I
am hereby outlawing the Republican and Democrat parties...gone forever. Well,
let's get rid of the Constitution too (ouch, that one hurts). The whole system of
politics is wiped away. Here is the good news. You get to design a new
political party or system or Constitution or way of thinking about political
culture. You can be in charge, if you would like. What will you do? What would your system look like?
Douglas Adams described the perfect form of government in his Hitchhikers Guide series. In this universe. the President exists only to provoke outrage, living a rock star in order to keep the eyes of the people off who really controls power. All decisions rest with 6 unknown men, who meet with a partially insane man, who answers all their questions about policy, which they implement.
ReplyDeleteThe perfect government is ruled by someone who doesn't want the power, to insure that they do not misuse it. In my ideal system, three individuals with no discernible political affiliations or views are locked in separate bunkers, all unaware of the existence of the other two. They are given all of the information about policy, then told they must make a decision for a power simulation of reality being used for research purposes. Their answers are compared, and the consensus is applied to policy.
I am interested in your ideal system, but how would we choose the three individuals? Another question...lock them in separate bunkers...are they prisoners? I do not know if locking people up and making them decide, even if this would just be research, would have some of the best outcomes. Would they just make a hasty decision just so they could be released from the bunker? If I was to be one of those three, I would only care about getting out of the bunker and not about what kind of decision I made. Most people would not react positively to the situation.
DeleteThis might not be what you were trying to say, but it is how I interpreted what you wrote.
On top of what Miranda has written, how would they know what the best policy for the people is if they can't interact with society? I feel like you should at least know your society and it's people before you make decisions for them.
DeleteI, too, like the Hitchhikers Guide series and it is very thought provoking.
I would definitely change the system on welfare. I think that some people take advantage of the system on welfare and make hard working people suffer. I do not like the fact that some of these recipients get so much money to stay home and do nothing. The way the system should work is they should cut money on food stamps and cash aid. A person with a family of three does not need to spend 800 dollars a month on groceries. Plus most of these recipients start selling their food stamps and end up making a profit. I think that the system should have more qualifications in order to be able to receive services for help. For example, if a person wants to apply they would have to go through a certain process, like if he wanted to get cash aid they have to provide proof of enrollment for school and final grades. As soon as they drop school they should be dropped from welfare. With that in mind, student must be in school full time and have a part time job or be in training. I think there should be more strict rules in order to be considered to be a candidate. I think that the maximum of being on welfare should be no more than a year. The way the system now is working they qualify anyone who applies and, the lower the income the more they are advanced with the service.
ReplyDeleteAs for health insurance, I believe that the children should never be denied. And for those who struggle, get a reasonable insurance that can help with half the coverage if they qualify to be a candidate. I do not know exactly how the actual system works at the moment but, I do hear from many people that it is easy to qualify and abuse the system. I thought this was interesting I came across a New York post on how some of the welfare recipients were handling their cash withdraws.
Should check this out!
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/poor_some_ugar_on_me_0Hq1d3iPnvj2RwpsEDS7MN
Here's a welfare analogy for you. Welfare is like owing a boat. Its always broke down and you just keep on pouring money in it. Not to mention everyone else enjoys it with out your expense. The POTUS just gave it an over haul too.
DeleteIf I were granted the ability to create a new political system, it would center on individual rights, and minimize government intrusions into personal matters such as health care, religion, parenting, etc. While simply erasing the Constitution and political parties of the United States is, of course, a monumentally horrible idea, the scenario is interesting, and the result would forever change the face of America as we know it. The results might be chaotic, or harmonious; the implications of such a change are huge and far-reaching.
ReplyDeleteMy new system would not allow government to “meddle” in matters that I feel they have no business in. For instance, absurdities such as the government deciding how many calories you should consume via a sugary beverage (New York City), and the federal government having the ability to collect personal information about you without your consent would be a thing of the past. I feel that these types of intrusions, if halted, would better the quality of life for all American citizens. They infringe upon our rights and question our abilities to make decisions for ourselves.
Political parties, however, are unavoidable. No matter what, humans are hard-wired to gravitate toward those with like views and opinions. Parties, or “groups,” might have different names throughout history, but they have always existed and always will.
I think Mr. Abraham Lincoln said it best, “The government should do for the people only what they cannot do better themselves and no more."
I defiantly like the last quote by Abraham Lincoln that is a perfect way to sum up what the government should be like. Today it's not how it seems our government is so involved in everyone's lives that they are not worried about what is actually happening in our country. They seem to be more worried about what they can do for their selves then what they can do for the people of this nation. Our government is more focused on how they can move up the “latter.” I agree that our government is too noisy when it comes down to investigations they have us all number with these social security numbers and track our every step. It feels like that have a little string attached to our backs and are making certain decision for us as well.
DeleteI really like the points you've made here, and especially love the quote that you added. In my mind, we are walking a very fine line as far as government control goes, and I think we could really benefit from some of your ideas!
DeleteI strongly agree with you on the intrusion of personal rights and choice. If people actually participated in the election cycle and honestly understood the real issues, quite a few of these agenda items like Obama-Care would never have made it out of committee let alone to the floor for a vote.
