In the United States of America, there are a number of national issues that go unresolved and become more of a major issue subsequently. The lack of resolution in some of our nation’s most critical issues is due to the lack of a common ground between opposing political parties. Issues such as healthcare, climate change, abortion, same-sex marriage, taxes and welfare are reoccurring problems in the United States due to congressional gridlock. The cause of congressional gridlock can be attributed to the difference in liberal and conservative views, which can be further examined through some of the nation’s most prominent reoccurring issues such as immigration and gun control. The root cause for congressional gridlock is …show more content…
The difference between liberal and conservative views has contributed to the lack of obtaining a solution for controlling illegal immigration. The liberal position believes that amnesty should be granted for undocumented immigrants entering our country illegally. The liberal position also believes that these undocumented immigrants should gain all benefits that citizens receive such as financial aid, health care, voting rights and social security just to list a few. Ultimately, liberals believe that illegal immigrants should have the same rights as legal citizens. On the other hand, the conservative viewpoint towards the issue of illegal immigration is the opposite. Conservatives are against granting amnesty for illegal, undocumented immigrants. Conservatives also believe that illegal immigrants who break the law should not have the same rights as legal citizens who abide by the law, as well as increasing the need for border security to reduce illegal immigration issues (Conservative vs. Liberal Beliefs). In order to resolve this national issue of illegal immigration, these two parties must find some sort of common ground. Security must be enforced to keep terrorist and known criminals out of the country. There should be an increase in border security to slow down illegal drugs being imported and trafficked into the nation. There needs to be an agreement as to what jobs are not …show more content…
Conservatives believe that the Second Amendment gives citizens of the United States the right to bear arms. Citizens also have the right to defend themselves. Conservative views point out that laws pertaining to gun control do not stop people who disobey the law, such as criminals, from obtaining guns. To lower the gun crime rates, new, additional laws should not be created. Instead, the enforcement and abidance of laws currently in place is what is needed in order to solve the issue of gun control, according to the conservative view. On the opposing political viewpoint of the liberals, guns are not needed for citizens’ protection. The role of the government is to protect the people through law enforcement and military. Liberals believe that there should be more gun control laws created in order to lessen gun violence as well as limit the ability for criminals to obtain guns. Liberals believe that more violence is inevitable with more guns in the possession of citizens (Conservative vs. Liberal
The issues in current time is the willingness for the parties to find common ground. The parties need to work together to strengthen the country. The “DACA” program is a great humanitarian program that will transform the lives of 800,000 immigrants.
In America guns have been a part of the country’s society since it’s birth. Throughout history the citizens of the US have used firearms to protect the nation, protect their families, hunt for food and engage in sporting activities. The issue of Guns and gun control is complex. Weighing the rights and liberties of the individual against the welfare and safety of the public has always been a precarious balancing act. In the United States, gun control is one of these tumultuous issues that has both sides firmly entrenched in their positions. Those parties in favor of gun ownership and the freedom to use and keep arms, rely on the fact that the provision for such rights is enshrined in their constitution. In this climate of growing violence, rife with turmoil and crime, gun advocates feel more than ever that their position is justified. As citizens of the “Land of the Free” possessing a gun is a fundamental right, and may even be a necessity... Anti- gun lobbyists point to the same growing violence and gun related crimes in an effort to call on the government to take action. By enacting more laws and stricter control, these people not in favor of guns feel society would be better safer.
