Education Public Policy - National Graduation Rate Up to 80% (UNIT 5)

US public schools reach graduation milestone, new report says

 

Education public policy has helped to improve the public school graduation rate in the United States drastically over the past several years. More measures are being taken to ensure that students do not dropout, from more one-on-one contact with students to shutting down schools with high dropout rates. The current graduation rate is around 80 percent, and researchers are beginning to predict a 90 PERCENT national graduation rate by 2020.

The current data and public policy's success is amplified by the decrease in minority and low income dropouts. There has been a decrease as well in "dropout factories" (schools that produce high amounts of dropout students). If the rate remained the same from the early 2000s, studies show that around 1.7 million students would have dropped out between then and now.

Various changes in state laws and government intervention has aided this improvement. Many people are giving their own advice for how the United States can get its graduation rate up to 90 percent. Even though there has been minimal improvement in other areas, education has certainly been successful in, at the least, keeping more students in school. Current public policies about education are providing positive results that will hopefully continue to trend positively for some time.

Revamping the Bureaucracy - Civil Service Reform(UNIT 4 PART 3)

Study: Civil servant system outdated 

According to the article, it is time for reform of the Federal civil service system. The author claims that the system is over 60 years old, and, without rigorous reform, it will have major consequences for our country. The article blames the hiring, training, promoting, and classifying mechanisms of the bureaucracy to be the problem. In the bureaucracy, the merit system is used to hire new workers, and the Pendleton Act assures that civil service employees are hired based on merit, not patronage. 

The author cites several surveys and studies about the topic. She says that the system is still set up for clerical government jobs, but most Federal jobs are now "knowledge-based." She claims that the competition for the "nation's top talent" is too high, and the government isn't getting enough. The article lists ways for the government to revamp the bureaucracy systems, such as changing the way workers are paid, reexamining the General Schedule classification system, and giving more flexibility to hiring standards. It concludes by stating that the civil service is in dire need of reform, and that while legislation has yet to be proposed, some politicians are considering opening up conversation about it.

Congress & the U.S. Budget - Time is Money (UNIT 4 PART 1)

Hoyer: Congress should lay 'groundwork' for grand bargain budget deal

The article discusses the opinions of the House Minority Whip, Steny Hoyer, toward the current debate about the U.S. budget. He claims that if a "grand bargain"is not reached soon, the U.S. will lose its position as the world's top economic power. He wishes for the divided parties of Congress to come together in bi-partisanship to decide on an effective budget for the year. Using a lot of exaggeration and scare-tactics, Hoyer appeals to the concerns of the American people. The current turmoil between the parties, President Obama's own budget proposal, and many legislators preparing for reelection campaigns is making an effective bi-partisan compromise seem like a weighty task.

The concern of an upcoming stalemate-like situation in the House is growing. As election day gets closer, more and more Congressmen are more concerned about getting reelected than passing new legislation that may be detrimental to their platforms. The Minority Whip claims that even with these limitations, Congress can still do things to improve the economic outlook over the next few years. He believes that there are still many opportunities to help achieve fiscal stability.

The Two-Party System - How it is Affecting America (UNIT 3)

America's broken two-party system and the political future of the country

The article explains the differences between the two major parties of the United States - the Republican Party and the Democratic Party - and their true definitions and ideals. The author describes each party as they are meant to be in their purest state. The Republicans are meant to stand for a minimal government, while the Democrats support a more extensive state.

The author begins the article by discussing how American politics have morphed into an ugly battleground between the two parties. The author claims that each party is becoming more and more concerned with winning the "spoils" for themselves, as opposed to working together for the greater good of the country. He compares the Republicans and Democrats to gangs fighting over power. He implies that the parties are straying farther and farther from their original ideals.

America's current two-party system allows very little room for third parties, regardless of if they are doctrinal parties, bolter parties, or single-issue parties. A few prominent third parties have arisen in our government, such as the Green Party or the Libertarians, but they struggle to gain enough power to make much different. There is no question that America relies solely on its two-party system, but it's hard to say whether or not it is truly detrimental to our politics.

The American Dream - How Young Adults Today View American Political Culture (UNIT 2)

Millennials Put Their Surprising Stamp on the American Dream

Millennials, also referred to as Generation Y, are young adults born between the early 1980s to the early 2000s. The article focuses on how their view of the American Dream differs from previous generations. It explains events that have effected the Millennials' worldview and opinions. The "Great Recession" is given as a primary example. Some Millennials and members of former generations even believe that the American Dream itself is disappearing.

As a member of the Millennial generation, I find myself agreeing with many of the statements in the article. I can identify with what other members of Generation Y believe to be the current American Dream, and I too have been impacted by the "Great Recession." Overall, this article highlights some of the changes going on in American political culture as a new generation reaches adulthood.

Obama - Upsetting Checks and Balances? (UNIT 1)

Is Obama overstepping his bounds with executive actions?

After President Obama's 2013 State of the Union Address, many Americans were left with the impression that Obama is attempting to upset the separation of powers that keeps our government equal and stable. Some Americans are even going so far as to call for an impeachment, believing that our President's habit of favoring executive orders over working with Congress to accomplish goals is grounds for such a thing. Others are confident that the Supreme Court will be able to keep the Executive branch in check by examining whether or not Obama's executive orders infringe upon the Constitution and/or the powers of the other branches of government.

The CBS article provides concerns and reassurances for Obama's increased use of unilateral action. Most of his use of executive orders appears to stem from the makeup of Congress. Republicans control the House of Representatives and may be able to take the majority in the Senate with the upcoming elections, and their agenda is not always the same as Obama and the Democratic Party's. The struggle between the political parties is likely frustrating Obama, leading to his comment about his power of "pen and phone," and pressuring him to find a way around Congress to get his goals for America completed.

Only time may tell how things play out for the Obama administration, and hopefully Obama will make more of an effort to work with Congress instead of finding ways to undermine their power. Whether his actions are unconstitutional or not is up to the Supreme Court to decide.