DeleteI have to say that I would not want to be the one in charge and the one who makes a new system. I dislike politicians in general and, no matter who is in charge, there will always be something "wrong" with how they use the privileges given to them. People given these privileges should not be interested in power, should not be interested in the title, should not be a former government official, and should not be someone who has a considerable amount of wealth (I say this because it is common for those who are wealthy to think that they deserve special treatment or that they are better than others because of the wealth).
ReplyDeleteI would like to see no faces. Meaning you do not get to see the faces of the people running for office. You can listen to them speak; you can listen to their point of views on policies, and what they would try to do for our country. You do not get to judge based on objective characteristics; the things you can tell about someone by just looking at them (examples would be race and sex). Those running should not say anything about their personal lives (religion, affiliations, gender, sexual preference, marital status, occupation, etc.) I know that it would be difficult living with the fact that you do not know who your president is, but I would like to see the government give citizens little chance to choose based on prejudices and biases (Example: Some people chose not to vote for Obama because they didn’t want a black president; some voted for Obama because they were tired of the white man being in charge; some people didn’t vote for Hilary Clinton because a woman can’t handle being president, etc. You should vote on what the candidates want to implement, and not on their appearance. Then there are those who judge based on appearance and then convince themselves that they chose a certain candidate based on what the candidate promises to do.)
I also say no faces because, if I were to be president, I would not want to be a target. I think that the presidents of the United States were/are brave because you have those who love you, and those who would love for your death to be all over the news. I think that the presidents are treated almost like criminals; having to be watched twenty-four seven and not being able to do everyday activities like citizens do. If their identities were unknown, they could do and see much more.
I like Sean's idea of having several unknown people making decisions, the comparisons to their decisions, and implementing policies as needed.
I love this idea of no faces, or knowing who is running your government. Just knowing their agenda! This is a really cool idea.
DeleteNicely put! I also like your idea of "no faces" in government. I think this would change things significantly. Things such as racism and politicians personal lives would not be able to influence us during the election process.
Deleteyou folks are great...experimental and contemplative. You are all officially now in charge of the country...congrats!
ReplyDeleteI would invent a system that limited the amount of time senators and representatives could spend in office. It would be much like the presidency is limited in time. I would cap Rep's at 25 years and Senators at 20 years. This would create a system in which people could not spend a life time in one office position. They would have to move up or down in order to remain in congress. Shifting and movement is necessary to prevent stale stagnate politicians with too much power.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally I create laws that would prevent those who have committed felonies from being able to collect any income from the government or for School. Additional help is a blessing and not a right.
Gov. pots of money would have to be used for exactly what they were intended for. Not for funding other governement ideas that when the pots get full the money gets siphoned off to other political ideas and agendas. A good example here is Supplemental Social Security. I'd even make it an option for people to opt in or out of. I believe that individuals can manage their money better than government.
Government projects would have to all meet their plans and can not go over budget. If projects go over budget then the governement officials must be held responsible like business owners who go into debt. Businessmen get fired and it should be just as easy as to fire government official.
Last but not least they all would have caps on the money they can make each year. No bribes, pay offs, or gifts allowed. Just the salary they make.
Totally agree with your last sentences!!! Just salary and nothing more!
DeleteExcellent point in your last sentence! I don't think that we know how much bribary happens within our government, or how much it truly affects the people!
Delete…Or way of thinking about political culture
ReplyDeleteIf I had a nation I would like all the people of my country to feel high esteem, pride, and know the truth about their culture and government.
…What will you do?
First off, I would create some drastic changes to the education system; the worth of a house will not be determined by how close it is to a certain school for starters.
Education would be free to all people wishing to obtain a higher level of education, from Pre School all the way up to the doctorate level.
Not only would education be free, it will also be uncensored meaning that certain parts of history, literature, or statistics cannot be omitted.
It would also be equal, meaning that a kid growing up in Beverly Hills can have an intellectually stimulating conversation with another kid growing up in South Central Los Angeles.
The curriculum and standards would be the same, and this would be a possibility because the parents themselves (from both sides of the spectrum) would be educated and nurture a love for learning in their children.
All inhabitants of the nation would be entitled to the same quality of education regardless of race, social standing, or family income.
Same Male and Female Salary (for heaven’s sake it’s 2013!)
Religious Toleration (Separation of Church and State)
Establish the freedom to marry other persons regardless of color, race, beliefs, gender, or sexual orientation.
Right to vote regardless of past incarceration, social standing, location, or age (ex. Florida scandal in 2000 Gore vs. Bush elections)
Reserve the prison system only for high crimes such as murder, rape, domestic violence, and child molestation. These crimes are punishable by incarceration for life.
Basic law violators must attend therapy, counseling, and social rehabilitation.
Not interfere in war or global disputes, unless refraining from doing so can cause harm to the nation or another nation that has specifically asked for our assistance.
Remain neutral from worldly public affairs, and understand that other nations can run their country however they may choose to do so.
Abolish physical punishment against children (ex. Sweden)
Create a more vegan friendly nation that does not consume so much meat, and has more respect and admiration towards biological ecology.
