Blog Test

1.  Provide a paragraph on an important issue of your choice from Section 1:
Section one is about the right to vote which is also called suffrage or franchise. Voting is very important in our society because the people get to choose what goes on in our government. Many laws have been passed over the years to help with voting rights. You cannot be denied the right to vote based on your color, race, gender, or religion. This helps bring equality into our country. States also cannot tax people for voting because it is a right of the people.



2.  Provide a paragraph on an important issue of your choice from Section 2:
Section two is about people actually registering to vote. There are some universal requirements, and there are some requirements that differ from state to state. There are certain rules placed on states that do not allow them to change the universal requirements. This includes they cannot change the minimum voting age at more than 18. People also need to be American citizens and must be a legal citizen of the state in which he or she wants to vote in.



3.  Provide a paragraph on an important issue of your choice from Section 3:
Section three is about allowing people (mostly African Americans) the right to vote. States kind of got around allowing them to vote. People took a stand to this. Gerrymandering drew boundaries from which a candidate is elected to office. This limited the voting strength of a specific group or party. This section is about people getting more rights. There was not a way around it anymore.



4.  Provide a paragraph on an important issue of your choice from Section 4:
Section four is about why people choose either to vote or not vote. It says that the term idiot came to our language from the Greek word idiotes which were the citizens who didn't vote or take part in public life. Many people choose not to vote because they either can't (aliens), they are too sick or disabled to go, or they were traveling unexpectedly. Other people do not vote because of a mental disorder, because they are in jail, or because of their religious beliefs. Many people also do not understand what, or who they are voting for, and so they probably won't take the time to look into what they need to in order to make a correct decision.



5. Explain voter apathy and what can be done to help it:
Voter apathy is the fact that the percentage of eligible Americans who vote has declined. This is due to many people not being educated about politics, families never have voted before, or the thought that we have poor leadership in our country. Many people think that after the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal, leadership has declined, and we need to do better. We can help voter apathy by educating people and restoring the faith that our government is doing the best that they can with the situations they are in.



6. Explain the qualifications for registering to vote:
To register to vote, you need to be a legal citizen as well as register your name, age, place of birth, and present your adress, length of residence, and similar facts. You also need to be a legal resident of the state in which you want to vote. In some states you must have lived there for a certain amount of time. States are allowed to make some of their own restistration regulations based on circumstances in their own states.

Republicans and Democrats

Using the Internet, research for a minimum of 15mins- the history of the two major political parties in our government.

Report your findings for both the Republicans and the Democrats.

Then share which party you see yourself supporting in the past, present and future and why you feel you support that party or parties.

When finished you should have around 3-4 paragraphs.

The republican party came to be when people were trying to expand slavery into the Western states. This party was a success from the beginning. They are generally more conservative. They believe that less government is more, and that they should only be involved if they people can't help themselves.

The democratic party believer that the values of hardworking families are the values that should guide them. They believe that the need to build the economy not only short term, but long term as well. They tend to maybe spend more money than what is needed or what they have. (Less conservative)

I don't really support either party. I think they both have their flaws, but if I had to choose one, I would choose Republican. I think it is a good idea to look at what is going on and make a plan based on what the country has, financially as well as other factors. I think they look at what is best for everyone, not just their own party.

Election

Take 15mins and look at the following sites and find election results.

http://foxnews.com/
http://cnn.com/
http://sdpb.org/
http://keloland.com/

Then give your view on the national results and the local results.  Both the candidates and the initiative measures.

Two paragraphs minimum.

Local-
One of the things I am glad that got voted for is the extended smoking ban. I am happy that it is now illegal in all public places. I think that it will help many people to quit smoking. Although some could argue it is a right to the bar owner, I believe it is the right of the people to be able to go places and not have to worry about their health. One thing at the local level that I am disappointed in is the rejection to legalize medical marajuana. In some ways I think it should be legal. The people who want to use it for recreation already are getting it illegally, but the people that need it for health reasons aren't getting it because it is illegal.

National-
One thing I am disappointed about in the national level is that Kristi Noem got voted for. In my opinion, she was mean. I know its the name of the game to do whatever you have to do to win, but it is a turn off for me to hear her bash the other candidates. Whenever I heard her speak, if she was asked a question about what she would do if a certain thing happened, the only thing I heard her say was "I wouldn't do what (whoever) is doing now or would do in the future." She should be able to tell others what she wants to do, instead of bringing up the faults of others.