Fixing the Electoral Cycle

Ben Newton and Harrison Fell

Mrs. Alldredge

History 8

7 June 2017

Fixing The Electorate:

A Systematic Change

Can we fix party gerrymandering? Should we revert the presidency to one term? The electorate is wrought with flaws, gerrymandering is one of those many flaws. California has already attempted to fix this problem with an independent coalition; however, people can never be truly bipartisan. Could we replace this coalition with computers? If we used federal censuses to find population density and inputted the information into computers. The presidency is filled with innumerable amounts of bureaucracy. When elected he or she always attempts mild policies in order to be re-elected. Would it be wiser to reform this system to one six-year term? Can we transform the electorate?

          How do we solve Gerrymandering? Gerrymandering is a practice that takes place every ten years. The residing party draws the lines for their district to increase their chances of success. It began in the year 1812(FairVote); Governor Gerry, a governor from Boston, signed a bill to assist his party in the next election cycle. This began a process of party manipulation that has seeped into modern politics. In 2012, The Democratic Party received 66% of the popular vote for the House of Representatives and 21 of the 27 seats (Washington Post). This same phenomenon can also be seen on the other side of the aisle in Pennsylvania (Washington Post). Democrats received over 51% of the house vote but less than a third of seats in the House (Washington Post). Gerrymandering a systemic problem which makes your vote matter less than it should.

What factors should dictate districts? There are two rules which the Federal Government has instituted for redistricting. Equal population is a rule established for congressional districts; however, it does not trickle down to state and legislative districts as strictly (Atlantic). The second criteria is equal distribution of race and ethnicity. Sadly, this rule is not enforced properly, as many minorities are packed into super-condensed districts (Washington Post). These two standards go far, but not far enough. We should include population density and set stricter quotas regarding race and ethnicity should be included. While rules and quotas hamper corruption, we can never truly solve this system, without taking power away from the parties. California has already begun this process with an independent coalition, and other states have tried implementing similar policies. An algorithm would cost less money and would possess more veracity. We can solve Gerrymandering.

The current concept behind two terms is that when a president is elected, he serves one four year term. He is then the automatic representative for his party for the next election. If he wins, serves four more years in a 2nd term. Two terms are the maximum amount of terms a president can serve unless the vice-president takes over within two years of the president's first term. This concept was passed by Congress in 1947 and ratified by the states on February 27, 1951, and we have used this system ever since (National Review). The president spends too much time worrying about a reelection campaign, they fear political retribution, and they don’t have an abundance of time to the point where they are not working because they have nothing to do. The possible solution for this is one six year term. This allows the president to not spend time on their reelection campaign, they know how long they are going to be serving so they can get everything done that they promised, and it will reduce the fear of political retribution.

The problems discussed have many possible alternative solutions. One could decide to limit the presidency to only one four year term or set up coalitions or regulations to stop Gerrymandering. Why are our solutions better? Four years is not a long enough time for the president to make a lasting effect. The six-year terms are not necessarily meant for the president to have less time, but for him to cut out busywork and have time to focus on what is best for the country. Not having to worry about re-election campaign or fear of political retribution, which means more time focusing on his actual duties as president. As discussed previously, California has already created an independent coalition to solve the systemic problem, but it is not possible for any person to truly be unbiased. The coalition itself is far less cost effective than an algorithm. Regulation always possesses a loophole no matter how stringent the implementation. It is for those reasons that we believe our solutions are superior to any alternative course of action.

The electorate is a convoluted mess. There are systems which lack purpose or function and policies that favor one party over the other. We can’t just solve the problem, but we can start. Identifying the issues that are mired within the electorate and doing our best to eliminate them is the first step to creating real change. Implementing these solutions requires all our assistance, and more. Changing the U.S. electorate is a gigantic task, and it requires much work and effort just raise Congress’s brow. This is an arduous journey that will have many bumps in the road, yet this is the best for our country.

Works cited:

FairVote.org. "Gerrymandering." FairVote. Fairvote, n.d. Web. 17 May 2017.

