It is useful to think about the relationship between the rulers and the ruled along three lines:
1. Rule of the individual -- a king, tyrant, or charismatic individual who commands a political community.
2. Rule of the few -- an oligarchy, or when a comparatively small group of people rule over a larger political community. The Iron Heel offered an example of a capitalistic oligarchy and depicted life for a worker under such conditions.
3. Rule of the many -- a democracy, or when a comparatively larger number of people are selected by the community to rule over the community. The Probability Broach presented a democratic, proportionally elected, republic where at least 90% of the representatives had to cast a vote before a policy could be made into law. The government was small, uninvolved in peoples' lives, slow to act, and very democratic.
Look over the sets of questions below and spend some time thinking about and answering a few.
What do you think? Is America ruled by the many? Or is America ruled by the few? Should there be more democracy in America or less? What might more democracy look like for you? Could you give an example?
Is the American government too big or too small or is it just about right in size? Should we have a stronger federal government or stronger state and local governments? Would you like to see a government as small as the government in the Probability Broach or is something larger required? What particular aspects of the government (social security, military, unemployment benefits, welfare, etc) should be larger or smaller? Why should those aspects of government be larger or smaller?
Or maybe we should not be talking about the size of the government. Maybe we should be talking about the effectiveness of the government. Is the US government effective? If so, give me an example of what you think is effective government? Or is the US government ineffective? If so, give me an example of what you think is ineffective government? What could be changed to make some aspect of government more effective?
It seems as though the United States of America is run by merely a few as opposed to being run by the general population. I believe there should be more democracy in the country; although we as humans do indeed make stupid decisions, by our participation in making decisions, we would not only make better and smarter decisions, we would also possibly learn from the decisions that we make. The American government is the right size; it's just that certain people have too much power. I believe that the country should have stronger state and local governments. The size of the government matters to a certain extent; what matters is how much power its officials have. Social Security should be changed to how it was at its inception: for every recipient, two to three people were sowing into Social Security. Now, for every tax payer, more than two people are receiving Social Security. Military, unemployment benefits, and welfare should be decreased. This would greatly benefit the economy. The government is somewhat effective. It would be more effective if the deficit were not as enormous, if the country would stay out of other country's affairs, and if the officials were to focus on making the country better for every one of its citizens.
ReplyDeleteZachary Roach PSCI 100.4
According to dictionary.com the definition of effective is, "adequate to accomplish a purpose; producing the intended or expected result". We know that the government is adequate to accomplish a purpose but it isn't always the purpose that the people want to see accomplished. As the United States government is supposed to be a democracy and work as representation of the people I feel that it lacks effectiveness. In many instaces the public is polled on topics and despite the outcome the government takes the direction that they chos; ignoring the feelings of the population they represent.The government is ineffective in it's duty to be voice to the people's opinions. By it's definition U.S. democracy doesn't have the result that should be expected of it. There needs to be less of a buffer between what the people say and the actions that the government takes. The people need to have more effect for the government to be more effective. Politicians should maybe work out a way to listen to the peoples say in matters instead of having everything filtered through a secretary. The more contact between the rulers and the ruled, the more chance the ruled have to be truly heard.
ReplyDeleteJessica Hall, PSCI 100.04
Ian Hickman 100.05
ReplyDeleteThe founding fathers of this nation constructed a form of government in which the people’s best interest was the primary focus. The Republic was formed around the intensive preparation of the Constitution, which has successfully withstood time as the structural basis of our country. As citizens we acknowledge the constitution and in return we are granted inalienable rights. The Republic allows the citizens to be the driving factor of political decisions, while simultaneously placing ultimate decision making in the hands of an elite, highly educated, and better informed group of individuals. Furthermore, the Republic is not simply a clustering of geniuses, but rather a divided three-branch system in which each appointed individual fulfills a specialized role. The government has limited power to protect our individual rights and inflict checks and balances among the government’s members. With the access to political, societal, military, and other government related issues, it would be easier to lean away from the Republic and allow the citizens to participate more with a Direct Democracy. Media covers a plethora of governmental topics on a daily basis, but this doesn’t provide enough in my opinion; there is necessary specialized training and inquired knowledge of each governmental member which ultimately drives the decision making effecting millions of people’s lives. Direct Democracy form of government allows majority rule with absolute power, making a legal system weak. It also eliminates an individual’s protection under the inalienable rights. Direct Democracy would be beneficial in a town or county where issues faced are mutual and influential on the well being of those occupants, but on large scale terms, Direct Democracy would be catastrophic to a nation, specifically the United States where interests, needs, values, freedom, and protection are features that have shaped our society and would be nearly eliminated as a result of a majority ruling society.
