When I decided to run for Congress in 2014 I wanted to make a difference and improve the quality of life in my community. I’ve met so many amazing people while running for office, it was truly one of the best experiences I have had in my life. After my election, I wanted to relax and get back in the classroom to teach my students. I stayed away from politics for the most part but I always kept a close eye to what was going on in local and national politics. I was elated to see my good friend Joe Gale win a stunning victory in the Montgomery county commissioner’s race and seeing David Oh re-elected to City council at large. On the other hand, I’m troubled to see how divisive and angry American politics have become in the last year. In my opinion, …show more content…
So after serious discussions with my parents, friends whom are Democrats, Republicans and independents; I made a conscience decision to leave the GOP and become a Centrist Democrat. People have always respected my fiscal conservative views, which is really my only conservative position besides school choice and lowering taxes. Based on that, I cannot support a candidate or party that doesn’t line up with my personal views. True conservatives know that Donald Trump isn’t a real republican. The true Republican Party, who ended slavery in 1865, elected the first woman to congress in 1917, passed the 19th amendment in 1919 for women to have the right to vote, who ended segregation in America in 1954, signed the civil rights act in 1967 is extremely different from the present day republican party. The Republican Party has to evaluate its future because the party won’t survive if it continues to go down this treacherous path. The Republican party of Pa should allow some of their best to shine bright in the midst of this chaotic election season. I believe the likes of Joe Gale, David Oh, Val Digiorgio, Liz Havey, Perry Hamilton, James Williams, Pat Meehan, Ryan Costello, just to name a few are the future of the party. I plan on working with people in both parties who want to make America a great place to live for everyone regardless of your race,
It is not uncommon to find members of Congress who have genuine goals of spearheading, designing or even just supporting good public policy. It would be harsh to say that every member of Congress is against good policy. However what is difficult for members of Congress is deciding what is more important, the wishes of their constituents or national policy. Although it is rare, members of Congress vote against the popular opinion of his or her district in order to make what would be considered good policy in the national interest. This hinders their chance of re-election but is necessary for America. In very rare cases members of Congress have gone against the wishes of their constituents for moral reasons like in the aftermath of 9/11. When voting on the 2002 Iraq War Resolution, I am certain that the last thing of the minds of members of Congress was re-election. A very conservative House of Representatives member Jimmy Duncan said ‘‘when I pushed that button to vote against the war back in 2002, I thought I might be ending my political career.” In times of crisis members of Congress have decide between what is right, not what their constituents believe is right. Another goal other than re-election that members of Congress have is their own future. For many, being a members of The House of Representatives is a mere stepping stone in their career on the way to better things. Therefore for some members of Congress, re-election does not worry them and gives them the freedom to act in an environment striped of the constant pressure of re-election. However, considering that most of the members of The House Of Representatives goals lie within the Senate or high executive positions, re-election is still on their mind, all be it in the form of a different
Running for a position of power is a tough thing to do. There are many things to worry about: your image, your policies, and, especially, your voters. While running for Congress is not as stressful as running for president, it has it own set of obstacles: making a “home style,” representing the people well, and making useful public policy. Listening to the words of Richard Fenno, John Ellwood, and Eric Patashnik can make doing these things a whole lot easier.
In this essay I will explore whether or not members of congress are still doing their job or just trying to keep their good reputation with their constituents for re-election time. The question of whether or not members of congress are doing their job effectively has been a great topic of controversy. Being a member of congress has turned into a long term struggle of constantly working towards reelection and trying to balance keeping their districts happy and still being a part of major legislature. Is there a way for members of congress to keep their district happy and still manage the bigger issues they are expected to deal with? Most Americans will complain that they are not happy and that their representatives are not doing their job in
Earlier this year, I was selected as my local chapter’s delegate to the American Legion Jersey Boys State. This was a new experience for me as this was the first time I was away from home with no one I knew. The main focus of that weeklong seminar was elections and although I knew I was competing against some of the best students in the state, I wanted to see what I could do. So I ran to be my floor’s ward leader, and won. Then I ran for my city council member, and won. Then I ran to by my county Vice-chair, and won. Then I ran to be my county senator, and lost. This was by far the most disappointing moment of the week. I had worked hard to climb up the mock political ladder and even had started imagining making it to the top. However, the
This past summer, when I lived and worked in Washington, DC—first as a U.S. Senate Page and then as a Congressional Intern—I gained invaluable experience and insight to the American political system. It is amazing how much one can learn from simply overhearing the conversations of Members of Congress on a daily basis. Working on the floor of the Senate and then in the back rooms of a Congressional office were two entirely different experiences, each teaching me in a distinctive way about how our political system functions. While I most definitely became aware of how bureaucratic and slow our democratic system can be, I also discovered that with a commitment to unity and prosperity for the common good, great feats are attainable through government.