Create a place where animals and humans can live in harmony.
Create technology that is more eco-friendly.
What would your system look like?
There would NOT be a body of all-white males running the country.
There would be more cultural and gender diversity in the government. All persons would be represented regardless of how little of the population they represent.
Why would you want to regulate how much meat someone can consume. You mean my tacos have would have to be with out meat in your country? Meat is part of me and my wife's daily food. Looks to me like you want to change who people are and what they like.
DeleteYou live in Kern county. One of the producers the the most agriculture in the world. You should be able to find plenty of vegetables here to fill your plate and keep you happy.
Wow, what a list. Definitely contemplative and hopeful. I like the idea of starting with these ideals and then daring to wonder about how some of them might be realized.
DeleteI like Kyle's idea that government should somehow fit human nature. I see more in common than in opposition between your two posts...but I am pretty Socratic like that.
Nancy---
DeleteIt seems to me like you are quite interested in change, and seem to have a good idea of areas you'd like to see things done differently. I can't say I agree with any of your ideas, and think implementing most of them would unweave the fabric of our society and lead to a de-civilizing that resulted in chaos, but I appreciate your passion and clarity. :)
Nancy, I agree with most of your ideas, except the part of eating less meet (but there is nothing wrong with promoting a vegan life style). Having free education is a fantastic idea. This would help to close the gap between the social classes. I love how you would handle the prison system, but, even though it is controversial, I think the death penalty would be fitting for those crimes (except domestic violence, that would depend on the severity of the crime).
DeleteWow! Kyle take it easy it's just an assignment. I'm not going into your house to take your meat, feel free to eat all the meat you want.
DeleteThe reason that I limit my consumption of meat is because I am aware that as one moves up the trophic level energy is lost, and I see no point in relying on an herbivore that enjoys the full benefits of the primary consumers (plants), while I have to eat twice as much meat to get the same energy.
Sun (primary source of energy) ->Plants->Animal eats plants -> human eats animals
In this long and complicated process energy is lost from species to species. Energy is lost to heat, reproduction, insulation, etc.
If I really want to get the bang for my buck I'm eating a salad and suffering no energy loss in between.
Karina, I must admit that I too have pondered the death penalty, but I have never died and come back, so I don't know which is worse. All I know is that if I had to live the rest of my life incarcerated, death wouldn't seem like such a bad thing.
DeleteJentri
DeleteI don't see how my ideas could lead to the de-civilization of the nation, taken into consideration that I've emphasized more funding towards education not prisons as our country currently does.
One of the blogs in the coming weeks was going to have you all disagree with something in someone else's posts. That may now be unnecessary...what I would have everyone think about is the tension, the way that you think differently about a piece of writing if there is something in it that you disagree with. In many cases, agreeing does not lead to deep thinking. Disagreeing often does...so I don't mind the disagreeing as long as it remains respectful.
DeleteI never meant any disrespect at all to Nancy. I'm tired of everyone agreeing to each others post and hearing everyone congratulate each other on their great ideas. I got a bit of the reaction I was looking for but wasn't looking to make anyone feel bad or ganged up on. I feel that its always important for people to be able to debate ideas and agree to disagree. I was trying to play the other side of table but meant no harm. After all i picked a very short line to disagree on for a reason. If you like debate then please by all means respond to my posts. Maybe you'll like to even respond to my "reading response" for our other assignment. Many apologies if I hurt you. Looking forward to more debates. Lets keep our ideas and opinions honest and the assignments fun.
DeleteAlso, you should be happy that your writing got so many writing responses. Your helping us earn our grade. Good job.
Thanks Kyle, I'm always up for a debate as long as it remains professional and scholarly.
DeleteTo be quite honest I was a little taken aback by your response, mainly because I didn't think meat was going to be the big issue!
I reasoned well I'm telling them how to raise their children, learn, and treat criminals; Yet as soon as I start telling them what to eat protests begin? I found that to be hilarious.
Thanks for the response, no apologies necessary :)
Thats good to hear from you. Glad we can be ice breakers for disagreement. Lets let the debates continue. By the way i completely disagree about separation of church and state. Why separate god for state? Isn't there some common ground amongst all church's? You know the good stuff and the morality church delivers regardless of religion. Things like that. Couldn't we exploit those good qualities of church?
DeleteKyle,
DeleteI believe we do take advantage of those good qualities of several religions while keeping the separation of church and state. Thou shall not kill, thou shall not steal, thou shall respect there parents. There are forms of laws, some straight forward, and some not so that are in line which qualities and beliefs of several churches while not including them in the reasoning for such laws.
The reason that I push for a separation of church and state is to prevent religious wars.
DeleteI don't believe the good stuff of morality is only present in people who go to church and have a belief in God. If the government forced people to believe in a certain religion would that truly be faith? I believe people have a right to worship whoever they may choose to do so without feeling that their beliefs are wrong or unchristian in some way. At the end of the day all religions push people to be brotherly, giving, and loving. I believe those traits are best taught by charitable parents not religious institutions. Those are my two cents on the matter.
