C6

1) I was placed at -6.75 for economics and -4.92 for social issues.

2) The question phrased "In a civilised society, one must always have people above to be obeyed and people below to be commanded" was interesting and worded in a fairly biased manner. While, I do believe that a structured system of government is necessary to a functioning and fair society, this question made me feel guilty about supporting a system in which individuals make decisions for the masses. I ended up saying that I disagreed simply because I don't believe the government should be blindly obeyed as the question seems to imply. Rather citizens should be aware and educated about the politics that are affecting their lives so that they can make their own decisions and try to influence future policy.

C5

1) How far do you believe environmental regulation should extend into the private and business sectors?

2) To what extent do you believe the government has the right to impose environmental regulation in order to protect the natural world and ensure a better tomorrow?

C4

1) Speechwriter: I think it's very important to both engage the listener through a friendly and approachable tone while still maintaining a focus on important issues. I find political speeches fascinating in that they are addressed to large, diverse audiences but are still able to include issues that affect a range of citizens and appease the concerns of a wide variety of demographics.

2) Script-writer: Political polls are just as interesting as political speeches. Some polls seem genuinely interested in receiving information while others seem like an excuse to plant one-sided statistics in voters' minds. Both types of polls can be useful and effective and I would love to have the opportunity to write these two types of questions.

C3

      The current political climate often seems paralyzed by partisan representatives and pre-determined agendas that are not responsive to the needs of the American people. One crucial issue that seems to be egregiously absent from politics is the environment. Yes, Obama has instated new mpg standards and Democrats and Republicans bicker about the role of government in environmental regulation. However, global change is happening fast and the U.S. is not keeping up. We are one of the few remaining industrialized nations not to have signed the Kyoto Protocol, which limits greenhouse gas emissions. This is unacceptable. The U.S. should be at the forefront of sustainable change. America is home to John Muir, founder of the Sierra Club, Teddy Roosevelt, who preserved the great American wilderness, and FDR, who was responsible for the construction of our very own Blue Ridge Parkway through his New Deal initiatives. We cannot abandon this tradition of conservation. America was once home to some of the last unexplored wilderness in the world and it is our duty today to preserve this natural wonder.
       As stated in the Green Party platform, "environmental justice, social justice, and economic justice depend on and support each other." Protecting the natural world is no longer optional, it is necessary to preserving our future. Everyone, including our children and grandchildren, have a right to a healthy world. In order to provide this, action must be taken. The Green Party rests upon the public trust doctrine which establishes the idea of common property and asserts that it is the government's role to protect this natural resource for all people. The American public deserves a government that will do its utmost to establish a clean environment and thereby allow all citizens a chance to be successful and healthy. The Green Party hopes to expand on the National Environmental Policy Act, signed in 1970 to set guidelines for U.S. policy from pollution prevention to environmental research.
    In addition to the environment, our country is also facing serious unemployment and poverty. Through a reduction in military spending and a systematic, global disarmament program, the U.S. will be able to fund welfare programs for the needy. The government should be responsible for the well-being of families, children, the elderly, and the disabled. As well as redistributing military funding, additional federal income can be achieved through a graduated income tax that accurately reflects a citizen's ability to pay.
      The U.S. is facing tough times, and perhaps, instead of returning to the politicians who created the mess, it is time to turn to a new and more effective solution. The Green Party offers a third choice. It offers a clean, sustainable future that will ensure prosperity for future generations as well as opportunity for current ones. An environmentally-friendly America is possible. All we need to do now is start the change.

Sources:
http://www.gp.org/committees/platform/2012/
http://www.slc.ca.gov/policy_statements/public_trust/public_trust_doctrine.pdf
http://www.epa.gov/oecaerth/basics/nepa.html

C2

   One of the fundamental differences between the Republican and Democratic parties is economic regulation. The Democratic Administration has taken steps towards regulating Wall Street and creating government programs that use federal income gained through taxes. Republicans hope to reverse these measures if they win the upcoming presidential election.  The GOP's platform states, "excessive taxation and regulation impede economic development." Later it also asserts that "taxes, by their very nature, reduce a citizen's freedom." A Mitt Romney White House will attempt to promote economic growth through simple capitalistic competition. He hopes to cut back on regulation, allowing businesses to fight among themselves and allow the strongest to rise to the top. In the Republicans' eyes this will create American jobs and stimulate the economy. The Democratic platform is openly skeptical of this policy when it says, "They think that if we simply eliminate protections for families and consumers, let Wall Street write its own rules again, and cut taxes for the wealthiest, the market will solve all our problems on its own. They argue that if we help corporations and wealthy investors maximize their profits by whatever means necessary, whether through layoffs or outsourcing, it will automatically translate into jobs and prosperity that benefits us all."
       Another facet of this economic discrepancy between parties is a focus on the middle class. While the Republican party talks about protecting the "little guy" and promoting small businesses it is the Democrats who have chosen to take on the average middle class family as their champion cause. The Democratic platform describes its policies as growing the economy from "the middle out." It also refers to the middle class as the "North Star" of America. The Obama administration hopes to focus the economy on protecting the current middle class and helping those working hard to join it. The upshot of the party platforms is that Republicans hope to offer opportunity through limited control of the economy while Democrats hope to promote economic growth while maintaining standards for businesses and a sense of responsibility for citizens.


