1. Do you think the Republicans will be successful in their efforts to decrease government spending and cut taxes for the wealthy? Why or why not?
2. Was this last election an indicator that the American people agree with the Republican approach to our fiscal crisis? Or was it something else entirely? Explain.
3. Do you think our mounting debt is/should be a primary issue on the policy agenda for America? Why or why not?
4. If the government is going to cut programs and shrink their size, what programs should be cut?
60 comments:
1: I think they will accomplish some goals that they set out to complete, but most stuff that they try to pass will be hard to get through according to the article, the deficit has fallen from $1.4 trillion to $483 billion due to some success from current economic policies which is a good thing, though far from acceptable.
2: The election was a huge indicator that most Americans are agreeing with the Republican approach. The controversies over gun rights, contraception/abortion have taken a back seat in recent times to fiscal issues, which seem to be doing our country the most harm and affecting the people the most, so the people came out and most likely voted for Republican candidates in part due to their approach on fiscal issues.
3: I think it should be but is not. I understand that we have very serious issues such as the rise of ISIS and the ebola crisis, but to help attack these issues, I believe we need a strong economy to fall back on to support our endeavors.
4: I believe that the government should cut back on their expansion of welfare. Welfare has seemed to be doing more bad than good, and the fact that nobody even wants to drug test these people on welfare is ridiculous as well. It's a straight path to allowing abusers to destroy the system. I believe the welfare programs does not need expansion, but reform. We need to have people on welfare that truly need it, and there are many success stories of people who have been on welfare and gotten off and been successful. Expanding the welfare program as it is currently just promotes the entitlement state. Welfare is to help people get control of their lives, not help them cheat taxpayers.
1. I think the Republicans will be successful in their efforts to cut taxes and government spending because they have majority in the House and Senate now, and it is easier to pass conservative tax cutting legislation. Even if the the president vetos their proposed financial policies, they can return it back to both houses and pass it. It will just take coordination of Republicans in the House and Senate to make sure policy is passed. The Republicans will also push hard to pass their policies, showing voters earlier efforts were not just for politics (voters didn't elect a Republican just because he/she was a Republican)but Republicans plan to make an actual change in government spending and taxing.
2.I think voters agree with the Republican approach because America is sensitive about taxes, and American people don't favor raising taxes in general. The American people don't like paying taxes for programs that may not benefit them personally, nor do they like to pay for the government's mistake of not regulating the economy which caused the deficit crisis.
3. Managing the mounting debt should be a primary issue because without a strong economy America cannot be influential power on the world stage. It is important to keep Wall Street strong so the government has money and doesn't have to raise taxes of civilians. Additionally, we need a strong economy to make loans to other countries who might need it. America needs to be able to give money to Afghanistan to fight ISIS and money to parts of Africa to fight Ebola.
4. Right now, I think spending on the military should be cut because although it is important to be prepared for war, Obama has made it clear that he will always be hesitant about sending troops on the ground and doesn't plan to have America enter a international conflict with militia.
1. I think they would be successful because Republicans have full control of Congress, making it much easier for them to pass legislation. Although the President's veto does get in the way, it would be easier for Congress to overrule Obama's veto now then it would have been in the past couple years.
2. I think fiscal issues were prominent in this last election, due to more people being aware and worrying about things such as the America's huge debt, taxes, etc.
3. Yes, because having a government that people can rely on in times of crisis and doesn't have to rely on other countries for money will benefit the people for sure. Right now, people are aware of it but the average citizen isn't doing anything to change the course of the government.
4. I think the government should cut back on programs like welfare, because there are many people who abuse the program by refusing to work since they can get money from the government for free. I do not mean get rid of the program entirely, but tighten control of it so people who are very capable of working but do not work cannot get the benefits of the program.
1. I don't believe the Republicans will be very successful in their goals because of how easy it would be for Democrats to label them as out of touch and pro rich. Even if some measures do pass and aren't vetoed by the President (which is already a stretch), there is still the reality that many Republican senators are running for reelection in Blue States next election, and supporting such measures could harm their chances.
2. I believe last election only showed Americans are angry at Washington as a whole. Because Democrats hold the White House and held one chamber of congress, they were perceived as being more responsible for the slow economic recovery, so as a result they performed worse. However because of the number of small margin wins in Senate races last week, the election is not a mandate for Republican policies.
3. I believe our debt is extremely important and should be a central issue. A rising debt hurts the ability of our government to function in the future, and results in more tax payer dollars being used to pay interest. Lowering the debt allows the government to spend more money to actually help Americans. As a result bringing the debt down is very important.
4. I don't believe any programs need to be completely cut as of now. Rather I think reforming programs such as Medicare and Medicaid, to make them for financially feasible for modern realities is a better solution. Simply cutting programs would hurt many Americans who payed into them for years. In addition these programs are important to our economy , and ensuring social welfare/wellbeing.
1.I do not think they will have much success due to the president's power and since they do not control 2/3 of the senate.Also since i think it will be hard to get people to support tax cuts for the wealthy, also they will have to keep in mind that they cant try extreme conservative legislation if they want to be reelected in 2 years.They have to get something god done,so whatever success they have will not be very big, unless the president supports it.
2.This last election was was due to the failures of the democratic party and the outrage it has caused the public to go into to.Also since the Rep. are focusing on taxes and individualism in America which everyone wants to be their own self.Along with this many see how republicans are trying to reach out to every type of person.
3.The debt will continue to rise till people are able to give more money to the government or not have to rely on the government,so the debt should try to be balanced but it should not be the primary issue,Though we should use the debt as motivation to pass policies that will help the debt and society instead of playing politics and going into grid lock.So the debt should not be a primary issue just a indicator on how well the government is ding.
4. The welfare program should be shrunk but also reorganized to make it more effective,i also think healthcare by government needs to be shrunk since we spend way to much on healthcare,it needs regulation and reform not to be controlled and forced upon individuals against their will.The expansion of healthcare is not good,what needs to be done is reorganization,because the government just doesn't do the best with the resources it has.
1. No, because they still need Obama's approval. Their "Ryan Plan" completely opposes Obama's outlined budget plans, so I'm sure he will not approve.
2. This last election was not an indicator that most Americans agree with Republicans, I believe it was an indicator that there is a lack of voting when it comes to the Democratic party. I feel that a lot of people don't take Congress elections as seriously as they do Presidential elections.
3. I believe it should because it effects so many aspects of our lives. It impacts our income and how much we have to pay for matters like taxes. Unfortunately, we do not have a bartering system, everything is ran by commerce. With debt, commerce circulation is cut off and eventually, our economy and lives will fail.
4. I can not think of any programs that are in need of being removed. I do believe that our welfare program should be reformed because a lot of people take advantage of welfare and purposely do not try to making a living on their own.
1. Yes, because after the 2014 election, republicans are in control of both the house and the senate and they are all for cutting government spending, specifically cutting programs for the poor and cutting taxes for the wealthy.
