Social Welfare and Issues in Politics

December 3, 2010 By Leave a Comment

There is little that divides people more than the issue of social welfare. People either believe that the government has a responsibility to its citizens, and that responsibility includes ensuring that everyone has a minimum standard of life. Typically, that includes food, a place to live, and medical care. Others believe that everyone is responsible for their own quality of life. Rather than letting the government use tax money to subsidize food, housing, and insurance for people, people should keep more of their own money and use it to pay for those.

People that support social welfare tend to be liberal and Democratic. They support programs like welfare, low-income housing assistance, WIC, and food stamps. When looking at the tax breakdown, it turns out that a relatively small percentage of tax money goes towards these programs. That’s a main debate point for Democrats; voters spend more on schools, roads, and politicians’ salaries than they do social welfare.

Conservative Republicans typically are not in favor of social welfare programs. Although they make up a small part of the taxes people pay, its still money that citizens are paying for other people. They believe that in these hard times, people can barely support their own families; their taxes should not be supporting other people and their families. Opponents of social welfare also claim that those who receive government assistance become dependent on it. They may have trouble finding work or becoming financially stable, since doing so means losing government benefits. Instead, opponents of social welfare suggest that the government encourage people o find jobs, learn to live at or below their means, and in doing so support themselves.

Social welfare is not an issue that will go away anytime soon. As long as there are people who cannot provide their families with basic necessities, there will be voters who want to give them those necessities and voters who do not want to pay for them.

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Does Sarah Palin Have a Chance in 2012?

December 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Now, at the halfway point though the current presidency, Americans are beginning to think about 2012. Many are unhappy about how things have been going the past two years; even some Democrats are considering a Republican vote the next time around. After the last presidential election, Sarah Palin became a household name. Many are looking to her to be the face of the Republican Party during the next election. Does she have a shot?

To many people, Sarah Palin is easy to relate to. She is a hockey mom, happily married with children, that just wants to do what she thinks is best for the country. Both hardcore patriots and hardworking mothers can relate to her, so she has a lot of voter support.

However, there is also a lot of controversy surrounding Sarah Palin. Her daughter, Bristol Palin, quickly became a symbol of teenage pregnancy during Palins campaign. Since one of Palins core beliefs is abstinence-only sex education, the fact that her daughter became pregnant outside of marriage and at a young age doesnt do much for her credibility. Furthermore, some accuse her of exploiting her daughters pregnancy for her own publicity as she campaigned.

Sarah Palins recent foray into television with her show Alaska also makes some dubious of her intentions. Most politicians focus solely on politics and developing their political image, so her decision to put her life in the media makes some people wonder whether she wants to be president or a celebrity. That which endears her to the public may also be that which makes people not want to vote for her.

As the nation ramps up for another election season, Sarah Palins role in Americas politics is still unknown. Its not until primaries begin and campaigns announce their intent to run for office that Americans will know whether or not theyve seen the last of Sarah Palin.

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Is Iran More of a Concern?

November 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

One of the most important issues that the United States faces today is Iran and what they have in store for their nuclear power. This is a very important issue that has moved up to first place when it comes to that country and its history.

There are many reasons why this is important and some of them include the country’s culture, history and providence. What used to be Persia, Iran used to be the pinnacle of trade routes that linked the East to the Mediterranean. Although many items were traded in these routes such as salt, pottery and silks, the trades with the most significance was language, philosophy, religion, lifestyle and beliefs. These are intangible goods that are more important than the tangible goods that were routed through the area. Because of these outside influences, Iran had to go to extreme measures to ensure that their people weren’t unduly influenced by outside sources and persuasions. They did not want other cultures influencing their culture and underminding their influences.

Because of this, the Qur’an became the only entity on faith and behavioral activities. Like everything else, other influences gave way to various interpretations of the Qur’an and fanaticism in that religion was born. The west’s influences are considered evil and harmful just like the culture of long ago when the trading was taking place.

The west is considered a nation of immorals that are selfish and self-centered and worship things other than faith. While this may seem like their prerogative, they have been under the same type of rules for hundreds of years and can be quite deceptive with their intentions; telling everyone they have no plans to use their nuclear power. However, it is important that we keep an eye on them and gather as much intelligence as possible to ensure that this is true, knowing that is mostly is not.

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Voting in America

November 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

A lot of effort has been made to analyze the voting habits of Americans. It doesn’t matter if it’s local, state or national levels, the elections are a time when analysts try to determine how a certain demographic of voter will vote in the election. Many groups can be considered a waste of time invested since they will not vote but these are the people that many politicians want to target.

