Thursday, December 16, 2010
Legislative Preview & How a bill becomes a law.
The materials we went over in class were very interesting. We have a very well structured bill system it seems like with many ways to review, pass or veto a bill. One thing I learned today was that even though the govener has "last say" in bill passing, the bill can be sent back and revised and still pass even though the govener vetoed the bill. One thing I had prior knowlege of was how many people were in the senate and in the house. There are 35 people in the senate and 70 in the house. I also knew that the Lt. Govener was the head of the senate and the Speaker of the House is the head of the house.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Blog Test
1. Provide a paragraph on an important issue of your choice from Section 1:
In section one you learn about the issue of the power to set voting Qualifications. 1) any person whom a State allows to vot for members of the "most numerous branch" of its own legislature must also be allowed to vote for representatives and senators in Congress. 2) No state can deprive any person of the right to vote on account of Amendment 15. 3) No State can deprive any person the right to vote on account of sex. 4) No State can require payment of any tax as condition for taking part in the nomination or election of any federal officeholder. 5) No State can deprive any person who is at least 18 years of age of the right to vote because of age.
2. Provide a paragraph on an important issue of your choice from Section 2:
In sectoin two you have the issue of Literacty. Today, no State has a suffrage qualification based on voter literacy, a persons ability to read or write. At one time, the literacy requirement could be, and in many places was, used to make sure that a qualified voter had the capacity to cast an informed ballot. It was also used unfairly to prevent or discourage certain groups from voting.
3. Provide a paragraph on an important issue of your choice from Section 3:
In section three you learn about Amendment 15. The effort to extend the franchise to African Americans began with the 15th Amendment, which was ratified in 1870. It declares that the right to vote cannot be denied to any citizen of the United States because of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. The amendment was plainly intended to ensure that African American men, nearly all of them former slaves and nearly all of them living in the South, could vote.
4. Provide a paragraph on an important issue of your choice from Section 4:
In section four you learn about Nonvoters. The word Idiot came to our language from the Greek. In ancient Athens, idiots were those citizens who did not vote or otherwise take part in public life. Many Americans reserve the right not to vote, and for good reason. But sadly most of the millions of Americans who could, but do not, go to the polls cannot claim any of these reasons.
5. Explain voter apathy and what can be done to help it:
Voter apathy is the decrease of people voting in the elections in the United States. Apparently, this number has been decreasing over recent decades. Millions of Americans are not going out to vote anymore, only about 50% of Americans vote during the presidential election, and only about 35% when it comes to other elections. We need people voting to get a fair leader, and people who will make the right decisions. Voting is a religious act. Each citizen must come to believe that, despite the thousands fo elections that are not decided by one vote, his or her vote does make a difference. We need to have faith that our government is listening to us.
6. Explain the qualifications for registering to vote:
To register to vote in the United States you need to know 5 main things.
1) any person whom a State allows to vot for members of the "most numerous branch" of its own legislature must also be allowed to vote for representatives and senators in Congress.
2) No state can deprive any person of the right to vote on account of Amendment 15.
3) No State can deprive any person the right to vote on account of sex.
4) No State can require payment of any tax as condition for taking part in the nomination or election of any federal officeholder.
5) No State can deprive any person who is at least 18 years of age of the right to vote because of age.
And you must know what party you are registering with.
In section one you learn about the issue of the power to set voting Qualifications. 1) any person whom a State allows to vot for members of the "most numerous branch" of its own legislature must also be allowed to vote for representatives and senators in Congress. 2) No state can deprive any person of the right to vote on account of Amendment 15. 3) No State can deprive any person the right to vote on account of sex. 4) No State can require payment of any tax as condition for taking part in the nomination or election of any federal officeholder. 5) No State can deprive any person who is at least 18 years of age of the right to vote because of age.
2. Provide a paragraph on an important issue of your choice from Section 2:
In sectoin two you have the issue of Literacty. Today, no State has a suffrage qualification based on voter literacy, a persons ability to read or write. At one time, the literacy requirement could be, and in many places was, used to make sure that a qualified voter had the capacity to cast an informed ballot. It was also used unfairly to prevent or discourage certain groups from voting.