2. I don't think the republicans won because people agreed with their fiscal policy. I think many people just felt that the government had not been productive recently and were simply trying to vote for some sort of change. If you walked down the street and asked people if they thought we should cut programs that helps the homeless so that we could tax the wealthy less, certainly not everyone would agree that we should.
3. I think our mounting debt is definitely something that should be on the policy agenda for America because it's incredibly important that we have an economy that's in a decent state and that we are not in extreme debt to other countries. However, i do not think cutting programs for the poor if a good way to handle our debt.
4. We spend at least 25% more on our military than any other country in the world. We certainly could cut back on the money that does to the department of defense. We don't constantly need new missiles and tanks, especially if we're trying not to send troops places. WE have a strong enough military to defend ourselves more than adequately, so we don't need to keep spending billions on the military.
1. I do not think the Republicans will be too successful in their efforts because even though we do they do have control over both the House and the Senate, we still have a Democratic president in office who has the power of veto. And, even with Republican control of congress, it's still very unlikely that they'll receive enough votes to continue to pass legislation.
2. I believe that the recent election had nothing to do with the Republican approach, but with the fact that nothing has been getting done. With a Democratic president and the Democrats previously having control over the Senate, Americans naturally turned the blame to them, and are just ready for change.
3. I do believe our nation's crippling debt should be a primary issue on the policy agenda. It's about time for America to worry about itself and fix the issues we have at hand instead of delving into other countries' issues.
4. If any program needs to be shrunk ad had their budget cut it's the welfare program. And if not cut, reformed. It's too easy to abuse and is abused too often, being used by people who don't need it or exploiting it in excess amounts.
1. Yes. I do believe that the Republicans will be successful in their efforts to decrease government spending and cut taxes for the wealthy. The reason for this is because after the 2014 election too place the Republicans are in control of both senate and house, thus having more opportunity to be successful in ther decrease government spending and cut taxes for the wealthy.
2. Although to some voters that could have been a contributing factor to voting Republican. However, for the majority of voters this was not the case. I belive it is because most citizens feel that nothing is being done with the Deomcratic approach.
3. I extremely feel like monitoring our debt should be a primary issue in the policy agenda for America, it is significantly important to have knowledge of our national debt and also to address the many issues of it and how this will affect the function of our government.
4. I believe that the government should cut down on our defense-military we spend entirely too much money on this program.
1. I do not think Republicans will be successful in their efforts to decrease government spending and cut taxes for the wealthy. Even though they have had an increase in power after the most recent election, the President can still veto things.
2. The last election was not an indicator that the American people agree with Republican approach to our fiscal crisis. I think people were unhappy with the way the government was being ran and they wanted to vote differently hoping that there will be a change.
3. I think our mounting debt should be a primary issue on the policy agenda for America because this issue affects so many other issue we are facing today. I think if we focus on strengthening our economy, then we can address issues that resulted from the massive debt in the long run.
4. The government should shrink welfare because it is being abused by many people. I know a lot of people purposely have a lot of children in order to get money which is not fair. People also sell their food stamps for drugs which promotes criminal activity and drug use. I have seen firsthand this type of behavior and I do not understand why people let this go on.
1. No I don't think that they will be successful in their efforts because they still need the President's approval which he is unlikely to provide.
2. The last election was not an indicator that most people agreed with Republicans, but rather that Democrats aren't extending their right to vote as much. In comparison with Presidential elections, there isn't as high of a voter turnout in Senate Elections, which might also play a role in the outcome.
3. I think that the mounting debt should be the primary issue on the policy agenda because since the U.S is seen as a power source throughout the world it's important that our economy is in a prosperous state and that we aren't severely in debt to other countries.
4. I don't believe any programs need to be cut at the moment. Cutting them and shrinking their size would seriously affect the lives of many Americans in a negative way. I believe reforming programs such as Medicare and Medicaid are more important because they've been around for a long period and by shaping it to fit our modern financial disposition is much more acceptable.
1. I think that some of the bills that the republicans will propose will pass because the president will see that it will help with the decreasing deficit of the country but the majority of the bills will probably not be passed because they can’t find that happy median between the conservative republican views and the democratic views.
2. The election of the republicans had nothing to do with people agreeing with the republican approach to the fiscal crisis. America did not feel that the Democratic Party was not holding its own and therefore some were voted out to help make that change possible.
3. The mounting debt of American should and needs to be the central issue on the policy agenda because without a stable economic state, it could come back to hurt America and how would it look to other countries who are trying to ally with us or do business with us that we don’t even have the money and have a constant running debt increasing.
4. I think that we should cut back on military budgeting because we have not needed an extensive military and we spend the most out of the top countries in the world. Also, I don’t think that completely removing programs would help because it would hurt too many people, but tighten the rules and regulations to make people work for their food and money and just not be given everything to them for free.
1.) I think they will be successful in cutting taxes for the wealthy. Typically, republicans in power are rich wealthy individuals, so therefore naturally they would want to keep their interest in mind. However I think they may lack the same strong influence on decreasing government's spending. Even if they do, it will take awhile to see a difference if government decreases spending.
2.) This last election may have a slight indication towards favor of the republicans, but politics can be very shifty. One minute someone feels one way, the next it's a complete difference. Therefore possibly in 2016 elections, Americans may have a completely different view.
3.) America's debt should most definitely be on the policy agenda. There is no need to add fuel to the fire. We need to find a way to first maintain our debt so to speak, then work towards ways to decrease it. Trying to decrease it from the beginning maybe too much of a big step that government cannot handle, thus taking it piece by piece can be beneficial.
4.) We could possibly cut back slightly on military programs. Programs for the military are very important, but America has a tendency to over do it with the military. America can still have effect military programs without overkill on our monetary system.
1. I think that Republicans have a much higher chance or being successful in their efforts to decrease government spending and cut taxes for the wealthy due to the fact that they currently have full control of congress thus making it easy to pass laws. With this being said, we have a Democratic president who has the almighty final say in decision making so it will be difficult for the Republicans in that aspect.
2. I do not believe this last election was an indicator that the American people agree with the Republican approach but rather the fact that Americans weren't satisfied with the Democratic approach and therefore decided it was time for a change. Republican approach naturally appealed to more people after seeing the failures of the Democrats.
3. Personally, I believe our mounting debt should most definitely be a primary issue for the policy agenda because it directly effects America and our economy. It is extremely important that our economy remains stable and doesn't sink further into debt. Our debt effects people's lives through income and taxes. If this issue isn't resolved, our debt will just continue to rise.
4. If the government were to cut programs, policymakers should eliminate the most harmful programs. Furthermore, reforming programs such as Healthcare and Social security would be a sufficient federal budget cut.
1. Yes, I think the Republicans will be at least moderately successful and at least for a short term, until the next election, then it would be hard to say. The President still has a major say in what goes on, but with Republicans in both the house and senate, I think they will start making a good amount of progress.
2. The last election was something else entirely. The results of the election show democrats distancing themselves from Obama, and not as much as an increase in the agreement over Republican ideals.
3. Yes, the increasing debt should be a primary issue on our policy agenda because it affects everyone in the country now and in the future. If we don’t start investing time in the issue now, and trying to fix it, it could mean devastation for our country in the future.
