You have spent several days working on a handbook for our government. You have addressed all levels from local to state to national government. You researched who your representatives are, possible positions on issues, and if they are currently running for re-election, perhaps what they stand for.
Our Question: Does this form/organization of government 'work' for the majority of the people? Are the people's issues and rights and perhaps grievances addressed in this form of government? Do you feel that you are represented in your government? Why or why not?
I think that it definitely 'works' in more ways ways then none. The the division and detail of the roles that everyone has in the government leads to extreme organization which is helpful for everyone involved. For the people that have issues; whether for themselves, families, or even their community will be addressed. When they go through the effort to contact the people they need to contact then it can only lead to more information in order to resolve their issue. Do I feel that I personally am represented by my government? It depends on the time and situation but most of the time I would say that I am. I feel that some people are represented by priority of interest, based on their issues. I personally do not have issues with our federal and state government, well, enough that I would need to contact government officials to speak with them about it. But I do feel that if I needed to, that it would be easier and more available then people are quick to assume.
ReplyDeleteIn theory we are represented, but in practice not so much. We have representatives for each county and district for multiple levels and they are supposed to represent us as the people, but it isn't always the easiest to convey the individual needs to these representatives. Whether it is local, state or federal level you need a certain amount of people to strive for an issue before making a real impact on the agenda of a representative. Even if this happens they may only be analyzing a small percentage of the people they stand for and will upset some people no matter what. In theory our government is for the people, but in practice it seems too difficult to get the point of every citizen across. Whether it be a senator of state or federal level or an assemblyman the best they can do is to try to vie for the needs of everybody the can manage. Promoting the needs of everybody just isn't humanly possible.
ReplyDeleteLuke Olson
I think that compared to other countries United States government is fair, and appears to represent it's people well. Yet once one is a citizen within the government you realize the inequality and how much you are actually represented in government. I think that the issues are recognized by the government, but never solved because it is impossible for the politicians to understand where the average American is coming from. I feel that right now I am misrepresented in government. Due to my age I do not have the right to vote, so my personal opinion is completely insignificant to the government. Even though I am the future generation. In all people have many rights to express their opinion, and oppression will exist in every country. It merely exists less in some countries than others.
ReplyDeleteI think that Federalism definitely works for a majority of the people. The people's issues and rights are more addressed in Federalism rather than another form of government, as a smaller governing body is more directly associated with the people rather than one central government. I feel absolutely feel that I am represented in my government, as there are local governments in Federalism that worry more about smaller issues. The larger governing bodies worry about the larger issues that pertain to the entire country, and the local governing bodies worry a lot about the little details that make people happy.
ReplyDeleteI believe that our form of government plays a part in each individuals life. The fact that there is a federal and state government helps with issues because specific areas need different help and have different issues. Some locations in the nation need more help geographically or people in the state have different opinions depending on their location. It would be hard to change the whole government because of one state or one local area that needs help. I think the government does a successful job in keeping the needs of the state secure and the needs of the nation secure. This, in my opinion, makes for a successful nation and government system.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that everyone is represented equally in our government. We do better than a lot of other countries but if you think about who gets elected, its normally the well educated, respected, and experienced person. Well not everyone in America are those things. Chances are a homeless person or someone with no proper education would not be elected or even respected by their peers. Then you look at the people who are in office and realize that there is probably a good chance they don't respect those "other" types of people. "Other" could range anywhere from someone living in the streets to a teenage who's opinions or ideas are not taken seriously. I wouldn't exactly say that I am represented in government either because I'm 17 and I don't see any teenagers in office addressing the problems I face. Maybe it is for the better of the government and the sake of simplicity that people are grouped together and treated accordingly, but it certainly doesn't allow for the voice of the individual to be heard.
