chapter 12

Chapter 12


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

       I think what makes a great President is that they be honest, educated and informed.  They should have a clear vision of what they want to accomplish, but they should also be willing to listen and be flexible.  If they are so fixed on getting what they want at any cost, they could end up costing this country a lot including allies, and we may need them.


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

      For my two choices, I chose Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945) who gave us the "New Deal".  During the Depression he created job programs including the Conservation Corps, the Works Progress Administration and the Tennessee Valley Authority  which all employed and trained workers.  There was also the National Labor Relations Act- Federal oversight of working conditions, labor standards, and labor disputes.  FDR also created the formal position of the White House Press Secretary.

      Lyndon Baines Johnson (1963-1969)  Johnson was the one who gave us the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Voting Rights Act of 1965 and Fair Housing Act of 1968.   To help the working poor, he also came up with two health care insurances, Medicaid for poor people and Medicare for the elderly.   
LBJ also gave us the Food Stamp program, School Lunch program, Head Start, the Job Corps, and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.  He felt that everyone regardless of income was entitled to a good education. 

3) Research a President that you unfamiliar with- list at least three things you learned.  Was this President effective?  Why or why not?

    For this President, I chose James Abram Garfield.  He was the 20th President.  His term was from March 4, 1881 until September 19, 1881. 
He was a teacher as well as an official.  Notable events-His secretary of War was Robert Todd Lincoln, the first son of Abraham Lincoln. He was the first left handed president. He could write Latin with one hand and Greek with the other at the same time.  First president to campaign in two languages, English and German.
On election day Nov 2, 1880 he was, at the same time, a member of the House, Senator-elect and President-elect.  July 2, he was shot by Charles Julius Guiteau.  He died of blood poisoning on September 19.  He never got a chance to show what kind of president he might have been.

chapter 11

  

1) Who are your Senators and you Congressman?

      Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker are our senators, Chuck Fleischmann is my congressman.


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

     Lamar Alexander has sponsored a bill that would allow pediatricians from all over the country to train at St. Jude's Children's Hospital.  The bill is called Children's Hospital Graduate Medical Education (CHGME).  I think this is a great idea since it would allow the doctors that will be taking care of our children to learn more, and to get a better understanding of how to treat our children.  This bill has not passed yet, I hope it does.

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

    I wasn't really able to find anything that I really disagreed with.  I think there should be more background checks for guns, but I don't think anyone has the right to tell me I can't own one to protect myself and my family.

chapter 10

                                            Chapter 10




1) Read Gore v. Bush in the book.  Do you agree with the majority or the desenting opinion?  Why?

     I agree with the majority because, even if it was only by a few votes, Bush did get more votes than Gore did.

2) Is the ability to fund raise 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 think the ability to raise money is too important in elections.  I think anyone who is qualified to run and wants to run should be able too regardless of income.  Any more it seems that only the rich can run.  There doesn't seem to be much that can be done, the government has already tried to cap the money candidates can get in contributions, but a way has been found around that.    I wish the candidates spent as much time on issues and trying to fix them as they do out raising money.

3) Why is there such voter apathy, in other words, why is there such low voter turnout for elections?  Is there a way to rectify this problem?

      I think the reason for voter apathy is that some don't understand the issues, some just don't care, and some feel that no matter who's in office, nothing will change for them.  Low income people, I think, make up most of the last group of people.  Also there are a lot of people, elderly or handicapped that can't get to the polls when they are open.  I'm not sure what can be done other than finding a way to get everyone who wants to vote to the polls.  The ones that think nothing will change, they would need to see positive changes before they bother to vote.  I think some may have voted in the past and seem campaign promises broken so they don't believe them any more.



1) Nathan Tollett
2) Cassandra Kunsman
3) Crystal West Jackson

chapter 9 blog

1) Which political party do you most identify with?  Why?  Are there things in the party platform with which you disagree?

I can't say that I wholly agree with any one party.  I have found since 1980, when I really began to listen to debates and speeches from candidates, that there are points from both that I agree with, and things that I disagree with.  Right now the big thing is Obamacare.  I don't believe that Government has any right to tell us we have to buy something we can't afford or do not want.