4. The main program that should be cut and/or reformed is welfare. We are spending more and more money on all of these social programs that are being created, and they are being abused and manipulated by people who don’t need the help that the programs offer. With all of the new programs Obama is putting into place, it is becoming easier and easier to abuses the system.
1. I think that having the majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives gives some advantage to the Republicans in passing economic legislation. I think cutting spending is something that both parties agree should happen, but dispute on where to cut it. The Republican majority could help in passing the cuts, but tax cuts for the wealthy is something that Democrats are more opposed to and Republicans would have a harder time passing that. In addition, Obama still has the power to veto the legislation which would provide an obstacle for the Republicans. Also, I do not think that Republicans will try to pass anything too controversial that could effect voter decisions in the upcoming presidential election.
2. I think that it is more that many are upset with the amount of things they have observed Obama do and they are wanting to try a different approach by voting more conservatively. They associate Obama with the entirety of the Democratic party, which is why one of the Democratic strategies in the midterm elections was distancing themselves from Obama's policies. I think that there was probably a lot less voter turn out as well. The initial election of Obama caused a large voter turn out which I think as his terms have progressed has decreased.
3. I think that the debt is an important issue. Shrinking the deficit allows for a growing economy and not moving from crisis to crisis. But, I think it needs to be looked at not just in terms of numbers but also the social programs that are affected when trying to reform the budget and decrease the debt. Also the long term effects should be evaluated at length rather than a quick-fix plan.
4. I do not think that cutting any programs is the answer, because the programs that are usually cut are the ones the people need the most such as education or programs to help the poor. There needs to be more focus on reform and how we can change existing programs to make them more efficient in a social and an economic standpoint.
1. It may be of partial concern that passing a new budget in both the House and the Senate would be difficult considering the variance of Republican support, but I think this is a mute point for the following reason; even if you assume they can get it through Congress, it seems the president will still veto it. The reason I believe so firmly that the president would veto the plan is simple — he’s not running for reelection. While his approval still matters, he is not in the same position he was in 2010. Moreover, whoever runs on the Democratic ticket in 2016 is likely to distance themselves from Obama — his popularity will likely matter little in their campaign. Being such, there’s no political reason for Obama not to veto; it is wholly an ideologic decision.
2. I think the biggest underlying factor of the recent election was simply a want for change, not a want for any specific policy, especially not the fiscal crisis. A good piece of evidence for this is the platform many Republicans ran on — the “not Obama” factor, if you will. Really the same campaign Obama ran in 2008. Very rarely are people, is the country, so overcome by particular issues that they decide elections; contrary examples only really including slavery and war. In almost every election, if numbers look good, parties align. If numbers look bad, parties change. But the important point here is that people do not usually vote to change a specific new policy, but any new policy at all. The Republican success in the midterms indicates only a lack of public approval for Democratic economic policies — the 2016 election, if Republicans are not careful, may reflect the same trend in reverse.
3. Whether the fiscal crisis is or isn’t a primary issue — which polling shows that it clearly is, I don’t think there’s much to debate there — I believe firmly that it shouldn’t. A capitalist society has an amazing ability to regulate itself, which is both one of the things I most hate about it and most admire, as it does not need a large government hand to fix itself. Of course, with this inherent ability also comes the boom and bust cycle, but usually this isn’t to an extreme devastation. So, with the caveat that capitalist economies work well to control themselves, I think Americans should be focused much more firmly on the furthering of civil rights. It’s a completely personal and arbitrary view — I just happen to think people should have rights before they have money.
4. Generally, I think military spending should be cut before anything else, especially during a time when there are no active aggressors towards America. However, I’m sure there are plenty of welfare programs that could be made more efficient, and in doing so, their cost would drop.
1) I think the Republicans will not be successful in their efforts to decrease government spending and cut taxes for the wealthy because it will be vetoed by the president and nothing will get done.
2) This last election was not an indicator that the American people agree with Republican approach to our fiscal crisis because a lot of things played apart into their decisions not just one issue. There are other issues that the people have to side with like abortion, healthcare, and etc.
3) I think our mounting debt should be a primary issue on the policy agenda for America because it will raise the taxes and could lead to a Depression in economy if it gets out of control.
4) They should cut the healthcare programs because people should have the choice to pay it if they want to.
1. I believe that the republicans will be successful in decreasing gov. spending and taxes because they now have full control over congress. Even if president Obama goes and vetoes their policies, they can still take it back to both houses and pass it.
2. I think that the majority of American voters agree with the republican approach because taxes and spending are very important issues that are usually taken into high consideration. I’m pretty sure that voters thought about how the republicans were going about the fiscal crisis and agreed to their policies.
3. Yes, our mounting debt should be paid the most attention to right now so that in the future our American government will be able to function properly.
4. I don’t think programs should be cut as much as they should be reformed. For example, the welfare program should be reformed in a way that people don’t take advantage of it.
1. I think the Republicans will be partial successful in decreasing government spending and cut taxes for the wealthy. Even if the Republicans are control of the Senate and House and are able to pass laws after President Obama veto it, many Democrats would not be content with the decision especially the cuts regarding social services (food stamps, free or reduced lunch, and health insurance).
2. No, the last election was not an indicator that the American people agree with the Republican approach to our fiscal crisis because many may felt that President Obama did not improve America’s debt nor did any significant changes except the establishment of “Obamacare” and may decrease his popularity votes leading to Republican control in the Senate.
3. The national debt should be a primary issue on the policy agenda because since President Obama took office it has doubled and if it keeps increasing – future growth of government revenues will slow down, leaving less available for other priorities, such as national security and education, and infrastructure projects. The economy is already bad as it is and with this debt, it cannot be ignored and left behind but should be diminish by each year. This will twist America’s image not as a role model for other countries but a downfall or maybe to an extent, a disappointment.
4. Military spending should be cut because we already have the best and most advanced military technology and the excessive spending should decrease to a minimum. Over 40% of the government’s total yearly budget goes to military spending and with no potential wars, funds and more money should be put in education, healthcare and decreasing the national debt instead of unnecessary money being spent.
1. I do not think that the Republicans will be successful in their efforts to decrease government spending and cut taxes for the wealthy due to the fact that President Obama still has his veto power and he is unlikely to provide his approval to them.
2. I do not think that the last election was an indicator that the American people agree with the Republican approach because this election's turn out was was substantially lower than the usual turn out of a Presidential election. I believe this is due to the fact that people do not take these elections seriously and most likely do not know what they are voting for.
3. The mounting debt should be a primary issue on the policy agenda for America due to the fact that it looks bad on us and makes other countries shy away from business ventures that include this country when they take into account America's debt.
4. I believe that we should cut back on military spending due to the fact that America spend more on their military than any other country. We do not need such an extensive military if we are trying not to send troops away.