ReplyDeleteI think compared to other countries our government would be considered "working" for most of its citizen's. The government being set up in Federal, State, and Local government ensure that the government is meeting the citizen's needs. It makes the government extremely organized. The government gives the people many rights including, freedom of speech, freedom of religion and so on. The people's rights in this form of government are addressed by the officials in the government, the issue can include anything from city street issues to concerns about their families, no matter what the issue the issue somehow gets resolved in my opinion. The government having so many officials leads to the country being represented to the max, giving everyone a job in the government makes it easy to organize and tend to the citizen's needs. If I did in fact need to address my issues with a government official I feel as though it would be easy to get in touch with them and get it fixed no matter what it was regarding.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kaleigh. I feel that in certain situations based on my opion and feelings, that I am indeed represented by my government. I can not neccessarily say that I always feel represented by my government because everyone, including myself has a different opinion on different areas and issues in the country. I do believe that this government 'works' for most people. I believe that at some point in time everyone is heard and helped in our government, and if something is not done right away, it will be done soon. I feel that for the most part every decision made by our government is generally made for the better of our country, whether people agree with that decision or not.
ReplyDeleteI think overall our form of government works for the majority of the people. Every person is represented at either the federal level or the state level, depending on what the issue is. I find that this is helpful because federal government can deal with larger issues while the state government can deal with more personal, local issues. This helps create a wide range of help for the people depending on the areas that they are interested in. I feel that I will be more represented in government when I turn 18 and will be able to vote, but as for now I don't think I'm very represented because my vote cannot be expressed.
ReplyDeleteCompared to other governments in the world, ours does a good job of allowing the citizens to be represented. However, because of the sheer size of the U.S., it is very difficult for everyone's interests to be represented all the time, especially in the federal government. I feel that in my local government, I could make my voice heard if I wanted to. Obviously I can't do much right now because I can't vote, but my mom has frequently attended town board meetings to get issues approved for my neighborhood. Due to the size of our town government, it's easier to make a difference.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I feel that it's difficult to make any difference in the federal government, even if you vote. Especially when voting for the president, it's the electoral college that has the final say, not the people, like we want to believe. I think this is contradictory to our founding principles, and that we should have more power to elect the officials that are representing us. So, on a smaller scale, I feel that our form of government works for the most part, but I also think that a few changes could be made to the federal government.
I think that our government defiantly represents the people better then any other government. I defiantly think that our government does work for the majority of the citizens of the US. The majority of the citizens vote and elect officials for office and therefore the those people are represented in that specific office. I feel that citizens will be better represented in the smaller governments such as the State and Local government. It is known that to actually be represented in the Federal government is quite difficult to achieve, but in the more Local governments its not that difficult to accomplish. Many people can go to their Local town governments voice an opinion and their opinion will be heard. Sometimes their request might even be met. The majority of the can defiantly be represented in a smaller government
ReplyDeleteU.S. government has been arranged in a way to satisfy the needs of the people. They do this by allowing citizens to elect people that they feel have similar views to them. Unfortunately there are not necessarily enough candidates to represent the views of everyone. Many times the elected candidate is only elected because he or she is seen as the "lesser of two evils." Therefore i do not feel that as one citizen, with different views from both candidates, I am being truly represented in our government. I do not feel that our government should work for the majority of the people either. I do believe that is does work because, people tolerate it. And they do this because there's not a way to satisfy everyone's needs. However, I do think that peoples issues and rights are definitely addressed and protected in our government. Everyone has freedom of speech. This means that everyone has a right to stand up for issues that they believe in, and they will most likely find others who share these beliefs. With enough popularity their issue could be represented by a person in charge. Our judicial branch is also very fair and efficient in interpreting and protecting the rights of U.S. citizens.
ReplyDeleteI believe that our government does work for the majority of people because it gives them right to do things instead of being told what to do, how you can do it, and where you can do it by the government. I believe that peoples rights are looked at in government because the government officials want to keep their jobs, because we are the ones that give them a job. I believe I am represented in government because without out any votes then how are you going to keep your job, so they need to look at what they can do make the people happy.
