig party. I learned some very interesting facts about him while doing some research. He had the most children out of any other president, 15 children, and the last when he was 70 years old. He also held many other political offices; he was a U.S. Representative, a Senator, The Governor of Virginia, and also the Vice President to President William Henry Harrison. President Harrison caught a cold after standing in the rain during his inauguration and died one month after being sworn in as president leaving the Presidency to Tyler. I do not believe he was a very affective President as many of his views were not progressive but instead regressive to the state of our nation at the time.  Tyler was very pro-slavery which angered many slavery abolitionists. As President, he vetoed many of the Whig parties proposals which made many of his cabinet members resign and resulted in him being expelled from the Whig party.  The Civil War began 16 years after Tyler’s term as President and to no surprise he sided with the confederates and served in the Confederate House of Representatives shortly before his death. Despite his shortcomings in domestic policy while he was President, he did have a few foreign policy achievements. The possibly biggest achievement was the annexation of Texas, which he devoted his last two years of office to accomplish.

I commented on the following blogs for this chapter:

Tinisha Key:  http://keytd.blogspot.com

Robert Cook:  http://rcookclassblog.blogspot.com

Cheyenne Canter:  http://canterc.blogspot.com

chapter 11

11.)    The U.S. Senators for the state of Tennessee are Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker. Tennessee is represented by 9 members in the House of Representatives. They are; Phil Roe, John Duncan Jr., Chuck Fleischmann, Scott DesJarlais, Jim Cooper, Diane Black, Marsha Blackburn, Stephen Fincher, and Steve Cohen. I live in the 8^th district of Tennessee and this district’s Representative is Stephen Fincher.

2.)    Congressman Jim Cooper is firm supporter of the arts and the music industry. Nashville is a part of Congressman Cooper’s jurisdiction which is a place where music flourishes and somewhere that people travel to with hopes of having a career in music. Nashville is home to many recording artists and companies, The Grand Ole Opry, and the Country Music Hall of Fame. People come from all places to visit Nashville because of its rich music history, and that is not something Congressman Cooper is willing to let die. He feels that a sound music policy is important to Nashville and he has made it one of his top priorities.  He is a co-sponsor of the Performance Rights Act, which make sure performers and artists receive proper and fair compensation for their works. He also supports the PRO-IP Act, which strengthens ownership of songs, art, etc. and makes penalties stronger for those who break the law by trying to counterfeit these artists’ ideas or works. I agree with his stances on this topic and feel that more people in his position should take an interest in the arts and the music industry. I firmly support the arts because music has helped me overcome man obstacles in my life. I feel that the arts have lost a lot of their support over the years especially in our schools, especially in rural and underprivileged areas. I hope that someday music and art will once again be supported in the school system as it once was.  I believe that music could be an amazing and positive influence in young people’s lives as it has been in mine.

3.)    Bob Corker is a strong supporter of the pro-life movement in reference to abortion and believes that life starts at conception.  I disagree with his stance on the abortion issue. I believe that abortion is the woman’s choice and that women should have the right and liberty to make that decision for themselves. I do not believe that government should mandate or put limitations on this right or freedom. Furthermore due to his stances on abortion Corker does not support embryonic stem-cell research but does support adult stem-cell research. I support him in his beliefs on adult stem-cell research but disagree with his beliefs in embryonic stem-cell research. I believe that stem-cell research could hold the key to many of the questions that we are looking to answer in the health care world regarding diseases and other terminal illnesses whether it be adult or embryonic stem-cell research.

 

 I commented on the following blogs:

Cheyenne Canter:  http://canterc.blogspot.com

Tinisha Key:  http://keytd.blogspot.com

Robert Cook:  http://rcookclassblog.blogspot.com

chapter 10

1.)    I believe that Bush was right to call for a stop of the recounting and agree with the Supreme Court’s ruling that to make an attempt to “guess” at the voters ballot choice was a violation of the equal protection laws. I don’t believe that there was any fair way to try to decipher of make an educated guess of what another person cast their ballot for. I believe we need to have better systems in place to record or save the ballot cast so that the intent of voters can be revisited and not all information will be lost so this instance will not re-occur.

2.)    Yes I do believe that elections are too dependent on fundraising, and that it is unfair that good candidates are not able to run because they are not able to raise the right amount of money.  I think that fundraising for elections isn't necessarily a good thing though. I believe that candidates running for office should fund their own campaign. If someone would like to donate to their cause in support of the candidate they believe in, then that is great! But I do not feel that fundraisers should be held. I feel that the government cannot do too much more to regulate or monitor campaign spending as they have already set up regulations and guidelines for campaign spending.

