I agree with the idea of having Congress being the legislative body with the most power and influence of the government's decisions; however, I do not like the fact that Congress can potentially abuse this power. There are methods in which Congress can manipulate or "fix" its own body to benefit a party, possibly by redistricting, etc. Congressional power is somewhat balanced with the other bodies, but what scares me is that they can bend their own rules in a sense. The fact that Congress can change the way they do things may benefit society or may cheat society, depending on their intentions.
In this article I agree that reform is needed in the way Congress governs and its thought-process considerations. I agree that providing a prior one-year funding authority will create an independent consignment to enable reviews on tax and spending bills. They should be funding for long-term 1-year budgets in order to ensure essential financial needs of the year. Congress should be putting more focus and improvement into individual program needs. The action of taking legal possession of assets until a national debt has been paid is a solution to this issue. Lastly, Congress should be all in favor of creating a joint committee that focuses on restoring confidence in the ideas they conduct in their institution.
The ideas proposed by this article sound good in theory, but in practice won't "fix" Congress because it can't overcome the endemic problems in modern government. The structural problems raised in the article, like the filibuster and the Hastert rule, are phenomena that were created by Congressors who exploited loopholes in formal procedure to advance their parties' short-term political agendas. We can add as many reforms and create as many commissions as we'd like, but politicians under pressure will always find ways to work around them. The only way we can achieve the ideal Congress of efficiency and practicality is to change the intangible culture of politics in America, so that legislators have more room to evolve in their opinions and loosen the leashes that bound them so tightly to party lines. That will only work if both politicians and voters make a conscious decision to change their attitudes, which isn't likely to happen in the near future.
I think many citizens, including myself, agree that Congress is in great need of reform. It is plain to see both through this article, as well as through recent congressional decisions (and a lack thereof) that our representatives are not considering the long term view of their legislation. Congress already has less than a 20% approval rating, and at this rate it is likely to continue to plummet. The national budget for example, is a major factor in American's view of how the government is doing. Without reform regarding the review of governmental income and spending, as well as majority party influence, Congress will lose the little confidence we have in them, and therefore cease to move forward.
I agree with the ideas brought up in the article about reform within our government's legislature, Congress is not being efficient. As discussed in the article, Congress lacks the ability to make decisions and agree on laws. However, I believe that reforming Congress would only help to a certain extent. The tensions between Democrats and Republicans in the House, Senate, and the Executive Branch has made decision-making more difficult. In order to make the reforms effective, Congress and the Executive Branch must learn to put aside differences in order to do whats best for our country. As the article says, these tensions are not new and will always be there, making reform within our legislature difficult.
Reform is a necessity in congress in order to become more efficient. It's incredibly difficult for the American people to support a political entity when they can barely support themselves. As the article states, it's nearly impossible for the American government system to be prosperous with the two parties being so caught up in what they deem as "right," particularly in the case of Congress. That being said, a few proposed solutions concerning committees aren't going to cure the issues that plague Congress. The budget isn't going to be miraculously passed, and therefore programs are either going to receive too much money or be severely underfunded. Also, the amount of insubordination to the "rules" as mentioned in the article, is a major contributor to the tension. The article is absolutely correct with the title, "Only Congress Can Fix Congress," but it's hard to believe we'll be seeing that anytime soon.
When it comes to the three branches of government, I believe that power is distributed equally. However, when we take a closer at each individual branch, for example the legislative branch, we realize that this equality is not continued. With the development of the “Hastert Rule” in the House, and filibusters in the Senate, it’s evident that politicians are motivated by their own interests, and not the interests of the nation as a whole. There is no “fix” for congress. At the end of the day, government is an entity that is run by humans. Unfortunately, most politicians act on their own desires first, before taking into consideration the interests of others. Choosing the right representatives is hard. As history has shown, politicians will find loopholes around restrictions. The type of reform the article suggests is near impossible.
After reading the article, I agree that congress has not been effective and needs to reform. I also think that the reforms they brought up will only help to a certain extent. The Republicans and Democrats most of the time never come to an agreement. In politics no one ever wants to give up their side. Therefore, there is no compromise and congress does not get any thing done. Also there are some people in congress who use loopholes to benefit only their party and not other people. If congress every does reform they need to work on thinking about the people more than what they want.
After reading the article, I did find that Congress has essentially been able to keep the stalemates it has had going because of laws they passes on their own, which is completely ridiculous. I do agree that Congress does need to start compromising and begin to pass bills. However, I felt that the article did not really give much insight as to how. Personally, I think that the Republicans and the Democrats have to start looking at the problems in this country as helpful politicians, instead of just immature adults who just want to keep their positions. Honestly, I think a pay cut is the only way Congress will get anything done anymore, instead of passing bills for the good of the country. In other words, Congress needs to get their crap together.
One of the main problems our legislative branch of government faces today is its member’s inability to come together, work with one another, and pass laws that benefit the people and help to move the country forward. A line from this article that truly sums up the biggest problem with our country’s Congress states, “Why not come together like past Congresses and formally examine the obstacles that are causing legislative standoffs”. As much as all of us appreciate and value this idea, it’s a lot easier said than done. I agree with the point in the article about how today’s Congress should learn from previous Congresses that when faced with a president they find “difficult” to work with and vice versa, they must learn to use their opposing viewpoints to find somehow find common ground. When it comes to the University of Texas’s proposals on ideas that may help to reform the legislative branch in a beneficial way, I agree with the idea on appropriation bills because I feel it is important for Congress to become more organized in what money they are setting aside to be spent on certain things and how much they are spending on those certain things. This idea is also beneficial because it could potentially help Congress to follow the year’s set budget and reduce the risk of putting our country into an even bigger debt. Overall, I hope that the legislative branch can learn to overcome their opposing viewpoints this year on different political agendas in the hope of creating some change in America for this new year.
Although the power is seemingly distributed equally, events such as the government shutdown exposes, the legislative branch for its inability to efficiently carry out laws. I strongly agree that the opposing sides of politics need to compromise in order to pass bills. Neither side is doing the governmental system any good by refusing to allow the system to work. However, while I agree reform is necessary, I cannot see how these reforms will really change the ongoing tension between parties. Despite reforms, the parties will still be more focused on what they deem as “correct” and “beating” the other party. Although reform is needed, there is no solution at the moment that is guaranteed to work.
There is no doubt that something needs to change in the current legislative process. Congress is startlingly inefficient and it hurts the country. When the lawmaking body is stagnate, nothing good can come of it. I particularly like the mention of the "piecemeal" nature of many of the bills that come up on the floor. The article is correct, in my opinion, in stating that the laws need to be made to fit specific issues and not thrown together to appease the other camp for just enough time for it to become an issue again. The one thing that I didn't particularly agree with was the idea of using the previous years' funding levels if appropriations are not agreed upon by September 30th. It seems to be that this can become yet another bargaining chip in the ridiculous partisan warfare of Congress. If the majority party likes the previous years' funding levels, they can delay and delay until they are forced back to them. It wouldn't do nearly as good a job of backing the Congressmen (and women) into a corner as one might think.