3. Provide a paragraph on an important issue of your choice from Section 3:
In section three you learn about Amendment 15. The effort to extend the franchise to African Americans began with the 15th Amendment, which was ratified in 1870. It declares that the right to vote cannot be denied to any citizen of the United States because of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. The amendment was plainly intended to ensure that African American men, nearly all of them former slaves and nearly all of them living in the South, could vote.
4. Provide a paragraph on an important issue of your choice from Section 4:
In section four you learn about Nonvoters. The word Idiot came to our language from the Greek. In ancient Athens, idiots were those citizens who did not vote or otherwise take part in public life. Many Americans reserve the right not to vote, and for good reason. But sadly most of the millions of Americans who could, but do not, go to the polls cannot claim any of these reasons.
5. Explain voter apathy and what can be done to help it:
Voter apathy is the decrease of people voting in the elections in the United States. Apparently, this number has been decreasing over recent decades. Millions of Americans are not going out to vote anymore, only about 50% of Americans vote during the presidential election, and only about 35% when it comes to other elections. We need people voting to get a fair leader, and people who will make the right decisions. Voting is a religious act. Each citizen must come to believe that, despite the thousands fo elections that are not decided by one vote, his or her vote does make a difference. We need to have faith that our government is listening to us.
6. Explain the qualifications for registering to vote:
To register to vote in the United States you need to know 5 main things.
1) any person whom a State allows to vot for members of the "most numerous branch" of its own legislature must also be allowed to vote for representatives and senators in Congress.
2) No state can deprive any person of the right to vote on account of Amendment 15.
3) No State can deprive any person the right to vote on account of sex.
4) No State can require payment of any tax as condition for taking part in the nomination or election of any federal officeholder.
5) No State can deprive any person who is at least 18 years of age of the right to vote because of age.
And you must know what party you are registering with.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Election Results
For the national results it seems that the republicans have made a huge comeback. They have taken over control of the House, and democrats are now the minority. But while the republicans hold the House the democrats still have the senate. It looks like the republicans are making a comeback.
For the local results, the republicans have swept the board. There are no democrat candidates that have won an election in the state of South Dakota. Though it was close race between Noem and Herseth Sandlin, the other democrats were left in the dust. Most republicans led by about 30% when the polls closed.
For the local results, the republicans have swept the board. There are no democrat candidates that have won an election in the state of South Dakota. Though it was close race between Noem and Herseth Sandlin, the other democrats were left in the dust. Most republicans led by about 30% when the polls closed.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Federalism Assignment
1. What does Federalism mean by definition and what does Federalism mean to you?
- Federalism: the federal principle of government.
- Federalism means, to me, what the different forms of government can and can not do.
2. List and describe the three powers of the National Government.
- Coin money: make money.
- Declare war: start a war.
- Conduct foreign relations: have foreign relations.
- The division of power is very important. It helps so not one person can make the decisions but a committee of people and voters have a say in how things are going to work. By spreading out the power, no one person gets to much power to handle responsibly.
4. What is the Supremacy Clause and what is its function?
- The Supremacy Clause is a system of dual government, one in which two basic levels of government operate over the same territory and the same people at the same time.
5. Find a site on the Internet that deals with Federalism. Take 10 minutes and review that site. Provide the link and provide some of the useful information that you found to help you better understand what Federalism is and how it works.
- This website provides reasons why Federalism is chosen for a number of reasons, and how the different kinda of Federalism works.
- http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_fedr.html
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Assingment #1
What are your views on the latest political ads on TV? What candidate(s) do you like or dislike and why?
What role do you feel that you will play in politics and government in the future? What ways are you participating currently?
- They are very negative. They are starting to focus more on attacking the person that's running than the issues they are promoting. I like Dennis Daugaard because I have not seen a negative political ad from him so far, and he talks about the issues.
What role do you feel that you will play in politics and government in the future? What ways are you participating currently?
- In the future I plan to register to vote. As of right now I'm not participating much. I follow different political ads for information on the canidates.
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