If the citizens of the United States of America elected me to be their first ever African female president and was told that I had to make up a whole new constitution and laws, I hate to say this, but I do not think I will change anything. I don’t think our government now is perfect, but what government is? I can actually say that our government today is better than most of the other countries. I could say a lot of things like: everyone should be given free health insurance, car insurance, free schooling from kindergarten until after undergraduate studies. I could lie to the citizens just to receive their votes, like what every presidential candidate does, but we have to look at the reality of things. I think what I would do is combine some of the views of the Republican and Democratic party.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that people should be responsible for their own actions and I also believe that there are things that the government should intervene in. Conservative views on abortion will be implemented because I do believe that as soon as there is a heartbeat, that is a living being. Their views on homeland security should be enforced, even though it could be seen as stereotyping. The liberal's belief that immigration should be allowed would definitely be implemented. I would also enforce their gun control law (right not to bear arms); it will greatly reduce the shooting sprees that has been occurring. The liberal view of euthanasia will be taken into action and the death penalty should not be enforced. We have no right to choose who should live or who should die. That is what I would do if I do become president, combine the believes of both the conservative and liberal views.
Sophia, this does seem to combine some of the left and right in this country.
DeleteI have long been ambivalent about the death penalty, but I think the best argument against was uttered recently at a conference I attended...not a conference on such political things but on English. It was the keynote speaker, Sister Helen, the woman who wrote the book that became the movie Dead Man Walking. She said there is a groundswell against the death penalty by families of victims. I was shocked that there is a large group against the death penalty made up of those whose family members had been killed by those on death row.
I remain ambivalent(one of those, my heart says this, my head says that things), but she had some powerful stories, to be sure.
Agree with wanting to combining some of views of Democratic and Republican parties! Sometimes I find myself agreeing to different positions of both sides too. Great post!
DeleteI like the free health and car insurance but mostly the educational part. Combining the democratic and republican parties is a right move to make because both parties do point out certain areas that are helpful and beneficial.
DeleteSophia---
ReplyDeleteInteresting thoughts on the topics you chose. I like that you were able to see the "big picture," beyond party affiliations, and touched upon things from both sides that you supported or didn't.
By the way, do any of your have any issues like that, where your heart tells you one thing and your head tells you another? If so, what do you do? I generally urge both heart and head to shut up and let me sleep, but that's just me.
ReplyDeleteWell since I really dislike political discussions this one is a little difficult for me to answer. I definitely would not want to be in charge nor would I know who to put in charge. Instead I would probably just leave the government parties disbanded and leave us without a Constitution. Since this would likely lead to people to doing whatever they want, I would assume chaos would ensue. Survival of the fittest would become societies new theme. Ensuring that those who will put in the effort and work to live will be the ones who survive. Unlike the many Americans who today live off government assistance while others work and pay increasing taxes so that they can sit home and collect a check. I would however, like to keep social security so that those who put in their time and work would be able to receive their retirement. Since I'm sure many are not willing to put in the work and would not like this new "survival of the fittest" theme, I would guess many would not want me in charge of such a decision. I do believe that our system is in desperate need of a change. Whether it be a whole new system or just some fine tweaking. It seems as though our political culture has become unstable and doesn't seem to be doing anyone much good. Obviously my new system would never happen but instead I hope we can create a new cohesive and fair system.
ReplyDeleteI really don't like political discussions either. I agree that leaving the country without any sort of leadership would lead to total anarchy. But, I think that it would definitely level the playing field in terms of equality.
DeleteIf I could create my ideal society, I’d probably choose to keep it a democracy. I would place a high emphasis on the equality of rights that would give the positions of the President, Congress, and Senate positions available to any sex or gendered individual. I personally would probably not want to run the nation, but be behind the scenes and contribute ideas and such. Although it seems that this is a replica of what we have today, I am here to say that it is significantly different because there is much controversy of who holds positions in our society. In my democracy, I’d aim to eliminate the controversy and bring the people of American together. Implementing community activities and encouraging getting to know our neighbors is a value that I intend to extend to those living under this system. Education, would be a very important part of society. It would be something that youngsters strive to achieve, rather than dreading going to class every morning. I’d reward those who strived and performed outstanding throughout the school year. Far too often do those who excel not get recognized and I would love to try to change that. And lastly, I would strive to unite the nation by having universal laws for all the States of America. Some individuals when traveling to other parts of the country are not in sync with the different requirements that each state asks for, so why not make it easier on citizens of America and make everything the same everywhere? This may not be an ideal society; however I am very ignorant in politics and now more than ever I am curious to see if some of these changes in our democracy would be for the better.
