Discussions | Political Science News

Presidential Basics

There are a few basics to understand when talking about the voting process in the United States. Understanding who can become President of the United States is first and foremost. Those wishing to become President of the United States must be a resident of the United States and have been so for at least 14 years. This does not mean that they need to be the 14 years leading up to the election. They must also be 35 five years or older and must be a natural born United States citizen.

These are some of the basics for those who hope to become President of the United States. Many do not understand exactly what the President of the United States receives in exchange for services. The President will yield a taxable salary of $400,000 annually with an additional expense account of $50,000 a year, which is also taxable. The President will be given $100,000 travel expenses annually which are not taxable. In addition the President has a personal chef and a country home and of course the use of Air Force One. When the President of the United States retires from the post he or she will receive a pension fitting the cabinet member’s salary and will leave with complete support staff.

The position of President of the United States comes with many perks but is not without hard work and sacrifice. The Presidential family must leave their family and friends to live at the White House during the presidency and this can be difficult for everyone involved. The weight of the world is truly on the shoulders of the President. The position requires the President to act as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces as well as the force that grants reprieves and pardons for any federal offenses. These are just a few of the jobs and responsibilities of the President of the United States.

Filed Under: Discussions, Politics Tagged With: President, President of the United States, United States

Ways Established Companies Are Cashing in on the Indian Economic Boom

It used to be that when an established company in Canada or the United States decided to expand, the company moved to Mexico, Brazil, or the United Kingdom. While that is still a possibility and many companies are still sticking with that business strategy, many are switching gears and taking a different route. Instead of choosing to go with a European or South American expansion, they are making the choice to expand in India.

India is quickly becoming one of the top economic powerhouses in the world. Established global businesses are seeing the potential that India has, and they’re trying to capitalize on it.

While it might appear to an outsider that it would be a strange move to expand in India, there are hundreds of companies that are already making the move and are investing in India. India has a massive population that is eager to take part in anything that is a part of western culture, including businesses. There is also an immense amount of wealth and money in the country. While there are many poorer areas in India, there are just as many wealthy areas that are looking to invest in the Indian economy.

Companies can take advantage of the Indian economic boom in one of two ways. The first way is to undertake physical expansion into India. This usually involves building a headquarters in India and opening up locations throughout the country. The second way that companies can take advantage of this economic boom is through outsourcing or hiring overseas. Both ways have been popular among established western companies.

While there might not appear to be a need for a 21st Century Insurance branch in India, the expansion possibilities are limitless, and you never know what companies might appear in this country!

Filed Under: Discussions, General

Income Tax Hikes? Only for the Highest Tax Brackets

: Image via Wikipedia

Income tax, and what is going to happen over the next few years to the tax breaks, is a huge thing in both politics and the media. Some people are concerned that we will lose the tax breaks that have been prevalent in the last few years. Others fear that not only will tax breaks lessen, but taxes themselves will increase.

Realistically, what many people do not understand is that the tax breaks that are being discussed currently will most likely not effect them. Most of the tax cuts that are currently in place, that are being talked about the most, only effect the top few percentile points of the country. When talking about reducing the tax breaks, it is usually only those that make well over $250,000 a year. In fact, when President Obama has discussed raising taxes, it has only been on those in the wealthiest tax brackets.

What this means is that for the majority of people in the United States, nothing will change. This is a huge relief for many who are considered middle class or lower. Many times in the media, when these tax cut repeals are talked about, or tax hikes are discussed, it is not made clear that this would only affect for those in the higher tax brackets. When these things are gone over in the media, it almost seems like a way to boost ratings, by scaring those in the lower tax brackets.

Income tax breaks and current tax rates for most people in the country will not change, even if there are repeals of some of the current tax cuts. Understanding exactly what is being said, instead of going along with what others think is crucial to understanding what is going on in our government.

Filed Under: Current Events, Discussions Tagged With: Income tax, Politics, Republicans, Tax, Tax bracket, Tax cut, Taxation, United States

Bankruptcy and Politics

: Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Just a few years ago, the Federal bankruptcy laws were reformed. Many people consider this a result of the lobbying power of the credit industry. With the recent revelations of abusive practices on the part of credit companies, from credit cards providers to mortgage companies, it’s hard to deny this claim. To add credibility to this claim, who else but the credit industry would stand to gain from changing these laws. Lucky for today’s debtor, total bankruptcy is there to help.

The intent was sold as a way to prevent consumers from abusing the laws. The credit industry claimed that consumers simply ran up their credit bills knowing that bankruptcy was an easy way out. They backed this up by reporting that many people filed bankruptcy again and again. Of course, they took no responsibility for handing out new credit cards to people who were barely out of bankruptcy time and time again. Because no one can file again for at least seven years, the credit card companies seemed to consider this a strategy. Offer the cards at high rates knowing that they would be paid for at least that amount of time.