I feel as though technically the united states is ruled by the many because there are many people who make the legislative executive and judicial branches run. but as far as the most important idea of democracy's rule by the many, america does not show this. Although the government is ruled by many people who share the duties if do not feel like they are accountable to ME, or any other normal citizen which shows that we are not truley democratic and ruled by the many. I believe that our government should be accountable to the people and that we should be more democratic. As far as effectiveness goes, i feel like the governments of scandinavia are effective.. they take care of their people the most people there live good lives for the most part. As far as the US, i feel like we are not an effective government, if we were the gap between the rich and poor would not be so large. i feel as though the US could be a more effective government and listen to its citizens more thoroughly. Colin Springer 100.03
ReplyDeleteIt is really difficult to say what type of government is best because we would have to try them all to do so. Now flipping from one type, or alteration of government to the next may be as ineffective as having a bad form of government because it may never get the chance to develop. Also getting everyone to agree on a single form of government. I thought that in an ideal world, every country would offer a different type of government, and that people could go live in which ever country they choose based on the type of government they desire. Since that will never happen, I almost think that a mix of a socialist government and a liberal government would be a good combination, thought i'm not necessarily sure how that would work out. Maybe a practical change, to our government, would to spend less of our tax money on defense, maybe cut it down to under 40% or something...
ReplyDeleteYasmin Modica
PSCI 100.04
I believe America is ruled by a select few yet with the government that we are supposed to have, we should be ruled by many. In a democracy, the people are supposed to have a say in many things that happen within their country yet in America, the people don't have as much say as they should have. The people within the government, such as the president, the senate, and the house of representatives, have the most say and the ideas that they put into place are to better them and the rest of the upper-class. I do think that the American government is extremely effective with keeping the people safe. The federal government does their job of keeping their people safe and keeping the country a decent one to live in, but I think their should be a balance between what the federal and state or local governments do. The state and local governments should have more control when dealing with certain aspects, such as small laws that aren't a huge impact on society, while the federal government has control of the larger aspects, such as the military and education. These state and local governments should be the ones that listen to the people and allow them to show what they think will make their country better.
ReplyDeleteKelly Sweeney
PSCI 100.05
I think the government is ruled by the few. We need more democracy in the way that we "the people" are more involved with the decisions and the ruler is to act in ALL interest of the ruled. I feel that this is forgotten when election time comes around. Our deficit makes it harder for us to see an increase in our economy. If the government would pay more attention to our nation instead of throwing us into a hole everytime they want to be macho, I believe that we can bring our economy back where it needs to be. I think our government is effective at attaining its purpose as Jessica has stated. Yet the purpose isn't always the correct one in ours eyes. I can sit back and say I feel these would fix our problems, yet without being in the situation a government official is in and knowing the rules and regulations that must be abided by, it isn't as easy as saying here is the answer. I feel that welfare needs to be decreased. I know that jobs are pretty rare now adays, but if we could create more jobs, the people can work.... I think people take advantage of the welfare system.
ReplyDeleteI think America is ruled by the few. We may be a democracy but as shown in class, most people don't have much interest in the government. And if you do, your opinion doesn't matter if you vote doesn't count, you don't personally know your senators, representatives, nor your President. I think the government does things in many different situations to make American's feel like they are a part of something when really they aren't. The only American's that are a part of the government are the ones that have money. Even if your religious and educated, you still wouldn't matter in the government without money. If there was more democracy in the world, I think there would be less protests disagreements because choices, laws, and decisions would sometimes favor a certain group of people but others at different times. The government is a good size, it's just composed of the wrong types of people. Everyone is going to have somewhat of the same decision or view, and if they are an opposing party, it is irrelevant because the party in power will have the most representation. All around, we should have stronger governments. States aren't involved enough, local governments definitely aren't involved enough, and the federal government has little association with the people. The government in the book worked for them, even though it is fiction, I think it could work a little better in ways that our system is today. Social security is as fine, it is not too big nor too small. The military is far too big. Especially in the times of pointless wars. Lets be serious, troops need to come home. Unemployment benefits just needs better regulations which I think are being fixed. Welfare, I'm almost fully against. There are slim reasons why people should be on welfare, kids can make it just fine, there should be no reasons grown adults can't make it on their own.
ReplyDelete100.4
I think that the government is ruled by the few. The President has way to much power these days and the congress almost never agrees on anything that actually matters or impacts our life. I think some aspects of the government should decrease in size. Specifically I think that military spending and the military in general should decrease. Apparently the US spends $1 million a minute for the military. Can you imagine what we could do with the country if cut that down to even $1 million every 2 minutes, or how about $1 million every hour. The economic crisis could be shut down completely if the government focused more on helping American citizens instead of hurting everyone else. Other programs in the US could be invested in more, such as education in the country. If we put as much interest and investment into education as we do into the military we would be so much better off.
ReplyDeleteI also feel that other programs such as welfare, unemployment, Medicare, and Medicaid should be decreased as well. Some of these programs have good intentions but they are often taken advantage of by those who would cheap the system or are just lazy.
Ben Hackett
100.03
I think our government is ruled by the many but unfortunatly influenced by the few. It seems the people's voices are being drowned out by big money interests and it is these elite that determine the actions of our elected officials. While I think the government is a good size, I think it functions inefficiently. The corporate bailouts come to mind when I think of an inefficient use of our nations money. As a small business owner I find it very discouraging that the ceo's who mismanaged these companies still earn astronomical salaries while many small business struggle to keep their doors open and food in their kids mouths. I do not think government has any responsibility to bailout any business. I also think too many resources are allocated for defense. I am sure we could downsize in this area and still enjoy a high level of saftey. I think it is very backward thinking when education and social services are reduced while forking out $280 million per day to maintain war. If government would emphasize education and innovation instead of fear and hostility I believe we would be a stronger nation. I think government can be a really good thing for everybody but only when it acts with integrity.