ReplyDeleteI believe that right now, our government displays only a small part of the US as a whole. In my opinion, the US government works, its just that not enough people take advantage of it. Like we talked about in class, the government is supposed to represent you. If you do not vote(and only 30% of people do), how are you expecting to be represented? People should take the time to and should care about voting, and then most of the people in the US should be well accounted for.
ReplyDeleteI feel like our government is structured on a very good theory, but i feel like we can do many things to make the government better for the individual. Our government is really a good for a majority of people and if you do not agree with the majority than it is hard to get your point across. I feel like i really don't have a say because if I do not agree with the majority, than i can do very little to have my point heard and put into action.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to me that it is the intention of many local politicians to represent the needs of the people. The problem for the most part is the people. They complain and complain amongst themselves but they don't make efforts to contact their assemblyman or senator. They are elected because they are the voice of the people! If you don't have a voice in government nothing you want can be done. Same goes for voting. If you don't vote you wont get what you want.
ReplyDeleteI think the government should have more contact with the everyday working man. I feel as though today in our society the federal govt has a disconnect with the working class; the majority of our country today.
ReplyDeleteI think that our government has a good system for representation, but like anything, it isn't perfect. I feel that it does a good job of representing the majority and the majority issues. We have political parties to represent different points of view and political feelings, and new parties are being created all the time. Do I personally feel represented by my government? Not entirely. Sometimes I feel as though I have no voice, or that me, as single individual, can't really make a difference, especially when it comes to the national government. I think this is the danger of going with the majority, because most of the country can agree on something and put it into practice, even if it isn't necessarily right. Sometimes I feel as though our government is ruled by the big people (the major politicians) and they represent themselves more than they represent me. But I suppose that once I'm older I can get myself involved in my government more, especially through voting.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nick S.
ReplyDeleteThe government is designed to represent the needs of the people with having district representatives as well as reps in Congress and whatever. However, I believe that currently the government only takes into consideration the opinions of large majority or minority groups, not the concerns of smaller minorities or special interest groups. When not everyone votes or do not contact their congressman about a problem, not everyone's voice is heard. Therefore, the government works for a lot of citizens, but not all. People should indeed be more concerned about the issues and vote in their local elections in order to get representation, otherwise the system only works for those that vote. If this kind of system continues in which not everyone votes, the government will just become uniform instead of diverse and opinionated.
I think it works most of the time, but there are a lot of people in our country don't even understand or take advantages of the positive aspects of federalism or a federal government. Our government is for the people by the people. and just the fact that anyone can get involved and make a difference is really amazing. It is just the people who do not participate that made a federal government a bit more complicated.
ReplyDeleteGood ideas - but how about equality? Does our government work the same for everyone? Is it supposed to? Is there really equality in our system?
ReplyDeleteWhen judging weather or not federalism works for the majority of the United States citizens, you have to take several things or factors into consideration. What is considered to be majority within the US? How do you define "Works"? And does it even "Work" for a select few?
ReplyDeleteAs for the people’s issues, rights, and even grievances, and are they being addressed by our Government? To be honest in the United States, you need to have more money than the average person in order to be heard in our system, It appears to be more evident in today’s day and age that if you do not have a group of powerful lobbyist backing your issue, it will be difficult to make your issue heard in the government.
Politicians seem to be far to “busy” to address our issues, or to even take our calls, and when they do take our issues into account, or take our calls it seems to be during an election year, where your vote is needed to keep them in their office appointment. Granted this argument may be a one sided, because I know that there are politicians out there that do try to actually represent the people that put them into their office. However it seems the only way to truly get your issues heard is to organize some sort of petition, rally, March, or media attention and hope it gets to the politicians office.
I feel that to some extent I am being represented in my government, but I do not feel that the elected officials that are in office necessarily listen to the voice of the people as much as they should. It seems that they would rather assume what it is the people want, need, etc rather than going straight to the source and addressing it.