ReplyDeleteWhat a thought provoking question professor...I admit I am not very knowledgeable when it comes to politics, so I apologize beforehand if this system sounds completely ridiculous. First, there would be no president, or at least he would be seen as an representative of our nation in meetings with other world leaders; he would not be looked at as someone who has all power because in reality that lies in Congress. Now, members of Congress can only serve 10 years and there has to be an equal representation of race and gender (only 6 position available). Hopefully by keeping congress members from having their position, so long will help for positive changes. Each state would have 2 representatives male/female and they could not be the same race (10 year minimum). My supreme law would be that State have all the power to run themselves “As long as all citizens are treated equally regardless of race, gender, or religious beliefs.” All healthcare for inmates would stop, only medications to help ease pain, and antibiotics nothing more. The death penalty would be universal for anyone who is convicted of rape or murder. Higher learning would be available to all for free. This does sound so crazy, but can you imagine how our children would benefit from this. I have to stay true to the cause, I would also immediately legalize marijuana and begin to regulate it. Taxing this plant would make money for our nation, just like alcohol and cigarettes do. In my dream world, our nation would stop going to war with other countries (only if we are forced to protect ourselves) and secure our borders instead (but make becoming an citizen much easier and cheaper). We would not allow our citizens go hunger, when there is an abundance of food. Healthcare would become cheap or free and easy to get...but I would not take away private healthcare as an option for citizens.
ReplyDeleteMy government would be a completely different government from the one we live in. I would change many rules. I would start of by punishing all the criminals and cutting many of the programs that people take advantage of. My main goal would be to have the similar constitution with a few of my rules. I wouldn’t be opposed to many of the issues that our society doesn’t approve. I wouldn’t be opposing to gay marriage, death penalty and so on. One of my main issues is all the child molesters out on the streets. There’s also a lot of rapist and thieves out in the streets continuing robbing and rapping innocent people. I would want to punish every criminal with the same crime they committed. There are a lot of bad people in this world. It’s not fair for the hard working people to have someone take everything that they have worked for. These thieves would defiantly be punished by spending years of their lives in jail. The rapist and child molesters would be defiantly my priority they would defiantly deserve to be either to be kept in prison or the death penalty. I do not believe that people which go out and rape a person or molest a child deserve to be free, let alone out in our society, they have no respect for other humans.
ReplyDeleteMy constitution would be fair but yet at the same time be able to provide justice for those innocent people which are victims to all this heinous crimes. For those who kill I believe that if they don’t value the live, then why should we be allowed to keep on living. It’s one of the most worst crimes committed and we are giving these criminal a small punishment today in our society. I would defiantly be harsh to these people which kill innocent people just because they can’t value life. My system would have different parties like we do today. I believe that the Republican and Democratic parties play important roles to balance our rights and to make sure not only idea is getting valued more than others. It’s great to have checks and balance within our society so that our government can create equal and fair laws for our society.
If I were the president of the United States I would first of all have different changes to our system. First of all I would not allow the welfare system to be as easy to access. I would make sure that the proper families are receiving it; the ones who are in real need of it. Today, in the United States too many people take advantage of welfare and do not use their money properly or/and the money is given to people who do not really need it. I believe EBT cards should not be allowed at fast food restaurants or other stores that are not giving proper nutrition to children. Second of all, I would workout better laws in the immigration system that would help our country and those that are undocumented as well. I would increase the minimum wage for those who work in the agricultural and continue to increase their working environment ( dealing with their breaks, pay, equipment, transportation, etc). Lastly, as president, I would focus on family values being kept outside government power. Instead family values should be kept in individual family matters; with this said, this country would not frown on any types of marriages. Marriage is a union of two people forming a family. Therefore gay marriage would be permitted in this country as well.
ReplyDeleteAs president I would improve this country by making the right choices in improving inequality and the conditions we live in.
hey Marisol,
DeleteI would not mind you being our president, hahaha. I don't really have any opposition to your ideals. I think one of things I would do for the welfare system is do drug testing.
If I had the choice to recreate the government and start from scratch. I will still have the constitution as to which we can have a basis to live off and survive from. As some of the others have mentioned I would not want a single president but rather a council of around 4-6 depending on the separation of regions to make the ultimate decisions. These people would not be kept secret as, that would seem kind of like the scenario of 1984 where you don't know who the actual leader is but rather just what they do or enforce.
ReplyDeleteThe salary of everyone in politics would be no higher than the salary of a tenured teacher. This will prevent those who are in the business solely for personal gain. I also would like to have a term cap with each person being limited to only 8 years in a position and only 24 years total before a mandatory retirement will take place. This should prevent people from trying to make a career by just following along. Furthermore, each term will voted on just like the elections we have now. which are every 4 years.
As for the more specifics such as health care, punishments, and immigration, those will be decided as the entire country's vote counting as a vote, as well as the major council voting on such causes. Gone will be the electoral college, with every vote counting exactly who you vote for. Hopefully with all these changes the country would run in a more effecient and successful way.
The idea of reducing politicians' salary is a great idea and I know that often times they vote in favor of increasing their salary. It doesn't seem right.
