What a proud country the United States is. Above all else, above our strained political convolutions, above our petty squabbles, we hold our ideals dear, and in the highest regard there can be. Being of these very sentiments,2 I write, with rare urgency to this congregation today, to inform you of a passive injustice plaguing the ideals we hold so dear, a malefic actor whose shadow overcasts our very underpinning. A basilisk is lurking throughout the conduits that serve our school of thought; it brings quietus to all who dare meet those ebony irises, and those wicked pupils. All but a few chevaliers, that is; this legislature must act, for only you have the potential to rectify this infamy, for only you have the power to peel the basilisk to its soul and slay its vile.3 Change in response to stimuli is a foundational quality of anything that may proliferate beyond but an evanescent memory;4 it your duty, it is your privilege, as the working cogs5 of the clockwork that is our nation, to deliberate with the most care and rationality in response to stimuli, and always ask what you can do for your country.6 When a threat approaches, defend; when an opportunity arises, procure. Now, as the United States approaches a new era of critical junctures,7 the frayed fibers that bind our nation into one must be mended from years of, among other abrades, the basilisk I speak of. Lastly, let it be known that this basilisk I speak of is our very own Electoral College, that paramount in
The verifiable background of the United States has been more than once stamped by fight to keep up the feelings of our various extraordinary pioneers. Joseph J. Ellis ' novel, Founding Brothers: the Revolutionary Generation, offers an outstanding perspective on why this is; as he withdraws to a rate of the beginnings of American political issues. From our outstandingly origination as a nation, a pretty much tumultuous air enveloped administrative issues, which clearly has doubtlessly continued into today 's overall population. With a stand-out combination of laws that are truly planned to change, the governing body can continually put off things by changing laws that say they can 't. This whole time of continually hinting at change law was accomplished by common contentions between our building fathers who, rather than solid issues with one course of action, left the reasonable talk open for constant modification as need be. It was and is useful for issues that change over the whole deal; however in a couple of illustrations it can really hurt the people. An example of this is the issue of national commitment; American political pioneers drudged in finding an answer in the late 18th century, and we continue engaging a losing battle today. Post war national commitment developed as a crisis for legislators; and there were fluctuating appraisals while in transit to manage be taken to pay it back. National commitment in those days, and by in those days clearly here means late
When George Washington was elected President in 1789 by members of the fledgling United States of America, he was setting into motion a tradition that has stood the test of over 225 years - the presidential election. Even as the United States has seen dozens of wars, made hundreds of scientific advances, and selected thousands of politicians to seats everywhere from small town councils to Congress, the principles of the election have remained the same; the people band together to determine who will best protect their interests at home and assure that the US will always remain on top in foreign policy. Oftentimes, this is found to be a difficult decision, as public opinion is constantly wavering. One sees this in action particularly during the 1992 election - a battle of wills between Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Ross Perot; complete with lead changes, major vote swings, and Perot’s unprecedented initial success - ultimately a false alarm to the bipartisan establishment.
The United States of America, the self-proclaimed sole remaining superpower, often touts that it is the greatest nation in the world. Yet, when the data is analyzed, this claim is proven time and time again to be wrong, whether it is math or science, literacy or numbers, household income or workforce. Time and time again, and the numbers continue to slip. Healthcare is no exception. In 2012, the United States ranked thirty-second worldwide in life expectancy (Avendano and Kawachi 2014). Of the thirty-four Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) nations in 2010, the United States ranked twenty-sixth in infant mortality (MacDorman et al. 2010). In a 1998 study of thirteen developed nations (Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, and United States), the United States ranked, on average, twelfth. The rankings for the United States on each of the sixteen health indicators was: thirteenth for low-birth-weight percentages; thirteenth for neonatal mortality and infant mortality overall; eleventh for post neonatal mortality; thirteenth for years of potential life lost (excluding external causes); eleventh for life expectancy at one year for females and twelfth for males; tenth for life expectancy at fifteen years for females and twelfth for males; tenth for life expectancy at forty years for females and ninth for males; seventh for life expectancy at sixty-five years for
The “American dream,” a promise of the ability to turn your life from rags to riches if you try hard in the United States of America, has been the definition of what it means to be an American. But over time it the American dream has changed and its pledge perhaps more viable than ever. This is due to the simple fact that America as a nation has evolved over time and the core values which its people encompass are a reflection of the times. So as an American how do we define ourselves and our nation outside of the American dream? America has been known over time as a “big brother”- protector of mankind. Yet many of our citizens did not have equal rights until the 1960’s and it took the fourteenth amendment to guarantee equal protection
The Electoral College was created in 1787 to protect this country’s voting system. It is a group of 538 members that directly cast the votes to determine who the next president will be. (Green) However, the issues of the present day can’t help but wonder, is the Electoral College’s system outdated and corrupt? My dialogue’s purpose is to defend the Electoral College and show how it still protects us to this day by using evidence from the most recent 2016 election, and prove that it gave us the best candidate suited for the role of the President of the United States.