.... Out of all the political parties, the Republican Party was least of all that I identified with. I agree most with the ideologies of the Democratic and Libertarian parties. I think that these parties interest is most targeted to use government as an instrument for the people, rather then working against it, as well as uniting people rather then alienating and discriminating.
South University Online. (2013). POL2076: American Government: Week 4: People and Politics—Interest Groups. Retrieved from http://myeclassonline.com
My first personal political views grew from an evaluation of my parents’ attitudes, which created an unwavering belief that all people should be treated equally and fairly, and that we should reserve judgment of others simply because they think, live, or look differently than we do. As I have gotten older and expanded my political knowledge, I have also come to see the value and importance of an involved federal government that strives to ensure the well-being of all its people. When describing the
I am currently an English 160 student who is hoping to move on to the next course, which is English 161. I understand the requirements for English 161. It require students to explore a topic in some depth and conduct independent research related to that topic. Conducting research allows students to learn what it is like to participate in academic culture, posing questions about important issues and developing an argument in response to what others have said. It expected students to learn the most valuable skill in college, which is critical thinking. Students have to be able to read challenging readings. Although I still have problems with English, I think I’m qualified to move on.
In COL 101 I have learned many new things about college. Since this is my first semester at college I did not really know where everything was. This class really helped me to learn new things about myself, including what resources are available to me, what my plan for the future is, and the many changes I have endured during this course.
At the time of this incident, Young had served twenty terms in congress. As Wisconsin representative Mike Gallagher said, “Imagine if all 535 elected members of the House and Senate woke up with that same urgency and sense of purpose. Imagine what we could accomplish together.” With term limits and a sense of urgency in our congress members to do good for the county, the limits of their potential would be
Growing up, I didn’t take much interest in politics. I rarely watched the news or read a newspaper to catch up on current events. Politics had always seemed abstract and inconsequential to my life, and I thought that it what went on in government buildings had no important effect on my day-to-day activities. I was often hesitant to voice my opinion or take stances on issues because I do not know much about them. Any beliefs I held were most likely the beliefs that my parents and other family members held. Once I turned eighteen, and had the right to vote, I realized that I had the responsibility to be an active and informed citizen. Going to college, and being around peers who were knowledgeable than me about politics was a sort of wake-up call for me, alerting me to start caring about the people who are running my town, state, and country. I have the power to vote and voice my ideas in my community and in this
Over the course of the semester, I feel that I have grown as a writer in many ways. When I came into the class, there were skills I had that I already excelled at. During my time in class, I have come to improve on those skills even more. Before I took this class I didn’t even realise what I was good at. This is the first class where I felt I received feedback on my writing that helped me to actually review my work in see what areas I lacked in and where I succeeded. Some of the skills I had shocked me as I didn’t think I had those capabilities in me.
The meeting stated exactly at 7.30 with the bang of the Presidents gavel against his podium (he is the only one standing during the meeting). Today the senate as well as the exec board is wearing business casual clothing, only some more business than others. (One senator has on jeans??).
Much like the majority of political science classes, view and opinion are the basis to answering every question. At the start of this course I believed that as a citizen I have a role to contribute to society. I knew that I hold a responsibility to participate in elections and to remain informed. This is my responsibility to the government, but what is its responsibility to me? I could not give you a confident answer. Yes, I’m aware of the basics laid out in Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the many other federal laws, but striping it down to the basics I didn’t know what the base duty of the government for citizens was. Going into this class, I would have told you someone like Karl Marx would be amongst the top theorist to influence current government. The United States has moved more in the direction of capitalism and away from the importance of democracy. This course included reading