Will he or won't he? Turns out, he won't.

Mitt Romney has officially stated that he will not be running for President in 2016 after speculation that he would be considering another attempt at securing the Republican presidential nomination.  Do you think this is a good move for Romney?  If he believes he could have won the nomination, why wouldn't he give it another go?  Who are the other Republican leaders that might step up to run in 2016?  If you were a Republican, who would you want to run and why?  Do you think this will make the road to the Presidency more or less difficult for the likely democratic nominee Hillary Clinton? In all of your responses, be sure to outline the reasoning behind your answers.  Have a good weekend!

The Odd Couple

Last December President Obama announced a  "new chapter" in US-Cuba relations by reestablishing diplomatic ties with the communist country.  This entailed (among other things) the loosening of the 54 year embargo and establishing an embassy in the coming months.  This was met with strong opposition by Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush of Florida, claiming that it only throws an economic lifeline to the oppressive Castro regime and basically gives them what they want.  The other side of the coin is that this will open Cuba to the democratic pressures of the free market and stir up revolution and rebellion among the long oppressed Cuban population.  It might also have a broader effect on other oppressive regimes in Latin America that have long used the excuse that American policies are to blame for their poor economic growth.  Read this Economist article (and the article linked above) on the possible effects it might have and answer the following questions.  What do you think the net effect on Cuba will be?  Will it only help the Castro regime maintain control by providing them with more resources?  Will it give the Cuban people more firepower to begin the push for democracy and civil rights?  Will it be a mix of the two?  Do you agree with Rubio and Bush or do you agree with Obama?  Explain what side you are on and why.  Use at least two quotes from the Economist article to back up your own analysis.  I am looking only for insightful responses that show individual thought, not a regurgitation of the article.  As Floridians, this is an issue that will especially affect us and our population.  Also, if you are of Cuban decent, or know any Cubans, how might they feel about it? Label this post "Post #1"

After your initial post, read this article about Raul Castro's new "demands" for opening up relations with the US and answer the following questions.  Will we ever give up Guantanamo Bay and return it to the Cubans?  Do you think Castro's demands are reasonable? Why or why not?  Rank the three demands in terms of most likely to least likely.  Why did you rank them this way?  Do you tihnk the united States owes Cuba for "human and economic damage"?  What does Castro mean by this?  Be sure to explain your reasoning throughout to provide a background for your views. Label this post "Post #2"

Veto Corleone: Congress will make an offer Obama can refuse (or is it can't?)

The whole point of checks and balances is to prevent one branch of the federal government from gaining too much power over the lawmaking process.  That is why the President has the ability to, after Congress has passed a law, just say no (veto power).  There is one way Congress can fight back though, by overturning his veto.  Read (or listen to) this NPR segment about the possibility of a veto override from Congress in the next two years and answer the following questions:

1.  What are the numbers need in both the House and the Senate to override a Presidential veto?  Do you agree with the host about whether or not it will happen?  
2.  Where in the Constitution is the veto override power outlined?
These last three questions require a little more research:
3.  What President has the notorious distinction of having the most vetoes overridden by Congress?
4.  Why will Obama veto any more sanctions against Iran?  Explain his reasoning.
5.  What am I referencing in the title of this post? (it's a terrible pun but I couldn't help myself)

State of the Union address

Tonight is the annual State of the Union address, one of the President's constitutionally enumerated powers.  Watch the State of the Union and adress the following questions:
1. What was the general tone of President Obama's address?  Why do you think he took this approach?  Idenitfy the specific excerpt from the Constitution that gives him this power.
2.  Much of President Obama's agenda in his last two years will likely not be passed, as the Republicans are now in control of both houses of Congress.  Do you think this influenced his choice of words or the agenda he was trying to promote?  Why or why not?  Cite specific examples from his speech that support your answer.
3.  Identify one or more statements that President Obama made in the SotU that you most agree with.  Explain why you agree.  Be specific in both the ID and the explanation.
4.  Identify one or more statements that President Obama made in the SotU that you most disagree with.  Explain why you disagree.  Be specific in both the ID and the explanation.
5. What do you think is the most pressing issue in America today?  Why do you think it is so important? Is it something that President Obama talked about in his SotU? If so, what did he have to say?  Do you agree? Why?

Tax cuts: What do you think?

Read this article from NPR about a recent change in Congressional analysis of the impact of tax cuts.  Republicans say that tax cuts increase government revenue by giving more money to job creators, boosting the economy and increasing the tax base.  Democrats believe that tax cuts decrease government revenue through foregone revenue.  What do you think and why?  Explain the reasoning behind your belief.  Does trickle-down economics work?  Why or why not?  Is this just a ploy by Republicans to "institutionalize Republican ideology into the budgetary process" or is it a legitimate analysis of possible economic impact and cost of a piece of legislation?  Explain your reasoning for your answer.  This is a good introduction to the Laffer curve, a concept you will learn about in AP macro.  Essentially the questions is, do tax cuts increase or decrease government revenue?  Answer all of the questions posed above and tell me what you think.

The 114th Congress

Watch the clip below and answer the following questions about what a new Congressman must do in their first days in office.  Answer these on your own, you will not get credit for an answer that is not thorough and does not answer the questions fully.

• Describe what a new member of Congress must do to set up his office. Why is it so difficult?
   
• Explain the importance and process of committee assignments for new members of Congress.
   
• Describe the orientation process for new members of Congress. What types of things do they learn at orientation?