1) I don't think they will be successful because in the end it technically comes down to whether or not the new plans get the majority approval or if the President signs it or not. Although Republicans dominate Congress, they are dealing with a Democratic President. There is also a thorn in the side of Congress pertaining to the fact that pre-ObamaCare budget plans are now being looked at by Congress and the public. Now that Republicans have more power, they can either try to do what they promised or prove that they were all bark and no bite. This will most likely cause tension or uncertainty in the party itself, costing the new budgetary plans a majority vote. In addition to the underlying problems, it is generally accepted knowledge that Obama is not going to try to cut back or decrease spending on The Affordable Care Act because it took so much effort to get it through Congress. The Republicans would have to rely on a miracle to get Obama to sign off on something like less government spending, which would hurt his program. As for the tax cuts for the wealthy, they might be a little more successful. However, as the White House is an adamant promotor of tax increases to keep the deficit down, there will still be tension from Obama's end.
2) I think that maybe part of the reason Republicans were pushed back into the Senate was indeed voters agreeing with the Republican approach to the fiscal crisis. However, I do not think it is an extremely strong indicator that the fiscal crisis is what was on every voter's mind. I think the main reason the election turned out as it did is because the constituents were left with the idea of Obama and what he wants in their brains, and as they say it, the Democratic congress persons would be his henchmen. People probably were unsure of what the Democrats would let get passed and wage they wouldn't as a result of their affiliation with Obama. Therefore, most voters probably voted Republican in hopes they could get individuals in Congress that would keep Obama's plans at bay. While it is a petty reason to vote that way, I think that is really what explains the storming of the Senate by Republicans.
3) Our mounting debt should be a primary issue on the policy agenda because money is what the success of a nation is typically defined by. If we are in a hole of debt that we can't climb out of, we are talking lots of jobs lost, government funding for schools slashed, companies going bankrupt, and ultimately an increase in taxes with money Americans don't have. It really is a never ending cycle. If we can find ways to fix the debt instead of worrying about other things that could increase debt such as the Affordable Care Act and government spending where it is not needed, then the American economy would be able to turn around.
4)If the government is going to cut or shrink programs, they should cut the amount of money going to foreign aid programs. When we give out that money,we don't directly know how it's being spent, and that not only hurts our economy, but could also causes defense issue if that country gets into a war or makes a move against the United States. The government should also shrink Medicare and Medicaid or possibly turn them into block grants. This would make it so the money given to these programs is capped, and properly appropriated instead of just given out in large and growing amounts. The Department of Homeland Security also should be shrieked so that the exorbitant amount of money going to TSA screening in airports would be privatized and out a little money back in the government's pockets. It is not really an easy thing to say what should be cut or not especially if you are not benefitted from the program you think should be cut. However, with increasing funds going to certain programs that could exist successfully without huge amounts of government spending, the debt is just going to get larger and larger.
1. I think that the republicans will be able to get some goals like cutting spending since they now have control of the house now. However when it comes to some of Obamas more significant legislation like welfare and Obamacare little will happen as Obama will most likely use his veto power to block most of the bills. This will probably shift a lot of the blame on Obama as the republicans have been blamed lately as the party of no.
2. I’m not sure as to what extent the election was a sign that the people are becoming more conservative or are associating the democrats with Obama whose image of late is not well liked. It seems though that many people voted for the republicans due to the fact that over the years there hasn’t been much change so the people voted them out.
3. Tackling the giant debt in our country should be a large issue especially on the political agenda and it usually isn’t. However I believe that there have been so many issues that have distracted from it, and therefore not much have been done.
4. Currently I think that we should cut spending to our military and as it can seem un American we are not at war right now and don’t need that much money put toward a military that only needs to be maintained.
1. To some extent, yes, because there can be a more moderate approach taken, but anything more conservative in nature will not cause a veto. Obama is treading a thin line and he can’t cause more ground lost for the democrats. And I’m pretty sure the republicans main goal is not just to cut taxes for the wealthy, there are other important considerations.
2. It is somewhat both. There is the fact that no one wants debt and that something needs to change, but there are other factors as well. But because the debt has risen to a drastic amount, there is definitely a feeling that the democrats are becoming incompetent in dealing with the crisis.
3. Yes. It is a huge issue that needs to be addressed, especially with the baby boomer generation and other factors causing the debt to rise. With this coming up it will be hard to decide what and where, but some things could definitely be adjusted.
4. There are certain programs that should be limited, like food stamps, welfare, and other programs that are doing more harm than good, especially with the economy on the upturn. This money should not just be handed out. They are causing a loss of motivation in getting a job
1. I think that the Republicans will be successful because they have the upper hand of having control in congress. Although it is likely for the president to veto any policies, both houses have the power to overrule the veto.
2. I do not think that the last election was an indicator that the American people agree with the Republican approach, I think that overall people were just trying to distance themselves from Obama.
3. I think it should be a primary issue because it has a direct impact on our economy. Overall our debt effects citizens lives through taxes and incomes. Consequently if our debt issue is not established the debt will just continue to increase and cause more problems.
4. The program that should be reformed is military because right now America is putting excessive amounts of money into military spending. Right now we are not in any form of potential danger from other countries. However I do understand the importance of always being prepared for any potential problems with other countries.
1. I think that they have the potential to be successful, however there are some roadblocks. First and foremost, we still have a Democratic president and that will not change for at least two years. Also, I think that if they try and cut too many programs or get lower taxes for the wealthy, they will enrage a large majority of Americans who are benefited by these programs, or will be labeled 'anti-poor' which would be extremely detrimental to their image and chances in future elections.
2. I think that this past election was simply the people's disapproval of Washington. We have a democratic president and had a democratic senate. I think that since people were upset with how the government was handling itself, it was the democrats who took the fall, not that they were blameless or anything. I just think that the election was an attempt to reduce the democratic presence in Washington, in the hopes that that would solve all of the problems. It was an anti-Obama election, in my opinion.
3. I do think that the increasing debt is an important issue for America. We enjoy being a world power and if we were to reach a point where our debt was too much or was able to hurt our foreign affairs, it would be extremely detrimental to the United States, and not just the economy.
4. It's hard for me to select a program to be cut or shrunk, because no matter what I select, there would be ramifications. Military spending during times of general peace, I think, would be a good place to cut back, However, many people rely on the military and that could pose a huge problem for them. I am sure, however, that there are small details and aspects of nearly every program that could be modified to cut down on spending.
(1B)
1. I think Republicans will be somewhat successful in their efforts to decrease spending and cut taxes only because they control both the House and the Senate. Even if Obama uses his veto power they still have the power to overrule his veto.
2. The last election I think was some indication that the American people agree with the Republican approach but I feel like it was more of a result of how unpopular Obama is and how horrible he made Democrats look as well.
3. I do not think the debt should be our primary issue because America has always been in debt. As because as Alexander Hamilton said, debt is a good thing because it keeps other countries in vested in the prosperity of America.
4. I think welfare and food stamps should be more closely monitored and have budgets because of the high amount of people that abuse these programs.
1. I do not believe that the Republicans will make significant progress in their goal to decrease government spending and cut taxes for the wealthy, simply because President Obama can veto their proposed bills and the Republicans do not have enough numbers to execute a legislative veto, and also because the Republicans will likely spend a lot of time and effort attempting to unsuccessfully repeal the ACA over the next two years.