In Sinclair’s analysis, voters, political activists, and politicians all play significant roles in creating and enforcing the ideological gap between the two major parties in Congress. This trend of polarization is rooted in the electorate
Joseph Sobran argues that, “there are solid constitutional arguments against gun control. For one thing, nowhere in the Constitution is the federal government granted the right to limit an individual's right to own firearms”. He states that the government has no right to limit guns. Even though he has a point there is a limit to that statement such as serious criminals and mentally unstable people. Likewise Sharon Harris states that guns protect people against criminals, “the right to bear arms protects the individual from violent aggressors and from the ineffective protection state and federal government is offering its citizens … criminals benefit from gun control laws that make it more difficult for ordinary citizens to protect themselves.” She believes that guns keep people safe and that regulating guns will only benefit criminals. This is not true because regulations help prevent criminals from getting guns. Having less regulations is a dangerous
The United States of America has engaged in the battle known as political polarization since before its foundation in 1776. From the uprising against the powerful British nation to the political issues of today, Americans continue to debate about proper ideology and attempt to choose a side that closely aligns with their personal beliefs. From decade to decade, Americans struggle to determine a proper course of action regarding the country as a whole and will often become divided on important issues. Conflicts between supporters of slavery and abolitionists, between agriculturalists and industrialists, and between industrial workers and capitalists have fueled the divide. At the Congressional level there tends to be a more prevalent display of polarization and is often the blame of Congress’ inefficiency. James Madison intentionally designed Congress to be inefficient by instating a bicameral legislation. Ambition would counter ambition and prevent majority tyranny. George Washington advised against political parties that would contribute to polarization and misrepresentation in his Farewell Address of 1796. Washington warns, “One of the expedients of party to acquire influence within particular districts is to misrepresent the opinions and aims of other districts.” Today, the struggle to increase power between political parties results in techniques to gain even the smallest marginal gains. To truly understand political polarization, we must examine data collected through a variety of means, the effects of rapidly changing technology, and observe what techniques are used to create such a polarized political system.
Opposing sides have for years fought over the laws that govern firearms. For the purposes of this paper "Gun Control" is defined as policies enacted by the government that limit the legal rights of gun owners to own, carry, or use firearms, with the intent of reducing gun crimes such as murder, armed robbery, aggravated rape, and the like. So defined, gun control understandably brings favorable responses from some, and angry objections from others. The gun control debate is generally publicized because of the efforts of the Pro-Gun Lobby or the Anti-Gun Lobby.
Between the period of 1820-1861 there was a number of political compromises done in order reduce the sectional tension between the North and the South. While each of the compromises created helped the issue that the country was facing at that time, they did not help overall. The compromises were only a temporary fix for the country’s problem of sectionalism. Therefore while political compromises were effective in reducing the tension between the North and the South it did not help in preventing the civil war.
In modern day America there are many major topics that continue to divide our nation. Among the top issues are healthcare, the rising national debt, and the economy. These issues are commonly talked about and usually the overall opinion is the same, the only thing that differs is the approach to meet the common goal. Healthcare is usually considered a good thing and we need to get as many people covered as possible, the rising national debt is obviously considered bad and we need to find a way to reduce it, and the economy isn't strong right now and we need to find a way to improve it. This is common among most of the issues, however, one of America's issues tend to be extremely polarizing. Gun rights has become one of the most contested issues for the American public and opinions vary vastly on the desired outcome as well as the methods to obtain that desired outcome. One end of the spectrum believes that guns are too dangerous and wants heavy restrictions on the ownership of them. The other end believes the Second Amendment protects our right to own guns and want very little res...
There is much debate in the United States whether or not there is polarization between our two dominate political parties. Presidential election results have shown that there is a division between the states; a battle between the Democratic blue states and the Republican red states. And what is striking is that the “colors” of these states do not change. Red stays red, and blue stays blue. Chapter 11 of Fault Lines gives differing views of polarization. James Wilson, a political science professor at Pepperdine University in California, suggests that polarization is indeed relevant in modern society and that it will eventually cause the downfall of America. On the contrast, Morris Fiorina, a political science professor at Stanford University, argues that polarization is nothing but a myth, something that Americans should not be concerned with. John Judis, a senior editor at The New Republic, gives insight on a driving force of polarization; the Tea Party Movement. Through this paper I will highlight the chief factors given by Wilson and Judis which contribute to polarization in the United States, and will consider what factors Fiorina may agree with.
