For the blog this week we are going to take a step back from the class reading and look at the major issues that have dominated recent political headlines. The President and Congress have many issues that they are dealing with along with gearing up for new Congressional terms which just started and Obama's second term , which officially starts on Jan. 20. I am interested to find out what you think is important to address and, by extension, how you think the government is dealing with these issues.
Start by taking a survey similar to those conducted by polling companies and news organizations regarding what issues are most important to you. you can find the survey here.
Next take a look at how your responses and the responses of your classmates compare to national polls here
Then please post a comment describing your reactions, and reactions to your classmates comments. You can use any or all of the following prompts as a starting point if you wish.
- Choose one of the items you listed as extremely important and explain why.
- Choose one of the items you thought was less important and explain why.
- Draw connections between these issues, the roll of the national government and the issues of trust, knowledge, and efficacy discussed last week.
Amongst the choices listed, the deficit and unemployment are the largest issues. These are issues that impact everyone, no matter how interested they may be in politics. The one positive trait that we can derive from this ongoing catastrophe is that it is a cure for political apathy. When people feel their lives being effected directly, they tend to seek knowledge in order to find a solution to their problem. As more Americans become knowledgeable about things such as: the debt, federal reserve, lending, and inflation; our future becomes more and more bright. No kind-hearted person wants to saddle future generations with endless debt. It doesn't matter as much what we think the various solutions are for the time being, because what matters for now is getting people politically active, where a healthy debate can occur. We need to be able to solve our problems unobstructed.
ReplyDeleteThe least important of the choices was immigration. I believe that immigrants are largely a positive force that improve our economy, strengthen communities, and shape the political landscape for the better. Arbitrary lines set up by various states should not dictate how people live their lives. The freedom of movement is very important, and the more people have the better. However, if Immigration stops, it won't be nearly as earth-shattering as a monetary collapse. Most Americans are pro-immigration, and I hope it stays that way. Current legislation should be relaxed. The world is a great place and I hope every man, woman, and child should be able to explore it.
I listed three things as very important: education, health care, and our current economy. As a future educator I, of course, think education goes toward the top of the list. I believe the education system has so much more room to improve, and funding and serious action by the government is needed for that to happen. As far as the other issues, I did not find it all shocking that the most important issue in American’s eyes is the state of the current economy. People are getting hit very hard and are suffering through this hard economic time. However, I was shocked by the very large margin it had over the other topics. I feel like so much focus is put on the economic crisis which takes away the importance of the other issues. This shadow is put over issues like gay marriage and gun control, to name only a few. There was a massacre in an innocent elementary school not even a full month ago and people are already forgetting the issue that should be at hand. I am in no way doubting that the economic crisis is something Americans should be informed about and become active in, but I think there are so many other issues that need to be paid attention to and addressed as well.
ReplyDeleteThe top two items that were most important to me were the economy/unemployment and the War in Afghanistan. Much like Christopher already stated above, a poor economy and high unemployment rate is something that affects every single person in the US. A poor economy also affects the other items for the worse from the survey. It was no surprise to me that the economy was so highly rated as a priority especially right now. If the economy were to be stable, so would many other issues in America.
ReplyDeleteMy brother is currently deployed and based in Kandahar, so from my perspective the war in Afghanistan is the biggest priority. I think a factor that has already been noted is that unless the issue affects every person, it's not going to be at the top of the list. We're selfish and focused only on what directly relates to us. That is why for me and my family, we worry about the war. But to many other non-military families, who obviously still care about the war, they may not give it as much thought.
A topic that I chose to be most important was unemployment/economy and healthcare. The reason I chose unemployment/economy was because that is what affects everyone on a daily basis. Many people are left unemployed because there are no new openings so that people could actually go out and get a job. There is a lack of growth in the economy and since the population continues to rise, there are less and less jobs. High taxes also effects unemployment today because businesses have to close because they can’t pay, leaving more people with no jobs. As you can see unemployment is caused because of how the economy is today. We need to solve this problem so people can be better off in the United States.
ReplyDeleteA topic I found least important was illegal immigrants. Personally, I think there is both a positive and negative for immigration. If immigrants come to America wanting to live a better life, I think we should give them the freedoms everyone else in America has. Having immigrants is how the US becomes diverse with different cultures and I think that helps strengthen communities. On the other hand some, others don’t like how immigrants come and “steal” their jobs and are “un-skilled” workers. Personally, I just didn’t find this topic to be too concerning because today immigrants are still coming to live in America.
