Checks and Balnaces

The checks and balances is what balance our three branches of government. This keeps all of the branches under control and not going farther or making laws that are un-Constitutional. I liked learning about this system because I thought the branches just made laws and that was that. To learn that the system of checks and balances made sure the laws are truly Constitutional and that way no one can ever feel cheated out of their opinions.

Democracy or Republic?

Why is the Constitution considered both Democratic and Republican?

Both elect a president and both let the people vote. Each has their own little differences. The democrats let the people choose representatives who elect the president. Whereas the republicans let the citizens elect the president. This is why our democracy has two different parties to choose from. These views are left for more citizens so they can have two candidates  to choose from. These point of views give the citizens the chance to pick a candidate who they think will suit our country the best. Having two parties gives the true meaning of Democracy.

Swaziland

Why are the women more prone to getting HIV/AIDS than the men?

The women are more likely to attain HIV/AIDS  because they constantly expose themselves to un-clean conditions. Then they live in such a poverty enforced state that they cannot take a proper cleanliness pre-caution. More of the men work for the king and live ok. However, a larger majority is the women because of the exposure of so much skin and bad conditions added together. It is a breading ground for disease. The men wear clothing except for guard shifts, which isn't as bad, so less of a spread in the end.

Postcards From Hell

The one that hit the hardest and just brought a feeling of overwhelming sadness was the was in Afghanistan. A little girl no older than my eleven year old cousin screams in terror at the sight of over seventy people laying dead at her feet. The look on her face is what really got to me. It was the moment someone broke her heart and realization dawned on her for the first time. Honestly, it disgusted me to see so many innocent lives taken for no reason. To put the little girl through so much pain, that she should had never had to feel at that age. Some of the other postcards held similar pictures. Bodies lined up and covered, all innocents. Death stood out to me and the sadness of it all to, because it is all so wrong.

The failed states have poverty, natural disasters, and wars in common. The majority of the pictures featured people living in ruins, buildings crumbling, lack of food, and droughts, caused these states to fail. However, their is also the war that leads to these conditions. We should be able to help make a difference, so why are most of them only getting worse? I think the answer is because a lot of us don't know how bad it really is. I knew their is poverty and wars in the world, but not until I saw the pictures did it click. Maybe the solution is spreading the word. However, words don't always work, we need to try and spread the word, by showing the word.

Reserved Powers

The Reserved Powers are stated in the Constitution under The 10th Amendment. They focus around each states individual powers. I never knew about each state having their own Constitution and honestly it made me feel naive. When I entered this class, I thought it would be like any other history class all things I already knew. However, I was surprised to learn about all the bigger things that goes into the Government. Learning that each state makes the decisions on marriage or simple things like school laws was really interesting. To see that each state has a say is great for Democracy. The Constitution of each state is great for separating and giving each person more of a voice. The U.S. Constitution is also the only thing that can over rule a states Constitution. This is a great way to keep the reserved powers under control, but can also be negative if the state has a right. Over all the Reserved Powers are a fantastic part of our Democracy.

Separation of Powers

In class we learned about the three branches of Government. It was new for me to learn about the separation of powers. With every branch of Government they have to be checked by each other before the bill even has a chance of being allowed to be passed. When I first learned about this I thought it was a great idea for a set number of reasons.  For one it spreads out power through out the entire Government. This is great because no one person has control over everything. This really shows how our Government is all about Democracy. The Legislative makes the laws, the Executive branch enforces the laws, and the Judicial branch interprets the laws. Seeing as they also separated who does what, it makes a nice balance between the different powers. The separation of powers backs that up too, because the Executive branch can't just enforce a law until the Legislative and Judicial agree.  I really enjoyed learning about the Separation of Powers because it really opened my eyes to the Government.