Also, I'm not sure if my Face the Students question was submitted properly so here's my question:

Mass transit provides a low-cost form of transportation for all residents and is environmentally friendly. Many Virginians commute daily and an effective transportation system could help reduce the carbon emissions created by cars as well as improve traffic across the state. What are your plans, if any, to improve the public transportation system?

C1

1) I was mapped as a liberal according to the quiz with 70 as my personal issues score and 10 as my economic issues score.

2) One question I was unsure about was written as "end corporate welfare. no government handouts to businesses." While I believe that Obama's bailout of the automobile industry was necessary and did a lot to help the financial situation of many Americans I am less inclined to support the U.S. government's  bailout of Goldman Sach's. I think that, perhaps, some federal regulation needs to come along with the money offered to these businesses to prevent the kind of management that created problems in the first place. It seems incredibly unfair that the CEOs of failing businesses should receive enormous bonuses. At the same time many other Americans depend on these businesses for their livelihood. Government bailout of corporations is an issue that I am not entirely decided on.

B8

A) 1) The first principle established by the McCulloch v. Maryland case was that of supremacy. Actions taken by the national government automatically override or preempt local or state laws and regulations so long as the actions are constitutional. This aspect of our government is outlined in article six of the Constitution and is commonly called the supremacy clause.

     2) The second principle of McCulloch v. Maryland was the concept of implied powers. Congress is given the right to exercise powers not specifically given to them in the Constitution in the course of carrying out their enumerated powers. This means that Congress has certain "implied powers" that are not among their enumerated duties but are still constitutional. This can be found in article one, section eight of the Constitution and is often referred to as the necessary and proper clause or the elastic clause.

B) 1) Full faith and credit means that each state must acknowledge and uphold the proceedings of every other state. This is essential to the workings of the U.S. For example, if driver's licenses were only valid in the state in which they were issued, citizens could never drive from state to state without the risk of being arrested. The only exception issued to this concept is in regard to same-sex marriages. If one state legalizes gay marriage while another does not. The state does not have to acknowledge or accept the legality of the marriage.

    2) The privileges and immunities clause protects citizens of one state while they are in another state. All states must treat American citizens the same regardless of what state they are from. This prevents discrimination and allows for the safety an well-being of residents who are away from home. One exception to this law is in the form of tuition to state colleges and universities. Students who live in the state of the school that they attend pay a much lower tuition than students who come from out of state.

B7

A) 1) A federal system of government shares power between two or more levels of government. For example, in the U.S. both the states and the central government have separate powers and cannot overstep their bounds into the other's jurisdiction. One advantage to this is an extension of the system of checks and balances found within the American central government. Power is shared between local and federal branches, ensuring that no one person or branch has too much strength within a nation. In addition, federalism can help protect minority rights. Having more localized government retain power nationally allows minority voices to be heard on the national level.

    2) A unitary system, in which the central government holds absolute authority over state and local governments, would reduce a lot of stress and political turmoil in the U.S. The federal branches would be able to accomplish their goals much more efficiently and with less hassle. This would also mean less costs, lower budgets, and lower taxes. The central power would have no need to go through the process of seeking approval from state representatives for their actions. For example, amending the Constitution requires ratification of a proposed amendment by thirty-eight of the fifty states. In a unitary government, amendments could be proposed and passed without the time, energy, and money put into the state legislatures' decision to ratify or deny the proposal.

B) 1) The national government is given the power, in the Constitution, to regulate trade between states. This was a practical and wise power to give the federal government because it would be impossible for states to regulate their own commerce. Each state's representatives' look out for the well-being of their own state and so would not be able to be objective or fair in making laws to control their trade with other states. Giving this power to the national government ensures that decisions regarding interstate commerce will be made by someone who is examining the big picture and is  looking out for the good of the nation as a whole.

    2) One power reserved solely for the states is taking measures to ensure public health and safety. While the federal government can create programs such as medicare and medicaid to help provide health care it is also important for local governments to be able to address issues specific to their area. Local governments are able to look for closely at problems occurring within a certain district and are able to find solutions that match the population living in that area. While the federal government is assisting citizens on a larger scale it is also important for states to be able to help their residents more specifically and with a more informed approach.