I don't think it can be stressed enough how much of a divide our nation is undergoing. I think that it is clearly reflected in congress and is worsening day by day. I agree with the notion that congress needs to do it's job which is doing the best it can for our nations good, and come together on things such as the budget and compromise instead of bringing work to a halt because of it. One thing I disagreed with in this article is that I don't think one plan is going to fix congress. I think it's going to take years of re-establishing congress to do it's job as it was meant to.
I agree that there is a need to reform congress and the way laws are passed. Congress has the most influence and power in the legislative branch when it comes down to making governments decisions. The power is unevenly distributed between whatever party has the majority. However, when you look at the way our government was designed, it's no surprise that it was designed to allow for slow changes over time. It was never meant to cause political stalemate to this extreme which we are witnessing today. I was not surprised to see that the people were losing faith in congress, as government shutdowns and budget battles continue to happen.
Craft a million new policies, a million new laws, and all we'll find is the unflinching ability of politicians to find a million ways around those laws and policies. Yes, reform would definitely not hurt, but it is only abatement - it is treating the symptoms, not the source. People and politicians place the interests of their parties and themselves above the interests of the country, and they preserve this divide by doing so. In their staunchness they stand unwaveringly, but not with the ideals of freedom or compromise or any other virtues our forefathers stood with, but against them, and change, and progress. That is what needs to be fixed - the environment of politics, the culture of politics, the people who fill politics, and the way we view politics. It won't be fixed with these surface-level reforms.
While this article holds a few good theories as to how Congress can fix itself, life isn't perfect; there's no way to say that Congress could magically be fixed in an instant, because there are too many people that are way too stubborn in Congress to bend their values for the other party. I definitely agree that there should be a joint committee for regulating the organization and efficiency of Congress, but I don't think using a 9/30 deadline is efficient: times change, and circumstances change. A year ago, we had barely heard of ISIS, for example, but now we've had to continue to maintain our military spending regardless of the original plan to end the War in Iraq. Even further, the Affordable Care Act has introduced a brand new area of spending that the United States has to account for now, and the concept wasn't even brought to light, let alone approved, only ten years ago. Even the way we tax citizens is dependent on our budget; we usually increase tax rates every year, but if we stuck with a prior plan without accounting for new budgetal factors or necessary tax increases, then the issues that need the most immediate attention will end up being ignored. I realize that I'm only using budget as an example, but there are plenty others too. Congress can definitely fix itself, however, but it's a matter of Congress actually wanting to.
I agree that their are certainly improvements that need to be modified in the US congress. I agree that the House definitely uses "special ones" in order to subvert their own party's majority when it comes to bills on the floor. However, corruption is bound to happen in small amounts in any governing body. This fixation on "fixing" congress is mainly focused around the time used to make decisions and, as the article says, germinates from outside the congress itself. I believe that congressional repairs all come down to simple teamwork. Both parties simply need to move past their "hardcore" values and pay attention to the needs of the nation as a whole rather what they believe is correct.
It can be agreed upon that the way in which Congress handles legislative manners should be more efficient. It is a vital problem that needs to be fixed. Reform is essential. Why? Because there are too many opportunities that can help delay possible bills, and negative consequences that result when legislatures cannot agree upon a course of action. For example, the Government Shut Down. In theory, government reform seems like a viable course. But in practice, it is highly unlikely that it will happen. I have to disagree with the article, because even though reform is a must, due to the high disagreements of political beliefs, tension between the two parties will cease to exist. In order for the legislative body of our government to work, w,e need all three branches of government to put aside their differences and do what is best for their country. Their priority is to do what will benefit the people, not themselves.
I agree that Congress has not been very effective when it comes to making consistent decisions regarding the federal budget. The common gridlock occurring between Congressmen needs to stop in order for real changes and improvement to be made. This is why I support the idea that in order for Congress to run more smoothly in the future, it must first reform itself. For example, the House should modify its legislative process so that bills can be openly discussed and debated before they are sent for approval. However, even though I agree that changes need to be made, I do not think that it is that simple. The article describes these changes as if they can easily appear the nest day, while in reality, it may take many years or even decades for the slightest changes to come in place. Congress should slowly implement small variations into its decision making process so that there are no drastic decisions that may lead into bigger consequences. Congress is too complex for such changes to be made too quickly, which is they they should be implemented with great caution and gradual pace.
I agree that Congress is being inefficient and is definitely in need of reform, but I don't necessarily believe one plan is going to reform Congress because reforming Congress can only go so far. The divides between the parties are so deep that it causes stalemate and nothings gets accomplished. Representatives from different parties will never see eye-to-eye because they want to accomplish their own political agendas in the time they are given. I believe that the only way to improve Congress's efficiency is to have both parties compromise, but I do not see that happening in the near future.
I think congress isn't in the best situation with decision making. Congress need to come to more of an agreement with bills. For the most part i agree that they need to come to a compromise with the budget, i think that is whats hurting them as well as us right now. Shutting down the government will only lead to the legislative branch unable to carry out laws. Other i than that i think the article is right, discussing bills on the floor and coming together will help fix Congress.
I do believe that the view of this article is a touch idealistic; Congress will never just “fix itself.” The proposed reforms in the governance structure and the internal decision-making process will have little impact, if ever implemented, because the men and women of Congress are set in their ways, and the majority of them have strong opinions. Though it may sound extreme, I think the article is promoting a shackle on patriotism; Congress’ politicians, though dogmatic [to a fault], want the best for our country…all the debate and molasses speed of achieving anything is due to their sense of responsibility to the people. With that said, it is possible that Congress can improve itself --- granted, for a brief time --- with regards to its compromising skills. As mentioned in the article, it already has thrown together bills to appease both parties, though at the expense of achieving anything noteworthy.
Congresses failure is blamed upon the fact that most members of congress aren't willing to cooperate with each other, but the fact of the matter is there is to many people in congress to actually get anything done. Our current set up for congress simply cannot support the needs of 50 states each with their own agenda. Why is anyone surprised that its next to impossible putting 100-435 people in a room with 50 different needs and 2 different beliefs on how the government can function. The American public needs to step back and observe the problems and realize it is not as simple as it seems a joint political committee would either pass everything that goes to congress or fail in its entirety or still not passing anything at all like the current system. The best solution may hurt in the short term however in the long term recreating the political system (atleast in congress) in a way that the same opinions could be represented with an equal power in a faster way.
Congress is efficient simply due to the large amount of members and agendas. Imagine getting a group of 20 friends to decide on one place to eat on a Friday night. Imagine instead of 20 friends it's actually over 400 people many of who don't agree with each other's views. Congress doesn't take into account the 300 million people who depend on them to make sound decisions for them. Instead they choose to be selfish by only worrying about their party agenda. The solution would be to first cut down the size of both the Senate and the HoR. Second step would be to give moderates and independents more power. A third step would be to change voting timing, as many individuals are still at work when the ballot closes at 6pm.