What exactly changed when the new laws were put into place? For one, anyone who would like to file bankruptcy must attend credit counseling first. Because most people file bankruptcy because of job loss or high medical laws, this just didn’t make sense. It did, however, delay the case and allow the credit companies to extend their collection efforts for awhile longer. Another major change is that bankruptcy attorneys must now verify some of the claims that the debtor makes instead of relying on their word. What ever happened to the trust between a lawyer and his client? The net effect of this change is that the legal fees required to file have skyrocketed since the reform was completed.

Filed Under: Crimes Against Children, Current Events, Discussions Tagged With: Bankruptcy, Company, Credit card, Credit counseling, Debt, Debtor, Law, United States

Politics, Parties, and the American Scene

The people of the United States of America know a thing or two about politics. There are over 89,000 governmental bodies in the country. America has never had a political war in which blood was spilled, with the exception of the Civil War. Power has transferred peacefully from one head of state, the President, to his successor, time and time again. Rare is the nation that can best that track record.

So how is it that America pulls this off? How is it that the political process works so well here? Now there are plenty of cynics and pundits to point out flaws, shortcomings, and criticisms, but the 2008 U.S. election saw zero casualties, unlike the 2008 election in Zimbabwe, where 85 people were killed, thousands injured, and a hundred election officials disappeared.

America continues to run smoothly because of the rules we set up. The Founding Fathers created one of the most flawless, if complex, systems of government ever to be formed. The separation of powers, and specifically the interlocking authorities of the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of the government are pure inspired genius.

While the Founding Fathers cautioned against stone-set political affiliations, over the years two political parties have sprung up and continue to dominate American politics, the Democratic and Republican parties. The names have changed over the years, but the core issue has remained: money in the hands of the people, or money in the hands of the government. In recent years, third party politics; that is, a party, or parties, other than these two, have seen a large influx of interest.

Politics are a tricky business, because they are how governments, and societies, and be improved. However, in an American-type democracy, one must be elected, a party must come to power, to make those improvements. To be elected, one must offer society what they want.

The American scene of politics can be a convoluted one at times, but the system works. It has withstood trial and trouble before, and will continue to do so, thanks to the brilliant writers of the Constitution of the United States.

Filed Under: Discussions, Policies Tagged With: Parties, Politics, the American Scene

Life and Times of the Republican Party

Born in 1854, the Republican Party is often called the GOP (Grand Old Party). This is somewhat of a misnomer, since the Democratic party, the other major political party in the United States, has existed longer. The Republican Party started on a platform of anti-slavery, represented by the slogan “Free labor, free land, free men”, citing their beliefs in paid workers (as opposed to slaves), equality of land rights (instead of wealthy plantation owners buying all good soil to work it with slaves while individual farmers had to content themselves with poor ground) and of course, the abolition of slavery as a practice in whole. With the Northern victory in the Civil War the party became popular and productive.

The Republican party name was chosen as a reference to Thomas Jefferson’s party, the Democratic-Republicans. In the 1800s, it was in favor of high tariffs and high profits, and favored business interests and the gold standard for currency. This both drew support and criticism from the country. The McKinley Tariff, which acheived the Republican goal of higher tariffs, did considerable damage, especially to the agrarian population. In return for the McKinley Tariff, the Republicans conceded on the gold standard and silver as a money-backer gained prominence.

Abraham Lincoln was the first Republican to be elected President, and the last half of the 19th Century was hosted by a Republican in the White House. With the onslaught of the Great Depression and Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, the country switched religiously to Democratic Presidents for the next 30 years, with the exception of Dwight D. Eisenhower. After World War II the country again began to vote for Republicans, and the President was from that party for the majority of the second half of the 20th Century.

After the George W. Bush presidency for the first 8 years of the 21st Century, the Democrats were elected into not only the Presidential office, but the majority of Senate seats and seats in the House of Representatives. The future of the Democratic/Republican swing of things rests on how the Democrats do in managing the United States.

Filed Under: Discussions Tagged With: Life, the Republican Party

The Life and Times of the Democratic Party

On the left side of the American political scene, opposite the Republican Party, the Democratic Party has existed in some form since the last decade of the 18th century. A descendant of the Federalist Party, the official Democratic party was formed in 1828.