However live in any country to long (democratic, dictatorship, communist, etc) long enough and you will begin to search for faults within the system, as well as positives. Compared to other nations the United States does have a functioning system that seems to do a fairly good job of preserving the rights of it’s citizens, and maintaining law and order, as well as protecting us from foreign threats. Ultimately the blame for the people’s issues, and opinions not being heard could solely rest in the citizens rather than our elected officials. Maybe our Government needs to set out an initiative to show the people, that their opinions do matter, and that they do have a say in their Government aside from elections.
~Joe Marshall
I feel that our government can work for the majority of the people. In this form of government the people's issues, rights, and grievances are taken into account but are not always addressed. I don't feel that I'm always represented in the government. The reason why is because the things that I find to be a problem aren't always found to be a problem in the eyes of the government.
ReplyDelete“Good ideas - but how about equality? Does our government work the same for everyone? Is it supposed to? Is there really equality in our system?”
ReplyDeleteThis is strictly in my own opinion, but I do not feel that everyone in the United States shares the same equality within our Government when it comes to being properly represented. I do believe that during the time of our countries founding, they had meant for equality in our Government. I also feel that, they had also intended for the people of the United States to seek out their Government officials and bring them their issues, rather than calling once/writing once and giving up.
To be honest the US Government seems to work best for those who have powerful connections, have large sums of money, or own a large company. Whereas the “Little People” or small business are cast aside because they do not make as much money, therefore having less of a say in Government, which is not what the founders of the US had originally intended the US Gov’t to be like.
There was most defiantly meant to be equity within our Government, in terms of representation. My reasoning behind such a thought, the founders of this nation worked to free us from a tyrannical ruler, who had imposed laws, taxes, etc at his own will. They had formed this Gov’t to allow for ordinary people to have a fair say in their Governments business to ensure that the people would be treated fairly and their rights would not be infringed upon, if we continue down this path our Government will end up being run by “the Elite”(at the risk of sounding like a nut job) meaning those who have an over abundance of money, and the ability to sway the Governments opinion.
~Joe Mashall
For the most part, I do feel as if our specific government works for the people of the United States. Seeing as we all have equal opportunity within voting, and majority rules, this is a fair way of establishing our superior powers in government. Everyone has their own opinions with how things should be run but they also have the opportunity to argue their points (freedom of speech). There is also another part of me that does not feel that there is equality in the government, however, because of the huge impact of politics in our country. A lot of people are able to advance more in society than others because they "know people". If you have any part in our government you also have more access to our central government than outsiders.
ReplyDeleteI do believe this from of government works for the majority of people. The larger issues of people of the United States are taken care of by the federal government, while local and state issues are taken care of by the state government. States can take care of their own individual issues without the whole United States being involved, so there is more representation for the citizens in that state. There is a more direct action and representation for local and state government. I do feel represented in my government for the most part, but i will feel more represented when i'm an adult/voter.
ReplyDeleteThere are some great responses to this question! Actually, your responses have made me think about a few ideas. For instance, how represented are people in a situation where you having two or more competing groups trying to get attention, help, money, etc. from the government? An example that comes to mind would be evironmental groups (Sierra Club and such) trying to get laws passed while large corporations are fighting to stop those very same laws because they believe "business will be hurt". Who is or should be represnted in this situation? This comes up quite often regarding many issues.
ReplyDeleteMy second point is in regards to individual voices being heard. Typically, it is easy to feel like you don't have much influence by yourself. But, think back to the spring when Gov. Paterson was going to shut down a number of state parks because of budget problems. People spoke out on the issue. In fact, Sen. Farley commented on the news that he received more calls, letters, and emails on this topic than on any other he could remember. In the end many of the parks stayed open. So, does the government not listen or do the people not open their mouths' enough?