DeleteYikes! This is a huge role to take on. Designing a new system? Being completely in control of it? I wouldn't want all of that control. I guess that is where I would start, by sharing the control. Splitting it amongst a group of people. The power should never be in the hands of one person. I truly believe that people, even the best of people, are easily corrupted when given so much power. So that is where it would start, by dividing the power in hopes of creating a fair government for the people. After that, I like to think that my fellow government officials and I would carefully cover how to protect our people, but with the least amount of government interaction as possible. I could go into great detail on how to possibly accomplish it, and even brainstorm all of the possible things that could go wrong, but the bottom line is this: let the people take care of themselves. I truly believe that the government should be like the framework of a house, but the people should be in charge of building and maintaining the rest of the house. People should, for the most part, rely on themselves. This is not to say that I am against the government helping those who are truly in need, but this should be carefully managed and monitored so as to not be abused. This new system would be in the hands of the people. Government officials would serve shorter terms than they currently do, and the people would vote for who they wanted in control. The main point of this system is that the people have a say, and that people are maninly in charge of themselves. This means that the government is not there to take care of them, but to simply provide structure. The government would not have it's hands in things such as religion, but would let the people truly be free as long as it was not causing physical harm to another. Are there flaws with this? Absolutely. But, then again, aren't there flaws in every system? I like to think that if there was a perfect way to run a country that someone would have found it by now. Since they seem to have not found any such thing, this is what I think would be best. A people who were responsible and, for the most part, in control of their own lives.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it would be better for the power to be split between a group of people. After all multiple minds are better than one. I guess I could see where corruption could come into play if the power was given to people, but I do not think that every person if given the chance to have all the power in their hands would become corrupted. I believe if you give the power to the wrong person then corruption can occur.
DeleteWere putting me in control of an entire nation? Then I here by declare that we shall all be free to do whatever we want, truly. We can steal, murder, threaten and beat up anyone without consequences. Hail to us all! I'm joking by the way. This would be a terrible world to live in and I a terrible person. Just thought I'd have a little fun before I tackled this question. Redesigning a system, one that has been around for a very long time, would not be easy and it would not come without its challenges, but if I was president I would do everything in my power to make it work.
ReplyDeleteThe system I would design would not be one of freedom or equality but of balance, one in which the power was split between groups. I know this sounds a little bit like the system we have now but bear with me. Instead of having various separate houses to distribute the power to, there would only exist 3. Too many houses involves too many people, too many varying view points and mind sets which is one of the problems with our system today. Everyone has something to say, a way to run this country and there is no possible way to listen to all of these thoughts effectively without wasting time. In my system there would be no wasted time. The first group would consist of the president, vice president and four others. For now I'll refer to this group as Power. My second group, called Control, would constitute of eight people and lastly my third group would be Distribution, which would have ten people within it. Power, Control, and Distribution all equal one thing, Balance.
The group of Power would be in charge of signing bills and passing laws. Every time a bill would surface, it is Power's job to look over the bill, work out the details and finally have the President sign it. Power would be the only group in my system which would not have the same number of males and females, the scale tipped depending on who the president was, but I would try to make it as diverse as possible. I would want representatives from the general races to compose my group so as I would never forget anyone. Another of Powers role would be to make sure Control and Distribution are doing what they are supposed to and to listen to the people.
Control would be made up of four women and four men and it would be their duty to make sure Power is not abusing their role. A bill would pass through them before making its way to Power. Control would be in charge of expenses. They decide where our money goes and to whom it goes. None of their decisions would be passed however, without going through Power or Distribution.
Finally Distribution, would make sure that both Power and Control were acting fairly. Their job is to ensure that no one is being forgotten or walked over. The make sure the power and control is being distributed equally between the houses. Distribution would also be in charge of managing the people of the U.S. and deciding which bills make it up to Power and Control however, no bill would be overlooked.
This would be what my system would look like. Of course there would be more to it but for now this is it. I really disliked this question because it makes politics seem black and white, as if their was one simple easy system we could design to fix all of our problems. As much as we desperately want that perfect system it does not exist and it never will. We can dream all we want but we can't stay asleep forever.
If I could create my own constitution and be in charge of the United States I would probably keep most of what our constitution says. There are a few tweaks I would make, but in all I do not think that there are a lot of problems with our constitution. The constitution makes sense and it has been successful because the United States is one of the best democratized countries in the world. I would make changes in health care so that everyone could have medical insurance. There are so many people that do not have it and they need it for health reasons. I know at one point in my life my daughter did not have health insurance for a couple of months and she needed her immunizations and we had to pay five hundred dollars for three shots. Health insurance is so beneficial especially if they only cover a portion of a doctor’s visit or a medical bill. I would also make it easier for first time home buyers to get a house. When I went to buy a house my realtor said that they do not have first time home buyer programs anymore. I do not know if that is true or not but I would still give first time home buyers a break. Another reform I would make is making the welfare department stricter because there are a lot of people that abuse welfare when it could have gone to someone who really does need the assistance. I do not always agree with the whole welfare controversy however I think that if it really does help someone out for a couple of months to get back on their feet, then I am all for it. I would also crack down on gun control to minimize the violence and crime in the United States. I do know that even if there were no guns people would just use other weapons to hurt people but at least that would be one less weapon we would have to worry about people using to harm other people. I would just want to create a government that was safer than the one we live in today. Especially one that was equal. I know that California’s Prop 8 is such a big debate on whether same sex marriage should be legal and if I was in charge of the United States I would make it legal in every state. I feel like when it comes to issues such as same sex marriage we are taking away some of their rights. People should be able to love and marry whoever they want in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteIf I was given the opportunity to create a new government system, I would definitely say I would not be thrilled about it. I feel that our government will ever change drastically, because that is just the way it is. Needless to say our government can use a few changes that the nation could benefit from. Education is an important factor that could be enforced a little more heavily. Being honest with children nowadays and letting them know that education is an important factor in life. This could help children better prepare themselves about the pros and the cons of having an education. The welfare system could definitely be changed. I use to support the e welfare system; because I believed that the government should offer services to its people. But this is certainly not the case, because people are taking advantage of the system. Thus, making it difficult for people who need it the most and who can actually benefit from it. The death penalty, a very controversial subject, could be changed for the better. I believe that if one causes intentional harm on another individual deserves to be punished. Gender roles in society should change where everyone is entitled to equal rights in society. This is just a few of many government issues that could change for the better.