There is a generalization when it comes to a certain group of people and their voting habits. This can be based on religious, social or minority groups. There is a certain logic that tells us that for instance, not all women vote for a democratic politician and neither do all African Americans although many might state that this is true.

Typically, there will be a plethora of studies done on voting habits and especially during the time of major elections. If the predictions of who will vote for which politician come out true, then certain predictions in the future can be warranted as an accurate statement as well. For example, if the majority of African Americans voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 election, does it stand to reason that they will vote for him again? These are the kinds of predictions that are important for political advisers and analysts to rely on.

However, even with the most accurate numbers in a previous election can’t necessarily predict what will happen in a future election since the American public can be fickle or change their minds depending upon an elected official’s habits and reputation. If the public becomes dissatisfied with a contender, chances are that the numbers won’t be the same no matter which demographic group you are studying.

Studying the voting habits of people in American is helpful in predicting the future outcome of an election but it has its faults.

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Immigration Facts

November 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The premise of migration is that when a person moves from one place to another, there is a vacuum in the first place, which can later be filled by another person who came from yet another place. This shows how this is a normal human trait; to move from one place to another for a lot of reasons such as better life, better chance to make money and a host of scenarios. This has been happening for years and years but there is one issue – there is a balance problem in migration since a continual stream of people flooding one certain place that is more popular. This is the issue that the United States has faced as well as other countries.

With everything the United States has to offer it’s not shocking that people flock to that area. It is the most favored destination in the entire world for people looking to make a quick buck. If one looks at the statistics involving immigration it shows that there is change happening in the demography of the United States. There are approximately almost 29 million immigrants that live in America and form over 10 percent of the entire population.

In a recent survey, people from Mexico are the most immigrants for over 9 million people. The Chinese are in second place with almost 2 million people and then there are the Filipinos and Indians with almost 2 million as well. Out of the sum of the labor force in America, 15% are immigrants. The facts and statistics show that 80% of this work force group fall into the 18 to 64 years age group. This group pays over 160 billion in taxes that fall under federal, state and local.

This shows that while everyone may not like immigration, it is an integral part of our economy.

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Filed Under: Campaign, Republicans Tagged With: , ,

Divides in Opinions on Income Tax

November 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment

There is a huge divide in the United States on the topic of income tax. On one side, it is felt that tax cuts need to be reduced, and taxes hiked on the top percentages of tax brackets. On the other side of the debate, there are people saying that the last thing we need in this country right now is the get rid of the tax breaks. With the economy the way that it is, it is felt by some that if we were to get rid of the tax breaks and raise tax rates, it would further hurt the economy.

One thing to keep in mind when choosing your side of this political debate is that these changes realistically would not effect most of the country. They would, in fact, only change anything for those people who make huge amounts of money. The highest tax brackets in the country would be effected, not those in the middle class or lower. This is a big sticking point for many. In fact, when most people hear about tax hikes and break repeals, they feel like this will directly hurt them. In the overwhelming majority of cases, this is not true.

When it comes to money, there are also harsh divides. When it comes to things like income tax, these divides become even stronger. Arguments happen when taxes are brought up, whether in purely political debates, everyday conversation, or even just offhand comments. It is felt by many that if people fully understood that these changes would not change anything for most of the people in the country, these arguments and debates would not happen as often. Whether or not this is the case, there are always going to be divides in politics. Income tax is just one of the many things argued over.

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Filed Under: Politics, Voting Tagged With: , ,

United States and Immigration

October 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The act of entering a country illegally is what illegal immigration is and this can happen a couple of ways. One way is to come to a country without necessary and valid documents. The other way is to overstay your welcome. This means that you are allowed to remain in the country for a certain length of time and stay longer than that time. In 2008, there were approximately over 10 million illegal immigrants in the country and presumably, most come from Mexico with the rest coming from Latin American countries, Central American countries and Asian countries.

There are a few facts that showcase the cons of illegal immigration in the United States. There are more that 600 people arrested each day in Arizona that are illegal aliens and this state of Arizona has over 6 million illegal immigrants alone, not to mention the rest of the country.

Many believe that it is okay to come to the United States as an immigrant but it is not okay to do it illegally. While one can understand why a person would leave a dangerous or poor country to come to America, most simply want it done the legal way by obtaining citizenship and going through the proper channels to get here. Obviously, there are others who don’t want immigrants here at all but it is important to remember that America is a melting pot of social differences, cultural differences and these come from other countries and their people.