I agree with the article in that Congress has become corrupt and focused on monetary incentive rather than improving the United States. Lobbyists and big businesses control the government through their monetary "influence". The article is basically saying that the only way for Congress to be fixed is for the members of Congress to do it themselves. In its current state, Congress is not going to de-corrupt itself. Over the last hundred years, our government has become incredibly polarized due to the growth of capitalism and the importance of media in society. TV, radio, and internet ads control who is elected, rather than who has the best ideas. The polarization of democrats and republicans has lead to Congress becoming a complete stalemate unless one party rules over either the House or Senate. To fix our Congress, we have to find a middle ground or eliminate the party system which has divided the american public.
Many people will agree that our Congress is in need of reform. The deep split of the parties in our nation is reflected by the actions of Congress and their decision making. Although the ideas of this articles are idealistic, Congress cannot just simply fix itself. I agree that there needs to be more compromise between both of the parties in order to keep moving forward; however, each party is more focused on their own political agendas. There is no solution at this time that would initiate large reform.
I agree with the notion that it’s within the Congress’ power to fix or end the budget and appropriation process along with the rules, which govern the legislative process. A reform is needed to ensure the structure of Congress, ultimately improving our republic. The tensions between the Democratic and Republican Party are too intense and need to be reevaluated. It will take a decent amount of time before our government can get back on track, but I have faith that it will eventually, if certain steps and actions are planned accordingly.
While Congress is the most effective body out there when we need reform , in, in itself is pretty broken up. There are some interesting ideas presented in this article, but really misses the main point of our current legislative predicament. The politics of consensus requires a basic stability in American economic life which simply does not exist first off. In the article it mentions that we should come together like past Congresses and formally examine the obstacles that are causing legislative standoffs. I have to agree with this, we can’t just continue the current resolutions which undermine their ability to efficiently and effectively plan and execute their budgets, especially when final funding is not known until two quarters into that fiscal year. We need to work together with Congress and alongside work with politicians and with voters to change their attitudes but also gain back our confidence, and this will unfortunately take much time. So the only way out is either we fix the American economy or we will have no social or political peace.
I agree with the idea of reforming Congress, I think that it is essential, but I don’t see it being effective any time soon until the Democrats and the Republicans stop focusing on which party is on top and which one has all the power.( They are acting like they are in high school trying to become the most popular.) Nothing will continue to happen until they start putting the needs of this nation first and begin to actually do things that will benefit the people in this country. Since they are constantly at odds, Congress has failed to ensure that impression of affirmation that Americans look to acquire from them. It is time that Congress revises the courses they take in terms of deliberating, financing, and enacting. I agree with the article when it talks about executing budgets that don’t plunge this nation into further debt and also having the final funding plan executed at an earlier date rather than two quarters into the fiscal year. Even if reform takes place it will not go into effect immediately and who knows if it will endure into the next Congressional pool.
I agree that Congress can only fix themselves and that they are in need of major reform. Yes, Congress would be much more productive if we had a way to compromise without bribing members to vote certain ways. However, I don't believe this is actually possible with the ideas the article is suggesting. Politicians and political parties are naturally selfish, and it would not be realistic to simply emerge the two parties and force them to work together. Also, if the majority party is consistently winning battles, why would it want to change the system and work with the opposing party? I agree with the article in that what we can fix are individualizing and specializing government programs to fit certain needs. Although it would be nice to set rules to prevent the House from making up their own, finding loopholes is inevitable.
I agree with the fact that Congress definitely needs to be reformed. The government shutdown over something that wasn't even necessarily an urgent issue shows how flawed our system is. Like the article said, there is too much rancor and fruitless debate. Personally, I think I agree with the founding fathers (specifically George Washington) in that the party system is in itself flawed. I agree completely that there needs to be much more cooperation and team work if anything is to be done. If a party that's not the majority wants to see pass a bill that would greatly benefit the people, that bill will most likely never be passed simply because the majority party is against the other party. Our system is certainly flawed, but I am one of those people that the article mentioned that isn't too concerned with how the system works, but simply that it works. I do think that if the system were to work, politicians would have to put aside the fact that they are part of different parties and remember why they are in politics in the first place - to do what's best for the people, not do whatever it takes to win the next election.
I agree with the fact that our legislative branch cannot pass laws and they get very little or nothing done. I do agree that some of the problem is the debt ceiling of the government. I don't agree with the complete government shutdown idea that was proposed in the article. It happened before and the people weren't very pleased with it. It will raise the debt ceiling, but I believe that there are better options. I do agree with the changes of legislature which was proposed as well. This system has been working for well for a while and it isn't hurting the nation, it is just slowing it down. I don't know how to fix congress, but if anything they do need to make some slight changes to the law making process.
I do agree that Congress should definitely be reformed and to be honest, money is a single most issue in terms of their arguments. Money is a huge reason for the government shutdown from the outside, but looking on the inside it is all about the parties themselves. They seem to only care about who can get the majority. It is purely just a pissing match, they only want to see who is the "best." While this is a generalization, it is the sole reason that nothing is able to pass. congress needs to become more about the country and its citizens rather than which party is best fit to run the country. Once they are able to work together, there will be reform, but I do not think there is a possibility for reform until then. Instead of monitoring how Congressmen are voting, maybe the focus should just be on what is best. We don't need to polarize the parties more than they already are.
I do think that Congress does need some reforms, but it is unclear whether the reforms would actually help as one would think. Congress does need to start becoming less corrupt, but this will probobly take several years, and the only way to change it is to elect representatives that will not be suseptible to corruption. Congress will not be able to just change itself overnight. I do think that filibusters do not do anything more then waste time that has the potential to be used productively in an already unproductive congress.
While the article presents some good ideas, the whole system of how congress is right now, won’t allow for the ability to "require all appropriations bills to be considered on the floor without amendment and with an up or down vote, creating an independent commission to conduct regular comprehensive reviews of all tax and mandatory spending bills." If parties are ever present, the likelihood of them ignoring party lines and attempting to understand the other 'spectrum' is highly unlikely. That is the whole reason filibustering and the Hastert rule were created. What congress should try correct is the pointless veto’s and overrides, just because another party introduced the idea. Overlook the party and look at the idea. There is power in unity.
I agree with the article, it points out how inefficient congress has been lately taking extended periods of time to get nothing done. What is the need to continuously veto something? The definition of insanity is doing the exact same thing over and over and expecting a different result. In that case Congress is the definition of insane. As a nation we need to focus less on being a Democrat or being a Republican and focus more on putting the differences aside for the best of the nation. Each party is going to have to step out of its comfort zone and agree to come together to become more efficient and get things needed passsed.
I agree that Congress is in need of a reform but I disagree that Congress is the only one that can fix Congress. Since Congress is becoming more and more corrupt, I don’t think that Congress will fix themselves, and that another source must intervene to fix Congress. A change is needed in order for an improvement to happen. Due to the fact that congress is more conservative and the president being a liberal, causes few bills to be passed. The result of this is a stalemate and unbalance of power that is distributed. For example, Republican members of congress forced a Government shut down in protest of ObamaCare, however the shutdown didn’t actually stop ObamaCare. Congress isn't getting enough done. It's America, aren’t we supposed to have the best everything and everything is supposed to work? I think not.