-Mr. Peters
I believe that we are represented in our form of government in my opinion. We have our federal government to address big issues that may affect our whoe country, and we have our state and local government to address issues that are smaller and could affect just our own state. Power is equally distributed and organized in our country. At the moment, I do not feel as if I am represented in my government because of my age, but once I turn 18 I will definitely vote in elections so I can be represented. If people want an issue addressed then they have to bring it up because if you keep it to yourself, you will never get an outcome.
ReplyDeleteI believe that our form of government does 'work'. I mean it is much better than other countries around the world. The different branches does help out in this country, because there is a large population and with a large population comes with a numerous amount of issues. Although most of the people's issues are not solved, their rights are being protected. The right to vote, freedom of speech, everybody is equal. Well almost everybody... Me for example. I think I am not represented in my government because I'm 17 so being under 18 nobody will listen to you. I think that the government should listen to teenagers/young adults to hear what they have in mind about issues going on today in our country. Maybe the government can get solutions from them.
ReplyDeleteI think that this form of government could both use improvement yet remain exactly the way it is in regards to different aspects of it. As far as equal representation, this form of government works very well. Everyone has a say in the government in some way, shape, or form, and it is truly a democracy. However, as far as taxes go, the form of government does not necessarily 'work' because we for many it is unfair or unequal based on income. In addition, many laws passed meant to better the economy (such as universal healthcare) instead get manipulated for the worse (when doctors stop taking insurance altogether so that only the wealthy can afford the good doctors). While not all of our rights and grievances can be given, they continue to be protected under this form of government. Lastly, while I believe there is equal representation in the government as far as rich vs. poor, racially, and geographically, I do not believe I am represented in my government well because the government tends to disregard the views of those under 18 even though we ma have good points. While I understand the government shouldn't take the opinion of a 7 year old, it should at least take into account the views of teenagers as we have minds of our own.
ReplyDeleteI believe that our form of governemnt works. There are always going to be people that say they dont like the way the US government works, but given the choice im sure they wouldnt move somewhere else over it. It may not work exactly the way that every individua wants it to, but it works better than the others. I also believe that our government adresses the people rights. For example, Americans have the freedom of speach. That may not seem like a big thing to some people because they probably dont know any different. With other forms of government people arent allowed to express themselfs to the extreme that Americans can. Lastly, I do not believe that I, or most Americans are represented in the government idividually. As a whole we are represented when it comes to voting. However until I turn 18 I will not be a part of that vast majority, so until the day I reach legal voting age I dont believe that I or anyone under 18 represents the government.
ReplyDeleteI believe that our government does 'work' for the majority of our population. Each branch of the government takes care of the problems or issues that they are responsible for, respectively. Most people are vocal with their local and state governments, and even some people with the national government. This communication between the government and the public ensures peoples rights to have freedom of speech. I do not yet feel as if I am represented in my government because I have not reached the age of 18 yet.
ReplyDeletei agree with sarah's first point that this form of government can work better for individuals on the local level. the ability to get involved in local law making and politics is easier than on the federal level.It becomes more efficacious to have your voice heard on a local scale. In theory however, the local representatives and senators should bring these issues to the higher powers. i think that people have the ability to be represented and their grievances addressed but they dont take the initiative to get active on even the local level. personally, i feel that i could voice my opinion but so long as its only one voice its not going to be of any concern to government on any level. in order to accomplish anything politically i think that many people need to voice issues as a unified group.