ReplyDeleteI believe America is ruled by the few. We have our representatives, the President, and his select few who vote in rules and policies that govern our society. I believe there should be more democracy in America to allow the people to feel like their opinions and rights even matter. More democracy for me would be that the citizens would get to vote on a policy before the government passed it. The citizens voting on an issue gets their opinion voiced and ranked versus just the people at state and national levels getting to do this. I believe the American government is just the right size. I personally don’t want the American government growing any bigger. Yes the government is effective but it could decrease its aid in some areas. The government could spend less money on wars and military expenses and focus more on bettering schools and even bettering the economy.
ReplyDeleteBrandi Parsons PSCI 100.04
American is definitely run by few, I would like to see more democracy. Here we have all these rights like voting but little do we know that our votes mean nothing. The only problem with more democracy is that people make mistakes but we could learn from those mistakes and change for the better by making smarter decisions. I think the government is the right size, I don't think we could handle any more elected members. I think the government is effective in the way it runs but they could. I think we should reduce money spent in certain areas like the war and focus it more on schools and to get our economy out of this slump that it has been in.
ReplyDeleteStephanie Hudlow
psci 100.05
I think American is ruled by the few. Basically the president and congress make most of the decisions and their decisions are influenced by the highest bidder. I think there should be more democracy. The citizens should be able to have some say in whats passed or vetoed. I think the federal government is to big and the local/state governments are around the size they should be but they should be given more power. The government should be smaller but not as small as it was in The Probability Broach. I think that we spend way to much on Military strength. Much more then would be necessary to get the job done. A good reason is because of how much we spend on military and defense. We spend more of our GDP on military then the other top 11 countries combined spend on military. I think that if those funds were relocated to other areas of our government then our dept could be lessened by a lot.
ReplyDeleteNick Mullican PSCI 100.05
I believe that the Unites States is ruled by the many because we still have national, state, and local elections that are specifically designed to give the general population the ability to choose it’s leaders whether its directly through popular vote, or indirectly through the electoral college. However, I believe that the United States should be more democratic and stray away from the socialist ideas that continue to be incorporated into our country like the idea of universal health care. I think that the American government is about the right size, but I do believe that some areas of it should be increased while others need to be decreased. For example, I believe that programs such as welfare and social security should be gotten rid of. I believe that the US government is relatively effective; however, I believe it is very ineffective in the area of making laws and decision-making. It takes weeks, if not months, for a single bill to pass meaning that change does not occur as quickly as politicians say it will. On the other hand, our government is effective in the ways that it keeps us fairly safe from terrorist attacks and keeps order in our country.
ReplyDeleteJenna Peck PSCI 100.04
I believe that America is ruled by the few because if you think about it, in the end the president, senate and congress all have the last say in things. Yes, I do feel that we should have more democracy. I can't guarantee that having more democracy would make America a completely better place, but I feel in some ways it would help a little. I feel that there would be less arguments and more compromising and agreeing with each other. People do make a lot of mistakes in life, but if the people are the ones making the decisions then if there is a mistake there is no one else to blame but their selves. So this way they all learn from their mistakes and grow into better people. Instead of blaming everything on certain people in our government and not learning anything at all because they feel they didn't make any mistakes at all. Although, the American government is not to big or to little, there are still certain people in government who I feel have way to much power...and shouldn't. I do think that America should have a stronger state and local government because those governments are what affect us as citizens more than anything. But, I don't think the size of the government matters all too much because whether there is a billion or just a hundred people in government the last say still goes straight to the congress, senate or the President. As far as effectiveness goes...I think they are but at the same time aren't being effective. As Jenna said above, they are effective when it comes to keeping us all safe from terrorist and keeps our country having some sort of order. But at the same time they aren't as effective because I feel they all get caught up in lying and forget what they are suppose to be doing. For example, Obama said that he was going to pull our troops from Iraq...yet he lied and has yet to do so. As a matter of fact he keeps sending more and more troops over to Iraq. I feel if our government was a bit more like the British government, then we would have more effectiveness. In the British government if you say you are going to do something (like pulling troops from Iraq), then as soon as you get elected...you have to pull the troops, you have to do exactly what you say your going to do. But in America it's the complete opposite...you can say your going to do one thing during elections or even after elections..and never really have to do it. So in conclusion, I do but at the same time don't feel that the U.S. government is very effective.
ReplyDeleteAlicia Watts 100.04
I believe America is run by the very few and that is because we can look at the percentages of the people who have actual power of changing things compared to the rest who cannot and the numbers are very different. I believe there should be more democracy because as a country we really are not run by all the people. If society was more collective then I think we would have a stronger voice are problem is no one wants to get involved and keep to there own problems when really they lead to more. The government is way to big, its involved in to many affairs then it needs to be and has an obvious power struggle. I also believe we should have stronger states and local governments because every place has its required needs and wants. The more power given would give civilians more say in ways of controlling and shaping the government the ways we need and want and that would give us more incentives to participate as well. I do believe are government can be very effective when it comes to certain things like security and helping the poor and the old but I believe as well that it can be stronger and more effective and will not because its more worried about making money and having power then keeping all the people who live within it happy and healthy.
