How a Bill Becomes Law Essay example -- American Government

It seems the Founders wanted to make the passage of legislation difficult. The Constitution settles how bills become law in the United States. The procedure is operose and can take significant time to complete. The course materials of week three offer more than enough information on how the procedure works. This essay will, mainly, use the course materials to describe the process of how a bill becomes a law. The process of transforming a bill into a law requires the participation of both the Legislative branch and Executive branch of government. Before there is a law, there is a bill – and bills have many phases to pass through before these may become laws. The course materials of week three point out that a bill can originate in the House of Representatives or in the Senate – but different versions of the same bill could begin simultaneously in both chambers of Congress (Unit 3 the Congress, 9). It is possible for the President – or someone else – to write a bill, but a member of Congress must introduce the legislation through sponsorship. New bills receive a number and receive assignment to the committee best suited to examine the bill. Project Vote Smart reveals â€Å"Bills may be referred to more than one committee and it may be split so that parts are sent to different committees† (Project Vote Smart 2010). If the bill passes through the committee – or committees – the bill may get a new number before passing on to floor action. But it is not necessary for the bil l to receive a new number. The foregoing stages describe the initial actions of the Legislative branch in the procedure of a bill becoming law. Depending on the chamber of Congress where the bill exists, the procedures for floor action differ. I... ...ences American Military University Faculty. Course Materials Unit 3 the Congress. American Public University System. https://online.apus.edu/educator/student/ [the rest of the URL is deleted as it contains information tied to my student ID number, etc. in the URL and this piece of html code presents a security risk] (accessed November 22, 2010). Harris, Lawrence S. Discussion Board 3, Response to Joshua Jordan . American Public University System. https://online.apus.edu/educator/student/ [the rest of the URL is deleted as it contains information tied to my student ID number, etc. in the URL and this piece of html code presents a security risk] (accessed November 22, 2010). Project Vote Smart. GOVERNMENT 101: How a Bill Becomes a Law . Project Vote Smart. http://www.votesmart.org/program_about_pvs.php (accessed November 22, 2010)

Bill of Rights Essay

The Bill of Rights is the ten amendments of the United States Constitution. They were first introduced by James Madison in 1789. These amendments protect the fundamental rights of citizens by restricting the powers of the federal government. These rights provide freedom of speech, religion, bear arms and freedom from search and cruel punishment. Congress can also cannot impose the death penalty or seize the property of any individual without the due process of courts. The Bill of Rights remains the fundamental document of the American government and legal system. It also embodies the freedom and culture of the nation. The First Amendment of the United States prevents Congress from making legislation that establishes any religion, prohibits freedom of religion, restricts freedom of speech and press or limits the right to assemble peacefully. The founding fathers did not want an official Church to be established in the new nation. The British had established the Church of England as the official church of Britain. This Church was also the official church in some of the colonies. The founding fathers believed that this limited their freedom of religion. They also believed that government should not favor any one religion because it would lead to religious intolerance. Indeed the primary function of migration to North America was to escape the religious and economic persecution present in Europe. Anti British publications disseminated information regarding abuses of the colonial rule. Further anyone with pro British sentiments was silenced or intimidated. The founding fathers therefore passed this amendment in order to ensure that tolerance of different ideas and expression were allowed (Hoffman, 1997). The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution allows the creation of a militia and the right of people to keep and bear arms. The creation of a militia was taken from England which had passed a law in 1689 giving the right to bear arms. The right to keep arms protected the American colonists from Indian attacks and European enemies of Britain. These arms would also be useful for the colonists when they declared their independence from Britain. The founding fathers also believed that the English law restricts the citizens of England to bear and keep arms to Protestants. Poor people cannot use weapons for hunting purposes. Further they also believed that a universal militia is the best defense against foreign aggression (Hoffman, 1997). The Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution helps protect the citizens from illegal searches and seizures conducted by political authority. The British used writs of assistance which were general search warrants after its navigation laws were being ignored by American colonists. The founding fathers did not want this type of illegal search and seizure to be conducted by the American government. This was the reason why the Fourth Amendment was passed (Hoffman, 1997). The Third Amendment prohibits the government from allowing soldiers to be lodged into the private homes of civilians. The founding fathers wanted to prevent the government from allowing this as the British had done before the American Revolution. According to the Quartering Act, British troops could lodge in private homes and use whatever resources were needed to maintain discipline and morale (Hoffman, 1997). The Eight Amendment prohibits cruel punishment and excessive fines. In England, the power to grant bails to criminals was in the hands of sheriffs. This would lead to abuses in power. Despite a law passed by the English parliament, the law was still subverted. The founding fathers sought to curb this English law after independence to prevent the government from imposing excessive fines and cruel punishment (Hoffman, 1997). The Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution allows accused criminals to be provided with due process of law and forbids double jeopardy. It also prevents the forcible testimony of a person against himself or herself. The British colonial legal system was flawed as it did not give criminals the due process during legal proceedings. It did not protect the individuals from political or religious enemies. It was misused by anyone who wanted to settle scores with anyone. The founding fathers of the United States of America did not want this to occur. This Amendment therefore calls for the establishment of impartial grand juries which would protect criminals from false accusations or abuse of law. It also prevents the conviction of a person again if he has served prison for one crime. The Amendments of the US Bills of Rights which were incorporated into the US Constitution are the foundation of the country’s legal system, government and culture. They ensure the protection of the rights of individuals and restrict the ability of the Federal government to impose laws which would infringe on the civil liberties of the people. References: Ronald Hoffman. The Bill of Rights: Government Proscribed. University Press of Virginia for the United States Capitol Historical Society, 1997.