2. Congress has an approval rating of 10%-20%, and yet most of the incumbents made it back into office. The last election was an indicator that those who voted lean Republican, but if more minorities and young people voted the results would have been markedly different, so the majority of Americans do not agree with the Republican approach.
3. Debt should be a primary issue because being indebted to other countries gives them leverage, which the US cannot afford if it wants to retain its position as the most powerful nation in the world.
4. I believe that unnecessary military expenditures should be significantly reduced; for example certain aircraft cost millions of dollars to build and maintain and provide very little relative value. Since the government is trying to pull out of the Middle East, military spending cuts should be implemented and a portion of that money should be allocated to domestic programs such as welfare and education.
1. I think that the Republicans will be successful in cutting taxes for the wealthy and decreasing government spending. Their control over appropriations will be invaluable in influencing President Obama’s opinion. The Republican control in Congress will serve as enough of a roadblock in policymaking that the President will be forced to make compromises. A good gauge of this increased influence will be the Keystone pipeline bill, which the Republicans expect will pass the Senate. President Obama’s decision on that issue may reflect future decisions.
2. Overall, there seems to be a high degree of fiscal conservatism evidenced in the results of the elections. In the face of large deficits, the American people are becoming less enchanted with enormous government spending. Whether this concern is genuine and knowledgeable or just a result of propaganda and buzzwords, remains to be seen. Either way, many people voted to decrease spending by supporting the Republicans.
3. Our mounting debt should be a primary issue on the policy agenda. There are benefits to having a national debt; namely, credibility in international economic exchanges. However, the rate at which our debt is growing brings about the threat of overdependence on creditor nations abroad. America needs to trim expenses as to keep debts manageable.
4. If the government is to cut programs in order to shrink expenditures, it should look no further than the bulky welfare programs like the Affordable Care Act and Social Security. These programs cannot be deleted entirely; rather, they need to be streamlined and made more efficient. Something must be done, though---the Affordable Care Act has wasted millions of dollars in its botched rollout and ongoing implementation, and Social Security faces an impending obstacle with the maturing of the Baby Boomer generation.
1. I think they will be partially successful, since the Republicans are currently in control of both the House and the Senate. Although Obama still has the power to veto any legislation he doesn't approve of, it can still be sent back to both houses and passed.
2. I think the election may have indicated that voters approve of the Republican approach, but I think on a larger scale it shows that voters are just dissatisfied with the lack of progress being made now, and that they just want something different than what we have now. Voters tend to be informed on a superficial level about these issues because of how multifaceted and complex they can get, so there is probably an awareness that there's something wrong without any solid ideas to fix those problems.
3. I think keeping the debt under control should definitely be a primary issue on the policy agenda - maintaining a good economy is vital for keeping America a world power as well as supporting its citizens.
4. It would be most preferable to not cut any programs at all, and instead enact reforms within many of them that may limit (but not completely cut) the amount of money allocated to each. Most of the programs that are up to be cut would be more greatly benefited by being reformed instead of being cut completely.
1. I believe that the Republicans will not be successful in their efforts to decrease government spending and cut taxes because of the pounding effect it will have on the millions of people that work either moderately low incomes or just low incomes; those same people that could be one of 1.8 million people pushed off of food stamps.
2. I believe that Americans are agreeing with the Republican approach to the fiscal crisis mainly because the Democrats way to dealing with it did not seem to help much at all. The Republicans method still has flaws in it, but the deficit has gone down due to their plans.
3. The mounting debt should definitely be a primary issue on the policy agenda because money controls a majority of the nation. Funding is necessary to operate the multitude of projects and programs the government has for people of all incomes. With a huge debt blocking the way, it's just not possible.
4. The government should cut back on welfare primarily because there are people who transform into couch potatoes because they have the notion that they don't have to work in order to get money. Also some military funding should be cut because although a ready and equipped military is essential, the time for the troops to be stationed and the actual war effort being put forth has not happened in quite a while.
I do not think that the Republicans will be successful in their efforts to decrease government spending and cut taxes for the wealthy because there currently is a Democratic president who has blatantly expressed the fact that he doesn't support doing either of those things, and doesn't see the possibility of cutting government spending.
The last election doesn't necessarily indicate a shift to Republican ideal approval, as many people voted Republican simply as a backlash at the current president, or as a last resort saying that a Democratic president yielded undesirable results, so the Republican party is basically the only other option.
I don't think that the problem of increasing debt is a central focus on the policy agenda because politicians and regular citizens realize that controlling the debt is not politically possible due to a variety of factors such as inflation, economic decline, and uncontrollable expenditures like Medicare, Medicaid, and debt interest. So while it is on the agenda, it is not currently a primary point of focus. However, I feel that it should be a large focal point due to the fact that our economy has been improving for the past couple of years so we need to start planning debt control, even if it isn't something that we initiate immediately.
If the government is going to cut programs and shrink their size, I would cut military spending for now, seeing how we're not currently participating in a war.
1. I think the Republicans will be successful because they have control in congress so it will be easier to pass legislation regarding tax cuts and reducing government spending.
2. I think the election wasn't an indicator of Americans agreeing with Republicans, but more of them not being happy with what has happened over the years. The people wanted change, because there wasn't much success, so they voted accordingly.
3. I think it should be a primary issue, because the financial stability and situation of America is important for our well-being as a country.
4. I think the government should cut programs like welfare, because a lot of the people on welfare are just using it to not pay taxes and to just get the benefits. That program should be used as a temporary help source not as a long-term crutch.
1.) I do not think the republicans will be successful in passing their budget plans.It is going to be very tough to pass a hardcore republican idolized budget plan with so many democratic obstacles. President obama is a huge reason with his power to veto any budget plan. He does not see a need for a budget reform as the fiscal debt compared to the economy was the lowest it has been for the past 40 years. Also obama does not want to cut taxes for the wealthy but wants to increase them .
2.) I believe it was something else entirely. i believe it was America showing their discontent with President obama and the democratic party. For most voters they were fed up with the democrats performance the last 8 years and are showing their discontent by giving republicans a chance to dominate. Obama's voter approval rating is the lowest it has ever been!
3.) I do believe our debt crisis should be at the forefront of the policy agenda. Multiple times our country has borrowed money particularly from China, this makes our country weaker as we now owe China. Also trying to cut the debt down would snap our government back into focus. Reforms would be passed to make our government run more efficiently which is a wake up call that I believe our government desperately needs.
4.) I do feel the government does need to cut it's spending. Although choosing what programs get cut is a tough choice. In my opinion I would want to cut back on the welfare programs and try to transform this extreme welfare state that America has turned into. Especially with all the fraud and scams associated with welfare I feel that it is far too expensive. It also encourages people to not go out and actively look for jobs. But of course if I was a beneficiary of welfare programs my opinion would probably be different.
1. I do think the Republicans will be successful in decreasing government spending. Getting the bill to the president will be easier now since they control both the House and Senate. The president will then likely sign the bill due to the growing popular discontent. If Obama were to veto the bill, it would give the Democrats a worse impression than they already have on the American people.