The article brings up valid points, yet it involves an obvious thesis, that congress needs some fixing. I agree with the opinion that congress is in need of new rules, but I feel like the article simply begs the question, by saying that something needs to be done then referencing past fixes in previous congresses, without really posing any viable new solutions. The problem is that the members of congress work within their own realm under their own rules, which they can change to benefit the majority party, for example, the use of redistricting or the Hastert rule. I think that for any real change to occur in congress, there must be a change in the opinions of people, and therefore the representatives that they elect. Although individualism is freely expressed in America, I feel that it is lost in politics, leading politicians to work along party lines which clump "types of people" together in views. The sooner congressmen can focus on the good of the nation, as opposed to their re-election or the strength of their party, the sooner they can get more work done.
I agree with the idea that Congress reforming Congress is the best solution, I also agree with the general sentiment of the "us vs them" mentality that is growing due to differences within Congress. I do not agree with the idea that "ONLY" Congress can reform itself. I think a lot of the article deals with pointing out problems without addressing the larger issues that create those problems. How many citizens can name their senators? Let alone all the representatives of their state. Congressmen are generally absolved of all failures because no matter what they do it's very difficult for them to be held accountable to the people. Another larger issue is the general entrenchment of the country into parties. No longer are good ideas or innovations valued for their face value - they are only valued for the politics of the situation. Obama and Romney weren't ALLOWED to agree on a good health care idea, even if one of them was the inventor of said idea. The article also doesn't really address HOW we reach those better solutions - yes we need compromise, and neither side wants to - but how do you go about it? Henry Clay certainly didn't just tell people to compromise but came up with ideas that could appeal to both sides and each tensions. That is what we currently need, along with a more idealistic congress. The politics of the situation is really what has thrown congress off. That said I agree with the general tone of the article and support the opposition it provides to certain bad policies of congress that do reinforce party politics.
I agree with the article on its opinion about how congress is in need of new rules and changes. Even thought they didn't even suggest any solutions which was basically the downside of all this. I think the problems is that the majority of congress work together, within just one group and they can change the rules to their own benefit. Which kind of blows because that means they are only helping themselves. The only solution to this is for people to start acknowledging more who they pick to represent them. If not, the representatives will just keep on doing what they are doing, with no hesitation at all on benefiting just themselves. I mean all they worry about is to get reelected, and that's all they are focused on. If they could actually start focusing on how to make the nation better, people would be more happy.
I agree with the general tone of the article that congress does in fact need to be reformed. I believe that the only way it can be reformed efficiently is if it is reformed within itself. Politicians focus more on increasing their image or ego and don't focus on the true reason as to why they are in power in the first place. Don't get me wrong a lot of problems, and power for that matter, lie in the peoples hands because after all they are voted in by the people; however, politicians can sway peoples opinions by doing anything to achieve the vote of the person sitting in front of them. Once a politician achieves power he or she does anything and everything to keep it. They focus less on bettering the nation as whole and more on how much power they wish to hold. Congress has also turned into a competition with the idea of "versus," liberals vs. conservatives, or republicans vs. democrats. Instead of focusing on the competition side and trying to achieve a win for a majority republican house or a majority democrat senate, they should focus on coming up with solutions together. Congress doesn't seem to understand the idea of working together to improve the nation and make America a greater country, instead they focus their concerns on trashing the other party to make theirs look better. It should be less of a competition and more compromise should occur so that eventually they can come to agreements on things with the possibility of it benefitting both parties. I agree with the articles tone and idea, but I believe it lacks a good explanation of how they believe congress should execute reform.
In my opinion, i believe that congress should be reformed. This is due to the fact that there are many struggles for any bills or any action at all to be passed/ taken because of the tension and contradiction between the members. Although, the article states that "only" congress may reform itself?? I completly disagree. The people of the united states which elect the delegates to represent us need to make changes if necessary. A lot of members of congress choose to work on their own political agenda instead of working in unity to better the people's which they represent's agenda.
The whole gist of the article seemingly goes with the thought that congress needs to be fixed and changed. Congress, although voted in by the people, have too much abuse over power in the wrong way. If the politicians worked for the bettering of the U.S. there would be no issue, such that they could work to achieve people's goals, rather than work for their goals/ ego and power. With that, many say it's either congress or the people of the U.S. that can change congress for the better. But in fact, Americans are greedy and will not change for the whole being of the country, but for themselves, leaving the congress right back where we started. Thus, congress and the people of the U.S. need to take a step back from reality and fully understand their roles in government before people start pointing fingers at who they assume needs to change.
This Article made some very true points. The main argument being Congress and their inability to get their job done due to their structure. If any long-term improvements are to be made, then congress will need to change their structure. The problem is, Congress isn't going to fix that problem themselves. They are perfectly content with their individual roles, and the position they are in. It is the peoples job to make this reform a top priority or else it will continue to get pushed under the rug.
I agree with the ideas in the article about reform within our government's legislature. Congress has not been efficient recently. I don't think this has to do with structure as much as it does tension between Democrats and Republicans. Congress always struggles when it comes to making decisions and agreeing on laws. This is because the two parties never see eye to see. However, reforming Congress would only help to a certain extent. Tensions between Democrats and Republicans will always be a factor, and they need to learn how to compromise on things. Congress needs to understand that to do what's best for our country, they need to put aside their differences. I don't think Congress is all wrong and everything about it should be changed, because they make some good decisions.
I definitely believe that our Legislative body must be reformed, but I don’t truly understand what the article is attempting to promote. This article is writing about (seemingly to me) small issues, such as filibusters and long term funding bills. While I agree these issues are important, I see them as symptoms of a constitution written without a single mention of political parties. The long and the short of it is that Congress needs to compromise. The last time Congress completely failed to compromise; it lead to the bloodiest war in American history, the Civil War. The article doesn’t seem to give many solutions, so I’ll throw in mine. The Republicans and Democrats hold a duopoly over political positions resulting in a lack of completion and stagnation in policy making. If a political environment where third parties had a chance of gaining political powers existed, then the duopoly would be broken and congress members would be forced to pass bills or face failed reelection to the rising third parties.
I agree that congress should be reformed in order to get the legislation that this country needs passed. The house and senate are not getting along enough for anything to really be passed and it's causing us to go greater into debt than we already are. Maybe if there was a third party that could become part of the vote or a new system of voting because right now all that's happening is the democrats and republicans disagreeing and ultimately getting us nowhere.
I agree that Congress needs to realize that the system is broke and needs to take steps to fix it. I liked the idea of making a joint committee to discuss the organization of Congress and how to make it run smoother. I liked how the article talked about needing to get away from party lines and working together. But i disagreed with the fact that we should put so much trust, responsibility, and power in Congress to make these reforms. They are so lazy and inefficient, how can we ever trust them to get this done? I think the President should take more power in making sure that Congress can do its job correctly. I agree with the idea that no one cares about how Congress works, as long as it works. But it hasn't been working and that is why someone with power (the President) should be the one to fix it.