One of the items I chose as extremely important is the federal budget deficit. I believe that this must be addressed very soon because the federal debt is so large and federal spending is out of control. I think the federal government needs to create a plan to reduce the debt and control government spending; a good starting point would be to actually have a budget, and a balanced budget at that, for the first time in 1,354 days. Continuing to raise the debt ceiling without reduce spending and debt, will most likely result in another credit devaluation and a financial crisis similar to the one occurring in Greece. Debt is an issue that is not only a federal problem, but also a state issue; there are numerous states that have massive debts and are spending more money than they take in. Debt is an issue that must be solved at both the federal and states levels in order for this country to be a prosperous and desirable place to live and do business.
ReplyDeleteDavid Harvey
All the issues are extremely important with the exception of the war in Afghanistan and Abortion-those are still very important. It's like the US and War go hand in hand and so it never surprises me to hear that the US is trying to fix another country's issue, which most of the time doesn't go smoothly. And as for abortion, the government should not try to dominate a woman's right. I try to stand in between pro-life and pro-choice because in the end it's the woman that has to live her life. As for the rest of the extremely important issues, they are the ones that effect me directly as well as indirectly. From worrying about finding employment to the hope for immigration reform-those issues are vital for the people in America to keep their livelihoods. The economy is what drives a nation and so without it being at least amongst the very top then there's no money or even hope for the rest.
ReplyDeleteSara Guillen
Education and the economy are two of the issues that I listed as extremely important. As a future educator I see education as the door to opportunity that can provide anyone who works hard with upward social mobility. Obviously, the economy and unemployment are something that affect everyone directly or indirectly, and as college students who will be looking for a job in a couple of years, that issue is something that will affect us to a greater extent very soon. In addition, many Americans have lost trust in the government because of the high unemployment rates but I think that people are not well-informed enough about why there are no jobs or why our economy is doing the way it is. And because the government provides benefits, people conform to what they receive and may be under the impression that the government is doing its job right, and will therefore take no further action to demand the government to act.
ReplyDeleteIn looking at everyone’s responses I noticed that the issues that are most important to anyone are those that they are passionate about or closely affects them. For example, Maggie cares more about the war because her brother is currently deployed and I care about education because it has opened doors of opportunity for me. However, if we try to solve issues based on which affects who, no one will be satisfied because all the issues can’t be addressed at once or they might not even make it to the top of the agenda. We have to look at how all these issues that affect all Americans one way or another are interconnected and begin to address the one that is making the greatest impact on all others. This way we can slowly begin to untangle the problems that we have as a nation and work toward a society in which our inalienable rights are not threatened.
Erik Martinez
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSome of the issues that are of much concern to me are education, war in Afghanistan, and economy/unemployment. The issue of education is of much concern to me since I am currently a college student and I desire to pursue a career in education. I stand for education that provides equality and funding opportunities for students to excel in their education that will continue to exist. I would not want funding that students depend on for their education to be depleted in any way but if it can be increased it would be great.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the economy is important because it controls many of the institutions we depend on and production of goods and services Americans need. I believe it is an important factor to focus on because it would be helpful to understand if changes occur in the economy the reasons why and how to resolve problems in the economy.
The war in Afghanistan is extremely important to me on a personal level. Since I have a younger brother in the USA Air Force who has spoken of being depleted to Afghanistan in the next year, this continuing war frighten me because of a possibility of my brother going there and all other Americans whom have loved one going there currently and in the future. I believe it needs to come to an end sooner than later. I don’t really understand why they are still sending troops over to Afghanistan fully either.
Tiffany Ryan
One topic that I categorized as extremely important would be terrorism and national security. Everyday we receive threats from foreign and domestic lands that could jeopardize our well being. Whether the public is informed of these threats or not, they are still present and we must be aware and cautious of our safety. I feel that this topic includes our soldiers that are fighting/serving in foreign lands. We have seen through various terrorist acts (foreign and domestic) that everyday life can be a dangerous thing. From the theater shooting in Colorado to the shooting at the school in Connecticut, we can see that our problems are not always foreign. There needs to be a greater effort countrywide to protect ourselves from these potential threats.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with David Harvey about the deficit being a major problem. When you look at all the "successful" countries in our world, you see that they are not in debt. Whether that's from what the country produces or from the way they run their government, we should learn from these countries and adapt their ways; our future generations depend on it.
