Presidential Salary

When reading the section on the executive branch I was shocked by the salary of the president. I know that being President is an extremely difficult job and deserves ebing well payed but to me $400,000 a year was surprising. When I really thought about it I realized by the time the president leaves office they could be a millionaire. While living in the white house they have little to no expenses which means they can save all of the money they make. What I want to know is why U.S. citizens who are suffering during this economic time are having to pay more taxes while the President continues to make $400,000 yearly.

The Tea Party

I am surprised by the up and coming tea party movement. Although it still is not a major party its numbers are increasing rapidly. I think that it is important that people join a party that shares the same views as themselves. I support all those people who belong to minor parties and stand strong in their beliefs however I am taken a back by the extra conservative view that the tea party holds. Is it too conservative? Will this party continue to grow? Only time will tell.

Eminent Domain

Eminent Domain is a very controversial topic. Should the city, state, or country be able to take away a persons personal property if it is used for the betterment of society? I think that this is a sticky subject. I know that I would not be happy if I was forced to sell the government my personal property. However, at ther same time it might be for the betterment of society, for example to build a police office that would create a safer environment. There is a fine line between taking property for the betterment of society and for the desires of the government. Where is the line drawn?

Balancing the Ticket

I think that balancing the ticket when running for president is a smart and effective strategy. It also, however, has the ability to make or break an election. In Obama's case I believe it helped his election. People saw Obama as young and lacking experience and to balance that he sought out Joe Biden who is older and has much experience. McCain choose Palin who he tried to balance the ticket with because she was a female. This move was what I believe gave Obama the leg up in the election because Palin was a very controversial choice. I found it interesting how much a President's running mate choice effects the outcome.

Freedom of Speech

Freedom of Speech is one of our many rights as an American. This is a right that I view as very important. It can also be very controversial. Many people don't understand freedoms may have restrictions. This is one of those freedoms that may have restrictions. I think that although Freedom of Speech is extremely important and is part of being an American I also think that it needs to have boundaries and restrictions as a way to watch out for the people of the US.

Sarah Palin and the 2012 Election

Will Sarah Palin's name make it to the ballot in 2012? At this point I do not think that Palin will be runnin in the 2012 election. I think this because I do not think that she has enough support at this time for her name to appear on the ballot. She was a very controversial figure in the 2008 elections and instead of balancing McCain's ticket she may have caused him to loose votes. I do not think that Palin has gained much more support since the 2008 elections and therefore I would be surprised to se her name on the ballot in 2012.

Filibusters

I was surprised by the whole concept of a filibuster. Honestly, I find it silly. I do not see the effectiveness of use of a filibuster in Senate. I think that they are a waste of time and that people should not be able to "talk a bill to death" with a filibuster. It amazes me that people can filibuster a bill by simply talking about anything and everything until people give in and agree. I think that filibusters take away from the process of reviewing bills which should be the main concern of Senate.

2012 Election Possibilties

As Obama enters his third year as President people are starting to question what will come of the 2012 election. Obama mostly likely will remain the Democrats nominee but will he be able to hold the office? I think that many people believe Obama has not lived up to his campaign promises. I do agree that Obama was a great campaigner and not all of his promises have been fulfilled. However, I think that a lot goes on behind the scene and that change in our country takes time. The question of weather or not Obama will hold a second term remains and open question for the time being. 

Prop 20: redistricting

A no on prop 20 would mean that California districts would continue to be drawn my member of the House of Representatives. A yes vote would mean that the people would create a committee that would draw up the district lines.  I think that it is important that for a fair vote that those being elected, like the members of the House remain excluded from the district drawing process. This would, however, mean an increase in the cost of redistricting because a committee would have to be paid to draw districts. This proposition passed with a yes vote by 61%. I think that this measure being passed will result in more fair election results.

President Obama’s Press Conference: "Let's Find Those Areas Where We Can Agree"

Following the November elections President Obama spoke about what he hopes for based on the results of the election. I think that Obama made a good point in saying that no matter which party is the majority in Congress it is important to be a united front. I agree that not everyone will always agree on issues and that this is one of the reasons we have political parties. However, I do think that it is important for our nation to work together in order to get things done. President Obama made it clear that in order to keep the nations best interest at hand it will be important for the Democrats and the Republicans to be able to work together to find common ground and serve the people of the United States.

Drugs In Portugal

I found the article about how drugs are dealt with in Portugal very interesting. When reading the article I thought about what California would be like if we followed the same drug laws as Portugal. This would mean that no one would go to jail for drug use or possession and they would have the option of turning down rehab therapy. I think that this would increase the amount of drug addicts and possibly result in a higher crime rate. However, the amount of inmate in jails would decrease and save the state a large sum of money. I do not think that saving that money would be worth it though. I think that in order to keep the majority of Californians safe it is important to maintain drug laws.

Brown calling Whitman a whore

I believe that it was inappropriate for Whitman to be called a whore, however, I do not necessarily believe that Brown should suffer because of it. It has become obvious that this race has become way too personal and I am sure that name calling goes on on both sides frequently. It just happened to be that Brown's was caught on a recording. I think that both candidates need to step back and take a look at how personal this race really has become.

Whitman Vs. Brown

Watching parts of this debate I discovered that I don't think of either of the candidates as great potential Governors. I feel as though they each have made it difficult to take a side because there debates on issues always seem to turn into personal attacks. I am disappointed that they are using personal attacks as a way to win votes. This keeps the voters from learning about each candidates and their views. It also send the wrong message that they don't work well with other parties which as Governor is an important job.

Voting Age

I believe that the age eighteen is an appropriate age for people to gain the right to vote. I do not think that it should be lowered because I think that most people under the age of eighteen are unaware of the different aspects of the political world. I think that it is important to have well informed voters and I think that for many people under the age of eighteen are lacking a sense of political maturity. I believe that people who are legal residents and who participate in our society should have the right to vote without citizenship. These resident aliens often contribute a lot to our society and I believe that because they are here legally and contribute to our society they're voice should be heard. Citizens who have committed felonies should be stripped of their voting right temporarily. I think that this would be a reasonable result of the committed felonies and that while serving jail time they should be stripped of there voting rights.

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Growing up, current events have always been a discussion topic in my household. As a result my family has played the biggest part in influencing my views on current events and politics as a whole. Although my family members are the ones who influence my views the most I believe, as I grow closer to being able to vote, I find myself also being influenced by my own experiences. I believe my own experiences are important because they shape my views and give me reasons to view current events and politics the way I do. My family, friends, and communities I am surrounded by have the greatest effect on my political attitudes. I think this is because I am often times surrounded by these people and am able to hear discussions about there views and beliefs. Hearing these views from people who are important in my life can influence how I view politics because I am more likely to want to agree rather then disagree with them.

Currently, some of the hot topics in the U.S. have been related to the environment, universal health care, and oursourcing. All of these topics are often in the news and I feel as though they are constantly a topic being discussed. Although, I think all of these topics are important and deserve to be discussed I believe I have the strongest personal opinion when it comes to outsourcing. The U.S. has currently become accustomed to outsourcing jobs to other countries, especially China and India. Outsourcing maybe a cheap alternative but what people don't think about is how it hurts small businesses in the U.S. I believe that in the long run outsourcing is weakening the U.S. economy and lowering it ability to compete with these other nations. How are we supposed to work towards a better economy when we are sending our money to different countries instead of supporting businesses in our own?