I agree with the idea of having Congress being the legislative body with the most power and influence of the government's decisions; however, I do not like the fact that Congress can potentially abuse this power. There are methods in which Congress can manipulate or "fix" its own body to benefit a party, possibly by redistricting, etc. Congressional power is somewhat balanced with the other bodies, but what scares me is that they can bend their own rules in a sense. The fact that Congress can change the way they do things may benefit society or may cheat society, depending on their intentions.
ReplyDeleteIn this article I agree that reform is needed in the way Congress governs and its thought-process considerations. I agree that providing a prior one-year funding authority will create an independent consignment to enable reviews on tax and spending bills. They should be funding for long-term 1-year budgets in order to ensure essential financial needs of the year. Congress should be putting more focus and improvement into individual program needs. The action of taking legal possession of assets until a national debt has been paid is a solution to this issue. Lastly, Congress should be all in favor of creating a joint committee that focuses on restoring confidence in the ideas they conduct in their institution.
ReplyDeleteThe ideas proposed by this article sound good in theory, but in practice won't "fix" Congress because it can't overcome the endemic problems in modern government. The structural problems raised in the article, like the filibuster and the Hastert rule, are phenomena that were created by Congressors who exploited loopholes in formal procedure to advance their parties' short-term political agendas. We can add as many reforms and create as many commissions as we'd like, but politicians under pressure will always find ways to work around them. The only way we can achieve the ideal Congress of efficiency and practicality is to change the intangible culture of politics in America, so that legislators have more room to evolve in their opinions and loosen the leashes that bound them so tightly to party lines. That will only work if both politicians and voters make a conscious decision to change their attitudes, which isn't likely to happen in the near future.
ReplyDeleteI think many citizens, including myself, agree that Congress is in great need of reform. It is plain to see both through this article, as well as through recent congressional decisions (and a lack thereof) that our representatives are not considering the long term view of their legislation. Congress already has less than a 20% approval rating, and at this rate it is likely to continue to plummet. The national budget for example, is a major factor in American's view of how the government is doing. Without reform regarding the review of governmental income and spending, as well as majority party influence, Congress will lose the little confidence we have in them, and therefore cease to move forward.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the ideas brought up in the article about reform within our government's legislature, Congress is not being efficient. As discussed in the article, Congress lacks the ability to make decisions and agree on laws. However, I believe that reforming Congress would only help to a certain extent. The tensions between Democrats and Republicans in the House, Senate, and the Executive Branch has made decision-making more difficult. In order to make the reforms effective, Congress and the Executive Branch must learn to put aside differences in order to do whats best for our country. As the article says, these tensions are not new and will always be there, making reform within our legislature difficult.
ReplyDeleteReform is a necessity in congress in order to become more efficient. It's incredibly difficult for the American people to support a political entity when they can barely support themselves. As the article states, it's nearly impossible for the American government system to be prosperous with the two parties being so caught up in what they deem as "right," particularly in the case of Congress. That being said, a few proposed solutions concerning committees aren't going to cure the issues that plague Congress. The budget isn't going to be miraculously passed, and therefore programs are either going to receive too much money or be severely underfunded. Also, the amount of insubordination to the "rules" as mentioned in the article, is a major contributor to the tension. The article is absolutely correct with the title, "Only Congress Can Fix Congress," but it's hard to believe we'll be seeing that anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to the three branches of government, I believe that power is distributed equally. However, when we take a closer at each individual branch, for example the legislative branch, we realize that this equality is not continued. With the development of the “Hastert Rule” in the House, and filibusters in the Senate, it’s evident that politicians are motivated by their own interests, and not the interests of the nation as a whole. There is no “fix” for congress. At the end of the day, government is an entity that is run by humans. Unfortunately, most politicians act on their own desires first, before taking into consideration the interests of others. Choosing the right representatives is hard. As history has shown, politicians will find loopholes around restrictions. The type of reform the article suggests is near impossible.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article, I agree that congress has not been effective and needs to reform. I also think that the reforms they brought up will only help to a certain
ReplyDeleteextent. The Republicans and Democrats most of the time never come to an agreement. In politics no one ever wants to give up their side. Therefore, there is no compromise and congress does not get any thing done. Also there are some people in congress who use loopholes to benefit only their party and not other people. If congress every does reform they need to work on thinking about the people more than what they want.
After reading the article, I did find that Congress has essentially been able to keep the stalemates it has had going because of laws they passes on their own, which is completely ridiculous. I do agree that Congress does need to start compromising and begin to pass bills. However, I felt that the article did not really give much insight as to how. Personally, I think that the Republicans and the Democrats have to start looking at the problems in this country as helpful politicians, instead of just immature adults who just want to keep their positions. Honestly, I think a pay cut is the only way Congress will get anything done anymore, instead of passing bills for the good of the country. In other words, Congress needs to get their crap together.
ReplyDeleteOne of the main problems our legislative branch of government faces today is its member’s inability to come together, work with one another, and pass laws that benefit the people and help to move the country forward. A line from this article that truly sums up the biggest problem with our country’s Congress states, “Why not come together like past Congresses and formally examine the obstacles that are causing legislative standoffs”. As much as all of us appreciate and value this idea, it’s a lot easier said than done. I agree with the point in the article about how today’s Congress should learn from previous Congresses that when faced with a president they find “difficult” to work with and vice versa, they must learn to use their opposing viewpoints to find somehow find common ground. When it comes to the University of Texas’s proposals on ideas that may help to reform the legislative branch in a beneficial way, I agree with the idea on appropriation bills because I feel it is important for Congress to become more organized in what money they are setting aside to be spent on certain things and how much they are spending on those certain things. This idea is also beneficial because it could potentially help Congress to follow the year’s set budget and reduce the risk of putting our country into an even bigger debt. Overall, I hope that the legislative branch can learn to overcome their opposing viewpoints this year on different political agendas in the hope of creating some change in America for this new year.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the power is seemingly distributed equally, events such as the government shutdown exposes, the legislative branch for its inability to efficiently carry out laws. I strongly agree that the opposing sides of politics need to compromise in order to pass bills. Neither side is doing the governmental system any good by refusing to allow the system to work. However, while I agree reform is necessary, I cannot see how these reforms will really change the ongoing tension between parties. Despite reforms, the parties will still be more focused on what they deem as “correct” and “beating” the other party. Although reform is needed, there is no solution at the moment that is guaranteed to work.
ReplyDeleteThere is no doubt that something needs to change in the current legislative process. Congress is startlingly inefficient and it hurts the country. When the lawmaking body is stagnate, nothing good can come of it. I particularly like the mention of the "piecemeal" nature of many of the bills that come up on the floor. The article is correct, in my opinion, in stating that the laws need to be made to fit specific issues and not thrown together to appease the other camp for just enough time for it to become an issue again. The one thing that I didn't particularly agree with was the idea of using the previous years' funding levels if appropriations are not agreed upon by September 30th. It seems to be that this can become yet another bargaining chip in the ridiculous partisan warfare of Congress. If the majority party likes the previous years' funding levels, they can delay and delay until they are forced back to them. It wouldn't do nearly as good a job of backing the Congressmen (and women) into a corner as one might think.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it can be stressed enough how much of a divide our nation is undergoing. I think that it is clearly reflected in congress and is worsening day by day. I agree with the notion that congress needs to do it's job which is doing the best it can for our nations good, and come together on things such as the budget and compromise instead of bringing work to a halt because of it. One thing I disagreed with in this article is that I don't think one plan is going to fix congress. I think it's going to take years of re-establishing congress to do it's job as it was meant to.