Dfraper, Robert. "The League of Dangerous Mapmakers." The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 19 Feb. 2014. Web. 17 May 2017.

Revolvy, LLC. ""Mid-Atlantic English" on Revolvy.com." All Revolvy Quizzes. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2017.

Ingraham, Christopher. "This Is the Best Explanation of Gerrymandering You Will Ever See." The Washington Post. WP Company, 01 Mar. 2015. Web. 25 May 2017.

"Top Ten Reasons to Lower the Voting Age." National Youth Rights Association. NYRA, n.d. Web. 17 May 2017.

Epps, Garrett. "Voting: Right or Privilege?" The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 18 Sept. 2012. Web. 17 May 2017.

"Thomas Jefferson on Politics & Government." Fam Guardian. Fam Guardian, n.d. Web.

"Thomas Sowell: Misinformed Electorate, Not Trump, Is Real Danger." GaltsGulchOnline. GaltsGulchOnline, n.d. Web.

"Can an Algorithm Eliminate the Unfairness of Gerrymandering?" Priceonomics. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 May 2017.

Ingraham, Christopher. "This Computer Programmer Solved Gerrymandering in His Spare Time." The Washington Post. WP Company, 03 June 2014. Web. 22 May 2017.

Adams, Myra. "Six Years and Out: It's Time to Change the Four-Year Presidential Term."National Review. National Review, 20 Oct. 2014. Web. 25 May 2017.

A Transformation

Hey, today me and my friend Harrison, at http://harrisonhum8.blogspot.com/ , created our Abstract for our transformation project that we are going to present.

Should the voting age be dictated by knowledge or by years lived? Can we fix party gerrymandering? Should we revert the presidency to one term? The electorate is wrought with flaws, Gerrymandering is one of those many flaws. California has already attempted to fix this problem with an independent coalition; however, people can never be truly bipartisan. Could we replace this coalition with computers. If we used federal censuses to find population density and inputted the information into computers. The voting age has never made sense to me. Why should an arbitrary number possess so much power. We need to find a more viable metric. The presidency is filled with innumerable amounts of bureaucracy. When elected he or she always attempts mild policies in order to be reelected. Would it be wiser to reform this system to one six year terms. Can we transform this system?

Timeline

Hey guys so this week I am going to post a timeline for history around the civil rights era

- May 17 1954 Brown vs Board of Education


- December 1st 1955 this is the day that rosa parks started the Montgomery buss protest


- September 25 1957 president Eisenhower sent the 101st airborne division to guard children who were being segregated at school


- February 1st 1960 4 college students begin a sit down in North Carolina

- April 3rd 1963 Birmingham protests start

- Augustus 28 1963  mlk recited his I have a dream speech


- July 2 1964 President Johnson signed the civil rights act


- March on Selma 1965 March 7-21


- Augustus 6 1965 voting rights was passed

- April 4 1968 MLK was assasinaed

- LA Riots 1992

- Trayvon Martin got gunned down February 26 2012

Book That Has Transformed Me

Hello, today I'm going to be talking about a book that has trasnformed me.

The book that has transformed me most is How To Train Your Dragon. I was very young when I read this and I would say that it is definetly one of the best books I have ever read. I remember reading all 8 of them in the series. The reason this book transformed me is because it is the only book/series that I ever really enjoyed. I dont really like reading because I can't sit still enough to finish books. I would definetly read it again now, to see what I liked about it and just what the book was like.

When it comes to humans, we do know that in order to earn stuff we have to work. However we do not want to work our whole life. Social Security helps because once we are retired and stop working, it provides Americans with enough money so we can sustain life after we work. Social Security is a valued thing then and now. I beleive that it has helped and back then it was better that we had it, and same with now.

Agricultural Recovery, in the early stages of the depression, farms were making a ton of food. The food they made was more than the american people could buy. Farmers could not profit anylonger because the farm prices fell. They were in debt and they had trouble feeding their families. As a result of this 33% of farmers lost their farms. The Agricultural Adjustment Administration was created. The agency pad farmers to plant less plants and not raise as many animals. This caused farm prices to rise again. Overall I beleive this really did help the farms as farmers could begin to make money again.

