Bureaucratic Natures

I feel that the while many of the government agencies serve a critical purpose, perhaps one of the most important is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In a time of increasing health problems such as diabetes and obesity, as well as new (and old) diseases like the swine flu and malaria still circulating the globe, the CDC is there to help provide and promote new information about all sorts of medical problems, as well as suggest possible solutions or point out signs and symptoms of when you should probably go see a doctor. It is a very helpful tool for people who do not understand certain health risks that can be associated with certain activities, and can help guide them in their decision making in either decreasing or preventing their possibility of having a certain medical problem, or can also be used to help guide them through fixing a medical problem or how to live with it.

In relation to the least needed federal agency that the government can do without, I would have to suggest in eliminating the Voice of America, which is responsible for broadcasting news about the United States to the people abroad. While this is all hunky dory, I feel that with the technology today that even if the people abroad were remotely interested in the daily affairs that are going on in the U.S. that they will simply go to Google news, or any news source on the internet, which would mean that the elimination of the Voice of America agency would have little impact.

It seems like many of the agencies listed have little sub-agencies that cover just about anything that the government can cover, which also means that I cannot really think of any agency at the moment that could be created.

I commented on Gabriel Miller, Tim Tunkel, and Jessica Tucker.

Presidential Greatness

For many people there are different definitions of measuring presidential greatness, but there are several common themes found in people who rate which presidents are the greatest and why. First off, people look at common leadership skills, such as the clarity of the president’s vision of policy, his ability to communicate with the public and government officials, as well with foreign politicians, his negotiation skills- meaning if he gives up too easily to others demands, is too stubborn to listen to reason, or can be sane enough to compromise or stand their ground when needed. Presidents are also rated due to how effectively they use their presidential powers overall. Obviously not everyone can encompass these aspects, but having strength in three out of four isn’t bad. People look for charisma and honesty, as well as intelligence and a fierce devotion to America. As well, it can be due to one historic moment in time that will forever define their presidency that determines how great they are, as during times of crisis the president is expected to be able to take control swiftly and solve the problem efficiently.

According to C-SPAN Historians Presidential Leadership Survey, the other two greatest presidents, as ranked by the American public, are distant cousins Franklin D. Roosevelt and Theodore Roosevelt. Franklin Roosevelt has been ranked as one of the greatest due to his steady and calming presence during the worst period in American history- the Great Depression- as well as being the main president for most of World War II. He had a clear vision to help out the Americans in a policy called the New Deal, which created a large amount of jobs, as well as expanding the government’s role in the economy to help regulate it to make sure that nothing as terrible as the stock market crashing ever happened again. He also helped create Social Security, something still enjoyed by millions today, and was also a more personal president to the public, creating the fireside chat which was a radio address to the public in which he would explain his reasoning for his actions. He was truly one of the few who had an everlasting reach in American government, and from my  point of view set a high standard for every president after him. Concerning Theodore Roosevelt, he was an adventurous man, one whose accomplishments included a creating a strong and firm foreign policy, in where his famous phrase “walk softly and carry a big stick” rings true today, as well as his ability to create new reforms for the nation. He also made sure that the government was more regulatory in big business matters so as to protect the working class people, and was a president deeply imbued in international politics as well. Plus, Teddy Roosevelt rode a moose- who could want anything more in a president?

I decided to do a little research on Chester A. Arthur, the 21^st president of the United States.  Some of the interesting things that I learned about him was the Arthur had originally been the vice president to the 20^th president, James Garfield, when Garfield was suddenly assassinated by a disillusioned man, and came into presidency after his death. President Arthur was also responsible for several civil service reforms, such as the Pendleton Act. He was also signed the Edmunds Act, which made polygamy illegal in the United States and also barred polygamists from being able to hold governmental offices. Concerning Native Americans, Arthur also wanted to give individual Native Americans their own land in an allotment system, but such an idea was struck down by Congress.  In all, I would say that President Arthur was an effective president. He was able to efficiently get many positive reforms passed, and had no huge events happen during his presidency, but seemed like a generally well respected individual, even if he is not seen as a notable president like Abraham Lincoln or moose riding Theodore Roosevelt.

I commented on Ashley Pelfrey, Albert Munoz, and Gabrielle Miller’s posts.

