April Rogers
PS101OL
Final
October 5, 2012
1.
How
many Justices are on the United States Supreme Court, how are they appointed,
who are they currently, and how long do they serve? Please describe their role
in terms of the balance of powers.
According to www.SupremeCourt.org, there are nine Justices of the United
States Supreme Court, one of whom is titled Chief Justice. Our currently serving Justices are Chief
Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., Antonin Scalia, Anthony M. Kennedy, Clarence
Thomas, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen G. Breyer, Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr.,
Sonia Sotomeyer and Elena Kagan. Article
III of the United States Constitution set forth the definition and formation of
the Supreme Court. Justices are
appointed by sitting US Presidents and must be subject to critical, disciplined
and rigid Congressional confirmation process, ultimately approving for or
denying the appointment. The Court and
the Justices have a sworn duty to uphold the Constitution of the United States
of America. According to the US
Constitution, a US Supreme Court Justice may serve a lifetime appointment
“during good behavior” although some justices have opted for retirement. Their time serving on the bench is compensated. The role of the Supreme Court and powers of
the Supreme Court has developed over time.
The Constitutional definition of the Supreme Court is vague but this
branch of government is seen as coequal to the Legislative and the Executive
branches of government. The Court’s most
important function is judicial review on the constitutionality of laws. Any law or action by the states, the federal
government or the President that are constitutionally questioned may be
reviewed and possibly revoked by the Court.
The decision of the Supreme Court is final. It is interesting to note that the Supreme
Court did not have a building until 1935 after existing for 146 years! The words “EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER LAW” is
inscribed on the overhead of the main entrance to the building as a firm and
resolute symbol of the American people’s determination to hold to the promise
of equal justice for all.
2.
What
is the ‘State of the Union’ address? Why is it notable? When it is done? Who
will do the next one?
According to the website, www.presidency.ucsb.edu, the State of the Union message to Congress by the currently
sitting President of the United States is mandated by Article 2, Section 3 of
the US Constitution whereby it is stated, “He shall from time to time give to
the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their
consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient;”. Our first President, George Washington, set a
precedent by delivering the first State of the Union address to Congress in 1790. Back then it was known as the Annual Message. Since that time, the message has been
delivered annually, if not regularly, and is known as the State of the Union
address. This speech is notable for many
reasons. Originally an administrative
report, the information presented by the President now provides more detailed
information on the fiscal health of the nation, the economy, national security
information and, in modern times, has become a rallying point for the
President, Congress and the citizens of the US.
Traditionally, the State of the Union address takes place in January in
accordance with the National Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 which is to be
delivered to Congress no more than two weeks after Congress convenes in
January. Interestingly, the 20th
Amendment to the Constitution in 1933 changed the opening of Congress from
March to January which also affected when the delivery of the State of the
Union speech must be delivered. The
speech takes place in the House chamber and there must be a House concurrent
resolution passed setting aside the specific date and time calling a joint
session of Congress for the event. The
next person to deliver the State of the Union address will be the next elected
President of the United States of America – either President Obama or Governor
Mitt Romney.
3.
What
is campaign finance? Why is it such a big issue in Washington, D.C. and among
Americans?
Campaign financing is money used to get an individual elected into
public office. The rub is that some
campaign financing comes directly from taxpayer wallets, whether we like it or
not. The Federal Election Commission of
the United States enforces the provisions of the Federal Election Campaign Act,
Presidential Election Campaign Fund Act and Presidential Primary Matching
Payment Account Act. According to the
Federal Election Commission website, public funding of Presidential elections
means that qualified Presidential candidates receive federal government funds
to pay for the valid expenses of their political campaigns in both the primary
and general elections. National parties,
Democrats and Republicans, can also receive federal money for their national
nominating conventions. Regulations of
campaign funds was created after the Watergate scandal of the 1970’s where
President Richard Nixon’s re-election campaign was discovered to have received
hundreds of thousands of dollars from some of our country’s largest
corporations. The goal for Congressional
finance reform was to limit candidate dependence on donations from wealthy
special interest groups. In short, to
stop campaign finance corruption and increase competition for candidates who
may not have large contributors or large personal wealth. The public funds collected are strictly
voluntary and is collected from income tax returns. However the system is not perfect as “soft”
money always finds its way into politics and there are loopholes that can be
easily gotten around. The system is
outdated as most campaigns cannot be run on a small budget. It is pathetic that our political machine is
based upon the almighty dollar – he who has the largest war chest wins.
4.
Who
are your Senators? What have they done in office that you are aware of or that
you can find? What would you like them to do that they are not doing currently?
The two Senators from South Carolina
are Senator Lindsey Graham and Senator Jim DeMint. Senator DeMint’s website notes his voting
record from January 26, 2011 to the present.
He has voted in favor of such topics as honoring the victims and heroes
of the January 8, 2011 Tucson Arizona shooting, most areas of the FAA Air Transportation
Modernization and Safety Improvement Act, extension of most provisions of the
US Patriot Act, confirmed several District and Circuit Court Judges and a
temporary extension of programs under the Small Business Act and Small Business
Investment Act. He is currently set to
kick of a “Save Small Businesses” tour in the Anderson SC area Monday, October
8, 2012. A matter close to my heart, he
will visit Richard M. Campbell Veterans Nursing Home here in Anderson to
discuss veteran healthcare issues. Senator Graham currently serves of five
committees including Appropriations, Armed Services, Aging, Budget and
Judiciary in addition to his duties as a SC Senator. On a personal note, I am pleased to share
that Senator Graham took a few moments to recognize Calhoun Academy of the Arts
for receiving a Healthy Lifestyles Grant two years ago that a member of our
PTSA wrote and submitted. He wrote a
letter of congratulations to the school and PTSA for our outstanding support
for our children. I cannot say at this
time that there are issues my Senators are not addressing. They have managed to stay away from scandals
according to their websites, vote consistently and along party lines. Of course, the optimist in me would like to
see less partisanship and much more cooperation between parties, but overall I
am satisfied with the job these two gentlemen are doing and appreciate their
service to the state of South Carolina.
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