Some of the topics that I listed as extremely important are education and healthcare. Education is important because since No Child Left Behind has been enforced many students are being passed to the next grade even when they are not ready for it. They are students that are going to graduate from high school in June who are still not able to read books at a third grade level, this should not be happening, but it is. These schools are setting their students up for failure because they are not providing them with the resources that they are entitled to. Healthcare is important because many people in America do not have health insure for a variety of reasons. These people cannot be treated or helped with their illnesses and people are dying simply because they cannot pay for insurance, which I feel should be universal. These are issues that are always coming up in politics, but it seems no matter the reformation nothing is changing.
ReplyDeleteEducation and economy/unemployment were are the top two issues that I considered most important. Just as both Erik and Arace stated, I too am an Education major with hopes of becoming a teacher, and then eventually a principal. Early and secondary education is the first step to employment later on in life, and in turn directly and indirectly correlates to the economy and the unemployment in the U.S. Not enough emphasis is placed on public education, and the impact that has on the youth, which are the future leaders of our nation. I also believe that many Americans have lost sight of why many of our citizens are unemployed, and blame it on the government, therefore lose trust in the benefits our government provides. Education is the first step to securing a job/career in the future, and it needs to stop being overlooked or put on the back burner.
ReplyDeleteI feel that immigration is one of the lesser important issues because its not necessarily hurting our economy. Immigrants play an important role in our history, and continue to do so now. As much as we (Americans) don’t want to talk about it immigrants don’t create huge problems, and should be able to move boarder lines as they please. This is an issue that needs to be refined and defined, but its not of upmost importance.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI honestly was very shocked when comparing my survey to my classmates surveys. I am a future educator as well so I ranked education as extremely important because I believe the kids of today are our future. In order to establish an educated and controlled society we must deal with problems in education. I also thought education would be a lot higher because of the political concerns going on now in the media with the gun control controversy. As said in two presentations today, the gun control controversy deals with the second amendement.
ReplyDeleteA second option I chose as super important was immigration because I think immigrants are a main component on what even makes America. I was able to relate this to the reading we had to do in the book "We the People." If we can't deal with immigration how can we even be sure of what a true American is. Our nation is so diverse, and this makes it harder for us to define an "American." I chose these two because i thought they were the most recent and the ones that would affect most Americans.
One of the items that i thought was of least importance was abortion because it is not something that is affecting me in any way. I believe most people ranked these items according to how reliable they were to them. Also, abortion seems like an everlasting debate. There will never be an agreement because, again, as a very diverse nation, we have different opinions and beliefs.
I listed health care and education as the most important issues. In my opinion, everyone should be able to afford medical treatment. It is not right that people who need treatment aren’t treated, because they cannot pay for insurance. Health care should be affordable for everyone. I listed education as extremely important too. I think that the American educational system has it strengths, but in my opinion everyone should be able to receive education and that is not possible with the current system. University in the United States is very expensive and I think the government should assign more money to education to make it affordable for everyone.
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of the blog posts that the economy and unemployment rate is the most important thing to look at, but I want to take a different standpoint. The economy and the number of people who are unemployed has been an issue for many years now, yet it is still the main issue. Why can’t other issues last years like this one? I agree with Araceli G. on how the Sandy Hook massacre was a recent event, but the issue is already beginning to fade away. Gun control is something that we should really pay attention to because there have been many massacres this past decade, and I believe the government has not put too much effort in changing this.
ReplyDeleteI believe all these issues are important, so I really do not have an issue that was least important. However, I would also like to touch upon the immigration issue. I accept the fact that there are pros and cons, but I do not agree with Sarah Galvan’s comment that immigrants are coming to the U.S. “[stealing people’s] jobs and are ‘un-skilled’ workers.” I am not saying that Sarah believes that illegal immigrants are stealing citizen’s jobs, but I feel that the illegal immigrants come to the U.S and take on the jobs that others do not want to take, such as being cooks, janitors, landscapers, maids, etc.
Like most of my classmates I find education extremely important because kids are the ones who are going to continue to build our world. Without education kids will not know how to function or work with our progressing world. We as Americans should have a goal that we want to boost our economy with higher education to fill jobs. Another topic I thought was extremely important was immigration. I feel that some of the immigrants that come to America are some of the hardest workers. Some of the laziest people are Americans. I feel that if you come to America to work hard and pursue the “American Dream” that it should be easier for them to receive citizenship. At one point or another we all have family roots that stretch across the globe. We are all in a sense immigrants and we should continue to let immigrants come here, but in a more simple fashion.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I wish the government would leave alone is abortion. As a female, I would want my own rights to have the ultimate decision. I feel the cases of abortion very in situation and should not be treated all the same.
