FRQ Prompt 6

There are many indicators that can point towards a citizen that is likely to vote. Some of these factors are education level, marital status, union membership, minority status, age, etc. The highest and most commonly used indicators are education level and age. As a voter gets older, his or her political stance becomes more definite and they become more likely to vote. Such individuals have seen the benefits of policies and want to continue to receive assistance from them which makes the elderly more inclined to vote. Education level is also a strong indicator of likelihood to vote. As a person becomes more educated, they generally become more aware of current events and politics. While the motivation as to why might be unclear, it could be out of civic duty or to further beneficial policies, such awareness prompts those with high a education level to vote.

Voter registration is a major obstacle that decreases voter turnout. Most states require a voter to be registered well before election day. This hurdle can prove to be annoying, time consuming, and inconvenient to many and greatly reduces the actual number of eligible voters. The Moter Voter Act adopted by certain states tried to remedy this issue, however, it is largely ineffective as many permit eligible young adults are not 17 years of age and therefore cannot register.

Political parties are a major linkage institution in United States politics. The party national convention presents the party platform that influences ideological voters. This allows citizens to see the difference between parties and make decisions based on whose policies align most closely with their own and vote accordingly for beneficial policies. They play a part in the political socialization of voters as well. Also, many states require a person to be registered in a political party to vote in a primary. By belonging to a party, an individual has the ability to vote and support policies and candidates that they believe will help them.

FRQ Prompt 5

A) When it comes to politics, interest groups always play a part. There are many ways that such groups can participate and influence the government to support policies that favor them. Litigation is one such method. Litigation is the process of taking legal action. This method can be efficient and effective at most levels, especially the Supreme Court, to overturn laws or gain support against legislation and effect future laws and legislation. The Supreme Court is the only branch of the government that can deem laws unconstitutional and overturn them, making litigation appealing to certain groups. It is also a good for a group that does not have the numbers because it does not require mass support. Unfortunately, such a course of action can be costly and  is limited to groups who have a large pool of resources.
Contributing to a campaign is also a method that groups use to achieve their goals. Again, this does require a good amount of resources and money so it is not practical for smaller organizations. This does help with influencing the policy makers. Since the campaigns support individuals who could influence policies and the policy agenda, it is a very common way for groups to gain influence throughout candidate support.
Another technique that interest groups use is mass mobilization. This is usually used by a group who wants to overthrow the incumbent and is an effective way to spread a message, increase awareness, and forward reform or change. This does not necessarily require large amounts of money as do the other methods and can be used by groups without financial means but popular support.

B) The National Rifle Association uses campaign contributions as their main method of achieving goals. They are a large organization with a large pool of resources that has the ability to take such monetary steps. Contributions is their method of choice because the issue of guns is a volatile one, especially recently, and litigation would bring unwanted media attention of both the positive and negative nature. As for mass mobilization, the NRA has many members but they need people in office to block legislation to tighten gun controls. Since money plays such a large role in campaigns and the NRA has the means, it is logically the best course of action.

Philippines

Post-natural disaster, health, nutrition, water, and shelter are big worries for a nation such as the Philippines after Super Typhoon Haiyman. Charities are a good way of helping the relief effort because they are well organized and generally large or international. They are able to operate much more quickly and effectively than smaller grassroots organizations. UNICEF United States Fund is an example of such highly effective charities. Based on the amount of money that brings in, over 90% goes directly the programs or services it delivers. A mere 2% goes to administrative fees. It is also has a high level of transparency of its policies, board members, and programs. The Red Cross, another large scale charity, is not nearly as efficient. While it does put a large amount to programs and small to administration, the Red Cross primary expenses and revenue has been decreasing.


The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has many areas of interest, one of which is water, sanitation, and hygiene. Once the Philippines is back on its feet, it will most likely be forgotten, or at least leave the foreground of the public's attention. This is a critical time for the future of the country. One of the BMG Foundation's projects is clean, water less, hygienic toilets. Several working prototypes have been made and been successful. The use of such innovations would allow for water to be used for other purposes and improve hygiene in the long term. It is not just the immediate future that needs attention in areas of natural disaster, it is the long term as well.

Senator Ron Wyden

Background

Senator Ron Wyden, although not a native Oregonian, has served our state since 1986. Born in Wichita, Kansas, Wyden moved to Paolo Alto, California in his youth and grew up there. He was a talented basketball player and attended the University of California: Santa Barbara on a scholarship, although he later transferred to Stanford where he completed his Bachelor of Arts in 1971. Wyden's graduate studies brought him to Oregon where he earned his Juris Doctorate at the University of Oregon School of Law.

Despite being a Democrat, Wyden is committed to bi-partisanship. He was first elected in 1980 to the U.S. House of Representatives when he upset incumbent Bob Duncan in the Democratic primary, then soundly defeated Republican opposition Darrell Conger. After serving in the House for 15 years, Wyden looked to expand his political experience by becoming a senator. That year, Senator Bob Packwood vacated his seat and a special election was held to fill it. Wyden ran and narrowly defeated his qualified opponent Gordon Smith. After completing the partial term, he was elected for a full term in 1998 and has held his seat ever since. Wyden has expressed his disapproval of excessive military force as demonstrated by his repeated votes against when the issue has come up in the Senate. Other subjects he has strong opinions about include open government, health care, civil liberties, and more.

Committees

Committee on the Budget

Committee on Finance

Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure

Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight

Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness (Chairman)

Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (Chairman)

As Chairman, Senator Wyden is an ex-officio member on all subcommittees.

Select Committee on Intelligence

Special Committee on Aging

Joint Committee On Taxation

Issues

Health Care is an issue that Wyden has been vocal and engaged in for years, especially lately with it's growing prominence and place on Obama's agenda. He was a sponsor of the Healthy Americans Act in 2009. The act would have created a national health care system on a competitive private market platform. He has supported increased funding for Medicaid in the past and has pushed for lower prescription drug prices as well. Wyden endorsed the Bush Administration's Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act. He was considered a possibility by many nomination for the position of Secretary of Health and Human services. Despite the fact that he did not receive the position, he still remains a prominent figure in the arena of health care reform.

Widen has also been a figure in civil liberties. He is pro-choice, maintaining support from organizations such as Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America. He also endorses same sex marriage, demonstrated by his votes against DOMA and the Federal Marriage Act and his vote for the Don't Ask Don't Tell Repeal Act. Wyden is also a supporter of gun control and has voted in favor of increased background checks and to renew the Federal Assault Weapons Ban.

Questions
On gun control, where is the line between protecting civil rights and protecting the greater population from the 
dangers if putting guns in these hands of the few that pose a treat to society?
Why do you believe that health care should be expanded and reformed? How is the new online system of Obamacare operating under recent criticism?
Do you believe in government transparency to the point of full disclosure or merely having access to the information for those who want to know?