Mr. Pring Name: ________________________ AP U.S. Government 161 Date: _________________________ Chapter Nine – Interest Groups – Pros and Cons Question: Are special interests damaging American politics? Should special interest groups be banned from giving campaign donations and from lobbying politicians for their causes? Context: Political discussion in America often involves negative references to “special interests”. These special interests are organized groups that play an active part in politics, especially through the giving of money to parties and candidates in elections. They also lobby (try to persuade) elected law-makers (legislators) and government officials in an attempt to influence new laws (legislation)
The military should not be thought of as a social program for orphans, jobs for the poor, or people going nowhere in life, but as a group of highly trained professionals dedicated to protect our country. Becoming a solider can change you into a better person than you were before and also change your appearance. Our country should always be prepared to defend itself. If being prepared means reinstating the draft then I think we should this a reasonable proposal. I think the tragic events of September 11 will evoke most people to agree on reinstating the draft.
English 120 3 November 2012 Democracy under Attack: Repercussions of the Corporate State Since the inception of congress the ideals and principles of the grand social experiment known as the United States have been guided by their legislation. These tenets have helped shape the fabric of our culture and way of life and although not perfect have proven to work over the test of time. Unfortunately, the issue of overt corruption that has seeped into congress presently is something that our founding fathers could never have envisioned when laying the framework of our constitution. To truly understand how the wheels of democracy are greased by the fat of capitalism, the incestuous relationship between corporate
I had hoped that as time went on people could have learned to better themselves and become more independent. Sadly that is not the reality that I am now faced with. Now just like any other time people know unjust laws exist; shall they be content to obey them, or shall they endeavor to amend them, and obey them until they have succeeded, or shall they transgress them at once? All men should ask themselves these questions when dealing with the laws of their government. A government in which the majority rule in all cases cannot be based on justice, this is a lesson that still must be learned by people now.
Anything that goes against what the corporate powers that be is demonized and twisted into a different form through their media outlets to create something that the ill-informed will swallow it no questions asked. Anyone that speaks out against what is obviously wrong with the system is turned into an enemy, while the one’s violating our rights and freedoms are treated like benevolent kings. Recently there have been many successful efforts to subjugate the poorer voters in this country. These measures have passed and it will become difficult for poorer and elderly people to vote in this country. The reason for this is simple, poor people and minorities are more likely to vote for Obama in the coming election and they have more numbers than those that will not.
The leadership class in the US is now dominated by a neo-conservative group of some 200 people who have the shared goal of asserting US military power worldwide. This Global Dominance Group, in cooperation with major military contractors, has become a powerful force in military unilateralism and US political processes. A long thread of sociological research documents the existence of a dominant ruling class in the US, which sets policy and determines national political priorities. C. Wright Mills, in his 1956 book on the power elite, documented how World War II solidified a trinity of power in the US that comprised corporate, military, and government elites in a centralized power structure working in unison through "higher circles" of contact
We do not wish for the king to abdicate his throne nor do we wish for our motherland to face turmoil. We simply demand freedom and justice from the very individuals who have stripped us of our basic liberties, enslaved us, and robbed us. All we want is to be exonerated from this blame of causing turmoil in their country and freedom from their economical oppression. They blame us for starting the French and Indian War. But do they ever thank us for giving them new land?
I believe that this concern should be left to the company owners as individuals. Personally, I don’t agree with the fact that the way America gets other countries to bend over backwards is by threatening to cut off financial business ties. I feel that America is trying to gain control of the world by doing so. However, I do agree that any sort of discrimination is unethical and should not be tolerated. That is something that each countries governments should have control over, not a foreign country that threatens to cut off business associations.
“The Rebirth of Patronage: Have We Come Full Circle” Feeney and Kingsley (2008) states,“Patronage can be narrowly defined as the power to make appointments and distribute government jobs, especially for political advantage, but its social implications are much broader” (p. 167). Patronage can be used as an advantage for politicians who are running for any political office in order to win potential votes for their campaign. Most politicians are knownfor using different tactics like offering jobs, health care, and other issues that appeal to citizens. Will patronage divide or unite the United States? Patronage can have positive or negative effects on the United States while the merit system is against patronage and the spoils system is in
Lobbyists are supposed to be a group of people seeking to influence politicians on a specific issue. The key word in that definition is people, because lobbyists today are no longer people. They are representatives for multi-billion dollar industries and companies, and when was the last time huge corporations really knew what was best for the people? They don’t, they only know what is best for themselves. Lobbyists could be used to get voters demands to Congress after elections, but now most lobbyists are paid by large corruptions to influence lawmakers.