The Great Switch

Being a southerner, it's pretty embarrassing that the Great Switch Occurred because of Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater's opposition to civil rights. From this point on, the South has transitioned from being pretty much completely Democratic to being predominantly Republican. I don't like the fact that the South is still viewed as quite racist, considering that the Civil Rights Era happened a long time ago. However, there are other reasons for this transition. There has been economic and industrial growth in the region that has attracted people from all over the country. This has contributed to a growing upper-middle class. People in the upper-middle class tend to vote Republican because they believe their economic interests will be protected in the form of tax cuts, etc. Also, there is a large group of white southerners who belong to the religious right political movement who vote for conservative republicans who share their values. Thus, the Great Switch was not all about race. 

I also believe that another "Great Switch" will occur again in the South in which it returns to being predominantly Democratic. The final generation that lived during the era of segregation and Civil Rights is on its way out, and the first generation truly blind to face is finally being born. Therefore, I believe that race will be a very small factor in politics in the not too distant future. 

BLOWBACK

Blowback refers to unintended consequences such as terrorist attacks and economic sanctions that result from foreign policy actions/blunders. As the world's only superpower, America has developed an increasingly imperialistic attitude and has become increasingly reckless in its actions abroad. Although there is no other country in the world that can challenge America militarily, terrorist groups can carry out attacks on innocent citizens to exact revenge for certain things that America has done. The 9/11 terrorist attacks may very well have been blowback for some action that the American public has no knowledge.  Furthermore, at a time when America sinks further into debt and countries such as China and India are becoming major world players, the U.S. will have to anticipate the consequences of its actions because these countries actually have the resources to do major damage with their militaries. 

Soft Power

 Using a combination of both hard and soft power during the Cold War, America was able to effectively contain the spread of communism. Although America used much of its hard power in Korea, Afghanistan, and Vietnam, it would not have been able to take down the Soviet Union without the use of soft power. Toward the late 1980's, the Soviet Union's economy was falling apart, and people were beginning to see that communism doesn't really work. Gorbachev championed American values through "glasnost" and "perestroika", causing Russians to demand capitalism and democracy. In more recent years, however, I believe that America has overextended its use of soft power. The war in Iraq is a perfect example. The reason troops have not pulled out of Iraq is because America wants to establish a stable democracy in the heart of the Middle East in the hope that other middle eastern countries will want to copy Iraq and adopt American values. The longer the violence continues there, however, the less appealing American values will seem, and not just in Iraq. 

reaction to sharon hayes (welfare)

This article discusses the reforms to the welfare program in the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. I agree with Hayes that there are both positive and negative things that have come out of it. I think that it was a good idea, in theory, to try to emphasize the need for welfare recipients to become financially independent, but the execution of this plan is much more difficult. Reform was definitely needed in the welfare program, though. Once on welfare, recipients had no real incentives to go out and get a job, so they became increasingly dependent on welfare checks. This was extremely expensive for American taxpayers, and it was not really helping people because they were completely dependent on welfare for survival. Under the Personal Responsibility Act, the goal is to put pressure on recipients to get a job and give them the training they need in order to do so. The main problem with this is that the majority of recipients are not lacking the motivation to get a job, but the circumstances in which they live keep them from doing so. Also, most of the jobs available to them provide very low wages which cannot even cover their basic needs a lot of the time, especially when trying to support a family. Furthermore, this reform is even less effective at a time when the economy is doing poorly, as it is now. In our present economic situation, it is even more difficult to find work, so recipients will become increasingly desperate to find work. 

Do elections contribute to good government?

Elections not only contribute to good government, they are the backbone of democracy. Voting allows us to settle our differences without resorting to violence. By voting, there is a universal agreement that the loser will yield and consent to whatever policy or official that has been voted on. In a two party system, this is extremely important. Without elections, there would be constant chaos and bloodshed happening between them in their struggle for power. Furthermore, elections are good for government because they are a resistance to monarchies. The main problem with monarchies is that the ruler is often not the best person suited for the position and he does not necessarily represent the will of the people. Elections were put in place to legitimize a politician's rule. People can alter who they are ruled by though voting, and they choose who will represent them best so their interests will be realized. Also, unlike a monarchy, elections create competition among public officials. This causes politicians to make all of their decisions based on what their constituents want so that they will be re-elected. Officials can also be held accountable for their actions, so they are careful not to make any mistakes. There are several aspects of elections that are detrimental to government, though. Due to the fact that America uses a two party system, politicians from both parties can be elected. Therefore, elections can lead to a divided government in which it is almost impossible to get anything accomplished because both sides cancel each other out. Another negative aspect of elections is term limits, especially for the president. Oftentimes, a president has many policy goals, but with only 4 to 8 years in office, it is very difficult to see these goals realized. Overall, though, elections are vital to good government despite a few problems with them.

Does voting matter

 

Many people often decide not to vote because they think that one vote is not going to make a difference. If everyone had this mentality, though, democracy would break down completely. It is important that all eligible voters cast their vote so that the will of the people is accurately reflected.  To vote is a way of expressing an opinion. Voting definitely does matter, especially with respect to certain groups or types of voters. For example, since a very high percentage of senior citizens vote in elections, candidates or elected official make sure to satisfy the interests of this group in order to obtain their vote. This is why there is a focus on social security during election times. Senior citizens are rewarded for voting because their vote is so important to the candidates.  Although one vote may not make a difference, by banding together as a group, one can see real results.  There are many groups out there who are not getting any attention simply because they are not voting.  Elected officials do not try to satisfy their interests because it will not really help them to be re-elected. One example of this occurring is with people who have disabilities. Since it is difficult for these people to make it to the polls, they vote in much fewer numbers than other groups.  Consequently, politicians do not listen to their problems. There are over thirty five million eligible voters who have disabilities, however, so they could potentially have a large impact on elections if they voted together. Politicians would have to start listening to and helping this group if they want to win elections. As you can see, if people will simply work together and commit themselves, voting can have a large impact.

Federal Budget Process

The United States federal budget process consists of procedures that are named in the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.  The first step in the process is a budget request from the president (developed by the Office of Management and Budget), in which he suggests what the budget should be spent on in the upcoming fiscal year. The House and Senate Committees  then hold hearings on this request and create their own Budget Resolution which allocates spending authority for the next year. From here it goes to the House and Senate for the appropriations bills to be passed. After this there is Consideration of Reconciliation legislation if the spending requires changes to the law and Consideration of Authorization 

legislation.

Budget Calendar - http://www.rules.house.gov/archives/budget_time.htm