Formerly residing in Baguio City and currently residing in Chesapeake, Virginia, I grew up seeing and voting some of the same politicians seeking office for two or more terms with some doing their best to make Baguio City the finest place in the Philippines, while the others have little significant contributions in running the city government and its populace. However, times have changed and younger politicians are becoming more interested in the political arena. Indeed, there is a need to balance the political equation in the local election in the City of Baguio with new, vibrant, and intelligent young politicians who are equipped with the spirit of public service, integrity, courage and commitment. Based on the recent news report in your newspaper there are over 50 aspiring candidates in different positions for the City of Baguio.
This year’s election is critical to the survival of Baguio City. For several years, Baguio’s local government have the same issue on illegal squatting, illegal gambling, transportation congestion, rising numbers of mendicants, and peddlers selling thei...
The fourth chapter of City Politics by Dennis R. Judd & Todd Swanstrom covers the rise of "Reform Politics" with many local governments during the first half of the 1900s as a way to combat the entrenched political machines that took control of many large city governments in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Over the course of the chapter, Judd & Swanstrom quickly cover the history of the "reform movement" with different examples of how the reform movement affected city politics in different areas.
One of the most important problems that arose from this growth, however, was the absence of a legitimate urban government. Political, or urban, machines filled this void, and through patronage and graft secured votes from as many people as possible for their respective parties4. Immigrants were usually the easiest targets because they frequently did not speak much English, but more importantly, they were looking for security in the city, which could be achieved simply by giving a party your vote on Election Day7.... ... middle of paper ... ...
The first major concern is the high incidence of crime. Much of the crime is related to the illegal drug trade. The off-the-books culture comes into play, too. And the deep divisions between rich and poor means t...
Many people know about or have witnessed this corruption taking place and numerous attempts to rid of it have been made. It is not an easy task attempting to bring justice to where justice should be made. There ...
In order for a politician to make his way up the ranks, he usually needs to build a strong intra-ethnic coalition followed by inter-ethnic support. This can be a difficult task because the the politician has to please everyone, which makes him seem “bland” to his original supporters.
a whole, must push for a change in the government election process to where the elites do
Adrienne Rich once wrote an open letter titled “Politics of Location” that profoundly opened my eyes to a relevantly obvious concept of self-identity. More often than not, one fails to see the truth that sits right before his or her own eyes. However, it is still the responsibility of the individual to be accountable for that truth. The concept of politics of location is simply that one’s life experiences affects one’s perspective. Unintentionally, individuals make themselves the center of reality. When, in actuality, one is only the center of his or her own reality. Rich also goes on to explain that people are different; yet, individuals have an uncanny since of imagined community. That being, the feeling that
Over the past centuries, South Florida counties mayor-council forms have been frequently correlated to the association of corrupted government officials. Constituents have been conditioned to expect local governments' corruption tactics, but levels of endurance have been set; meaning they can take but so much before the people speak out. Supporters or fans are mesmerized by officials as they campaign and rally for locals' support. Speeches of lies and deceit have become the leading jargon of political speeches. Lowering taxes, creating jobs, and decreasing crime rates are the propaganda political leaders propose to the vulnerable followers. The forgotten promises become a vague memory why officials were elected in office. Instead of meeting the goals they had aimed to achieve, they warm their plush leather mayor's seats; plant a few trees in the city; kiss a few babies, and make the city treasury their personal piggy banks (e.g. former Mayor Carlos Alvarez). Apparently, the obligations as a mayor have been hindered by lust and greed once they are in office. The ethics of the true meaning of a mayor and their duties have been manipulated, and abandoned, from the true origins of mayor-council form obligations. In addition, constituents have repressed their opinions and subdue to corruption, despite the evident abuse of power. Locals believe their voices will be ignored; hence, they are willing to accept repression and undergo corruption until they think the well has run dry. Multiple occurrences of mayor political corruption surrounds the argument what permits the mishandling of power? Theoretically, the differentiations of weak mayor-council form versus strong mayor-council form are variables in variation of the ou...
According to the report, women have been running for public offices in ever increasing numbers. Nevertheless, it can sometimes be a daunting task, as women can sometimes encounter violence or prejudice in the field of politics. However, it seems that women’s difficulty in participating in government and politics is an issue which is being tackled in many areas. It seems that it is (or has been) an international issue, which is consistent across many cultures. The types of obstacles women face may vary from are to are, but there usually exist a few obstacles. For example, the report cited an example concerning the 2007 Kenyan general elections where a record number of women sought parliamentary seats, however, there were also unprecedented levels of violence. Women across the world have been grossly underrepresented in government for ages. Of course, certain things are...
The political and economic history of Jamaica is based upon its foundation as a slave colony. From the beginning, the colony was under Spanish rule that relied upon native slave laboring in the sugar fields. The first law to be implemented upon the island under Spanish rule was the Repartimiento, introduced by Governor Esquivel, the first governor of Jamaica. The law enabled colonists to apply for and receive special permission to use the natives for a period of time; forcing them into labors such as planting and logging (Bennett 70). Francisco de Garay, who became governor in 1514, enacted an other set of regulations called the Requermiento (The Requirement) (Bennett 70). This system was implemented with the basis that the colonists had to convert the natives to Christianity; Garay was hopeful that in doing so, the natives would “be tractable, properly maintained and live and greatly multiply” (Sherlock 70).
What is politics? Throughout history, people have participated in politics on many different levels. They may have participated through a direct democracy, in which they directly governed, or they may have participated through a representative democracy, in which they participated by electing representatives. As citizens’, people have participated in politics to attain the things they needed or wanted, the valued things. Participation in politics has been the way that people have a voice and change the things that directly affect their lives. Throughout the course of history, politics has been the competition of ideas; they decide who gets what, when, where and how.
After the person has entered their name into the election, they must start to campaign. There are m...
Government officials trusted by the people are nowadays the ones involved in the major issue in the country which is Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) Scam, or the pork-barre...
Actually, many Filipino voters are shading the names in the ballots during elections, not because they know the personality and background of a specific candidate, but rather the surname sounds familiar. Another instance is, they are satisfied with the “catchy” advertisements of these candidates. Our country, the Philippines, has been in a system like this for decades, and it is called the political dynasty. Political dynasty is very evident in our country. During the senatorial campaign and elections last 2013, many names have been controversial. Several candidates have been questioned whether they can be adequate leaders of the country, in spite the fact that they lack experience. However, they have still won the elections because of their effective advertisements, which include an interview of “Why am I voting for (the name of the candidate)?” from the family member or relative who currently holds a position in the Philippine government, or a former politician who has maximized his serving period.
Corruption and fraud is a relevant topic in South Africa and will continue to be so until it is able to be limited. Corruption is committed mainly by people in power as they neglect and take advantage of this power in order to better themselves at the expense of others. Fraud and corruption is the wrongful or criminal deception that results in financial or personal gain. Government officials, police officers and some unexpected individuals such as law officials have been known to commit corruption and fraud. There have been cases of corruption in the 2014 elections and the political parties have seen that it is something the community is concerned over. Each party has addressed this concern and suggested ways in which to limit this corruption. Not only is corruption morally wrong, but it causes trust problems between the community and people in power, the people who are meant to help society. (1)