ReplyDeleteKatie Clevenger, 100.05
America is ruled by the few. If it was ruled by the many, more people would be involved. We have democracy and yet I feel that the federal government and local and state governments should both be stronger. The federal government should be stronger only in terms of communication with the people and in times of war to say “no” when we really don’t need to be involved. In terms of the Probability Broach, I feel that a government like that would get way out of hand in our society. A government is required for society today and the future yet to come. The local and state governments should be stronger in leadership. They represent us as a whole and yet are not fulfilling their duties to the highest of their abilities. I do feel that the military should remain where it is just in case of crisis or other terms of war that just may occur. For unemployment benefits, well that’s a tough one. Depending on the economy, right now I feel it okay to make the benefits larger. However, in a stable economy, giving larger unemployment benefits may decrease the number of workers in society. Some people would take advantage of the benefits. As for the U.S. government being effective, it is and it isn’t. It’s obviously not too great since we’re so deep in debt. However, our government maintains control and keeps our country safe.
ReplyDeletePamela Smoot PSCI 100.04
Although we are supposed to be a democracy, it seems like we are ruled by a select few. I think the amount of democracy should stay the same because if there were more, in my opinion, there would be more crimes, issues with social security, education would not be a priority which would lead our county down a wrong path, etc. I think the government is the right size, but there is too much power in the hands of the wrong people. We should have stronger local and state governments because these governments know and are associated with the communities a lot more than the federal government ever would be. most of the aspects of government are the right size, at least thats what I think at this stage in my life but im sure I would have a different opinion if I were to focus more on social security, retirement, unemployment, etc. For the most part, the government is effective. Of course there could always be aspects that could be strengthened such as education and unemployment but members of society could be to blame for some of those problems as well. I dont know enough about the government to complain or voice an educated opinion about it but these are just some of my views.
ReplyDeleteKassi Gardner, 100.05
America is ruled by many, America has a Democracy and it is very large. To a point that yes I believe that it is too big sometimes. Democracy for me would be for there not to be a corrupt system of politicians working for the rich and more for the middle class. Important issues that the "PEOPLE" see important and the committee wouldn't take so long to vote on it to make it a bill. I believe that the Federal government should not be so overbearing, for example paying so many taxes. I think that the state governments should have equal power as the federal government and take care of some of the responsibilities as the federal government. The federal government should not take so much from the working American family. Billions of dollars should not be wasted on the Military for so much protection. Give that money to improve the conditions around the world. Give people jobs and put young people into school. The effectiveness of this country to me is very low. Most of the things that actually happen take way too long to actually happen. When bills come in they should be acted on A.S.A.P for the people and not the benefit of the rich. Like I said the government should give back to the people and not on ridiculous things that the government does for our "protection." Everyone in the world already knows that we have protection.
ReplyDeleteJoshua Labuhn PSCI, 100.03
America is ruled by a bit more than "the few," but certainly not "the many." This is fact. I think less government is obviously what we need. "The government was small, uninvolved in peoples' lives, slow to act, and very democratic," taken from above is what I think America needs to be more like. This is painfully obvious to me personally.
ReplyDeleteThe U.S. government is clearly effective on its own soil and many other countries grounds. Effective in many ways that are both morally and logically wrong. The American government acts as a big bully, telling its citizens what to do and how to do it. It imposes strict unnecessary morals and rules that are brought up by the church and by large corporations that pay their opinions and ideals to the top. Its awfully far from freedom and from democratic. I don't know how to change it because its very complicated and there is an enormous amount to fix. Lets start with fixing this sickening amount of consumer debt. Lets remove the federal government. Lets remove the electoral collage. Lets end the drug war. Lets expand the media to control of many instead of the few. Lets move away from consumerism. Geez, look what I stared thinking about. I don't want to look any further into this massive can of decaying worms.
I use to think that the U.S. was ran by many,but I found out that our votes don't even matter when it comes to electing our president. I would think that if we are going to have to live through his decisions that our voice in the situation would matter more. Less government would be nice to have because we don't really have freedom if you look at it. Obviously we have more freedom then the people in Korea, but to them thats all they know. Like in the probability broach I would like to see a smaller government. One who actually takes the people into consideration instead of trying to gain control of other places. It seems that our president doesn't care for the people in his nation only the wealthy ones and how to gain control from other countries. It all still boils down to power and control.I think it is a redundant cycle that no one really plans on trying to change.
ReplyDeleteKatelyn SIne
100.04
I feel as if the US is run by the few instead of the many. We mentioned in class that our votes do not count for president, just for senator and such. I feel as if the government is about the right size for the US, but I feel as if we should have more of a direct contact with the government. I think the government is effective on the bigger issues, but as far as the little people issues I don't think they care to help as much.