2. The last election didn't necessarily indicate that Americans agreed with Republicans, so much as they disagreed with Obama's approach, which served to represent the Democratic approach.
3. Our mounting debt should be a primary issue for America. I believe Thomas Jefferson meant that debt itself isn't good, what's good is paying it off. America has not been able to pay off its debt and as a result has a very poor impression on other countries.
4. The first program to be cut should be welfare (or have major reform of it). Although it has good intentions, many people in America are using it as a way out of working to provide for themselves. "Give a man a fish" is all too true today in America; The government has so willingly given Americans welfare that they no longer feel any need to support themselves.
-Jacob Sullivan, 1B
1. I think the Republicans will be successful in some of their efforts, but since a Democratic president is still in office, he still has the power to veto the bills that they attempt to propose.
2. I believe that the last election was an indicator that Americans are not pleased with the progress that is being made under the Democratic approach, which is popularly associated with the Obama administration. I think that the people realized that the people in office were not making much of a beneficial difference so they voted otherwise in hopes of a change for the better.
3. America's mounting debt should be a primary issue on the policy agenda. The nation is continuing to build itself a bad reputation in the eyes of other nations if it fails to repay the money that it has borrowed and is continuing to borrow.
4. It's hard to decide which programs should be cut when it comes to that decision, but I do believe that the welfare program is one that should be reformed because even though many people claim it helps support them, there are many who abuse the program just so they can get the benefits.
1. I think that is possible but not probable for the republicans to decrease government spending and cut taxes for the wealthy. I say this because even if their plans pass through congress the president will most likely veto the bill. If that happens congress can challenge the veto but has to get 2/3 of the votes, and the likely hood of this happening are very slim.
2. I think the voters voted republican because they are tired of the way the president is running this country and is thus giving the democrats a bad name. I think that the republican fiscal views were not very prominent in this election and that they probably didn’t play that big of a role.
3. Yes, I think that our “mounting debt” should be a primary issue. I say this because the debt is rising at an alarming rate and is causing us to owe other countries a lot of money. This could cause serious problems in the future if our debt to other countries rises to high and we can’t pay it back.
4. I think the government should cut the affordable care act. I think that this act is costing the government too much money and is causing too many issues among the people, the healthcare workers, and the government.
1) I don't think Republicans will be successful in their efforts. As long as we have a Democratic president, it will be hard to get them to agree on what is better for America. Obama will not give in so easily.
2) I think it was Americans wanting a statement that they want change. They are tired of waiting around for Obama to do something and they want changes to be made and bigger issues to get focused on besides healthcare.
3) I think our mounting debt should be focused on. Money is a huge deal and being in so much debt doesn't make anything better for anybody. Thinking of ways to make our debt better and focusing on how to get America back on track is very important.
4) I don't think any programs should be cut, but they should make welfare a more stricter policy so not everyone can take advantage of it. Another thing that we could use less of is our military. Lots of money goes to it, but we aren't always in war.
(1B)
1)I believe that the Republicans will be successful in their efforts to decrease government spending and cut taxes for the wealthy because they were voted in by the people and have the majority of Congress and have enough to make majority vote.
2)The last election was an indicator that the people aren’t happy with the democratic approach to the fiscal crisis, not necessarily they agree with the Republican approach. As taxes are raised and things like Obamacare are forcing people to pay for it or for not having it, the American people, as shown in the last election, aren’t not really agreeing with Washington, democrats, and Obama.
3)Debt is a primary issue that should be on the policy agenda for America. Debt hurts the nation’s stability and status. It makes the country vulnerable as a whole and vulnerable in the people. It forces higher taxes upon us and more interest. Lowering debt would mean money to actually help the Americans and less hard taxes.
4)If programs are going to be cut and government is to shrink their size, I believe that only programs that have brought hurt to the American people should be cut and maybe other programs can be revised. I am not really sure of programs that hurt everyone, but l feel Obamacare can be revised and reformed.
1) I do think the Republicans will be successful in their efforts to decrease government spending and cut taxes for the wealthy because the republicans now control the House and the Senate. Yes, the President can use his veto power to deny the requests of congress, however, they can just pass it back through the houses and vote on whether to pass it or not.
2) I do think the last election was an indicator that the American people agree with the republican stands on our fiscal crisis. I think a lot of this has to do with the fact that people are becoming more educated as well as interested in our nations financial problems.
3) I think it should be a primary issue on the policy agenda because i feel like our issues in America should be our biggest focus at the moment and the financial crisis is becoming a huge deal. Money effects everything. I believe that we need to take care of ourselves at the moment and put other nations (depending on the issue) on the back burner.
4) We COULD cut back on military because we spend a lot on it however i think our military should stay how it is and not cut back because other nations are becoming more military oriented and other poorer nations are becoming capable of creating nukes. I think a main thing we should cut back on is welfare because too many people refuse to work just because they can live off of the welfare money. I think the people who do absolutely nothing in their life for themselves or for anyone else should not be on welfare and should take responsibility for their life and actions.
1B
1.At first the fact that the Republicans now control both the House and the Senate made me think that they can successfully decrease spending and cut taxes for the wealthy, but the new Budget Committee chairman seems that he will stray from Ryan’s plan. But the most important factor that makes the Republicans to be unsuccessful is the fact that Obama is in an ideal position to veto. And another veto by the Republicans is not at all possible based on the split of the Senate. Obama isn’t running for re-election, and as seen by this mid-term elections, Dems are trying to alienate themselves from Obama and his administration.
2.The results of this past election does not necessarily mean that Americans are aligning themselves with a Republican idea of solution to the fiscal solution, rather the slight win over the Dems can be assigned to low approval ratings of the current Administration, Congress, as well as voter turnout. The success of the Republicans was not because Americans knew and agreed with their policies, (are elections won because of policies at all???) but because of disapproval of Obama and Dems in general.
3.The mounting debt should certainly be a primary issue that needs to be dealt with in the upcoming policy agenda and next regular elections. There needs to be some debt as that allows us to be in international trade organizations, and our deficit every year is decreasing as stated by the article. The hole is getting deeper and deeper and something has to be done to minimize our deficits and maybe even start reducing the debt.
4.As the economy is back on the uphill, welfare programs should be revised and in effect some money will be saved in that aspect. Overall, the amount we spend on military is outrageous, as we are not in a one on one war. But the fight on terrorism is one that should continue but at the same time some unnecessary spending should be cut in the military sector.
1. The Republicans will be successful in their efforts to decrease government spending and cut taxes for the wealthy because, "with this month's Republican sweep in the midterm elections, the stakes have changed." They will have the majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. This will give Republicans the advantage to turn things around and easily pass legislation.
2. The last election was a good indicator that the American people agree with the Republican approach to our fiscal crisis. Right now, Americans are angry with the way that the President is dealing with issues we are currently facing.
3. Our mounting debt is/should be a primary issue on the policy agenda for America because it affects society as a whole. We need to remember that America relies heavily on a strong economy, so if we are falling behind, it will be hard to get back on our feet.