I was not surprised to see that unemployment and economic issues had the highest percentage of concern based on the poll. This is something you hear about constantly in the news, the rate of unemployment and how more and more people are without jobs or homeless, and it is something that I too ranked high in my own response. I feel that the issue of unemployment should be something that Congress and the President address as one of their main issues since this can result in people losing their homes, something that I do not want to happen to anyone.
ReplyDeleteI noticed that many of the issues that I thought were important, such as education, unemployment and medical care, connect to issues that directly effect the welfare of other people. I also put terrorism and the war at the top of my list because my dad is in the military- and was once deployed- so I understand how important it is not only to keep our nation safe, but also to bring our troops home.
- Jen Brinkman
Although I feel that all the issues hold significant importance, unemployment and jobs are very pressing issues to me. As a college student, it is a bit frightening to think that I am putting forth blood, sweat, tears and money knowing that there is a high likelihood that come graduation, I will have a difficult time finding a job. I know so many people who went through college just to wind up in jobs that have absolutely nothing to do with their field, due to the fact that jobs are so scares. There needs to be a change. I, nor any college student, should have to lie awake at night thinking to themselves “Will I have a job in my field after I graduate? Or will I have to take something unrelated to what I studied, just to make ends meet?”
ReplyDelete-Caitlin Flanagan
I actually feel that the media is scaring us into thinking that we will not be able to have jobs. I believe that there are many jobs available and us being college students gives us the upper-hand. We have access and connections to people who are in the fields we are aiming to go into. We also have to think about how everyone wants a job in the city. Many jobs are available outside of the city because of this, but people tend to forget about areas outside the city because the city is where they want to stay. Our education gives us a massive advantage and if we don't ensure education for the youth now, then when? We need educated people working these jobs that people want the government to create. We should go back to the time when educated individuals were rewarded with jobs for all their commitment. Instead we have drop outs working instead of people who've attended college for their associates.
DeleteI believe that education and unemployment are the most important issues. I have seen how the education system has deteriorated over the years. In the state of Illinois when funds need to be cut, usually attempts are made to cut education funds. This nation needs educated people yet education seems to not be important to many. I feel that education has begun to be seen as a business and not as that which will help this nation. The National Conference of State Legislature on January 4th, 2013 said that as of December 2012 the national unemployment rate was 7.8%. Unemployment is very important because now even with a college/university diploma finding a job can be difficult. Once one finishes college, most of the graduates have loans to pay and being unable to find a job will only increase the debt for the individual.
ReplyDeleteIn pervious years, I would say the immigration was extremely important but with all the laws and bill being passed to help immigrates out, this issue has started to be of less importance. I feel that the war in Afghanistan is not very important since that war shouldn’t have started in the first place. The only concern with the war in Afghanistan is the money that is being spent on something unnecessary.
-Cathy Davila
I didn't know that I would not be able to see my answers once I submitted them, but I believe I put medical aid as extremely important over everything else, except for education. Those two for me will affect the most people in only a positive way. They both are personal to me because my family cannot afford medical insurance and without that aid my family would not be at the health we are now. I'm also an education major and have an intense passion for education, so I feel that it too should be a top priority. We have to start the youth off correctly. If they are not educated they won't qualify for the newly created jobs, they won't be able to pay taxes, and we can't have uneducated people in our military defending us. Education is a strong base and the youth have to be mentally and physically prepared for their future. I was not surprised that many people voted for unemployment. It's always discussed, but I feel that there are jobs out there and people just aren't qualified.
ReplyDeleteI put unemployment as one of the more important things on the list because i feel like not only is this a big issue on its own, but there's a lot of connection to my life as well. In the next couple of years job creation is going to be one of the biggest factors in securing our economy over the next few years. Plus with all of the college graduates that are going to be entering the job world soon need plenty of openings in order to be able to secure a good paying job and start the basis of their lives off. This has a connection to myself because as a college student I'm hoping to be able to enter a world with job openings so that i may find the right career for myself.
ReplyDeleteI think that education is very important because this factor affects our nations ability to compete in the world in all aspects. Part of the problem is with tuition for higher learning going up every year and the need for big loans the American dream is becoming more of a nightmare.
ReplyDeleteGun control is the least important issue to me, I believe that most of the laws we have in place are suitable.