Political Cartoon # 5

1) How important do you think caucuses are ?
2) Should candidates be tweeting about their campaign?
3) How has social media and technology affect political campaigns?

20 truths

20 truths:

1. You win by maximizing your vote and not by minimizing their vote (0)
2. Third parties are insignificant in our 2 party system (-)
3. Campaigns are all about the money (-)
4. Communication is important to be an effective president (0)
5. Politician make promises they can not keep (-)
6. Federalism separates power (+)
7. The check and balance system keeps the government in line (+)
8. Presidents can veto any bill (0)
9. Candidates oftentimes make their opponents look bad (-)
10. Its a long process for a bill to become a law (0)
11. The president can only serve two four year terms (0)
12. Incumbents usually have the advantage in elections (0)
13. We have a divided government (-)
14. Presidents approval rating is highest in times of crisis (0)
15. Candidates focus on some states more than others (-)
16. The Constitution provides protection of many rights of the American people (+)
17. Many voters are not well-informed (-)
18. Taxes are too big of a burden on the people (-)
19. Religion ad politics are not mixed (+)
20. The Judicial Branch can declare laws unconstitutional (0)

Constituent Letter

Dear Senator Casey,

          My name is Jeremy Alfano and I am a senior at Haverford High School located in Havertown, Pennsylvania. I am studying AP American Government and we were asked to follow pending bills from one of our state’s representatives. The one that caught my attention was your bill S.1709 entitled, “Small Business Disaster Assistance Act of 2011.” You are the sponsor of this bill and it calls for a reduction in interest rates for certain small businesses disaster loans. Without getting into the specifics I can say I am strongly in favor of this bill because of the protection it can serve to small businesses. I study economics, so I know that small businesses are the backbone of our economy and realize that they make up over half our country’s workforce. Entrepreneurs offer the foundation of creativity and prosperity in our economy. Unemployment rates are at an all time high right now, so we need bills like this one to pass in order to make more jobs available. Millions and millions of people are left without a full time job in this country and small businesses offer opportunities to those educated people in need of money. You may think that they only assist people for a short period of time; however, four years after start-up, half of all small businesses with employees remain open. In a time where citizens lack stability and trust in the future, small businesses are not something that should be taken away. Although large corporations attract much of the attention, these small businesses provide what this economy needs. Therefore, I hope you see my point of view and value my opinion as your bill is being decided on. Thank you.

                                                                                      Sincerely,

                                                                                      Jeremy Alfano                                                                         

Issue of the Week: Poverty

What is the current poverty rate in the United States?
- In 2010, 46.9 million people were in poverty, up from 37.3 million in 2007 -- the fourth consecutive annual increase in the number of people in poverty .  This is the largest number in the 52 years for which poverty rates have been published. 


Is there any race of ethnicity that is hit hardest by poverty?
-The 2010 poverty rate for Hispanics was 26.6 percent, for Blacks 27.4 percent. Minorities and young people are most affected by poverty. It comes a week before the government releases first-ever economic data that will show more Latinos as well as elderly and working-age poor have fallen into poverty.The newest residents in these ghettos are now more likely to be Latino, who have more than tripled their share in the neighborhoods, to 21 percent.

Just over 7 percent of all African-Americans nationwide now live in traditional ghettos, down from 33 percent in 1970.

What steps can be taken to end or at least reduce the number of families in poverty?

-Improving governance structures can ensure that decision-making works in favour of the world’s poorest people. At present, most discussions about governance are framed in terms of corruption. Rather than treating the problem of corruption as an excuse to stop investing in development efforts, we need to get behind those working in communities to counter corruption: by holding local leaders to account, increasing transparency, and ensuring that laws are applied.We need to make sure that aid that’s given – whether through donations to charities or taxes to government – is spent on programs that really work. Extreme poverty ends when local communities can trade their way to a better future. The amazing poverty alleviation that we have seen in the past generation has been led by countries who have joined global markets.

http://www.globalpovertyproject.com/blog/view/209
http://www.worldhunger.org/articles/Learn/us_hunger_facts.htm

Podcasts

Facts/Details:

1. 58% of Americans believe we need a 3rd political party.
2. Political Parties have a tendency to break down due to their inability to respond to a very important issue
3. Public finance and national debt can lead to the decline of a major political party
4. There are over 25 million U.S. citizens who can't find a full-time job and wants one
5. The job crisis is not being taken seriously by the two major parties, sparking an interest for a third party to take on that issue.
6. Globalization and rapid technological change has mad drastic changes in our economy.
7. How can we ensure that future generations are just as well off as the present generation.
8. Healthcare is twice as expensive in the United States as in any other country
9. We have the government who serves the interests of huge corporations, opposite of what the Founders believed, something they thought would be the end of democracy
10. Poorer children are given the worst teachers from the bottom of the pile, who have the least education and experience. They are also given the worst facilities and resources.

Political Cartoon # 4

1. Is Mitt Romney overconfident in his lead in the polls?
2. Out of the 3 major challengers to Romney, who is the biggest threat?
3. Who will win the Republican nomination?

Democratic Post

Facts/Details:

1. For more than 200 years, Democrats have represented the interests of working families, fighting for equal opportunities and justice for all Americans.
2. The Democrats were founded on the conviction that wealth and privilege shouldn’t be an entitlement to rule and the belief that the values of hardworking families are the values that should guide us.
3. Today Democrats are fighting to repair a decade of damage and grow an economy based on the values of Main Street, not greed and reckless speculation.
4. Democrats are focused on rescuing our economy not just in the short run but also rebuilding our economy for the long run—an economy that lifts up not just some Americans, but all Americans.
5. Founded more than 200 years ago, the Democratic Party was born in response to the idea that government should represent the people and that wealth and status should not be an entitlement to rule.  
6. Being a Democrat means meeting the challenges of changing times so that all Americans can prosper. 
7. Democrats have a long and proud history of defending Civil Rights and expanding opportunity for all Americans.  
8. Democrats believe that we all have a part to play in promoting equality and protecting Americans against discrimination, and we continue to work vigorously toward greater freedom and equality in America.
9. Democrats are committed to helping all Americans confront these challenges—spurring job creation, rebuilding our infrastructure, investing in clean-energy technologies, and restoring fairness and opportunity to our economy.
10. Democrats cut taxes for 95 percent of working families, provided help for small businesses and homeowners, and strengthened consumer protections for anyone who has a credit card or a bank loan.
11.  Democrats recognize education as the most pressing economic issue in America’s future, and we cannot allow our country to fall behind in a global economy.
12. Democrats have pursued for nearly a century: making health care available to all Americans.
13. Democrats have pursued for nearly a century: making health care available to all Americans.
14. Democrats are committed to ensuring that our troops have the training, equipment, and support that they need when they are deployed and the care that they and their families need and deserve when they return home.
15. Democrats are committed to reversing this trend by investing in the technologies and jobs of the future while increasing support for more advanced research, labs, and classrooms.