ReplyDeleteSecily Butts
PSCI 100.05
I think that the U.S. is run by the few. While we do have elections and parties that involve many people, ultimately there are only a few representitives that actually get a say. These representitives may act in favor of their party but that doesn't say much for what a majority vote would insue. I do not think that our government is effective at all. The decisions that the government make do not always represent what the majority vote would have been if everyone in our country voted. Not only that, but the decisions being made do not always have the best interests of the citizens in mind. I do think that the government of the Probability Broach is better than ours. Decisions should be up to the people, not a group of power-hungry representitives. Generally I think that the people in the U.S. need more say and power.
ReplyDeleteI think we should focus more on the effectiveness of the government. I like how the probability broach is. However, we could never have that sort of governemnt, people have grown up with the way things are now. A big way in how the government hasn't shown it's effectivness, for the lower class specifically, is the tax break for closeing a factory here and the tax break for opening one somewhere else. This just gives them reason to leave the u.s., loseing many jobs for people here. It's slowly killing our own economy and bringing more poverty.
ReplyDeleteMatthew Kimberlin
PSCI 100.05
The US is run by a few extremely wealthy individuals and not by the population.There should be more democracy in the country. although we make mistakes our participation in making decisions, we would learn and grow from them.The government has people that have way too much power than they deserve and in some cases than they can handle.to eliminate this elitist group in control the country should have stronger state and local power. The size of the government matters but officials have to much influence. Social Security should be changed limited to those who really need it not to the individuals at home that can work disabled or not. Unemployment benefits and welfare should be decreased to by a great extent making the workforce in the country stronger and boosting the economy. If the country would stay out of other country's affairs, and if the officials were to focus on making the country better for every one of its citizens the US government would be a lot better off.
ReplyDeleteI often find that the government is both effective and ineffective at the same time.
ReplyDeleteOnce I had a mix up about expired car registration. I was not allowed to drive the car anywhere but it had to be inspected before I could get the registration renewed!
Government's answer was to have the car towed 2 miles from my house to the inspection site, get the inspection, have someone else drive me to the town clerk's office to get the registration renewed and then drive back to the inspection site to get my car. I ended up "illegally" driving my car to both sites with my fingers crossed and it worked out. Gov't. was effective in citing me for the registration problem, but ineffective in the way I was supposed to handle it.
I've also experienced two government agencies giving me two different stories and methods on how to accomplish one thing. Agencies and groups in the government are frequently in conflict with which each other about who gets what paperwork first, etc. Eventually, things may get done, but not without a lot of back-and-forth paperwork and phone calls.
In the past few years, I've read a number of stories about war veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan who were severely disabled, unable to receive proper medical attention, disability pay, housing, etc. and private agencies and citizens have stepped in to assist them.
There is absolutely no reason for U.S. veterans to ever wait for, or be denied the care they need. This is the most inexcusable example of the government being ineffective. This is a national problem which covers a broad spectrum of issues regarding veterans.
There seems to be so much "red tape" involved in the government process that people are daunted when they want to change anything. It could be those complications that prevent people from becoming more involved.
Dee Pierce
PSCI 100.03
It is hard to classify our government correctly because in some cases we say one thing and do another. We are said to have a ‘democracy;’ however, there are some strong aspects of our government that are not democratic in the least. I feel that if we are going to claim to be a democratic society we should have democratic ways in everything. In a sense we are an oligarchy because we, as a population, are ruled by a few, the government. I don’t think that we are truly an oligarchy because the government doesn’t try to control everything, we have freedom don’t we?
ReplyDeleteEmmi Shambeda
PSCI 100.05
The United States of America is definitely ruled by the few, meaning a couple individuals whom we really have no direct contact with, control what we do as a country. But, wait we can vote right? I mean we can, but your just voting for others to vote for you. So the real answer is no. As we really looked in dept with last week, voting does close to nothing for us. In my opinion, half the people who do actually decided to vote really don't even know what they are voting on or why they are choosing that person to be the head of the US.
ReplyDeleteToday we see the government as a "democracy", or that is what we are supposed to see. Something that I see is completely different, I see the people being persuaded to think they have a choice, when in reality they are nothing but the governments puppets.
Laura Elkins
PSCI 100.4
America is supposed to be this “perfect cookie cutter” of what democracy should look like, but to me it is far from it. If you look up the definition of demoracy, you see this: government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system. A government by the people, where the people have the power. The last time I checked the only power I have is to make a citizens arrest. I do not have a say in what taxes I pay, what the gas prices are, or how my health insurance works. Exercising my power; well we as americans have nothing to exercise. This is what gets me: a free electoral system. If you don’t know it by now, but when you vote for president, your vote does not count. You are litterally just giving suggestions of what who you think your delegates should vote for; for president. Why do I wanna go out and vote if it doesn’t count, it is just a suggested opinion. So if you really think about, the United States is nothing of what the true definition of a democracy is. The people have no power, we vest the power in somebody else; who truly does not represent us. We as individuals can only represent ourselves. In all honesty, the United State could be classified as an oligarchy; ruled by the few. Because in fact we choose about 535 people, well 536 if you count the president to represent 300 million people. Is that really an equal representation? Not everyone has the power to rule. Only less than 600 do. Having a stronger federal government, might actually hurt us as a country. It would most deffinately turn the United States into more of an oligarchy. I believe that the states should have more power. They can deal with people on a smaller scale of only about 3 or 30 million. Compared to 600 people trying to represent all 300 million. Right now I feel like the effectiviness of the United States government balances itself out. Meaning for every good that it does, or has the power to do; it counteracts that with a bad. Effective? No not really, because it feels like nothing ever gets done. Look at us now, we have been fighting a war for tens years, and we were supposed to be done years ago. Now we are farther in than we ever were before.