Broken Promises

Broken Promises, Reparations there is a renewed willingness on the part of both governments and corporations to provide compensation for injustices in other contexts. Often it has taken the form of cash payments or other benefits to victims of Nazi and Japanese atrocities during World War II. Some have sought to return land to native peoples, while others have simply offered apologies. Apologies have been offered for a wide range of past injustices done to Jews, Korean women, Native Americans, and South African blacks. The U. S. government apologized for its role in overthrowing the native government in Hawaii and the elected government in Guatemala. † (Arthur, 2007) In appearing to act in the interest of former slaves government raised reparations as a subject and passed laws directing compensatory payment after the Civil War. Former slaves needed footing to function on an economic and social level in this nation. Laws stipulating compensation be disbursed in the form of lives tock, monies, lands etc. were passed. In 1865, the original reparations package, the so-called â€Å"40 Acres and a Mule,† was issued.Each black family was supposed to receive 40 acres and later was offered the loan of Army mules. The same year, Congress established the Freedmen's Bureau, which was created to oversee the transition of slaves to freedom. The goal of the Freedmen's Bureau was to distribute 850,000 abandoned and confiscated acres of land to former slaves. But the distribution never happened. Former Confederates were allowed to reclaim the property. † http://www. alternet. org/story/11000 Broken Promises, Reparations 3 At its root reparations was an idea government pretended to embrace.This appears to be evident in taking the axiom â€Å"Actions speak louder than words† into account. The legal mandates for reparations that were voluntarily passed by government were not empowered to transform the law from writing to realities the former slaves would e xperience. 136 years having passed without a blade of grass, a single dollar, mule or apology does not reckon favorably in African American’s minds, especially when government is noted to have apologized to other ethnic groups and disbursed funds and resources as a part of those apologies.â€Å"Under the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, signed into law by President Ronald Reagan, the U. S. government apologized for Japanese American internment during World War II and provided reparations of $20,000 to each survivor, to compensate for loss of property and liberty during that period. For many years, Native American tribes have received compensation for lands ceded to the United States by them in various treaties. Other countries have also opted to pay reparations for past grievances, (see Holocaust reparations)†,(http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Reparations_for_slavery).Anti-reparation activists decry the idea that African Americans living today should receive compensation for experiences they did not endure. Descendants of slave owners who had nothing to do with slavery should be exempt from any responsibility for debts incurred by their ancestors is another anti-reparation argument. While there may be merit to the idea that public policy should not function like a curse a legal basis for the call for Broken Promises, Reparations 4 reparations were passed.The failure to perform to meet the purpose of the law for 136 years does not nullify the nation’s duty to meet the duties it has already legislated. is was objectively The problem is there were laws passed that would have settled the call for reparations a century later if they’d been enforced. The idea of a mass of property and money going to African Americans is exacerbated by the fact that African Americans weren’t the only ethnic group that’s been discriminated against in America.Blacks were the only group enslaved under the authorities of legislation. When bringing the holocaust associated with slave trading to mind African Americans justification for compensation are all the more strengthened by the weight of conscience. The number of slaves lost in transporting, some to mass killings draws spiritual and legal issues into the debate. The killings of slaves to appease economic concerns of slave traders is an embarrassment to arguments seeking to deny reparations. â€Å"Heading for Jamaica in 1781, the ship Zong was nearing the end of its voyage.It had been twelve weeks since it had sailed from the west African coast