ReplyDeleteWell if I am the leader of this free nation the United States, the very first thing I would do would be to reduce all elected officials salaries to a mere $75,000.00 per term. Also, every United States citizen would be required to have a United States Passport. This would need to be shown and scanned prior to entering any voter facility on election day. Of course the fee for passports would be reduced drastically for anyone earning under $50,000.00. Next, every citizen would be required to vote on election day or submit a signed statement that they chose to refrain from voting. Everything else would stay pretty much the same except for getting rid of all national campaign organizations like the DNC and RNC. Instead people would put their campaign contributions into a general pool that would be split equally by all candidates in primaries and general elections. No more corporate lobbyists all companies would be forced to do as the citizens and donate to a general pool of campaign capital. The House of Representatives and Congress would be elected by popular vote. The President of the U.S. would be elected by the Governors of each state thereby the local citizenry would play a very important role in electing the President of the United States by participating vigorously in the election of their state's Governor. State Senators would be elected by the counties within their state as exampled: California has 58 counties, so each county would yield one vote for each Senator running in the general election. If the majority of the people in L.A. County voted for Senator "A", then Senator "A" would get 1-vote and carry L.A. county. Senator "A" would have to get 29 other county votes for a total of 30 counties to win the election. There would be new regional and state parties, but national parties would be outlawed. This would be a more representative government in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteThis is a difficult assignment for me. I typically try to stay away from political debates or "discussions". But, if I could make a change to our government I would reevaluate the welfare system. I feel that it is often (mostly) abused by able bodied people who are just too lazy to work. The welfare system was established as a short term assistance program to help those who were temporarily out of a job. Now, we have life long welfare recipients who have never worked a day in their life. Don't get me wrong, I think that there are many people who are very deserving of welfare benefits, but the majority are just taking advantage of my tax paying dollar. And speaking of taxes, I would lower the tax rate and instead cut the government officials salaries down to an average wage rather than the high amounts that they are currently making.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you; I think there should be a better screening system for all the people that are receiving welfare because I agree that many shouldn't be receiving it anymore. I have seen people taking advantage of our tax dollars, some people who receive welfare have brand new I phones or cars, so how is it that they can afford them but I work, go to school and cannot. I think that’s really unfair, and has to be fixed.
DeleteI also agree with you. Maybe not have taxes, but more like a deducation that gets put away and is givin dividends and at the end of the year given back to the person if it wasn't used. Which most likely It wouldn't.
DeleteTo be honest, I think America has one of the best societies in the nation. It's not perfect, far from it, but America lets it citizens make the decisions and vote. I would do a couple of things different though. For example, the pharmaceutical companies have way too much money and power giving them too much control on our society. I feel that medicine should not be made for pure profit like it is now and everyone should have equal access to it. I also believe that many big money corporations like Wal-Mart and Coca-Cola also have too much input on society. They take away from the mom and pop shops that give society substance and creativity away from your typical corporate society. I think by limiting the amount of Wal-Marts there can be in a certain state or city would be beneficial. Give some money to the little men who need it rather than feeding the big corporation with money that benefits only the top few people. I also believe marijuana should be decriminalized completely. It's 2013 people, we all know its not that bad for you and not nearly as bad for you as alcohol. The least you can do is put it in the same category as alcohol and treat it as such. All these little things can help make a perfect society and by allowing the people to vote and have the big money corporations not have any input into policies and laws would be beneficial to society as a whole. Sometimes the little things make the biggest differences.
ReplyDeleteI like your idea of the pharmaceutical companies, I agree with you that they have to much control and that medicine should be available to everyone.
DeleteI present to you the brave, strong, smart, honest (BSSH) party. I choose this name because these are the qualities I would want my party to be associated with. These are key traits for a good candidate that can actually make positive changes to our society. I think overall I would leave everything the same except for some of the laws. I would definitely try to push an agenda for truly equal rights for the individual. I would make it legal for same-sex marriages. How can we trust individuals to make the right decisions if we interfere in their life choices? I believe that it should be left up to the individual to learn and be able to make the right choices for themselves and in turn their communities. Another aspect that I would try to change is our criminal justice system because even though it does work the majority of the time. There have been instances when innocent people have slipped through that cracks because someone is trying to make a name for them or just has too many cases. I think I would try to regulate how many cases a public defender can take on because it’s not fair to them or their client. I would try to pass a legitimately good immigration reform because these immigrants are already here; I think we need to fix the problem from within. It has high revenue because it’s almost more than 20,000 dollars to become a U.S. citizen. I think one of the biggest problems we have in this country is that we allow the minority of people with money to call the shots; we as citizen vote but when it comes to a law a private group wants to pass were not included, congress alone decides on laws that affect the regular citizens.