There was another problem, hungry. As a result of people that could not pay for food, soup kitckens were created all across the country. This started in 1929 by private charities and churches. In the mid 1930s the state and fedral governments joing the fight against hunger. Kitchens used soup because it was easy to make and by adding water, it creates more soup. Soup kitchens were crucial in the 1930s because if really did support a strong cause and it helped the hunger problem.


The last topic I beleive that changed America is the major reform in the banking industry. Congress passed a Banking Act in 1933. The law invented the Federal Deposit Insurance Coroporation, which guaranteed individual bank deposits up to $2,500. This law helped the public gain confidence in tehe banks. It also stabilized the baking system. Banks were also limited in freedom to trade stocks and bonds. This really helped the baking system for americans. It really played a big role in the economy and overall was a great help.

Essay Contest

Ben

“Let us not forget, after all, that there is always a moment when the moral choice is made. Often because of one story or one book or one person, we are able to make a different choice, a choice for humanity, for life.” by Elie Weisel. The quote is about the importance of learning about people who were rescuers during the Holocaust. My Grandfather was a Holocaust survivor himself, and he has shared some information with me about this topic. However, he also has influenced the way I think about ethical decision making. He has always taught me to work my hardest no matter what life throws at you and always keep your head up. When it comes to ethical decision-making, he has shown me how to look at things a certain way and always come up with a decision that is right. As I look back and think of all the things that my grandfather went through, I see how what he was grown up with and what his community was like in Germany, how that has influenced his ethical decision making, and how he is a caring, thoughtful citizen. My Father has taught me how to be a caring and thoughtful citizen in my community. My father grew up in a small town in southern Indiana, which, as you can imagine, is very different than the city that I am growing up in now, Santa Barbara, California. This showed my father the importance of being a caring and thoughtful citizen because of the very tight-knit community that was in Bloomington Indiana. He has told me the importance of helping to create a better community around you and to support a cause. My father and I sometimes go and volunteer at different places on the weekend, such as the Teddy Bear Foundation, the Bunny Sanctuary, and many other places. Working with these people and my father helps me understand what it means to be a caring and thoughtful citizen in the world today. I feel like I really can help the community thrive and become a better place by volunteering and I feel like it is my duty as a member of this community to do it. My father is probably the most caring and thoughtful citizen that I know; he strives to be a part of the solution and not the problem in our world around us. Even though life drags us down, it is our job to hold the weight up and thrive as a large community. Lift each other up and thrive as a human race.

Raft - Jefferson Davis

Hello President Abraham Lincoln,

I believe that we can both agree on something, we want America to be happy. We are both representing the people that we fight for. However, there are multiple differences we have, one of them is slavery. We believe that slavery is good, the Union does not. We can keep it that way as long as you do not attack us and we just mind our own business. We will not force you to have slaves as long as we are able to keep our slaves.

When it comes to secession, we will leave become our own governing body and not harm you guys. We will own slaves and we will be independent. This is in your best interest because the more fighting you do, the more lives you could lose. You want the Union to be successful and happy. If you stop fighting then you will have more people, and you will be your own, and happy.

We like the idea of slavery and secession. We do not want to fight. We are going to win the war, but with war, both sides never really win with all of the death. We do not want to fight you. We will keep our slavery and you will keep your free slaves.

Thank you,

Jefferson Davis

Slavery moving to the west

Hey guys so today I am going to be writing as if I am a slave and I do not want slavery to be spread to the west, I am writing to the president of the United States.




Dear President Harrison,

                                 I do not beleive in slavery, it is unjust. Humans are humans, we are all the same and that is how I view it. Well, I am a slave, and I know what your thinking, obviously a slave is against slavery, but it is not like that. I am aware that you are a sensable man and you have the interest of the people in mind. Slavery cannot move out west, it is not needed and not fair. I am treated horribly, I get worn out by my owner and it is horrible. All I am asking is that slavery not be expanded to the west, out of the interest for slaves and you.

                           Sincerely,
                                             Josiah