With Democrats vying for stricter gun laws, Republicans are apprehensive because it restricts the Second Amendment right. After a gunman opened fire on civilians at a concert in Las Vegas, Democrats in Congress insisted Republicans to take action against gun laws. The result was a stalemate, this “lack of action” prevents legislation from passing to attack the United States’ most pressing topics. Moreover, without proper legislation, mass murderers are rapidly increasing and are presenting to be a greater threat. Also, another issue is budget resolutions, which is affecting tax reform. Under President Trump’s administration, Congress is in a gridlock regarding the budget resolutions. With Conservatives wanting to cut federal welfare programs (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) and Democrats on the opposition, this stalemate is hindering tax reform legislation. Lastly, climate change and energy efficiency continue to gridlock Congress. Most Republicans deny scientist’s claims on climate change; however, there is no resolution to this pressing issue for the United States and
The battle between the Democrats and the Republicans is a battle that has gone on ever since the 1900s. The only way that a political party can take over the house is if they are able to address the issues that relevant to the people. Now that elections are around the corner, many candidates are bringing up issues that have been affecting America for a while and how they are going to change it for the better. The issue of immigration has been brought up by both the Democrats and the Republicans, but both don’t seem to come to an agreement on the issue. The Republicans believe that illegal immigrants should not be given the same benefits as a legal citizen, but America should welcome those that come in legally. On the other hand, Democrats believe
America is the most well armed nation in the world, with American citizens owning about 270 million of the world’s 875 million firearms (Marshall). Indeed, this is more than a quarter of the world’s registered firearms. The reason why Americans own so many guns is because of the Second Amendment, which states, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” (Rauch) This amendment guarantees U.S. citizens the right to have firearms. Since this amendment is relatively vague, it is up for interpretation, and is often used by gun advocates to argue for lenient gun laws. Hence, gun control is a frequently discussed controversial topic in American politics.
For years proposals for gun control and the ownership of firearms have been among the most controversial issues in modern American politics. The public debate over guns in the United States is often seen as having two side. Some people passionately assert that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to own guns while others assert that the Second Amendment does no more than protect the right of states to maintain militias. There are many people who insist that the Constitution is a "living document" and that circumstances have changed in regard to an individual’s right to bear arms that the Second Amendment upholds. The Constitution is not a document of total clarity and the Second Amendment is perhaps one of the worst drafted of all its amendments and has left many Americans divided over the true intent.
People have questioned gun control long time. Many people wonder if anyone, aside from those who join the law force, should be allowed to carry guns. Benjamin Franklin once said, “Those who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety” (Wright 4). Franklin understood that taking guns away from law-abiding citizens would not uphold their liberty. Some people who argue for gun control state many violent crimes involve guns. Others believe a child could find the gun and something bad could happen to the child or others when a gun is unsafely stored. People who argue against gun control might say there is a huge psychological gap between citizens who shoot to protect themselves or their property and those who go into schools and shoot at others. Criminals will always find a way around gun control laws and will be able to obtain and use guns illegally. The second amendment protects gun rights for individual citizens. Reasonable gun control laws and educational steps can be taken to protect the majority of U.S. citizens. Gun control does not only take guns away from criminals, gun control also limits law-abiding citizens from protecting themselves and their families when necessary.
Every day some news related to gun violence are being heard all over the world. Shooting in driveway, public places, schools, homicide and suicide are some of different types of gun violence. Shooting on people and killing them is a big issue in the world and different comments are provided about that. One of the most important of them is about gun control laws. Stingl (2013) says “The term gun control as it is used in the United States refers to any action taken by the federal government or by state or local governments to regulate, through legislation, the sale, purchase, safety, and use of handguns and other types of firearms by individual citizens.” According to this idea gun control laws should be stricter and people should not be able to have access to guns easily. However, there are many other people who believe this idea is not a good solution and never help. This essay will demonstrate for and against views about the topic. People who agree with this idea consider: firstly, stricter laws will reduce violence and gun control means crime control. Secondly, some research shows people with gun are more at risks of getting shot. Thirdly, guns can always be misused by their owners and finally, stricter law is the best and the faster way to control crime and make community safe. While opponents say first of all, guns are necessary for people safety and protection. Secondly, guns are not the only tools for killing and violence; there are other weapons too and finally, gun ownership is human rights.