Nicole G.
Legislative Branch
Given that most presidential powers are delegated and informal, the president’s ability to shape American politics is largely contingent on public support. To what extent do flagging political support or declining poll numbers hamper the president’s ability to lead Congress and the nation? Are there areas where this fact will be of little consequence? Discuss the suitability of public opinion polls for conferring a mandate on the president.
- Public opinion polls allow us to connect with the government. Flagging political support or declining poll numbers hamper the president's ability stems from the fact that each of these terms can mean the president does not have much influence over the congress. The areas where there would be little consequences would be opinion bases.
Consider the positive and negative effects of profit in the context of several different areas of public bureaucracy. What is gained and what is lost by privatizing functions such as education policy, trash removal, criminal incarceration, and national defense? How might privatization affect the constitutional rights of citizens who deal with private companies?
- The gain of privatizing these functions would be Efficiency and Competition. Privatizing can lead to increased efficiency in the delivery of services and can introduce competition with different service providers. The losses of privatization could cause Equity and Accountability. It could cause unequal access to services, and public institutions are subject to more direct democratic control and oversight.
Executive Branch
Why were the Founding Fathers so concerned about the amount of power vested in the President? It was the most debated part of the Constitutional Convention in 1787.
- They were concerned to prevent tyranny and set up a system of checks and balances in the government. They were also concerned about a person's concentration of power.
Why were the foundering fathers also concern about how to elect the President? Please Note we don’t have a direct democracy, but an Electoral College. Therefore, political power is not necessarily granted to the masses.
- They wanted to protect against the dangers of a direct democracy and wanted to create a representative system that respected both the people and united states.
Judicial Branch
Do you believe that judicial decisions will be affected if the diversity of the judges serving in the federal judiciary matches the diversity of the population? Explain why or why not.
- Federal Judiciary could be affected by different perspectives, competence and legal knowledge. The process of selecting judges and the change in court interpretations could also play significant parts.
Do you believe that 9 Supreme Justices interpreting the law for 330 million Americans is Democracy? Why or why not?
- Yes, I do believe because I feel that our democratic system makes laws stick to the constitution's principles and protects against tyranny of the majority. It may not be all 9 supreme justices, but I do believe most of them are democracy.
Do you believe that by the founding fathers vesting all legislative powers in Congress did NOT create a true democracy, but a representative democracy or even a dictatorship of 535 members controlling 330 million Americans?
- I believe that they have created a representative democracy. Congress sets up laws, declares wars, and collects taxes. If they are not violating the constitution, up to 535 members can pass a bill or approve anything regardless of people’s opinions.