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

I think America would be in total chaos if there were no political parties.  How would the people pick a president?  The party system has been around so long, I can't even imagine them not being here.

3) Please research lesser known parties- which one do you identify with?  why?

Tried to research the Libertarian Party and every time I put an 'address' in it told me server not found.  But from what I've heard about them, I think this might be good party to study further.


1) Kylie Corrigan
2) Robert Johnson
3) Dexter Pelfrey

ch 8 blog

chapter 8.

1) Select interest group from figure 8.1 and research it.  What did you learn?  What did you find interesting?  Do you agree/ disagree with their positions on issues? Why?

I choose the NRA because that in an orginization that my family has been involved in for many years.  I found out that the NRA was started in 1871.  It was started because union officers were not happy with the marksmenship of their soldiers.  The mission of the NRA, aside from the right to bear arms, is firearm safety.  For many years the NRA has offered classes for children 12 and up in firearm safety, which I think is very important.  If children are taught to respect weapons from an early age, there might be a lot less accidental shootings.  I told my boys from the time they were 3 or 4, though I had no weapons in my home at that time, that unless they checked it themselves, the gun is loaded.  And that was reinforced at their grandfathers house.  Common sense and respect, teach your children.

2) Find an interest group with which you associate .  what is the name of the group and what do you find persuasive about their position on issues.

The group I chose is not an official one, I don't think, it's Military Moms.  I chose this group because I am one.  It's purpose is to put information out for the public and to offer support for other members of military families.

3) Do interest groups have enough/ to much/ the right amount of power in the political system?  Most believe its a fine line balance between freedom of speech for the groups and keeping unfair persuasion out of the government.  Where is that line and when is it crossed?
 
I think most groups have the right amount of power, but it seems that the more money you have, the more power you have, which I think is wrong.  I think money is the fine line.  The groups with more money have a better opportunity of getting information out and getting more lobbyists to push their agenda.

Chapter 7

1) Does objectivity still exist in the media's coverage of politics?  Of the major news outlets which are the most objective and which seems to have the most bias?

I'm not really sure how  to answer part of this question.  I don't think there is any real objectivity in any of the news forums any more.  Most say they are objective, but they state only what they want to.  I think this is true of ALL TV networks and newspapers.

2) How does talk radio affect your view of politics?  Why or why not?

I don't listen to talk radio.  One of my past employers would have talk radio on and I learned to tune it out because I got tired of the yelling and name calling.  So talk radio does not affect my view of politics at all.

3) Is media objectivity important?  Why or why not?

I think media objectivity is very important because so many people believe everything they see or hear on the news.    And some times if you watch two different stations, you get two different opinions 'stories' so you don't know who to believe or what is really going on.

chaper 6

Chapter 6.



1) Is American news media to dependent on Polls?  Is it appropriate for news media to make up a poll then report on it?  Why or why not?

     I think America as a whole it to dependent on polls.  Some people will buy, operate, or subscribe to things based on polls.  I also think that news media should not be able to make up polls, then report on them.  That enables them to slant the results in which ever way they want to, which could be very misleading to the public.

2) How important is political party identification to you?  Was it more or less important to your parents and grandparents?  Does it seem more or less important to your friends?  Why or why not?

     Party identification isn't really all that important to me, so far I have voted independent, that way I could vote or the candidate I  wanted instead of the party they were with.  I don't remember my parents voting at all until Reagan was in office.  Of course we moved around a lot, so they may not have had the opportunity to vote before then.  As to my grandparents, I don't know if they ever voted at all.  I don't have that many friends I can ask about this so I really can't answer this part of the question.

3)  Do you feel your opinion of politics is more influenced by economic issues or by social issues?  Why?

     My opinion is based more on economic issues.  The reason is simple, I don't have much money, have never had much, so I am more interested in what is going to happen to what I do have, than I would be in say, ha ha, health care.  If I didn't have the money for insurance two weeks ago, why would I have it now?





1. Brittany McCann
2. Nathan Tollett
3.  Megan Biggs

chapter 5

chapter 5.


1) issue of race-does the government do to little or to much to reduce the instances of racial discrimination?  Why or how?

