Reflection

1) I learned a lot in Government, like the courts system and how it works, along with the different powers of government and the power that each hold.
2) I found it surprising that I had a lot of democratic views, still less than my republican views, but it still shocked me to learn that I had some democratic views.
3) I don't agree with the government shutting down over obamacare. I found it interesting that the government was willing to shut down for weeks over a controversial issue. Maybe talking over the issue and still continuing to run the government would've worked a little better.
4) Knowing and learning about the government allows everyone to be an informed voter and people are able to know what is going on in the government that controls a large portion of their lives.
5) There really is nothing that I can think of that would make this class better. I thrououghly enjoyed government and I felt that it challenged my thinking.

Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

Discussion Questions
1) World War I changed America by changing how we define ourselves, it changed our views on individual liberties and power and showed that we could do what ever and also gave us power that we had never had before.
2) the Cold War, civil war, civil rights movements, free speech, individual rights, and fascism.
3) The Supreme Court justices have to look back on their past. They cannot just move on, in order to make the best decisions for the American people they must look to the past for guidance.

Article Summary
This article is about how America changed over the course of World War 1 and World War 2 along with how the Supreme Court has changed as well. Many Americans fought in the war for differeing reasons; to protect their self-determination, freedom from a fascist government, to protect their freedoms from religion and and to keep equal rights for all americans. As far as the Supreme Court goes, they changed a lot of the laws that discriminated against minorities, like literacy tests and poll taxes. America as a whole has been greatly impacted by the world wars, and has kept as as part of a spreading democracy.

"Rights are Relative, Not Absolute" 
The term, "rights are relative not absolute" means that we all have individual rights that we are granted, but if we violate the law then those rights can and will be taken away. For example, if you seriously violate the traffic laws, then your right to drive can and potentially will be taken away, also those who violate the law are stuck in jail and in turn they lose a lot of their rights, like the right to bear arms.

3 branches review

Religion in schools

I believe that teaching Christianity in our schools is not a bad idea, and in all honesty I think it would help a lot of the corruption in our world. Children need to be taught some kind of morals and values, so why not give them something to believe in. I truly think it would not kill anyone to learn a little bit about Christianity, and they wouldn't have to be forced to believe that way. Everyone could still decide what they think is right and see what kind of religion we want to believe in.

Pros: it would give students morals, open up their eyes to Christianity, help students decide what kind of religion they want to persue, and unite people with the same beliefs.

Cons: other religions could be offended, church and state issues, and problems with non-believers.

Bill of Rights Scenarios

1) The 4th Amendment: They had no search warrant so they were violating the 4th Amendment.
2) The 1st amendment: It violates his right to assembly and petition.
3) The 4th Amendment: No unreasonable seizure. They were forcing her to move and taking her house away from her.
4) It does not violate any amendments.
5) The 6th Amendment: trial by jury and right to know the charges against you.

Articles of Confederation Video

This video is about the failure of the Articles of Confederation; our first attempt at a constitution. Unfortunately it failed, mostly because of too much power granted to the states and not enough power in the government. We needed a bigger government that could support itself and the country as well. The structures within the Articles of Confederation were off causing problems within the country. The government had to borrow money from the states to do anything. This balance of power led to the federalists papers, which requested a new constitution. Thus, the United States Constitution was born and is still in practice today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3wdJghPudk

Three Branches of Government

This political cartoon shows a tree that is split into the branches of government. There is also a log cabin that is made from the wood from the branches that represents the vice president. I feel that this shows that the vice president, since his power is not outlined anywhere, takes pieces of the power from each branch in order to create its own form of power. I feel that this is kind of a factual cartoon that shows the true power that the vice president creates for himself by using the authorities and powers that each branch of government possesses.