We The People Are The Problem Essay

The author wrote the book to teach important lessons about the strength and failures of the American government and to display the long term consequences that take place across the political landscape after major disasters and how it has a long term effect on every individuals lives. Overall the author accomplishes his main goal, to show the general audience that the political system is fragmented and political bureaucracy is very difficult to change. In a democracy, situations like hurricane Katrina and the 9/11 attacks have short term policies that might have a positive impact at that particular moment, but a negative long term effect. This is due to the fact that congress representatives depend on those short term solutions and not the long term effects. In order to get reelected the official individual must remain in good grace with his or her constituency. Even if that means allowing policies that might have a negative effect in the future. It’s the democratic process, and this book does a great job exemplifying those weaknesses of the

This written report is appertaining to the book How Congress Works and Why You Should Care, written by Lee H. Hamilton. This book is published by Indiana University Press in Bloomington, IL, it was copyrighted in 2004 by the publisher.

The structure of our government is complex. With local, state, and federal levels of government, it can be confusing to understand how the government works. Luckily, Morris Fiorina wrote a document about the structure of the government called The Rise of the Washington Establishment. The Washington establishment simply refers to big government workers such as, included but not limited to, house representatives, senators, congressmen, and party leaders. These legislators and bureaucrats are the ones who run the government and establish laws. In his document, Fiorina argued that these people are in office only for personal gains. He strongly focused on congress, in which he believes they act in favor of their reelection. Power, money, and insurance benefits are the main influences that motivate congressmen to hold their position. Governmental representatives are supposed to reflect the values of the people, but they ultimately act in a selfish manor. The Rise of the Washington Establishment analyzes how congressmen act for their own self-interest.

Illegal immigrants in the United States (US) have long been a topic of debate for policymakers and the public. The rationale about them is that they do not pay taxes; they add to the costs of taxpayers and use up funds in resources meant for assisting citizens and legal immigrants (the legal citizens). Therefore, they are perceived as a threat to the US economy. The true impacts of illegal immigrants on the US economy are discussed by debating over the economic benefits as well as economic costs of these immigrants. The negative impacts, discussed first, presented the decreases in low skilled jobs’ wage rates for legal immigrants and citizens instigated by illegal immigrants, the social services such as educations and healthcare that they

Today, career politicians are constantly looking for what will aid them in getting reelected. They become more loyal to their campaign fund contributers than to the people whom they represent. This increases the likelihood of having corrupted politicians in office, as they use the government as a vehicle to further their own career (Kurfirst, 1996, p. 123, 129). George Will, a well-known political journalist, was quoted as saying “[The] worst feature of professionalism in politics is that it obliterates the proper distance between the representatives and the represented” (Kurfirst, 1996, p. 125). Even James Madison agreed that legislators were meant to represent the people, not hold office as a career. In The Federalist No. 57 (1788), he wrote, “From this change of men must proceed a change of opinions; and from a change of opinions, a change of measures.” The lack of new faces in Congress today symbolizes that the American legislative branch is straying from its intended purpose.

Illegal immigration at the U.S. - Mexico border is a growing problem, and the death toll is rising as more people are attempting to illegally enter the United States. As a result of an increasing number of people trying to enter into the United States illegally, the border is now being guarded by an increasing number of border patrol officers. The United States implemented different laws and operations to prevent more illegal immigration from Mexico into the United States. The ‘Operation Gatekeeper’ was introduced in 1994, which increased the number of Border Patrol officers. The most recent and controversial law was passed in Arizona, which essentially ‘allows’ officers to use racial profiling to check legal status of anyone in that

     Many of Americans today do not take the time to realize that our nation is little by little falling apart. Our leaders are corrupt, our environment is being destroyed, and there are thousands of children being born each day. The three major social problems facing the American citizens in the 21st century are births to unmarried woman, being able to trust or government and or leaders, and lastly destroying the environment.

In the past century, people continued to express an increasingly discontent view of Congress especially true when one looks back before the Clinton Impeachment debacle As the size of the nation and the number of congressman have grown, the congress has come under attack by both public influences and congressman themselves. Yet looking at one congressman's relationship with his or her constituents, it would be hard to believe that this is the branch of government that has come under suspect. In "If Ralph Nader says congress is 'The broken branch,' how come we love our congressman so much?" author Richard F. Fenno, Jr., provides insight into this view and why, through congress coming under fire, constituents still feel positively about

The United States Congress is more than likely the most significant representative institution in the United States government. Each member of Congress has a primary obligation to the district, to his or her constituency. Though Congress is divided into two parts, called the House of Representatives and the Senate, they both play different roles in the legislature process. Senate is more deliberative and the House is the more centralized and organized. Congress is supposed to represent the American people but they will not always make the “right” decisions, according to some individuals. Obviously it is impossible to please everybody, but surely the laws that are being passed are because Congress views some sort of usefulness from it. There are two different types of representation that was spoken about in the chapter including sociological and agency representation. Sociological is based off of the idea that if two individuals have similar background, character, interests, and perspectives, then they can correctly represent others’ views. Agency is when a representative is held accountable to a constituency for when that constituency is represented poorly. The constituents have the power to hire and fire their representatives.

Describe at least three provisions of the Constitution that provide a means of preventing the abuse or misuse of government power. Explain how these provisions work in our system of government today.

Stephen Medvic, In Defense of Politicians, discusses why Americans feel that politicians are dishonest. In 2007, a Gallup poll about honesty and ethical standards for occupations, showed that only 12 and 9 percent of people felt that Congressmen and State office holders held high standards, (Medvic p. 2). In addition, Americans tend to like their representatives more than the members of Congress because they view them as actual people. Americans view Congress as a group of politicians who are greedy and not representing their interests, (Medvic p. 4).

The illegal immigration problem in the United States is a social as well political issue.

The Congress is the first branch of government, in the American system so to say. While still abiding in the checks and balances system, It was still, in way designed to be the top out of the three branches. Through the years it seems like the congress is decaying and is failing more and more to fulfill its duties honestly and the Citizens are taking note. Nowadays most citizens of America critic the congress for its growing corruption and unreliability. The congress is often now described as a broken branch, damaged by partisan bickering and internal rancor. While no specific reason has been deemed the certain the main cause of congressional dysfunction, there are many opinions on what issues cause the congress to be broken. Reasons for the explanation of the collapse of the congress include the increased amount of Gridlocks, the corruption of politics over policy, transfer of work to the staffers, and misplacement of priorities and issues leading to meaning les debates.

I think the people have the power in the U.S because, the people are the voice of America and they can be the change that America needs and wants. The people also choose the leader of the Country either Republican or Democrat and the 2 other parties of Libertarian and Green Party. Another thing is that people want more unity for Americans and then finally to let the states make their own laws so they won’t be enraged with the U.S Government and they could work out the law making with the Congress. The people are the change that america wants but nobody is going to say anything.

“As our legislators grapple with the daunting task of immigration reform, one of the few things they agree on is that a fix is long overdue. However, discussion stalls in the heated ideological differences that are part of the American psyche: the rightness of welcoming the huddled masses longing for freedom and a chance at the American dream; and the notion that immigrants deprive native citizens of resources and jobs and weaken the economy. We are a nation of immigrants”. (Unknown, 2016)