Representatives and Stuff

My Senators are Republicans Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander, while there are nine Congressmen representing Tennessee. Phil Roe, John Duncan, Marsha Blackburn, Diana Black, Stephen Fincher, Scott DesJarlais, and Chuck Fleischmann are all the Republican representatives, with only two Democrats- Jim Cooper and Steven Cohen. My Congressman is John Duncan.

 One area that I support that many other Congressman and Senators support is the continuing growth and efficiency of the education in not just Tennessee but in the whole nation. I support for every reason that everyone else supports in expanding education, as we all want a better education system and curriculum to be taught to our kids, for schools to always have the supplies they need, to create a more comfortable and receptive learning environment, and more up to date and innovative teachers, all geared toward providing the best education and giving every student the opportunity to maximize their abilities and intelligence.

One issue that I disagree with is Jim Cooper’s support of the Affordable Care Act, also popularly known as Obamacare. The bill is not very concise and leaves many questions unanswered that will only be solved as the program is implemented, and so not many of us really know if it will have a positive or negative effect in the long run. And while I understand that a big part of it is giving healthcare insurance to people with pre-existing conditions that were previously denied, which is a great thing indeed, I work in the medical field and I see the people that are already on programs such as Medicare and Medicaid and TennCare that are definitely abusing the program. In regards to paying a bill, the government will find every single way that it can to not pay your bill, just like a private insurance company, and if they have to foot it, they will only pay the bare minimum. I and my fellow coworkers have been constantly hounded by our billing department to always be on top of paperwork, and we are always quick to scramble and change to follow the ever-changing rules that Medicare produces, but it is never enough. People cannot always foot the rest of the bill either, and much of the hard labor that we do goes unpaid. In short, this Obamacare is more than likely just going to become another Medicare, and hopefully people won’t be too surprised when they figure out that their doctor visits and ER visits won’t be totally free.

                I commented on Ashley Pelfrey, Gabrielle Miller, and Brandi Lively’s blogs.

Elections and Voting and Pudding

In regards to the 2000 presidential race between Al Gore and George Bush, I am more inclined to agree with the majority opinion, but only because of the fact that the four counties that Gore requested a recount in did not complete the recount by the deadline, which was December 12^th. The officials conducting the recount should have known of the deadline and been quick and efficient about it so as to declare the presidential election winner, but instead seemed to take their time. I concede the fact that it would have been quite difficult to determine some voters actual chosen candidates if there were multiple “dimpled” chads, and I can’t see it being quite realistic- or legal- to call up the person and ask them who they voted for. They may just change their mind right over the telephone. Other than that, there is the possibility that the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Bush simply due to partisan loyalties, or hey, maybe they just wanted for the presidential election to be done and over with.

I feel that fundraising, while important to help finance a campaign, has started to take precedence over more qualifying attributes- namely, a competent and smart candidate. It seems as though instead of actually just focusing on understanding and dissecting a candidate’s stance on important issues, that we must also feel as though they can be popular enough to raise numerous amounts of money to help their campaign and to be given the possibility to be elected into office. And while I understand that fundraising is important to fund the political ads and get the word out, I just get so tired of hearing how much money somebody raised in an excess of millions that could be used for much better things. We could say that there is no mandatory amount of money to be raised, but then people really would question on whether or not the person is actually quite serious about winning an election if he cannot raise up a good chunk of money.

There is a lot of voter apathy in the United States, with a majority of it due to issues such as ethnicity, age, sex, and education. Women and Caucasian people tend to vote more than men or ethnic minorities, and as one gets older they typically get a little more involved (or at least concerned) with politics, while younger people are not so driven to become interested in politics. Education is another huge issue, as depending on one’s level of education they may think that voting is not all that important or are ill-informed of the issues and candidates at hand, or they may have a job that does not let them have the time off to vote, as U.S. elections are generally held during week days. Another thought is that people have become disenfranchised with voting and feel as though it is useless anyways. Indeed, even now my grandfather at the age of sixty-one recently told me that his vote feels like nothing, that it doesn’t really matter. General distrust of the government could be another reason for some as well.

I commented on Gabrielle Miller, Melissa Ray, and Amber Waters blogs.