   3) Both national and state governments are able to tax American citizens. This means that people benefit from infrastructure and government programs on both a federal and local scale. For example, federal taxes might help to build and maintain an interstate highway system that increases business between states as well as creates more opportunities for tourism. Therefore a community in one state is benefiting from the patronage of another state as a result of federal action. However, state taxes might help support the public school system allowing local students to receive a better education when a school is able to hire more teachers, buy necessary equipment, and fund extra-curricular activities. U.S. citizens benefit immensely from government action funded by their taxes on both a national and state level.

B6

a) Amendments to the U.S. Constitution can be proposed in two ways. To propose an amendment is to suggest a change to the Constitution. The first is through a constitutional convention of state legislatures. However, this method has never been used. The other proposal process involves Congress. Congress must agree to propose an amendment by a two-thirds vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Once an amendment has been proposed, it is passed along to each state. For ratification to occur three-fourths of the state legislatures or thirty-eight states must approve the amendment. Ratification is the process by which a potential amendment becomes a full and legal part of the U.S. Constitution.

b) The first way to informally amend the Constitution originates in Marbury vs. Madison, a court case debating William Marbury's position as a Justice in Washington D.C. The court was able to throw out the entire issue by declaring Marbury's legal right to bring the case before the court unconstitutional. This established the precedent of judicial review. This is the ability of the Supreme Court to declare federal actions unconstitutional. The Supreme Court used judicial review to end segregation by declaring the previous "separate but equal" statute unconstitutional. The second method of informal constitutional change is by common use and acceptance. This means that while a facet of American politics may not be specifically outlined in the original Constitution, it is still accepted as a legal part of the political process. The most prominent example of this today is the role that political parties play. Parties have never explicitly been given the right to nominate presidential candidates or to run the electoral college system but these are both processes that are overseen by modern political parties without contention from the general public.

c) Formally amending the Constitution is a complex and difficult process. It has multiple stages and involves asking a lot of politicians to agree on an issue, something that is akin to a miracle in today's political climate. Even after an amendment is proposed it still must be ratified by three-fourths of the fifty U.S. states. States focus on a wide variety of issues and represent a diverse population with  interests and concerns that cover a huge range of topics. Because of this it is very difficult to pass an amendment to the Constitution formally. Informal methods such as common acceptance are simple an do not involve navigating the complicated world of American politics. In addition, Supreme Court rulings of constitutionality are often tied up in other issues and do not require as many steps or as complex a voting procedure.

B4

1) When in history a group of people separates itself from their government in order to give the members of their society the ability to exercise their natural and inherent rights they should explain why they are separating.

2) The intended audience that the Deceleration seems to be addressing is the British government to explain their reasons for declaring independence and founding their own government. However, the Declaration also addresses the colonists and future American citizens who will be affected by this decision. The writers of the Declaration of Independence are trying to move Americans to action and persuade them to support their cause. The signers had made this decision but it would go no where if they did not get the support of the people and so they list all the offenses of the British government in order to gain followers.

3) A small group of white, upper-class men made a choice, by signing the Declaration of Independence that affected the rest of the country and eventually the course of world history. This small group was able to gain the support of enough common people in order to fight and defeat the British army. Would I have supported the independence movement? I think it might have been tempting to be a loyalist and support the country that I came from.

B2

1) Government treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay

2) Domestic surveillance under the Patriot Act

3) Increased airport security

It's not disputable that airport security skyrocketed following 9/11. From body scanners to banning liquids TSA has upped its game. However, even before September 11th airport security was intense. As someone who spent a lot of time traveling between D.C. and London before the 2001 terrorist attacks I can remember having my art set taken away because I might use it as a weapon and watching security officials open a bag of bagels in my mother's luggage and tear open every bagel to check for hidden knives. Security has always been tight and new technology in airports is simply trying to keep up with new technology in terrorism. If airport security was less rigorous and there were more attacks the government would be at fault. Those who are complaining now would be the first to blame the government for further terrorist activity as a result of lax security. If I have to walk through a body scanner or even hand over a dozen bagels for my safety and the safety of my fellow passengers, that is a sacrifice I am willing to make.

A8

Which body of government is responsible for impeachment of a president and which for conviction?

a) The vice-president for impeachment and the supreme court for conviction

b) The senate for impeachment and the secretary of state for conviction

c) The house of representatives for impeachment and the senate for conviction

d) The state legislatures for impeachment and the speaker of the house for conviction

e) The supreme court for impeachment and the senate for conviction

A6

        No discrimination shall ever take place based on sexual orientation. This shall be true in employment, military service, voting, education, and any other process.
       In addition, no rights shall ever be denied to someone because of sexual orientation. This includes healthcare, insurance, and marriage rights.