     Over the last 100 years everything, even the government itself has changed.  There are more minorities serving in every branch of the Government.  There are more public service announcements against discrimination of all kinds.  I think the government has done a fine job in trying to erase discrimination based on race, but sadly, there are people who will never 'grant' the rights each person it entitled to, usually out of ignorance.

2) issue of gender- same as 1.

    With gender, the government has done about all it can do without going overboard.  There is still some question in certain jobs about equal pay, or the glass ceiling, but that has also been addressed and you don't hear much about it any more.  Although, if you watch tv, or watch a group of children, you still see gender roles being 'controlled'.  Fathers want their sons playing with 'boy' toys and their daughters with 'girly' things.  Women, in my case anyway, see nothing wrong with boys playing with play kitchens, or with dolls if they want.  And girls should play with cars and trucks, and play 'boy' sports if they want to.

3) issue of sexual orientation- same as questions 1 and 2

     Right now this is the 'big gun' of issues.  So far the Government seems to be doing very little.  They pay lip service to changes, but not much has really changed.  People are more open about their sexuality now, and it is shown on tv, in movies and in print media.  But Homosexuals, it seems, still have to fight for everything.  They've even had to fight to be allowed to serve in the military.  I think they are entitled to every right that a straight person has.  The only time I would have a problem with it would be in the case of abusers or sexual predators.   I think congress is to wrapped up in the 'I don't want to offend anyone' to really listen to what people are telling them.

chaper 4 Q&A

Chapter 4 Q&A

1) What is the difference between Civil Liberties and Civil Rights?
a. Civil Liberties are fundamental rights that the government has no control over and Civil Rights are the rights that the government is obligated to protect.

2) What are Ex Post Facto laws?
a. Makes a act a crime after the act is committed.

3) What event lead to the Patriot Act?
a. Terrorist attacks on 9/11/2001

4) Does Right to Privacy cover medical decisions between patient and doctor?
a. Yes

5) In what year did Roe v. Wade take place?
a. 1973

6) What is the Exclusionary Rule?
a. Supreme Court ruling that evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment could not be used at trial.

7) What is the Lemon Test?
a. Test to determine whether aid to religion violates the establishment clause.

8) Which test is used to determine what material is obscene?
a. The Miller test.

9) In 1917 and 1918 which two acts were passed?
a. The Espionage Act (1917) and the Sedition Act (1918).

10) What does the Fourth Amendment protect?
a.    Protects people from unreasonable searches and seizures.

chapter 3 questions

Questions and Answers for Chapter 3.

1) Why Unify?
a) allows smaller political parties to pool their resourses to fight a common enemy.

2) What are enumerated powers?
a) Powers expressly granted to congress by the Constitution.

3)What is the Supremacy Clause?
a) Makes Federal law supreme over state laws.

4)What is the Full Faith and Credit Clause?
a) Requires states to accept court decisions made in other states, example, child custody case heard in one state while child and one parent may be in another state.

5)What was the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890?
a) An antimonopoly law.

6)When was the Civil Rights Act brought about?
a) 1964

7)What is Policy Diffusion?
a) Policy ideas from one state spread to other states.

8) what is situation in which states compete with one another to lower protections and services below the level they might otherwise prefer, called?
a) Race to the bottom.

9)What did the Voting Act of 1965 do?
a) Regulated voting rules that had largely been left to the states since the adoption of the Constitution.

10)What does HEW stand for?
a) Health, Education and Welfare.

First Post: About Me

       My name is Donna Spradlin, I am the single parent of twin sons.  One is in the military, the other is a college student.  They have both encourged me to return to school, so I did.  I was the first in my family to graduate from high school and the first to actually attend a college.

I am from a military family, father, uncles and two aunts plus a brother and now a son have all served in one of the services for our country.

What I would like to get from this class is a better understanding of our government and the way it works.  I get frustrated some times at what I see as unfair or unworkable ideas becoming fact.  Such as Obamacare.  I don't think it can work, even if the idea is a good one.  I also do not understand why the government keeps extending unemployment benefits for some, when, I left my last job for medical reasons,  and I couldn't get unemployment at all.