ReplyDeleteI believe that our government really does work for the majority of people as we are shown to have less problems than other countries do because of their governments lack of really listening to their citizens. Many citizens in the united states have a role in what thier government can do for them. Unfourtonelly many people do not take advantage of this (for example: local voting and primarys) and choose only to whine about problems , instead of actullly doing something about it. I beleive that I am represented well in government, because I know that my government works for me and as long as I do my part in telling my politicians what my opinons are, I know that they will listen to me and do whats best for our nation.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Federalism is definitely a successful form of government. The separation of Local, State, and Federal government make it possible to cover the majority of the people’s wants and needs. However, federalism does not respect the specific needs of individuals. The way the government is set up is so that decisions are made for the greater good. Everyone’s vote does in fact count but it is nearly impossible for everyone to get what they want in this type of government solely because of the size of the country. One representative cannot express the needs of every single individual. As of right now I do not feel like I am represented in the government because I cannot express my opinions through voting. When I do have the responsibility to vote, I feel like I will be represented and have more of a say.
ReplyDeleteAs any democratic government should, it does maintain its function to protect its citizens rights and ensure equal opportunity most of the time.
ReplyDeleteI feel like there is a problem though with this system's way of targeting the individual as the one in charge of all aspects of his life. The fact that in the United States it is mostly up to every individual to care for every costly aspect of his life is controversial seeing as poverty DOES exist, it IS an issue, and is it NOT true that there are enough jobs for everyone to live a decent life here.
I feel like this is one issue which could be treated if people not only understood more about how the government works, and how it sometimes takes advantage of us, but also to rid ourselves of the fear that yes, sometimes the government may help its citizens WITHOUT it being communism or socialism. Seeing as the government is there to protect us, why is it such a problem that health care be a right?(just one example of course)
Overall, I feel like people need to remember that the government is there for us, not that we are there for our government. If people in this country actually realized that it is a responsibility for them to get involved in their government I think everything and everyone would eventually be better off.
I believe that the people have access to the government and yes, the government does work for them. The problem is, many people prefer to complain and do nothing instead of taking the appropriate steps in order to communicate with the government. The people are offered and advised to contact their government if they have problems. It's not the government, it's the people.
ReplyDeleteCompared to many other places, I think that the people in the US feel that they have a lot of rights, and that their voices are heard. Looking at countries that have a dictatorship, our system of government looks pretty good. When we don't like a law that's going to be passed, we are allowed to protest it. I think that people feel that they are able to have a say in our government, and that they feel better about a bill passing that they don't like because they know that even though they didn't get their way, they were able to speak their mind. However, I feel like sometimes our government isn't able to get past the "politics" aspect. I think that politicians get so wrapped up in their image and what they personally want that they forget who they're supposed to be listening to: the people. I think that often, our system breaks down and we aren't able to address anyone's problems because our elected officials are too busy arguing about details when they should really be looking at the big picture, which is what is best for a majority of the people. Personally, right now, I don't feel well represented simply because I'm too young to vote. I'm not able to use my voice yet. I think that even if I did talk, someone would listen, but because I'm so young, no one would respond.
ReplyDeleteI agree with allie and I also think that it is better that way because we need those 18 years to really have a perspective on things going on in our government and to say or do things that really will make a difference in our government and that people will actually listen to, not having to look back and think why did I think that?
ReplyDeleteI think that we are very fortunate to have our government and to be able to participate in it, because it is fair and everyone is given opportunities to say something and to change the way things are done. the people of america are all participating in a governed place that learns from its mistakes and thats what makes our government so special and so different from everyone else's. Every government will have its flaws and we won't always make every person happy with the decisions that are made.
ReplyDeleteI think our form of government does represent me well. Its hard to believe that I am represented all the time because there are so many different ideas from different citizens. It is hard for the government to please everyone due to all of the ideas and different opinions. For the most part I do feel like I am represented well in the government.
ReplyDeletei believe that the government works for the majority of the people. They try to help people by making certain decisions but they don't always make the right choice
ReplyDeleteI think that given the size of the population our government governs over, it is fairly effective. With such a large and diverse population, it will be impossible to have a system in which everyone is satisfied. I think that once you reach the age of 18, you play an active role in this system. I believe that the only failure in the system lies withing the electoral college, because, as in the case of George W. Bush, it is possible for someone to lose the popular vote and still win election.
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