4. If the government is going to cut programs and shrink their size, they should think twice about actually doing it. Cutting programs will not help, so the government should focus more on perfecting Medicare and Medicaid.
1) I think they may get some forward progress but overall I do not think much will get done mainly due to the fact that Democrats dominate the Senate and they do not want there policies to be weaken when there is a potential that a Republican will hold presidency next. In addition, even some Republicans in the Senate turned down the proposal.
2) I think so due to the dominance of the Republicans and the large amount of wins held by them
3) I do feel it is something that needs to be taken care of because it gives out country a huge stress and we do not want a country to stop trusting us and expecting money that we can not give because that would cut of foreign affairs and possibly cause international conflict. As well as we would lack foreign resources.
4) Instead of taking a way any programs, I think they should cut back on what they give and have more limitations. In the same respect, I do not feel that they she be applicable to as many people as they are now.
1) I think no because we still have a democratic president and because in 2 years they still have to defend majority.
2) Possibly but Obama approval ratings have gone down a lot. Not many people voted when it came down to the democratic party.
3)I think yes the mounting debt should be a primary issue so that in the future because financial situations are important to our country.
4) If the government was going to cut programs they should cut spending money on the military because we aren't in war and no one wants war so why should we continue to fund for it.
1. I think the republicans might have success in decreasing government spending and tax cuts. Both the Senate and the House are doing a good job in making a plan to try to achieve a balanced budget. It also helps that the Republicans are the majority in the house so they have share some conservative ideals. However, their are some republicans who are against Congressman Ryan Budget plan which might be an indicator of disagreement in the future.
2. I think the last election was an indicator that majority of people agree with the Republican approach because lowering government spending seems to be a reasonable way to decrease the debt. I also feel that the Republicans won the majority because some people are displeased that Democrats haven't had successful tactics to help with the debt.
3. I think our mounting debt should still be of concern for our policy agenda. The recent government shutdown indicated that there was trouble enacting legislation for funds and it left 800,000 federal employees out of their jobs for a while. I think the government should still focus on trying to appropriate American funds to prevent anything happening like that again.
4. If the government was to cut programs then I think welfare could be one of them because some people take advantage of the system.
Jarrod Darrow P1B
1. I think that as far as success in decreasing government spending goes, they will not have much success in cutting spending associated with Obamacare. I say this because Obama still has the power to veto, and since he's not running for re-election he doesn't have to care about his public image very much, he's probably not going to let them cut care from that. I also don't see Obama approving any tax cuts for the wealthy.
2. I think this last election was an indicator of two things, that some people agree with the Republican approach to our fiscal crisis, and some people are unhappy with Obama and therefore unhappy with Democrats in general.
3. I do think our debt should be a high priority issue because if left unchecked it's just going to continue to grow.
4. I believe that welfare and the war on drugs should be cut.
1. No, I don't think the Republicans will accomplish their goals because it still has to go through Obama. I feel that Obama will veto most of things the Republicans want to accomplish.
2. I feel that it was completely a different reason. I think that they were still trying to distance themselves from Obama.
3. I feel like the national debt should be a primary issue to the government because if it keeps rising our economy will become extremely weak and trading with other countries will decline.
4. I believe they should cut military funding because I personally feel they spend too much money on the military with reasoning that there's no wars declaring on the US and they should use the extra money for the people in government assistance.
I personally believe that the republicans have the ability to prove successful in their efforts to decrease government spending and cut taxes for the wealthy, but with a democratic President it will definitely be no easy task to complete. The republicans can devise and plan they see fit but ultimately if the president cannot seem to identify and democratic benefits he most likely will veto plan as he has the power to do so.
I personally don't think that the last election was an indicator that the American people agree with the republican approach to the fiscal crisis. I am led to believe that it is something different all together. I think that it was more of the people losing hope and faith in the presidents decision making.
I most certainly agree that out mounting debt should be the policy agenda's primary focus. In this day and age, money means everything. In out case money basically makes our world go round. If we don't fix this massively expanding problem, our world can basically stop in the sense that we won't be able to fully function as a nation. We would ultimately be restricted to make any sort of effective action on all scales.
If the government is going to cut any programs I believe the one that needs to go would be spending. I say this because the debt that ways on the shoulders of the United States is growing. Shrinking spending even it is by a little bit will help more than anything right now.
1. I think there in now a greater chance that the Republicans will be able to cut taxes for the wealthy due to their new found control. They now have majority in Congress. I do not think it would be as easy to cut back government spending. There are way more people that rely on government services than the rich population. The population relying on government services would be in an uproar if they were not able to get the things they needed. I do not think this is best for our country to cut taxes for the rich or government spending considering we have a growing debt.
2. The recent election is not necessarily an indicator that the public is agreeing with the Republican approach. I believe the public is not satisfied with the approaches that are now being taken or have been done recently so they are turning to something new. They are not agreeing with the Republican approach but trying it out instead. If this approach doesn’t work and leave the public satisfied the public will change its mind again.
3. Our debt should be a major priority on the policy agenda. The debt is not going to disappear. The necessary steps need to be made to reverse the damage done or at least keep the debt at a manageable level. I think our government keeps putting the debt off for the next generations that will be in office to deal with.
4. I do not think the government should cut any programs, but maybe alter them. They should keep better track of who is receiving what services to be sure that money is not being wasted. I also believe the government should cut salaries on some upper tier government jobs. Many of these politicians and their employees make millions, unnecessarily. This is money that could go to public services, or better yet combating our debt.
1. I think it will be fairly easy for the Republicans to decrease government spending and cut taxes since they have full control of Congress. It makes it easier to point the finger at Obama and the Democrats when the process of passing certain bills is halted due to the opposition, which only furthers the Republicans ability to get achieve their goals.
2. I think this past election was a response to a need for chance, Obama's administration was not what the people wanted. The economy didn't grow as quickly as promised, and the unemployment rate didn't significantly decrease either which caused the American people to respond by voting for a Republican majority congress.
I do think debt is an important policy agenda that should be addressed with just as much vigor as any other policy. The more money we owe to another country the more economically vulnerable we are. Being able to have a strong economy is just as important as any other issue.
4. The government can cut back on both military and welfare spending, the money saved from those budget cuts can be used to pay off debt or reallocate to bettering the education system.
1. I think republicans will be successful in attempting to decrease government spending and cut taxes because currently republicans are running majority of the government and since their is such a large portion of them then they clearly have devised a good enough way to solve many of the problems. Also, they have seen the problems arise while democrats were in power and their actions that have been taken throughout the years and republicans definitely have learned what to do and what not to do from that.
2. I think this election was an indicator that the American people agree with the republican approach because at this point I think the people are ready for some new changes and they have seen what the republicans have to offer therefore supporting any changes that will be good for everyone.
3. Our mounting debt should be a primary issue on the policy agenda because it is a large factor that affects all the people living in America as well as the future and current state of the country. More solutions and attempted ways to clear the debt should be implemented to help better the country and provide for a better economic state for the people.