ReplyDeleteLindsey Walls PSCI 100.04
I feel that our government is only run by a few people. I feel that not always the best possible person is selected, instead it is the person who has the most media time. Most of the general public is uneducated voters and only goes by the information that the media represents. The media can basically formulate whatever picture they want of the person and ultimately change the face of the election. I feel like the federal government holds too much power and that the power should lie within the states. Through the Elastic Clause the federal government has continued to gain power and will keep continuing unless we the people push for change. Our government is put in place to help the people and advance thier intrest. It seems like the current government is only taking care of the upper class and leaving the rich to get more rich and the poor to get more poor.
ReplyDeleteI think that the United States is ruled by the many. I feel like every time I watch the news or hear a popular political story, it is surrounding a different party, state, legislature, court, or what have you. There are so many levels of government in our country and so many people who contribute to it, including us as citizens. As some people are convinced that we do not have a say in politics and government issues, I believe we each influence the ideas of our politicians and the laws they pass. By voting of course, we cast our opinions. As I’ve said before, there could probably be more special interest voting allowed during elections to make important issue more apparent, but overall we as citizens have the duty to respond and participate in our government. Christina Page said, “Our government is ruled by the many but unfortunately influenced by the few.” I think this is a very valid statement. The special interest groups would allow more influence in government and encourage more voters, hence, more democracy. The effectiveness of our government is very debatable, however. I think that the government focuses on too much at one time, trying to fix everything at once. This is a mistake because we as citizens get excited to see changes in issues that interest us individually, and then we see little to no change being made at the time which the government “claims” they are trying to fix things. This could also be the reason our government is in so much debt. Too much at one time is not a good thing socially or financially. The government needs to increase some programs while decreasing others in order to create a balance. Now that oil prices are SO high and will continue to rise, the government finally seems to step in a little more than before. Couldn’t something have been done a while back to prevent this, or at least be prepared for it? Our government is effective in our constitutional rights (protection, freedom, etc.), but when it comes to modern day issues, there needs to be a balance created.
ReplyDeleteCayce Martin 100.04
America is ruled by few. The many vote the few into office who in turn are able to vote for the president. The president and selected other officials are the ones who make the governmental decisions; who essentially are the ones who rule over America. More democracy would give me, and every other individual more governmental power. Government is just the right size. I think if it were bigger it would be too controlling and if it were less we wouldn't have the protection we need. The government is pretty effective and no one is perfect, hence why we have the ammendments to fix what we got wrong in the constitution. I think government needs to focus more on bigger issues and make sure the jails fill up with the people who really deserve to be there and not for petty stuff. Government will always be improving and finding better ways to regulate and control the country.
ReplyDeleteKindra Bittle PSCI 100.03
I think America is ruled by the many. If you look at the large scale, you may think that just the president is involved and a few select people; however, the desicions that effect us most such as state laws like abortion and gay marriage involve more people. Also, it is decisions like this that people do get involved because the issues are easy to understand. Therefore, I don't believe these decisions are made by a few people because if it were, there would be a settlement on the issue instead constant debating as it is now.
ReplyDeleteI think some actions should be left up to the state; however, a large federal government is required for good security and most Americans want that.
Hannah Hime PSCI 100.04
I feel that overall the United States is ruled by many since many people make up the different branches. I feel that it would be hard to determine which type of governemnt would best suite the United States. I also feel that in a democracy the people should have a say in the things happening, although in teh United States the people dont have as much say as they should.
ReplyDeleteMegan Long
PSCI 100.03
I don’t think that America is run by the few but enough people, but it’s governed by people of higher status’s than the average man, or what I mean by that is that it’s run by people of the wealthy. I don’t think the majority of the United States is wealthy but more in the middle and poor stature, but again that is what I think. The people elected are the wealthy and surely do or would think according to their level of socio understanding. The statement about whether or not there should be more democracy, I thought and from what I understood was that there isn’t one single agreed upon definition but different forms of democracy. Honestly, I don’t think there is a size issue with the U.S. government, the issue or the effectiveness lies within hands of the people who aren’t of common stature. What I mean by this is that yes there is enough people to run the government but it’s only a select few that are wealthy that have a lot of influence. Like addressed in class how campaigns need so much money to be run, therefore kind of limiting in a way how far one can go in campaigning or running for offices, even though everyone has the right to run for office.
ReplyDeleteSofia Khan
PSCI 100.05
I feel that America is ruled by the few. We as the people elect the people in office, but we don’t get much of a choice. We have a choice between a corrupt Republican and a corrupt Democrat essentially. For me, more democracy in America would involve a lot more participation from the people. We would actually be fully aware of what was going on in our Government and have a say in it instead of all these topics being classified information.