ReplyDeleteYou make some very good points and thats a great name for your party!
DeleteDesigning a new political system is something that some people would love to do, but I honestly would not know where to start. Maybe because I’m so used to being restricted of thinking inside the box, it’s hard for me to think outside of the box and think of a new way of governing. I don’t think that I would like to be in charge because that kind of power can really take a toll on someone and only someone who is really interested in the interest of everyone else deserved that power, which is one of the reasons why communism or socialism do not work, people just get greedy plain in simple. The idea of these types is just that idea when put into action nothing good come of it because of human greed. But if I had to create a new way of governing I’d want them to come from a humbling background because sadly in this country only the rich can become president. If an ordinary person came to post I’d hope that they would have a better understanding of what is really needed. In my government I would base most of my government on what it is currently but alter few things. One thing for example would be that senator could only serve as many as 3 terms and that I’d also add something’s under the constitution. One of them would be gay marriage or just any marriage in general should be allowed and that way states wouldn’t have a fuss about it, everyone is entitled to their opinion but people should be able to something as simple as getting married to whoever they want. Those are just of the few things I would do if I could change the system of governing.
ReplyDeleteYou make great points. I would definitely like to see an ordinary person become president, and see what kind of changes that would bring.
DeleteIf I were put in charge of the U.S, I would probably keep a lot of it as it is right now.
ReplyDeleteWe would have a document like the constitution enforced. I would try to make the system similar to what it is now. The president would have to be someone chosen by the people, but should also be someone who has the country’s best interest in mind. I don’t know very much about politics to make many changes, but I do know a little about the education system, and there are a few things I would change about it. First, I would start by giving the schools, and districts back some of the funds that have been taken away. I would also make sure that all schools have different programs available to children, such as art, and music programs. Physical Education, and Nutrition classes would be taught on a regular day basis. The cafeterias in the school would only be serving healthy foods, and would serve different options for the students to pick from. I would also like to create programs to help ESL students succeed in their education. I would also like to bring bilingual classes back to the schools, because I think it is very important for students to keep, and be aware of their culture and native language. I would also create a system to regulate the special education classes, because I think that those students are not getting the attention they deserve. The special education teachers would have some sort of accountability system to prove that they are doing what they are supposed to be doing.
I like your idea for education system, bringing back art and music programs. There has been many studies that show how a students IQ increases with music.
DeleteI would like to introduce the "Not Forgetting the Human Element Party". In the NFHE all of our laws our based in order to create a functional society that encourage law-abiding citizens to succeed, however, I feel that in today's society we often do not take into consideration the "human element" which would be the main focus for this party. When I mention the term "human element" what I mean to say is that when we look at tough issues, we don't forget to put ourselves in both parties' shoes and look at their motives. For example, when discussing the issue of illegal immigration from Mexico, it might be easy for a politician (especially a non-hispanic) to view this as an illegal act that needs to be stopped, period. However, it is crucial to take a look at exactly why they are doing this and to understand that this isn't some random decision to "jump the border" and create problems. Most of the time this is a family member who cannot make ends meet where they are living and are forced to leave home and everything they know to provide for their family. This would apply to most sensitive subjects and they would be dealt with in a sensitive way.
ReplyDeleteI would keep a legal document showing the constitution. I think it is important for everyone who lives in the country to be aware of the laws and rights they have. Once aware of their rights, they can choose to live their lives the right way or the wrong path. They are aware if the wrong decision or acts are done, they have to face the consequence. They are few things I would change or eliminate.
ReplyDeleteI would change a few things on the rights of privacy while living in the country. I would create a system where citizens feel safe and protected at all time. Citizens will need to be aware that their privacy might be altered in certain situation for the purpose to be safe. After watching the news with the gun shooting and bombs exploding, I think citizens want to feel safe in their country. I don’t think they would mind limiting their privacy.
The thing I would eliminate death row. It cost the tax payers more money to have the inmate as a death row sentence than life. Death row offers too many appeal process and it consume too much time. It can take years before the inmate actually dies from the sentence. Most die from other natural causes. The money saved from eliminating the death row would help fund a better education for students.
well I wouldn't want to be in charge of it. Im too tired of being a public figure. who I really am gets lost trying to please everyone, so I wouldn't qualify for the job. What I am good at is giving ideas and making sure they get done. Therefore, I would propose the idea of World Peace starting from the inside (my country-USA) and coming out. That would be my ultimate objective. From there I would hire people that can create a reality with that dream. I would make them learn everything about the country we live in and then send them around the world. Ideas would overflow their minds. I would then hold a meeting to express all the needs seen in the country and then ways other countries have concurred them. I would let them create and uncreate as long as they follow the ultimate goal.
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