Blogs I have commented on:

Chelsea Dunn, Jessica Armes, and Kristy Jones

Chapter 13 Blog

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

I feel that the Children's Bureau is the most important federal agency. It was the first federal agency dedicated to the welfare of children. It addressed some of the Nation's major social issues throughout history. The early emphasis was on infant immortality, dependent children, and child labor. Today the focus is on child abuse, neglect prevention, foster care, and adoption services. It is important to protect the young children, because they are our future. This federal agency was a very important role in our future.

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

All of the federal agencies seem to play an important role in today's society. I feel that none could really be terminated without causing a huge impact on how we live.

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 am not sure if any new federal agencies are really needed. There are a ton of federal agencies that cover all kinds of subjects. If someone presented me with an area that needed a federal agency, then I would give a great deal of thought, before creating a new one.

Blogs I commented on:

William Richardson, Brandi Lively, and Albert Munoz

Chapter 12 Blog

1. What makes a great President (not which Presidents have been great) . . . what qualities are essential to greatness?  Why?

There are many qualities that are essential for a President to be great. A president needs to be trustworthy, accountable, responsive to the needs of the people, caring, able to remain calm in stressful situations, make the right decision in situations, make sure the laws are equal, and be an overall a well-rounded person.

2. Other than Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, which two Presidents have been the greatest and why?

Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy have been great Presidents. Roosevelt was faced with problems as soon as he stepped foot in the office. First he had to deal with the depression. He declared bank holidays which closed all banks; they were then opened a few at a time with government help. He got congress to pass laws which helped farmers, small businesses and people who were about to lose their homes during that time. He changed the course of American government. He did so much and helped the U.S. out of this crisis. Kennedy was a very likable president, which his charismatic charm . He brought many teachers, writers, scientists, and different intellectuals into the government. His speech was great as he called for service to his countrymen. He also established the Peace Corps in order to help the undeveloped nations and was very devoted to working hard for new civil rights laws. He even diffused the tensions between two countries on the verge of war. He was very inspiring, even though he only served as the president for a brief period of time. In this little bit of time, he achieved a lot.

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?

Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president. He began to reform the federal government and at the same time improve civil service to get better workers. He carefully looked at every bill the congress passed and vetoed many of them he thought were not beneficial to the country. He boosted the navy by getting them the best ships as well. When a railroad strike in Chicago interfered with the mail, he sent the federal troops at once to clear up the matter. He worked hard and honestly throughout his term.

I posted on the following Blogs:

Ian Price, Albert Munoz, and Jessica Armes

Chapter 11

1. Who are your Senators and your Congressman?

The Senators of Tennessee are Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker. The Congressman are Phil Roe, John J. Duncan, Jr., Chuck Fleischmann, Scott DesJarlais, Jim Cooper, Diane Black, Marsha Blackburn, Stephan Fincher, and Steve Cohen.


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

I support Bob Corker on improving health care in America. Because all Americans deserve to have access to high-quality private health insurance that is both affordable and transferable between jobs. A lot of Americans cannot afford health, therefore many lack the health insurance they need to keep their family healthy and protected. Corker wants to improve health care by joining Senate colleagues in  in authoring the Every American Insured Health Act, which is a bill to provide all individuals access to health insurance that is both affordable and portable, and deeply rooted in the private market.

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

I disagree with Ron Paul on how he voted no to the amber alert. He did not want to make it a federal alert. The amber alert helps missing children be found. Amber alerts is an alert system for missing children, make available additional protections for children and set stricter punishments for sex offenders. It would help a lot of children make it back home it everyone adopted it. I do not quite understand why he even voted against it.

Blogs I comment on:

Brandi Lively, Ian Price, and Gabrielle Miller

Chapter 10

1. Read Bush v. Gore in the text.  Do you agree with the majority or the dissenting opinion?  Why?

I agree with the dissenting opinion. It is not right to just go by what machine had counted, because the machine will not read a ballot unless the chad- to be punched out by the voter- is completely removed. A hand count might have been able to determine the voter's intent from a "hanging" or "dimpled" chad- indented but not sufficiently punched out so as to break off or even break the corners. Also the decision of the deadline for the recount, made it impossible to recount in such a short time. Therefore the Florida's recount procedures violate the equal protection clause, because of the insufficient time to conduct a recount.


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?

Fund raising is too important in elections. Good candidates are prevented from running because they cannot raise the needed funds. The amount of money required to wage a competitive contest for a seat in Congress is formidable, and it gives an advantage to those who are personally wealthy and able to make good use of personal or business connections. Something needs and should be done to correct this problem. It is not fair to everyone running.

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?

Not everyone has the inclination or the desire to vote. Failure to vote has real implications for the political process, it affects which representatives govern and make laws. Data suggest that those who are most likely to vote tend to be better educated, better paid, and older. There are some modest race and gender differences. Compared to the other democracies, turnout in the United States is near the very bottom. One reason the turnout is low has to do with rules for voting. Another reason has to do with the convenience of voting. Many younger people tend not to vote as well. Also there has been a decline of party organizations. Also another reason for the low turnout is the increasingly harsh tone of political campaigns. Maybe if voting was made more convenient and the government tried to appeal to everyone instead of just the older, more educated people the turnout would be much higher.