This is a very hot topic for most and there doesn’t seem to be a lot that can be done to stop it however it can be lessened with the proper rules and laws put into place. It is believed that if illegal immigrants went about things the right way by getting their citizenship, not as many people would have adversity to them.

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Filed Under: Democrats, Republicans Tagged With: , ,

Politics – Acknowledging What is Expected

October 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment

In politics, much of what makes society today has not always been the case.

Many struggles have defined communities, the world, and the development of countries. Take the United States, for instance, where slavery, the Civil Rights Movement, and women’s rights have all come a long way to where they stand today.

There was once a time when blacks and whites could not go inside the same places. In sports today there is no color barrier, but that was not the case until Jackie Robinson did so in baseball.

Of course most people are aware of the horrors and drawn out affairs that have led to the advances in these and other areas. What does it mean for society today?

However, that is precisely the point. Reading in between the lines in society, much of this is taken for granted. Many of the things that society enjoys are expected.
Many may ask why this is wrong. Should we not expect some of the basic and fundamental rights?

Of course we should. Yet there is a growing tendency for society to neglect the history of politics in order to condemn and ridicule figures, and even politics itself.

As individuals in society grow up with many of these rights and beneficial dynamics within society due to politics, an unhealthy relationship begins to grow in the hearts of many. Politics is irrelevant for some, and the history is under appreciated, or even forgotten.

While of course this is not the case everywhere, it is very real. This is something that undermines the well-being of society’s relationship with politics, where some see it as jostling between politicians, and a place where society can complain about taxes and political figures that are disliked.

But you have to wonder: is this right? Is it right for society at times to forget the distinguished place of politics in society in light of today?

Perhaps society can realize the integrity of politics in controversy from the advances in its past.

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Find Just One Issue for Your Children

October 12, 2010 By Leave a Comment

You may have found yourself doing just this at some point in your life.

In order to spark you interest in politics, perhaps you went on a search to find just one relevant issue. Maybe it was the economics surrounding your line of work, or proposing a change to your child’s local school board – or something on a wider level, such as national policy.

Many who do not seem to have the natural interest in politics seem to do just this. This is perfectly normal, as individuals who seem to have a innate desire to immerse themselves into political issues may seem alien to you. Or perhaps it is the other way around for your point of view, but the important thing to recognize is that this exists.

Finding an issue of interest in perhaps the best way to spark political interest in the most innocent and quick way. It doesn’t involve picking up Plato’s Republic or watching CNN for days on end in order to get caught up.

Rather, one issue can allow one to see the true value of politics, which certainly cannot be contested. Yet some find it troubling to “break in” to this scene, which at times seems to be dominated by those who just know more about what is happening.

As you may have experienced, take the opportunity to share this valuable nugget of wisdom with your child. Help them find something, anything, to spark their interest in the value of politics. Of course this may be more applicable at a certain age, but even relatively young individuals can see the value.

Demonstrate the value of politics by placing it as important in your household. Allow it to show them how it can change their lives, especially as your children approach the age to vote and make use of their civil rights.

It all starts with just one issue. It can mean everything between a life of political indifference and one of activity.

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Encouraging Others in Politics

October 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment

What does it mean to carry out one’s civic duties? Or, more broadly, what does it mean to play an active role in the political environment, from the community to the international level?

Individuals are encouraged to be active in politics from an early age. Society realizes that the current younger generations hold the key to the future state of politics. Thus, campaigns are targeted towards young voters, and young people are urged to find interests in the political context long before they are able to vote.

This level of activity culminates in an awareness of politics and society. Citizens are urged to find their place in society, namely in part by playing an active role in politics. Not only in one’s civic duties, but as an informed citizen in these dynamics seems to be the goal for society, especially in the information age.

While individuals can always be a valuable part of society by being active in politics, it certainly doesn’t stop there. In order to truly uphold these standards of an informed an active society, individuals must be able to encourage others to do the same.

This dynamic is a key for generations that look forward to maintaining and improving political awareness and activity within a societal context. It is not just a political issue that individuals do not vote or care about politics. It is a social issue, and thus should be treated as such.

Thus as individuals, others should be encouraged in these valuable roles within society as they relate to politics. This is essential in truly allowing politics to maintain an important basis in citizens’ lives, even for those who are not particularly drawn by politics.

Politics is not an individual endeavor. It is one that requires the support of others in society, just as politics itself requires others dedicated to its well-being and in support of figures.

Perhaps this aspect of awareness and activity in politics will be realized in order to promote the political context within society.

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Filed Under: Politics, Voting Tagged With: , ,
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