ReplyDeleteIn line of government I feel the size does not matter, but we should be shooting for an effective one. Right now, I don’t think that our government is very effective. They get stuff done, but it’s what they find important and not the collective many. I feel we should have a very strong state and local government system. A lot of what goes on I feel can be resolved in the local area instead of taking up the federal government’s time. The federal government is still completely necessary. They are the over arching figure that keeps all of the states in line and make the bigger decisions like war and funding. This is a very important part of our system, but at the same time should not be the biggest part. The people should have a much bigger say in this sort of thing then we do. Like the war and amount of military we have. It is ridiculous. Protection is important, but only for real threats. Our military is way larger than should be necessary. We don’t need to be at war constantly. So much more money and lives would be saved as a result of this. If we could step away from using government positions as a power source, and just use it as a job just like anything else then we could actually get an effective system going. That is the kind of person that is going to listen to the collective and get things done that need to be done instead of blowing all kinds of money on things that don’t matter in the long run.
Katherine Martin PSCI .04
The Government we have in place today in the United States has its pros and cons. The government we have here works fine, so it should not be changed to another form of government. Although, I believe it should be modified in some ways. The regular everyday citizens should have more of a say in things going on. The United States does have a government that is run by many, which is great, but that many does not include many non politicians.
ReplyDeleteWayne Fleming 100.4
I think the government’s effectiveness is greatly hindered by its obsession with money; government positions are some of the highest paying jobs in the U.S. This leads to my question; are our leaders in office to serve the people, or are they there to merely appease the masses for as long as possible as they fill their bank accounts? If government jobs had their pay cut dramatically, would any of them still be in office out of duty toward their country? I don’t think so, after the last big political scandal when it was discovered that the officials responsible for the bailouts didn’t even read the proposal.
ReplyDeleteDavid Hickerson PSCI 100.4
I think the government is run by the few. We don't even elect our President, the Electoral College does. Also it is mostly the President and some others who mainly make all the decisions. I also think that we should have more democracy in the U.S. The government is not that effective in the U.S. I believe that we be should do some things like Norway. One of the programs that would be helpful to the U.S would be how they make sure no one is living on the street unlike in the U.S there are thousands. I also think that it would be more effective if the government has stronger state and local government because they deal directly with the people.
ReplyDeleteAshley Mellott
PSCI 100.03
I think that the government is ruled by the few. While it appears that we would be ruled by the many with having the opportunity to vote we are very limited with the choices that are presented for us to vote for. Our government is ruled by big business. Those who have the money to control the politicians get the laws passed to help better their businesses.
ReplyDeleteI feel that we have to much government in area where it does not belong such as in the private sector. The government does not belong in selling cars. I also feel that where we could use the government more is in social services and these seem to be the areas that the government wants to cut back on. When you look at these examples it shows where the government is concerned. It is not with the citizens of this country but with the wallets of the big businesses.
Karen Martin PSCI 100.4
In my opinion, the state and local governments should be emphasized rather then the national government. The local government should make all the rules for the communites in there area, besides human rights which should be protected for everyone. The local government should have a big part in local education, local business, and local crime. I do believe that the national government should have primary involvement in military and foreign affairs, and be in control of currency. Basically, I believe there needs to be more balance between the national and local government and I think local governments should get more spotlight.
ReplyDeleteI feel that America is ran by the few, mostly the rich. The middle and lower class have little say except a popular vote in each election that means basically nothing. That is why I feel local government is important because the popular vote does matter. National government should not be more important then the local and state governments.
Sam Beatty
100.4
I think that America is ruled by the few, although there are tons of people in the government not all of them have such powers to do anything big, like the president or Supreme Court. Also, I believe that the government is too big, there does not need to be so many people within these powers if they do not uphold that much of it. Democracy to me would actually mean power to the people, ‘cause of right now I personally do not feel powerful, or more powerful than the president himself. If Athenians could give the power to the people, then shouldn’t we Americans be able to do the same? Since the government is too big in my opinion, I feel like there should be stronger state and local governments since they do have a say in things. I remember in class when we talked about California and how it is legal to do drugs in the state but in the federal government it is still illegal. I feel like if the state says it is all dandy, then the federal government should let them have their say. In the government I would rather see us not going to war, one reason is because we are in so much debt and another reason would be why do we need to go to war when it has nothing to do with us? I understand the whole allies thing and how we are the “go to” country if someone is in war, but seriously we are in so much debt I just think we should relax for a while.
ReplyDeleteAlaina Meserole
PSCI 100.05
Though as a democratic country, we are suppossed to be ruled by the many, in reality we are only ruled by many officials who only make up few of the entire country. These government officials are suppossed to vote in favor of the people, but that doesn't often happen. I feel that our country needs to be more democratic and that the federal government should have less power. In addition, I think the state and local government should have more power since it is easier for them to listen to and give the people what they need and want. To be truly democratic, America would need to give more power to individuals so each citizen would have a say.