ReplyDeleteI agree that there is a need to reform congress and the way laws are passed. Congress has the most influence and power in the legislative branch when it comes down to making governments decisions. The power is unevenly distributed between whatever party has the majority. However, when you look at the way our government was designed, it's no surprise that it was designed to allow for slow changes over time. It was never meant to cause political stalemate to this extreme which we are witnessing today. I was not surprised to see that the people were losing faith in congress, as government shutdowns and budget battles continue to happen.
ReplyDeleteCraft a million new policies, a million new laws, and all we'll find is the unflinching ability of politicians to find a million ways around those laws and policies. Yes, reform would definitely not hurt, but it is only abatement - it is treating the symptoms, not the source. People and politicians place the interests of their parties and themselves above the interests of the country, and they preserve this divide by doing so. In their staunchness they stand unwaveringly, but not with the ideals of freedom or compromise or any other virtues our forefathers stood with, but against them, and change, and progress. That is what needs to be fixed - the environment of politics, the culture of politics, the people who fill politics, and the way we view politics. It won't be fixed with these surface-level reforms.
ReplyDeleteWhile this article holds a few good theories as to how Congress can fix itself, life isn't perfect; there's no way to say that Congress could magically be fixed in an instant, because there are too many people that are way too stubborn in Congress to bend their values for the other party. I definitely agree that there should be a joint committee for regulating the organization and efficiency of Congress, but I don't think using a 9/30 deadline is efficient: times change, and circumstances change. A year ago, we had barely heard of ISIS, for example, but now we've had to continue to maintain our military spending regardless of the original plan to end the War in Iraq. Even further, the Affordable Care Act has introduced a brand new area of spending that the United States has to account for now, and the concept wasn't even brought to light, let alone approved, only ten years ago. Even the way we tax citizens is dependent on our budget; we usually increase tax rates every year, but if we stuck with a prior plan without accounting for new budgetal factors or necessary tax increases, then the issues that need the most immediate attention will end up being ignored. I realize that I'm only using budget as an example, but there are plenty others too. Congress can definitely fix itself, however, but it's a matter of Congress actually wanting to.
ReplyDeleteI agree that their are certainly improvements that need to be modified in the US congress. I agree that the House definitely uses "special ones" in order to subvert their own party's majority when it comes to bills on the floor. However, corruption is bound to happen in small amounts in any governing body. This fixation on "fixing" congress is mainly focused around the time used to make decisions and, as the article says, germinates from outside the congress itself. I believe that congressional repairs all come down to simple teamwork. Both parties simply need to move past their "hardcore" values and pay attention to the needs of the nation as a whole rather what they believe is correct.
ReplyDeleteIt can be agreed upon that the way in which Congress handles legislative manners should be more efficient. It is a vital problem that needs to be fixed. Reform is essential. Why? Because there are too many opportunities that can help delay possible bills, and negative consequences that result when legislatures cannot agree upon a course of action. For example, the Government Shut Down. In theory, government reform seems like a viable course. But in practice, it is highly unlikely that it will happen.
ReplyDeleteI have to disagree with the article, because even though reform is a must, due to the high disagreements of political beliefs, tension between the two parties will cease to exist. In order for the legislative body of our government to work, w,e need all three branches of government to put aside their differences and do what is best for their country. Their priority is to do what will benefit the people, not themselves.
I agree that Congress has not been very effective when it comes to making consistent decisions regarding the federal budget. The common gridlock occurring between Congressmen needs to stop in order for real changes and improvement to be made. This is why I support the idea that in order for Congress to run more smoothly in the future, it must first reform itself. For example, the House should modify its legislative process so that bills can be openly discussed and debated before they are sent for approval. However, even though I agree that changes need to be made, I do not think that it is that simple. The article describes these changes as if they can easily appear the nest day, while in reality, it may take many years or even decades for the slightest changes to come in place. Congress should slowly implement small variations into its decision making process so that there are no drastic decisions that may lead into bigger consequences. Congress is too complex for such changes to be made too quickly, which is they they should be implemented with great caution and gradual pace.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Congress is being inefficient and is definitely in need of reform, but I don't necessarily believe one plan is going to reform Congress because reforming Congress can only go so far. The divides between the parties are so deep that it causes stalemate and nothings gets accomplished. Representatives from different parties will never see eye-to-eye because they want to accomplish their own political agendas in the time they are given. I believe that the only way to improve Congress's efficiency is to have both parties compromise, but I do not see that happening in the near future.
ReplyDeleteI think congress isn't in the best situation with decision making. Congress need to come to more of an agreement with bills. For the most part i agree that they need to come to a compromise with the budget, i think that is whats hurting them as well as us right now. Shutting down the government will only lead to the legislative branch unable to carry out laws. Other i than that i think the article is right, discussing bills on the floor and coming together will help fix Congress.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that the view of this article is a touch idealistic; Congress will never just “fix itself.” The proposed reforms in the governance structure and the internal decision-making process will have little impact, if ever implemented, because the men and women of Congress are set in their ways, and the majority of them have strong opinions. Though it may sound extreme, I think the article is promoting a shackle on patriotism; Congress’ politicians, though dogmatic [to a fault], want the best for our country…all the debate and molasses speed of achieving anything is due to their sense of responsibility to the people. With that said, it is possible that Congress can improve itself --- granted, for a brief time --- with regards to its compromising skills. As mentioned in the article, it already has thrown together bills to appease both parties, though at the expense of achieving anything noteworthy.
ReplyDeleteCongresses failure is blamed upon the fact that most members of congress aren't willing to cooperate with each other, but the fact of the matter is there is to many people in congress to actually get anything done. Our current set up for congress simply cannot support the needs of 50 states each with their own agenda. Why is anyone surprised that its next to impossible putting 100-435 people in a room with 50 different needs and 2 different beliefs on how the government can function. The American public needs to step back and observe the problems and realize it is not as simple as it seems a joint political committee would either pass everything that goes to congress or fail in its entirety or still not passing anything at all like the current system. The best solution may hurt in the short term however in the long term recreating the political system (atleast in congress) in a way that the same opinions could be represented with an equal power in a faster way.
ReplyDeleteCongress is efficient simply due to the large amount of members and agendas. Imagine getting a group of 20 friends to decide on one place to eat on a Friday night. Imagine instead of 20 friends it's actually over 400 people many of who don't agree with each other's views. Congress doesn't take into account the 300 million people who depend on them to make sound decisions for them. Instead they choose to be selfish by only worrying about their party agenda. The solution would be to first cut down the size of both the Senate and the HoR. Second step would be to give moderates and independents more power. A third step would be to change voting timing, as many individuals are still at work when the ballot closes at 6pm.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the article in that Congress has become corrupt and focused on monetary incentive rather than improving the United States. Lobbyists and big businesses control the government through their monetary "influence". The article is basically saying that the only way for Congress to be fixed is for the members of Congress to do it themselves. In its current state, Congress is not going to de-corrupt itself. Over the last hundred years, our government has become incredibly polarized due to the growth of capitalism and the importance of media in society. TV, radio, and internet ads control who is elected, rather than who has the best ideas. The polarization of democrats and republicans has lead to Congress becoming a complete stalemate unless one party rules over either the House or Senate. To fix our Congress, we have to find a middle ground or eliminate the party system which has divided the american public.