4. Welfare is a major topic and program constantly discussed within the government and with the people and it shouldn't be entirely cut but rather regulated between people who actually need it and deserve to have it rather than allowing some people to use it for their own advantage when they do not really need it.
1. I believe that the Republicans will accomplish goals that have to do specifically with spending and the economy. Not only do the Republicans rule Congress, but more people are agreeing with the Republicans. Regardless if Obama vetoes a bill, they can still pass it in both houses if it is agreed upon. Republicans want a change and they will make that change happen and will do what it takes to make it happen and putting everything on the table.
2. From the mid-term results, I strongly believe that people are agreeing with Republicans and what they have to say. Yes each candidate is asked directly how they feel about a certain subject but those subjects such as abortion or gun rights have taken the back burner. The primary goal is to get as far away from Obama possible.
3. Our national debt should be a primary issues. As Americans we are seen as a strong country and we aren't much a strong country if our economy stinks. We don't need to be in trillions of dollars in debt. I understand we will always have debt, however it needs to be worked on. We need to save money for emergencies and things that matter not just spending money we don't have on nonsense things. We can't loan someone money if we have don't have money to loan them.
4. Welfare is an issue and it should be cut back on. American's are lazy. If they absolutely don't have to work and somehow know that they will still get fed, they won't go get a job. Our poor is rich. Welfare is unequal and unfair because people who work really hard give money involuntarily to those who don't work.
1.The Republicans will be successful in their efforts to decrease government spending and cut taxes for the wealthy to a certain degree since they now control both the House and Senate now; however the president’s veto might lead to some conflict. Their strength in numbers and their popularity should give them the upper hand.
2.The previous election was a good reflection of voter approval, or rather the disapproval of the Obama administration. Since the Democrats were obviously unsuccessful, I think the people are now looking to the Republicans for new ideas on how to approach the crisis, hoping something will actually come out of it.
3.I believe the mounting debt should most definitely be a primary concern because the continuous increase will eventually snowball into much bigger problems. It puts our economy under great risk and in turn will affect us in many other ways domestically.
4.Cutting programs might not actually be effective since these programs were created to ensure the welfare of the people. Therefore a better solution might be to implement some sort of restrictions or limits.
1. I think that the Republicans will be somewhat successful in decreasing government spending and cutting the taxes for the wealthy, but will have some difficulties in the future with trying to pass bills that go against the presidents democratic views.
2. No, I think that the American people were focused on many different things and not just fiscal crisis for the republican party. There were other important issues like legalizing marijuana, abortion, healthcare and etc.
3. The nations mounting debt should be a primary issue because with it constantly increasing there could cause more problems for the American government and people later on.
4. I personally don’t think that programs should be cut, but strictly monitored, such as welfare. Welfare programs seem to be always taken advantage by those who truly don’t need it. Therefore the government should set stricter regulations for those who could receive and use welfare.
I think that the republicans will be successful in decreasing government spending and tax cuts because for the 114th congress a majority of those in office are republican so more republican laws and budgets are going to be passed
I think this is an indication that that a majority of voters are leaning towards the republican side because the republican party claimed the seat in congress, also i think more people are veering away from Obama's policies
I think the growing debt should be the main focus because every day the national debt is growing and it is already at a staggering 13 trillion dollars and it is not stopping
The military program needs to be cut because we already have one of the best armies in the world and there is no need to continue spending millions of dollars on it, also welfare should reformed but not cut so it is not abused and people who really need it get it's benefits.
(1B)
1. Republicans should be successful in decreasing taxes on the wealthy, and maybe government spending. These things need to get passed, and so if a Republican president comes into power, then it should be relatively easy to pass; with regards to Democrats in the process, the tax cut may not seem appealing, but there might be a will to work together to make progress on the government.
2. Not necessarily, as the votes essentially came from disapproval for Democrats. The American people have a general distaste for Obama, and thus they voted for the party he wasn’t affiliated with, which happens to be Republican. Even though they won, there may not be support for the party ideals anyway.
3. It should be one of them, because a high debt will send the nation back into inflation, and raise prices, and eventually cause another recession all over again.
4. Cut programs should be extraneous members of the ‘alphabet soup’ of the government, and not from the state level.
1. I believe that the Republicans will be successful in their attempt to cut spending because they have majority in both houses, allowing them an incredible advantage making it very easy to pass a conservative bill in the house.
2.I believe the voting was more of an indicator as a disapproval of Obama and therefore a stray away from Democratic party, thus making people sway towards the conservative side.
3.I believe that the mounting debt should be a primary issue because if not handled right that could be the end to the country because it could ruin the economy.
4. I believe that welfare should be reduced or at least reformed because the system is taken advantage of and does not provide the incentive that it is meant to.
1) I think that Republicans will be able to decrease government taxes and cut taxes for the wealthy because of their increased power in Congress and because they are gaining more popularity in general.
2) I feel like Republicans were able to gain a lot of votes solely due with dissatisfaction with Obama and the Democrats rather than due to concurrence with their fiscal policy.
3) Yes, because the rate of debt increase has been slowly increasing and should be dealt with meticulously and diligently.
4) Welfare should be cut because it increases taxes and because there are people who gain a dependence on government checks that they sort of ignore any opportunities they can have for jobs.
1. I think that the Republicans will have limited success in their efforts to decrease government spending because while Obama is still the President and can veto the laws passed in Congress, he will likely have to compromise some if he wants to get anything done at all during his last two years in office and avoid being simply a "lame duck" president.
2. No because even though the approval rating of Congress was just 16% (according to Gallup), most of the incumbents made it back into office. I think that it shows that not enough people go out to vote and that a lot of the voters still aren't educated enough.
3. No because honestly, it doesn't make that much of a difference. No matter how high our debt goes, the countries loaning us money will not stop and they won't call back their debts because if they were to do so, then the world economy would fall into another Great Depression.
4. I think that welfare should be cut down some, because the point of it is that it is a temporary lifeline if someone somehow falls in a difficult situation. However, it is so generous that people depend on it and don't bother finding a job because they don't need to, so they end up always being poor and there are welfare families. There is a saying that "only in America are poor people fat," and it is due to how good our welfare is, which can be cut down a little.
(1B)
1) I think that Republicans will be successful in their efforts to decrease government spending but only to a certain extent. Republicans would like to cut taxes for the wealthy, but the Democrats don't want for this to happen. Obama would want to veto but wouldn't be able to stand up for long. However, both sides can agree that we need to decrease government spending, they just disagree on how we should go about this.
2) This election was more of an indicator that people are upset with Obama and the democrats. They were unhappy with the current government and voted for change.
3) I believe that we definitely should worry about the debt and make it one of our primary issues on the policy agenda for America because we are at an all time high of debt and it has nearly tripled in the last 14 years which is why we should do something about this. Every day the debt increases and it won't stop increasing until we do something about it. We need to pay ourselves, China, and others back.
4) If the government is going to cut programs and shrink its size then we should probably start spending less on the military. We simply spend way too much on our military and we can't even afford it. We also should spend less on the war on drugs and the prison systems.
Post a Comment