The Electoral College fails to accurately reflect the nation’s popular will; a group of less than 700 people can’t perpetually know the nation’s opinion, this results in plenty (perhaps a majority of) Americans being disconsolate with whom they have as a leader. The group fails to be
(Reprinted from National Review, 2004, November 8, 56[21], 28) Retrieved from http://libproxy.gc.maricopa.edu/login?url=http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010508226/OVIC?u=mcc_glendale&xid=7b641498 Dotinga, R. (2008). The Electoral College Weakens Federalism. In T. Lansford (Ed.), Opposing Viewpoints. The Presidential Election Process.
Background: The issue of the Electoral College as the entity responsible for appointing the President of the United States of America has been among the most controversial aspects of the legal framework set forth by the American Founding Fathers. Throughout different times in history, modifications to it, have been proposed in the form of more than 700 Congressional Bills, some of which have even received the endorsement of incumbent Presidents or the approval of one of the legislative chambers. [1] This is the matter that has drawn the most proposals for Constitutional Amendments, displaying the discontent that certain sectors of the population have expressed about the status quo. [2]
George Bush’s eventual triumph exposed everything: the pain of winner-takes all allocation of electors in 48 of the 50 states; the hazards of the electoral college, where if three electors with cold feet had votes for Al Gore instead of Bush then he would have won the presidency, Florida recount be damn; but, above all, the injustice of a system wherein the popular vote winner can lose.” There have been an alarming number of instances where the Electoral College set back the country due to the problems it has caused, and will continue to cause if it’s not replaced.
As election day rises, so does significant questions surrounding the Electoral College system. Mainly the subject of whether or not to disband the system will again be a hot topic amongst voters and legislatures. The question that remains in the minds of the everyday voter is if their vote actually counts toward appointing a President when a system such as the Electoral College is in place. Nevertheless, before forming an opinion on the matter it is important that one consider what the Electoral College actually is and how it functions, furthermore understanding why the framers of the Constitution thought it necessary to create this system. To properly form an opinion, avenues of critics and supporters must both be explored. Only through this considerable amount of information gathered can you take a stance on the topic.
With a Presidential election year upon us, the United States’ national election process will once again take its place at center stage of American politics. 200 years after the Electoral College’s creation, it still serves its intended purpose, but the increasing social and political awareness in America has caused a need to look at reform in this process. The question that should be asked by every citizen as they participate in the vote next year is if the Electoral College enables the wishes of the people to be truly represented? Reforming the practice of choosing the American President, though, would have Constitutional implications and the political philosophy of our country would be subject to much discussion. Through analyzing the
Many people in the U.S. today feel as though the Electoral College is not needed, and is in fact doing more harm than good in our country. Clifton B. Parker, a writer for the Stanford News Service at Stanford University, is one such person. In his article, Now We Know Why It’s Time to Dump the Electoral College, he illustrates the cons of this institution by stating that it “distorts campaigns, disenfranchises voters, and drives partisanship.” In short, this can make it impossible for American’s to exercise their electoral voice.
When wearing an American flag on my backpack I felt like we were all united and we're proud to be part of America, but this took time because in the beginning everyone was ashamed to be wearing the flag and no one was really proud of being American, but everything changed. For example, before Hitler came into power, Germans were ashamed of being German because they lots the war and the Treaty of Versailles took away most of the money, reduced their army, and took away power so they felt ashamed, but once Hitler came into power all that changed. Germans started to be proud of their country once again. I honestly did care that everything I did was for the improvement of the state because I benefited from it too. When we got to work with others
Rocks are thrown at shiny objects, and rain falls down on parades. Not to fret, these rocks can be used to build an honorable castle. The rain can create a sparkling, flowing river to lead the parade. It’s normal for a consequential and pessimistic side to exist, but the beneficial advantages and optimistic aspects must not be overlooked. Coming upon wine that can last for ages and improve in taste is uncommon. Perhaps the electoral college is this type of rare wine. The longer it is maintained, the more it proves necessary and rewarding. If so, the mistake must not be made to dispose of a system so noteworthy to America, just as the mistake must not be carried to waste such rare wine.
Between the times when the United States declared its independent from Great Britain until WWI, the US isolated itself from the rest of the world (Brinkley 604). This had all changed right after WWI where we became much more involve in the world, taking on lead roles in all international events or international crisis, for example the Vietnam war, the Persian Gulf war, and last but not least the recent war Afghanistan and Iraq; which still continues today. Today the United States continue to secure its title as the world leader, and continue to lead the world in all major aspects; military, economy and cultures.