Federalism

Federalism is a way of organizing the nation into two levels to have formal, fair authority over the people and the land. Federalism uses categorical grants as an advantage by attaching strings to money they give to state and local governments and influencing them to be a certain way. Federal mandates are the strings attached and only allow the grants to continue if the rules are complied. On the contrary, states have also gotten power through block grants because these grants don't require a specific purpose, rather just federal money given to communities to fund whatever necessary. The tenth amendment aids the states as well by stating that any powers not specified in the Constitution are automatically assumed by the states.

Formal/informal changes to the Constitution

Two formal methods to changing the Constitution include 2/3 of Congress in favor of proposing an amendment and passing it onto the state legislature to ratify it by 3/4 vote or passing it onto the state convention to ratify it by 3/4 vote. Two informal methods to changing the Constitution include judicial interpretation and increasing demands on policymakers due to foreign affairs. Judicial interpretation is the decision of whether an act is constitutional or not. As for the increasing demands of government officials-time has brought upon larger concerns in foreign nations, such as nuclear weapons, and the government needs to be efficient and prepared to handle sticky situations. The Constitution was written in a time when these worries didn't exist, so it's necessary to adjust the Constitution according to modern day. Because the formal process requires a long process of creating amendments, the informal process is practiced more often because it's a quick way to bend the laws of the constitution while still being constitutional.

Outline

10/30

1. The legislative branch is most closely tied to the citizens because the officials are directly elected, rather than appointed. The constitution created limits on majority rule by putting the House of Representatives in sole control of voting. Additionally, the constitution limited control of different sections in the government by giving different powers to different positions, such as two year senator terms. The primaries have created a more democratic nation because it allows voters to be a part of the election process and allows them to select a president they want to represent them. Similarly, the expansion of suffrage has also created a more democratic America by including people, other than white males, in the voting process so they, too, can be represented by a person of their choice.
2. People can participate in politics by petitioning and by civil disobedience. Petitioning requires advocates to go out into the public and get signatures for a cause. This can be beneficial because it can educate citizens on important issues and hopefully help them to form an opinion besides indifference. Civil disobedience is beneficial participation because it expresses the intense opinions of some Americans, without the violence used often in protesting.

*Describe the significance of money in a modern presidential election campaign. How does the government regulate the fund-rasiing and expenditures of presidential campaigns? Is the government regulation adequate? Explain

Nowadays, money is one of the most important aspects of a candidate's campaign. Campaigns require a lot of staff from counsels and managers, to people who are needed to just stamp the envelopes. Not to mention, the travel expenses for flying/driving all over the country. But perhaps the costliest demand of a competitive campaigner is the advertisements.

However, the government has taken a special interest in campaign spending and has begun to create limitations since the 1970's. The Federal Election Campaign Act of 1974 has established a few different regulations such as the Federal Election Commission and the Presidential Election Campaign Fund. With the help of a few more regulations, the act has created a more restricted and fair election system. On the contrary, people have found loopholes within the system which sometimes tampers with the adequacy of the restrictions. For example, in 1979 the use of soft money tip-toed around the disclosure requirement and was quickly resolved by the McCain- Feingold Act 2002; an act that clarified the limitations. All in all, regulating elections is a good idea for fairness and the requirements have created a more equal opportunity. But like most things in the world, it isn't going to be perfect and people will manipulate the system.

13 Things That Define the New American Center

As a new member of the voting society in America, my views and opinions are not fully developed. I am still taking the time to learn how it all works. However, the survey on the Center of American Politics has shown some interesting points; some conservative views and some liberal. For some liberal examples, the website stated that 44% of the Center thought marriage should be open to every couple whom love each other. On the stance about guns, 45% said that background checks are a necessity. They want to raise taxes on the rich and are in support of recycling. On the other hand, the people of the Center share more conservative views on the government's involvement in every day life. The Center wants limited involvement from the government and is in favor of continuing the death penalty.

Are public opinion polls a benefit or a curse to American politics? What influence do they have on campaigns? On governing? What do critics point to as the key weaknesses of public opinion polls? Do you agree? Explain?

Public opinion polls are beneficial in the original sense of the idea. However, the end results of public opinion polls seem to have too many setbacks to be accurate. For Example, random digit dialing, a common way to sample, can easily be full of errors. Some Americans don't want to take the time to listen to the message and hang up; some don't even have phones. Additionally, quick polls encourage candidates or government leaders to focus on the preferences of their peers rather than taking their own bold stand on issues. In the same effect, uncertain voters pick up on other people's voting trends in samples and therefore begin to follow others instead of thinking for themselves. Public opinion polls are a good idea, but with the reality of human nature polls are not very beneficial; concluding to be more of a curse.