Ap Blog # 3-3

Is the Federal Bureaucracy too big to be effective?

The Federal Bureaucracy has a system of departments and agencies the work with the administration of government. Bureaucracy means "a system of government in which most of the important decisions aremade by state officials rather than by elected representatives." The Federal Bureaucracy is becoming too big. According to the Independent Blog, at http://www.independent.org/blog/?p=438, before the recession, the federal employees were making $100,000 a year. There was one employ that was making over $150,000 a year. That number had rose to 10, 100 employees and the average salary was $170,000 a year. One example that tried to control the Federal Bureaucracy was Franklin D. Roosevelt, he had pushed the Economy Act of 1922. This had major cuts for the Federal Bureaucracy. The Federal Bureaucracy has a set network of formal and informal, that works together and moves flows of information's. The Federal Bureaucracy is departments staffed with non elected officials. The Federal Bureaucracy is powerful, but again it is necessary, With the example the Independent Blog had used, about the Federal Employees, there was a great boost in population, when more people are living in an area, more people are needed to work in such departments. With the Federal Bureaucracy has become more powerful, but it is necessary. With the greater amount of the people, the more people is needed to look after said people. One pro of the Federal Bureaucracy, that everything is intertwined in there community, so it is self-sufficent.

AP Blog #3-1

In the light of the nation's experience over recent decades, has presidency grown too powerful or weak?

Over the many recent decades, that presidency grown too powerful, however, it is the obligation of the American Government to protect the American Citizen. In the Declaration of Independence, it is said that all men must have the right to "life." With this said, the American, has a right to Health Care. Health Care is needed to preserve life, and if it wasn't for the Presidency, we would have gotten no where. An example would be with Social Security, when it first came out, people thought that the Presidency has grown too powerful, however, as we look at it now, we see how valuable to us today. The presidency has grown more powerful, but it is what is necessary to the well being of the American people, it is a human right. This Human Right that was accepted upon in the United Nation, "everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of oneself and one's family including... medical care."

Another example of Health Care, is that is to be considered a right. That people shouldn't suffer if they are sick. The American people shouldn't have to make the choice to lose all their money to medical treatments, so they could stay alive. The President has to take care of the American people, it his job. In the Preamble of the United States Constitution, it that it is the job of the government to "promote the general welfare." When no one is to take initiate, it is the President job to do it.

Ap Goverment Class Trip to the Capitol and Newseum

At the crack of dawn, we had assembled at school to journey towards the Capitol. This journey began at 6:30 am, a time that was less favored by the students. However as citizens as this wonderful country, we were ready. We began to load the bus at 6:30 am and we left school at 6:40. For the beginning part of the journey, we were flying down i-66 east, in the allowed speed of 55 miles per hour; however, once we had pass Springfield VA, we began to experience heavy traffic.
We arrived in DC, at 9AM. Our contact was meeting us there for our meeting, at 8:30AM. So we were late, and add to our problems, we had to wait in a line, with 60 other people that were waiting. When we went the building, we had to stay in line for another 20 minutes.
We we were escorted to the movie theater, we say a movie on American History, it was a very informational video. I did learn, it brought history threw a different perspective. As we left, we went threw various halls, and we say the old House of Representative building, and other locations.
After that we went to the Newseum, it was a very nice place. I especially like the 4-D theatre, one thing I didn't like, was the food, it cost $22. The theatre was one of the best experiences that I seen. The seats were moving back and forward, it was a fantastic spectacle, I recommend it for all to witness.

AP- GOV Blog 3-2: The Federalist No. 51

The Federalist No. 51

In the Federalist No. 51, Madison talks about how each department should have their own "will," and that the members of the departments should have the least amount of power in appointing members in their agency. It should be the people that should have the authority to appoint the supreme executive, legislative, and judiciary. Another idea that Madison, brought up is that, the members of each department should be as little dependent as possible on those of the others. Madison says that "ambition must be made to counteract ambition." The role of government is to suit the American lifestyle. That man interest must be in line with the "constitutional rights" of the area. The government should be a reflection on human nature, this is necessary, for it prevents abuses of power from the government.

Madison talked about when framing a government, that a government that governs the people, that the people must give the power to be controlled, and when that power is given, the power to control the government. A concept that Madison talked about, was the system of checks and balances, "the constant aim is to divide and arrange the several offices in such a manner as that each may be a check on the other." He talks about this system, that there are checks and balances, that one may have more power then the other, but there are balances that make it hard to abuse the power. In this system, that he talks about, there are offices that have more power then others. One example of this power house, is the legislative branch. He talks about the division into different branches. Within these different branches, that they are as little connected with each other as the nature of their common function. These branches should be dependent on the society. The rights of the minority should be protected. Madison endes that the general good should be balanced.

I think the basic idea that Madison is getting at is correct. There should always be a system of checks and balances, that prevents abuse of power. That the government should be allowed to governed, but they should aslo govern themselves.

AP US Government Group B Essay

Omar Idris Aminzay

Norman Constantine

AP US Government

3/14/10 2:32 PM

Group B Essay

As said in “Democracy Under Pressure” by Cummings, the media has a role in “providing a direct visual link between political leaders and candidates and the voters, television changed the nature of American Politics.” (224). One of the jobs of that the media has assumed over the years, is it provides information, once that would take months to find out. The media is responsible for the information the American people know. In another section in “Democracy Under Pressure” by Cummings, he says “a democracy rests on the consent of the governed, but in order to give their consent in any meaningful way, the governed must be informed.” (251). In order for laws and polices to be affective, the American people need to know how they are affected. The local media plays a vital role, in keeping the American people in the “loop”.

The media shapes the opinion of the American Citizen; it is the “ direct visual link” between the government and the citizen. In another passage, that was said in “Democracy Under Pressure” by Cummings “because television reaches millions of homes, news programs and live broadcast of major events cab gave a strong influence on public opinion. Television may help to shape or change public opinion, or may reinforce existing public attitudes.” (229) This boost in the media has made obtaining information much easier. However, with this boost in information and the nature of the media, it has become a beauty contest, that image has become more important than substance. Even though the citizens are given more information, it is in the nature of the media to give a more information then is needed. However, the Internet had brought a huge load of information in the 2004 elections. As said in “Democracy Under Pressure” by Cummings, “the internet had brought a dramatic new level of technological change to government and the political process. Political information, census figures, poll data, the text of speeches, legislation, supreme court decisions, and almost unlimited resources of all kinds became available” (251). There was more information of the American people that was available. The American people had more knowledge to make their decision. The Internet has made a change in elections, for now we see more results, at a faster pace. The American people are smarter, no longer is others needed for information, when all one has to do, is to search Google.

With the information that the politicians concludes from poles and voter turnouts, and even the responses made by the local media, the politician can tailor his or her view to suit the people. Negative campaigning is a tactic that is used by political to show faults of there opponents, it is a very dirty tactic, however as citizens we are shown both sides of the argument, so we are able to make better decision, versus when we are only given one perspective. Every town in America is different, so local issue would have different amount of value from one place to another. But one issue that is consistent, is state power versus federal power, it isn’t even power that the issue is, it is money. The campaigns receive money many ways, one way is the politician raises money by book signings, other way they do it is by donations.