ReplyDeleteMany people will agree that our Congress is in need of reform. The deep split of the parties in our nation is reflected by the actions of Congress and their decision making. Although the ideas of this articles are idealistic, Congress cannot just simply fix itself. I agree that there needs to be more compromise between both of the parties in order to keep moving forward; however, each party is more focused on their own political agendas. There is no solution at this time that would initiate large reform.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the notion that it’s within the Congress’ power to fix or end the budget and appropriation process along with the rules, which govern the legislative process. A reform is needed to ensure the structure of Congress, ultimately improving our republic. The tensions between the Democratic and Republican Party are too intense and need to be reevaluated. It will take a decent amount of time before our government can get back on track, but I have faith that it will eventually, if certain steps and actions are planned accordingly.
ReplyDeleteWhile Congress is the most effective body out there when we need reform , in, in itself is pretty broken up. There are some interesting ideas presented in this article, but really misses the main point of our current legislative predicament. The politics of consensus requires a basic stability in American economic life which simply does not exist first off. In the article it mentions that we should come together like past Congresses and formally examine the obstacles that are causing legislative standoffs. I have to agree with this, we can’t just continue the current resolutions which undermine their ability to efficiently and effectively plan and execute their budgets, especially when final funding is not known until two quarters into that fiscal year. We need to work together with Congress and alongside work with politicians and with voters to change their attitudes but also gain back our confidence, and this will unfortunately take much time. So the only way out is either we fix the American economy or we will have no social or political peace.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the idea of reforming Congress, I think that it is essential, but I don’t see it being effective any time soon until the Democrats and the Republicans stop focusing on which party is on top and which one has all the power.( They are acting like they are in high school trying to become the most popular.) Nothing will continue to happen until they start putting the needs of this nation first and begin to actually do things that will benefit the people in this country. Since they are constantly at odds, Congress has failed to ensure that impression of affirmation that Americans look to acquire from them. It is time that Congress revises the courses they take in terms of deliberating, financing, and enacting. I agree with the article when it talks about executing budgets that don’t plunge this nation into further debt and also having the final funding plan executed at an earlier date rather than two quarters into the fiscal year. Even if reform takes place it will not go into effect immediately and who knows if it will endure into the next Congressional pool.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Congress can only fix themselves and that they are in need of major reform. Yes, Congress would be much more productive if we had a way to compromise without bribing members to vote certain ways. However, I don't believe this is actually possible with the ideas the article is suggesting. Politicians and political parties are naturally selfish, and it would not be realistic to simply emerge the two parties and force them to work together. Also, if the majority party is consistently winning battles, why would it want to change the system and work with the opposing party?
ReplyDeleteI agree with the article in that what we can fix are individualizing and specializing government programs to fit certain needs. Although it would be nice to set rules to prevent the House from making up their own, finding loopholes is inevitable.
I agree with the fact that Congress definitely needs to be reformed. The government shutdown over something that wasn't even necessarily an urgent issue shows how flawed our system is. Like the article said, there is too much rancor and fruitless debate. Personally, I think I agree with the founding fathers (specifically George Washington) in that the party system is in itself flawed. I agree completely that there needs to be much more cooperation and team work if anything is to be done. If a party that's not the majority wants to see pass a bill that would greatly benefit the people, that bill will most likely never be passed simply because the majority party is against the other party. Our system is certainly flawed, but I am one of those people that the article mentioned that isn't too concerned with how the system works, but simply that it works. I do think that if the system were to work, politicians would have to put aside the fact that they are part of different parties and remember why they are in politics in the first place - to do what's best for the people, not do whatever it takes to win the next election.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the fact that our legislative branch cannot pass laws and they get very little or nothing done. I do agree that some of the problem is the debt ceiling of the government. I don't agree with the complete government shutdown idea that was proposed in the article. It happened before and the people weren't very pleased with it. It will raise the debt ceiling, but I believe that there are better options. I do agree with the changes of legislature which was proposed as well. This system has been working for well for a while and it isn't hurting the nation, it is just slowing it down. I don't know how to fix congress, but if anything they do need to make some slight changes to the law making process.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that Congress should definitely be reformed and to be honest, money is a single most issue in terms of their arguments. Money is a huge reason for the government shutdown from the outside, but looking on the inside it is all about the parties themselves. They seem to only care about who can get the majority. It is purely just a pissing match, they only want to see who is the "best." While this is a generalization, it is the sole reason that nothing is able to pass. congress needs to become more about the country and its citizens rather than which party is best fit to run the country. Once they are able to work together, there will be reform, but I do not think there is a possibility for reform until then. Instead of monitoring how Congressmen are voting, maybe the focus should just be on what is best. We don't need to polarize the parties more than they already are.
ReplyDeleteI do think that Congress does need some reforms, but it is unclear whether the reforms would actually help as one would think. Congress does need to start becoming less corrupt, but this will probobly take several years, and the only way to change it is to elect representatives that will not be suseptible to corruption. Congress will not be able to just change itself overnight. I do think that filibusters do not do anything more then waste time that has the potential to be used productively in an already unproductive congress.
ReplyDeleteWhile the article presents some good ideas, the whole system of how congress is right now, won’t allow for the ability to "require all appropriations bills to be considered on the floor without amendment and with an up or down vote, creating an independent commission to conduct regular comprehensive reviews of all tax and mandatory spending bills." If parties are ever present, the likelihood of them ignoring party lines and attempting to understand the other 'spectrum' is highly unlikely. That is the whole reason filibustering and the Hastert rule were created. What congress should try correct is the pointless veto’s and overrides, just because another party introduced the idea. Overlook the party and look at the idea. There is power in unity.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the article, it points out how inefficient congress has been lately taking extended periods of time to get nothing done. What is the need to continuously veto something? The definition of insanity is doing the exact same thing over and over and expecting a different result. In that case Congress is the definition of insane. As a nation we need to focus less on being a Democrat or being a Republican and focus more on putting the differences aside for the best of the nation. Each party is going to have to step out of its comfort zone and agree to come together to become more efficient and get things needed passsed.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Congress is in need of a reform but I disagree that Congress is the only one that can fix Congress. Since Congress is becoming more and more corrupt, I don’t think that Congress will fix themselves, and that another source must intervene to fix Congress. A change is needed in order for an improvement to happen. Due to the fact that congress is more conservative and the president being a liberal, causes few bills to be passed. The result of this is a stalemate and unbalance of power that is distributed. For example, Republican members of congress forced a Government shut down in protest of ObamaCare, however the shutdown didn’t actually stop ObamaCare. Congress isn't getting enough done. It's America, aren’t we supposed to have the best everything and everything is supposed to work? I think not.
