Unit Five: Public Policy

“GOP ignores veto threat, passes student loan bill”

http://www.centurylink.net/news/read.php?id=18915738&ps=1017&cat=&cps=0&lang=en&page=1

Synopsis: Republicans in the House of Representatives led a vote that passed a student loan bill. This bill would keep the interest rates down for subsidized Stafford loans at 3.4 percent and not the 6.8 percent that they would jump to if no action were to take place. Even though this bill will solve the student loan problem, the White House is planning on vetoing the bill because it will eliminate a preventive health care fund that is part of President Obama’s health care law. This preventative health program has initiatives such as breast cancer screening and children’s immunizations. Since Democrats control the Senate it is unlikely that the bill will pass. However there is a different version of the bill in Senate that would raise Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes on high-income owners of privately owned companies to cover the costs. An interest group called, the Club for Growth, pressure Republican lawmakers to oppose the bill because they thought that the government should not subsidize student loans.

Analysis: This article shows how Congress influences economic policy. In this bill, lawmakers are trying to decide what programs they need to cut, or what taxes they need to raise in order to make college more affordable. Also, it illustrates how interest groups influence legislation as well as public policy by the Club for Growth’s opposition of the bill. Also, social policy is being formed in this legislation as well because of the cuts of funding for President Obama’s preventive health care fund. The article also shows how we have a divided government and the two party platforms. Republicans are not in support of Obama’s health care law and in raising taxes. Democrats on the other hand think the opposite; they do not mind raising taxes to fund other programs.  

Unit Five: Public Policy

“House Passes GOP Small Business Tax Cut”

http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/19/politics/house-tax-vote/index.html

Synopsis: The Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed a small business tax cut bill. The bill would provide deductions to companies with less than five hundred employees that would be worth up to 20% of their income. Republicans insisted that the bill would help to boost the economy. The Democrats opposed the bill because they thought that it was “a deficit-busting giveaway to the wealthy.” The bill hardly has a chance of making it through the Democrat controlled Senate and even if it does it will most likely be vetoed.

Analysis: This article illustrates not only the workings of Congress, but it also represents the two different party platforms. For example, Republicans are known for their support of tax cuts and their hatred of raising taxes. This bill illustrates this because Republicans are advocating the tax cuts to small business owners. This article also shows how even though a bill passes through the House of Representatives it does not guarantee that it will become a law. This bill has to pass through the Senate where it is put into another committee to be dissected and amended. Then it goes to the floor to be debated on. If it does pass a vote in the Senate then the President has to sign it or veto it. Finally, this article is an example of divided government. Right now the House of Representatives is controlled by Republicans and the White House and Senate are controlled by the Democrats. This bill does not have Democratic support so it will most likely die in the Senate.

Unit Four: Institutions of National Government

“Romney Assures N.R.A. of Support for Gun Rights”

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/14/us/politics/mitt-romney-assures-gun-rights-group-of-his-fealty.html?_r=1&ref=politics

Synopsis: Romney tried to win votes from conservatives in the general election by talking to the, National Rifle Association, an interest group. This demographic has not always been supportive to Romney because he has supported legislation that has threatened their view of the 2^nd Amendment’s “right to bear arms.” Also, the group was skeptical of Romney because he exaggerated his hunting experience in the 2008 election. However, Romney won over the group with his criticism of President Obama and by involving the possibility of the appointment of new U.S. Supreme Court justices within the next four years. However, there is no evidence that any justice plans on retiring soon.

Analysis: Romney is looking for support that will help him to win the general election from conservative voters that help to make up the interest group, the National Rifle Association.  He does not have a very good standing with these voters so he has to try to appeal to them in every way possible. Besides the usual criticism of his opponent, President Obama, Romney introduced the idea of the U.S. Supreme Court. Currently, there is a divided court in which there are four justices that tend to vote liberal, four justices that tend to vote conservative, and one justice that votes either way, called a swing vote. Romney talked about the possibility that some of the older Supreme Court justices could end up retiring within the next four years. If this occurs a new justice would be appointed. If President Obama is re-elected he would nominate a liberal justice and cause the divided court to become a more liberal court. This would be bad news for the members of the NRA because their second amendment right to bear arms could be threatened by a liberal court and that previous landmark cases that supported this right could be reversed.

Unit 4: Institutions of National Government

“White House approves new sanctions on Iran”

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/30/10944314-white-house-approves-new-sanctions-on-iran

Synopsis: The Obama administration approved further sanctions on Iranian crude oil exports after determining that oil supplies were adequate to justify the new penalties. These sanctions were written into law by Congress and are to take effect at the end of June. These sanctions will bar foreign banks from doing business in the U.S. if they buy or sell Iranian crude oil. The President’s Press Secretary Jay Carney, stated that the administration believes that “the oil market became increasingly tight over the first two months of 2012” and “that tightness remains today,” there still “appears to be sufficient supply of non-Iranian oil to permit foreign countries to significantly reduce their import of Iranian oil.” Out of the 23 countries that publicly import Iranian oil, the State Department announced exemptions from these sanctions last week for 11 of those countries. They are Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Japan. These countries have taken steps to significantly reduce their imports of Iranian crude oil.

Analysis: This article brings up to roles that the president has, that is the role of Guardian of the Economy and Chief Diplomat. This article illustrates President Obama’s role of Guardian of the Economy because with these sanctions on Iran he has to make sure that he does not allow gas prices to go up to the point where Americans cannot afford oil or that they run out of it. The article represents President Obama’s role as Chief Diplomat because he is making decisions that deal with foreign policy with Iran.  The President’s staff and Cabinet are also mentioned in the article. His Press Secretary releases a statement and the State Department does research on the countries that should be exempted from the sanctions.