ReplyDeleteMiranda Beahm
PSCI 100.05
I do agree with many of the comments on here. America is definitely run by the few. As we all know and discussed about it, our votes pretty much don't mean anything. I also believe that the american government is the right size; however, I wish each state would have more power so that they could be able to make better decision for the people living in it. I do disagree with some comments I read that said that they wish they could be more democracy in the US and the only problem with that is that we will make more mistakes but also learn from them. As a whole country, I believe it would be hard to apply that theory because, as we all know, there has been many presidents who have made mistakes and we are still trying to get out of them. I believe there should be cuts in regards to money and the war.
ReplyDeleteJorge Alvarez
PSCI. 100.03
I think that the government is ruled by the few. Plus of the few that do lead us we don't even elect them to power such as the president who is elected by the electoral college. The President has way to much power these days and congress almost never agrees on anything that actually does anything for the nation or the people of our nation. I think some aspects of the government should decrease in power and the size of the bodies of each branch. most importantly I think that military spending and the size of the military in general should decrease. Apparently the US spends a million dollars a minute for the military. Can you imagine what we could do with the country if cut that down to even a million every couple of minutes, or how about a million every hour. The issues with the economy could be gotten rid of completely if the government focused on helping American communities instead of hurting them by spending so much money on just the government and the military. If we put as much interest and investment into education as we do into the military we would be so much better off.
ReplyDeleteI also feel that other Government programs such as welfare, unemployment, Health care should be decreased as well or at least have more limitations and regulations. Some of these programs have good intentions but they are often taken advantage of by those who would cheat the system.
Erik Peat PSCI 100.03
ReplyDeleteThe United States is a representative democracy. This means essentially that we (mostly) elect people to "represent" us in higher governmental affairs. Some would say that those elected take it upon themselves to use the power they are given for reasons the public would not agree with but the reason for their existence is to represent the people. As with every type of government, there are flaws within this kind of system. Something as simple as human nature has an extreme impact on the way a government is carried out. People are power hungry by nature and when a position of power is offered, only those who enjoy being in power will pine for it and those types of people usually have other negative traits that lead them to abuse said power.
ReplyDeleteDespite its flaws, a representative democracy is most likely the most logical form of government for the United States. The biggest reason for that is the mere size of the country itself. A classical democracy would be almost impossible; not everyone could be equally represented because there are just too many of us.
So, yes, America is governed by the few, and sometimes those few don't do their jobs according to the code of morality or the book but this is most likely the only democratic system that could have any kind of success in this country.
Sheridan Webb
PSCI 100.05
Like majority of the comments posted prior to mine, I feel that America is run by very few. I feel that in our country, states should have more power and the federal government should have less. One of the major controversies within the states is whether marijuana should be allowed or whether or not gay marriages should be allowed but the federal government has the ultimate say so in these areas of debate and I feel that it should be totally up to the states. Some argue the fact that America is ran by many because we have a lot of branches of government but in reality, the President is the one who makes majority of the decisions and we don’t even elect the President. The Electoral College elects the President for us.
ReplyDeleteBrittney Butler
PSCI 100.03
I do believe the government is controlled by the few. It takes a whole lot of money for any one who matters to take you seriously. Campaigns cost millions, for presidential and gubernatorial at least, and there are not many people that can’t get that kind of money. I would be a fan of a more democratic system and more restrictions on where money can come from. A more democratic system would require people to pay more attention to politics and e held accountable for their decisions.
ReplyDeleteI am also a fan of big government as long as it’s run efficiently. The U.S. is most definitely not run efficiently. I think the reason is because there are opposing interests at play in government; the people who want what’s best for them, big business who wants what’s best for them. I believe that if majorities actually had a voice this conflict of interest would be avoided. Big government dose not need to mean big business.
Even though we are looked as being run by one, America is definitely run by many. For the electoral votes, in the long run it doesnt esentailly count. I do think that each state should have more control on what is said and allowed in the state. The government is improving slowly but there will always be something to complain about no matter what.
ReplyDeleteAshley Eckenrode 100.05
I believe the political structure we live in; in today’s society is greatly diverse from what its original intentions were when the founding fathers set up the constitution. Today, you pretty much can’t run for office if you aren’t already relatively rich. Political views, as a majority has become you are either for an issue or you’re against it. You are either a Democrat or you are a Republican, and no matter which side you choose you will be hated by the other. I believe the people in government need to be more diversified instead of having such a black or white perspective as politics as a whole.
ReplyDeleteMatt Santmier PSCI 100.03
The United States in ways, seem as if it is ruled by the few. Like the presidential election, the electoral college's vote counts and the popular vote is just for show. The electoral college is few compared to the population of the whole US. There are cases where the "many" do have a say, but is their say where it matters. I feel like presidential election should be a very important focus as to what the whole population believes.
ReplyDeleteChristopher White PSCI 100.03
Our government is run by the many. We have a democracy and have a big government, with congress and all the senators. The people have choices for who to vote for, it is just ashame that we dont see always that our choices are effective. The electoral college is the one voting for the president, and we as the voter are not. We vote for the popular vote of the state, and then that way is the way electoral college votes go towards the president. Our government is a good size it is just ashame that we only see things from the medias perspective of it not from the real source itself.
ReplyDelete100.03
ReplyDelete