Democratic politics in the past have traditionally catered to an agrarian demographic, but also including minorities,labor unions, and other groups benefited by social liberalism. The African American population has long been a strong supportive section of the Democratic Party. Democrats have taken steps, such as “free silver”, the push for silver coinage in the 1800s, to benefit these groups. This move would damage Northeastern businesses, but the inflation caused by a break from the gold standard would profit agrarians and others. In recent times, the Democratic Party has built a platform of environmental concern, increased rights for laborers, and heavy emphasis on health care. Democratic politics tend to be focused towards an economy based on free enterprise, supplemented with government intervention as needed. It states that injustices in society should be rectified by the government, and favors income taxes that mirror the growth or shrinkage of taxable amounts.

The Golden Age of the Democrats was the during the first decades of the 20th Century, especially during the Great Depression. Due to Herbert Hoover’s well-meaning but bumbling attempts to solve the economic crisis, the Democrat’s presidential candidate Franklin D. Roosevelt was like a savior, rally the country not only through the Great Depression but also to victory in the most severe war the country, and the world, has ever seen. Popular support for the Democrats soared with Roosevelt’s New Deal economics,and Democrats were elected to governmental positions with new fervor; The House of Representatives was under Democratic control for more than 70 years, with a few short exceptions.

As of 2004, The Democratic Party is the largest political party in the United States, followed by the Republican Party and then registered independents. In 2008, the Democratic presidential candidate, Barack Obama, was elected President of the United States, and became the first African American to be called to that office.

Filed Under: Discussions Tagged With: Democratic Party, The Life

Comparisons of Lyndon and Barack

The United States of America has had 44 presidents during its 234 years of existence as a nation. Some of them have been great men, some mediocre. Some have left great and lasting impressions on history, others have not. All have shouldered great responsibilities. This article highlights and compares just two of the men who served as President of the United States and the good they have accomplished.

Lyndon B. Johnson was President from 1963 until 1969. Serving as Vice President at the time when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, Johnson was elevated to the Presidency and was again reelected by the nation in 1964. The hallmark of his time in the Oval Office was his “Great Society”, which focused on improving health care, education, and living conditions, while decreasing poverty and crime. President Johnson became one of the few presidents who made good on so many of the promises he made. During his presidency, health care was addressed with Medicaid, a program which offers medical treatment to those who cannot afford it, and Medicare, which supplies medical treatment to the elderly. Education was given a bright future by massive government spending in that sector, and extensive programs that offered grants to low-income students and the arts. Johnson also cracked down on gun control, and put in place laws that would aid the poor, like Work Study programs and food stamps.

Barack Obama was sworn in as President in 2008, and has focused on many of the same areas as Johnson did. Dealing with an immediate economic downturn, Obama put the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 in place, aimed at curtailing the downturn and reviving the American economy. He also had an extensive bill passed which addressed healthcare needs in the U.S. Obama withdrew U.S. forces from the warzone in Iraq, which is one thing that Johnson did not achieve in Vietnam.

Both of these men shouldered a huge load with the title “President of the United States.” While not perfect, they have both done what they believe will best benefit the nation, and striven to do their best.

Filed Under: Discussions Tagged With: Comparisons of Lyndon and Barack

Caring for Health Care…Healthily

The world of politics revolves around the needs and desires of society. With the increasing costs and complexities of addressing the workings and health problems of the human body, health care has become a vital part of political parties’ platforms.

Going back to politics turning on health care, each country develops health care systems that fits the needs of their people. France and Germany, to take an example, are working to lower the spending needed to secure medicines. South African politics are based heavily on the disease AIDS and how to treat it (there are more HIV infections in South Africa than anywhere else in the world). Iceland offers tax-subsidized health care to all of its citizens for free. Australia does something similar. In the United States, concern has grown over the percentage of the population that doesn’t not have any means of paying for medical coverage. President Barack Obama has made this problem a focal point of his administration. China has been revamping its public health system in tandem with the World Health Organization (WHO), improving water cleanliness and other steps to bettering the health of its citizens. WHO assists countries all over the world, helping millions of people to live informed, healthier lives.

The cycle never ends, and that’s what makes government good. People want to be healthy; when they’re healthy, they are happy. And happy people vote for the people who will keep them healthy and subsequently healthy, so it’s very important for politicians that they ensure good health care for their constituents. It’s a cycle that perpetuates itself, and ensures that those elected to public office are unable to abuse the power entrusted to them, because, on the flip side, people without a way to keep healthy are unhappy, and won’t vote for someone who isn’t offering medical aid for them.

Of course, society has a responsibility too. It has to do its part in raising up doctors, physicians, pharmacists, and allow for research funding to improve procedures and medical treatment. Power comes from the people, and government and people working together make for a good society.

Filed Under: Discussions Tagged With: Caring for Health, Healthily