ReplyDeleteThe article brings up valid points, yet it involves an obvious thesis, that congress needs some fixing. I agree with the opinion that congress is in need of new rules, but I feel like the article simply begs the question, by saying that something needs to be done then referencing past fixes in previous congresses, without really posing any viable new solutions. The problem is that the members of congress work within their own realm under their own rules, which they can change to benefit the majority party, for example, the use of redistricting or the Hastert rule. I think that for any real change to occur in congress, there must be a change in the opinions of people, and therefore the representatives that they elect. Although individualism is freely expressed in America, I feel that it is lost in politics, leading politicians to work along party lines which clump "types of people" together in views. The sooner congressmen can focus on the good of the nation, as opposed to their re-election or the strength of their party, the sooner they can get more work done.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the idea that Congress reforming Congress is the best solution, I also agree with the general sentiment of the "us vs them" mentality that is growing due to differences within Congress. I do not agree with the idea that "ONLY" Congress can reform itself. I think a lot of the article deals with pointing out problems without addressing the larger issues that create those problems. How many citizens can name their senators? Let alone all the representatives of their state. Congressmen are generally absolved of all failures because no matter what they do it's very difficult for them to be held accountable to the people. Another larger issue is the general entrenchment of the country into parties. No longer are good ideas or innovations valued for their face value - they are only valued for the politics of the situation. Obama and Romney weren't ALLOWED to agree on a good health care idea, even if one of them was the inventor of said idea. The article also doesn't really address HOW we reach those better solutions - yes we need compromise, and neither side wants to - but how do you go about it? Henry Clay certainly didn't just tell people to compromise but came up with ideas that could appeal to both sides and each tensions. That is what we currently need, along with a more idealistic congress. The politics of the situation is really what has thrown congress off. That said I agree with the general tone of the article and support the opposition it provides to certain bad policies of congress that do reinforce party politics.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the article on its opinion about how congress is in need of new rules and changes. Even thought they didn't even suggest any solutions which was basically the downside of all this. I think the problems is that the majority of congress work together, within just one group and they can change the rules to their own benefit. Which kind of blows because that means they are only helping themselves. The only solution to this is for people to start acknowledging more who they pick to represent them. If not, the representatives will just keep on doing what they are doing, with no hesitation at all on benefiting just themselves. I mean all they worry about is to get reelected, and that's all they are focused on. If they could actually start focusing on how to make the nation better, people would be more happy.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the general tone of the article that congress does in fact need to be reformed. I believe that the only way it can be reformed efficiently is if it is reformed within itself. Politicians focus more on increasing their image or ego and don't focus on the true reason as to why they are in power in the first place. Don't get me wrong a lot of problems, and power for that matter, lie in the peoples hands because after all they are voted in by the people; however, politicians can sway peoples opinions by doing anything to achieve the vote of the person sitting in front of them. Once a politician achieves power he or she does anything and everything to keep it. They focus less on bettering the nation as whole and more on how much power they wish to hold. Congress has also turned into a competition with the idea of "versus," liberals vs. conservatives, or republicans vs. democrats. Instead of focusing on the competition side and trying to achieve a win for a majority republican house or a majority democrat senate, they should focus on coming up with solutions together. Congress doesn't seem to understand the idea of working together to improve the nation and make America a greater country, instead they focus their concerns on trashing the other party to make theirs look better. It should be less of a competition and more compromise should occur so that eventually they can come to agreements on things with the possibility of it benefitting both parties. I agree with the articles tone and idea, but I believe it lacks a good explanation of how they believe congress should execute reform.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, i believe that congress should be reformed. This is due to the fact that there are many struggles for any bills or any action at all to be passed/ taken because of the tension and contradiction between the members. Although, the article states that "only" congress may reform itself?? I completly disagree. The people of the united states which elect the delegates to represent us need to make changes if necessary. A lot of members of congress choose to work on their own political agenda instead of working in unity to better the people's which they represent's agenda.
ReplyDeleteThe whole gist of the article seemingly goes with the thought that congress needs to be fixed and changed. Congress, although voted in by the people, have too much abuse over power in the wrong way. If the politicians worked for the bettering of the U.S. there would be no issue, such that they could work to achieve people's goals, rather than work for their goals/ ego and power. With that, many say it's either congress or the people of the U.S. that can change congress for the better. But in fact, Americans are greedy and will not change for the whole being of the country, but for themselves, leaving the congress right back where we started. Thus, congress and the people of the U.S. need to take a step back from reality and fully understand their roles in government before people start pointing fingers at who they assume needs to change.
ReplyDeleteThis Article made some very true points. The main argument being Congress and their inability to get their job done due to their structure. If any long-term improvements are to be made, then congress will need to change their structure. The problem is, Congress isn't going to fix that problem themselves. They are perfectly content with their individual roles, and the position they are in. It is the peoples job to make this reform a top priority or else it will continue to get pushed under the rug.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the ideas in the article about reform within our government's legislature. Congress has not been efficient recently. I don't think this has to do with structure as much as it does tension between Democrats and Republicans. Congress always struggles when it comes to making decisions and agreeing on laws. This is because the two parties never see eye to see. However, reforming Congress would only help to a certain extent. Tensions between Democrats and Republicans will always be a factor, and they need to learn how to compromise on things. Congress needs to understand that to do what's best for our country, they need to put aside their differences. I don't think Congress is all wrong and everything about it should be changed, because they make some good decisions.
ReplyDeleteI definitely believe that our Legislative body must be reformed, but I don’t truly understand what the article is attempting to promote. This article is writing about (seemingly to me) small issues, such as filibusters and long term funding bills. While I agree these issues are important, I see them as symptoms of a constitution written without a single mention of political parties. The long and the short of it is that Congress needs to compromise. The last time Congress completely failed to compromise; it lead to the bloodiest war in American history, the Civil War. The article doesn’t seem to give many solutions, so I’ll throw in mine. The Republicans and Democrats hold a duopoly over political positions resulting in a lack of completion and stagnation in policy making. If a political environment where third parties had a chance of gaining political powers existed, then the duopoly would be broken and congress members would be forced to pass bills or face failed reelection to the rising third parties.
ReplyDeleteI agree that congress should be reformed in order to get the legislation that this country needs passed. The house and senate are not getting along enough for anything to really be passed and it's causing us to go greater into debt than we already are. Maybe if there was a third party that could become part of the vote or a new system of voting because right now all that's happening is the democrats and republicans disagreeing and ultimately getting us nowhere.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Congress needs to realize that the system is broke and needs to take steps to fix it. I liked the idea of making a joint committee to discuss the organization of Congress and how to make it run smoother. I liked how the article talked about needing to get away from party lines and working together. But i disagreed with the fact that we should put so much trust, responsibility, and power in Congress to make these reforms. They are so lazy and inefficient, how can we ever trust them to get this done? I think the President should take more power in making sure that Congress can do its job correctly. I agree with the idea that no one cares about how Congress works, as long as it works. But it hasn't been working and that is why someone with power (the President) should be the one to fix it.
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