3.)    I believe that turnout is low for a few reasons. One reason I believe turnout is low is because people don’t feel as if their vote counts and do not see the importance of voting or exercising that freedom. I believe that most people take the right and freedom to vote for granted.  I firmly believe that everyone should exercise their right to vote because this is a freedom fought for by not only our armed forces but was also fought for by civil rights activists and women suffragettes. Being a woman, I feel that it would not only be disrespectful to  my government to not exercise my right to vote but also to the women who came before and took a stand for women’s equal rights.  Because of these great women I have the freedom to vote and a way for my voice to be heard as an equal citizen. I believe that turnout will continue to increase the more the process is simplified and made easier, and with newer technology to appeal to younger voters.  

I commented on the following blogs:

Cheyenne Canter:  http://canterc.blogspot.com
Pam Smith:  http://percious3355.blogspot.com

Robert Cook:  http://rcookclassblog.blogspot.com

chapter 9

1.)    Out of the two major political parties I would have to say that I lean more to the Democratic Party as opposed to the Republican Party. I have way too many liberal beliefs when it comes to social issues to be associated with the Republican Party.  I agree with the majority of the beliefs and practices of the Democratic Party. Democrats believe that same-sex marriages should be made legal and that for it to be illegal for gays to marry it infringes on their equal rights as an American Citizen, which I strongly agree with. They also believe that abortion should be left at pro-choice, which I also agree that the decision to have an abortion should be left to the woman getting the procedure and no limitations should be put on that woman’s rights to that procedure.  Democrats also believe that these two social issues are fundamental constitutional rights, and I also believe them to be the very basic right of everyone to be equal in the United States. I further agree with the Democratic Party that God and all religion should be removed from politics and that it has no place in today’s government. I also support the Democratic Parties stances on the economic issues we face in today’s government. They believe that taxes should be reduced for middle class and working families, not for millionaires or the wealthy, as I too believe. 

2.)    If America could operate unbiased with solely the best interest and equality of ALL of its citizens then I believe that we could operate without political parties. Sadly, this is not how are government operates.  We have political parties because so many people are separated in their beliefs when it comes to both economic and social issues.  I do not believe our government would be able to operate without political parties in today’s times because beliefs are so diverse. I believe that is partially due to religion greatly influences our law makers and government officials and no separation of church and state in today’s government.  I also believe that citizens rely on political parties to help them establish their beliefs. These parties make it easier for citizens to know where they stand and which nominee has the same beliefs as they do in an election. 

3.)    The Libertarian Party is the fastest growing party currently in the United States. I agree with a lot of stances that this party takes; however, I do disagree with some of their beliefs.  I agree with this party as they believe in strong civil rights. I agree with this party in reference to their belief that government power should be more limited than it is now but maybe not as much as this party believes it should be. I believe that we need a strong government when it comes to national crisis’ for our nation to survive but do feel that the government should operate on the very fundamental of equality when it comes to social issues, which we do not operate under today and feel that with the limited government this party believes it equality for all would be achieved easier.  This party strongly believes in separation of church and state as I do. I do not agree with this party when they say that we should not be a part of the United Nations or NATO. I feel that both of these organizations are in place for a reason and help us maintain peace with other countries.  

I commented on the following blogs for this chapter:

Tinisha Key:  http://keytd.blogspot.com

Robert Cook:  http://rcookclassblog.blogspot.com

David Smith:  http://simplydwsmith.blogspot.com

chapter 8

1.)    From table 8.1 in the text I chose the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM). This union helps thousands of musicians daily by negotiating fair settlements, protecting ownership of recorded music, and by lobbying in our government. The AFM strives to raise the music industry standards, help professional musicians be discovered, and make sure that musicians are treated fairly in business negotiations. I first of all learned that there was a union for professional musicians who sought to help these musicians receive equal and fair pay for their services. They strongly support the arts and in fairness of treatment to performers, which I appreciate. I agree with their view points on making the music industry a better, more conventional work environment and in their mission to enhance the music industry while supporting equality for all artists.

2.)    I positively associate with the American’s United for Separation of Church and State, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit interest group. This group strongly believes that all religions should be kept separate from governmental proceedings so that we as a nation can truly practice freedom of religions, and so that other groups will not be prejudiced against because laws reflect certain religions. I strongly agree with this view. The separation of church and state are imperative to a just nation. They also believe in and celebrate all religions and seeks a nation where all citizens may freely pursue their beliefs and own personal convictions. I additionally concur with this. The Americans United for Separation of Church and State has a firm grounding of morals and beliefs that I am in the same opinion with.

3.)    I believe that some interest groups do have too much influence and power in today’s political system, but also feel that some interest groups do not have enough influence. I also agree that there is a fine line between freedom of speech and keeping unfair persuasion out of government and believe that the line is often crossed. I believe that this line is crossed when an interest groups main agenda is pushed through our government and it impedes upon the rights and equality of other citizens within the United States. I also believe that this line can be crossed when the interest groups’ beliefs can be harmful to us a nation and when it could possibly have more of a negative effect on our country than a positive one.

I commented on the following peoples blogs:

Robert Cook:  http://rcookclassblog.blogspot.com

Tinisha Key:  http://keytd.blogspot.com

Cheyenne Canter:  http://canterc.blogspot.com