with its cargo of 417 slaves. Water was running out. Then, compounding the problem, there was an outbreak of disease. The ship's captain, reasoning that the slaves were going to die anyway, made a decision. In order to reduce the owner's losses he would throw overboard the slaves thought to be too sick to recover. The voyage was insured, but the insurance would not pay for sick slaves or even those killed by illness. However, it would cover slaves lost Broken Promises, Reparations 5 through drowning.The captain gave the order; 54 Africans were chained together, then thrown overboard. Another 78 were drowned over the next two days. By the time the ship had reached the Caribbean,132 persons had been murdered. (http://www. alternet. org/story/11000/) The abolition of slavery, laws authorizing reparations that were not enforced, mass murders of large numbers of slaves and the government’s perpetuating injustice against Blacks through legalized segregation and discrimination expand the scope of what was originally â€Å"purposed† to address those who were directly affected by slavery.The government’s failing to enforce reparation laws it instituted over 100 years ago gives African Americans pause to reason the nation must be forced to meet its obligation. The lack of a single conciliatory act, including a lack of an apology has direct bearing on African American’s being reconciled to Ameri ca. The arguments for and against reparations may impress some as having equal weight along moral, ethical and legal lines. As time has passed benign neglect of what reparation laws has given place to arguments anti-reparation activists use in their efforts to frustrate the campaign.The claim that the current generation of African Americans should not be compensated for what they did not suffer was made possible by the government’s purposefully ignoring its own legislation for over a century. This is an enhancement of moral grounds to campaign for reparations today. Having made accommodations for Japanese internees, funding billions to ameliorate injustice for others Broken Promises, Reparations 6 in foreign lands, etc. magnifies the call for government to fulfill obligations imposed by laws stipulating reparations.Randall Robinson has joined the fray with his book, â€Å"The Debt: What America Owes to Blacks† (Dutton, 200) Robinson writes: â€Å"No race, no ethnic or religious group, has suffered so much over so long a span as blacks have, and do still, at the hands of those who benefitted, with the connivance of the United States government, from slavery and the century of legalized American racial hostility that followed it. It is a miracle that the victims — weary dark souls long shorn of a venerable and ancient identity — have survived at all, stymied as they are by this blocked road to economic equality. † http://www. alternet. org/story/11000/†.The blocked road for African American reparation is the ever growing cacophony of reasons why there is no plausible means to reason from whence the compensation should be drawn. There is a web of issues too complex to hope to resolve in this argument. â€Å"One additional problem is that the governments in power in the 1600s and 1700s in Europe are not still in power now. †¦.. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to hold the current French government liable for the enslavement of Africans that previous governments encouraged and benefited from between the 1600s up to the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. † http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Reparations_for_slavery†.The point counterpoint of the argument is gnarly and complex complicating the call for reparations. â€Å"One additional problem is that the governments in power in the 1600s and 1700s in Europe are not still in power now. †¦.. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to hold the current French government liable for the enslavement of Africans that previous governments encouraged and benefited from between the 1600s up to the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. † http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Reparations_for_slavery†.The point counterpoint of the argument is gnarly and complex complicating the call for reparations. Broken Promises, Reparations 1 Broken Promises, Reparations For African Americans Customer’s name Course name Professor’s Name Date Broken Promises, Reparations 7REFERENCEShttp://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Reparations_for_slaveryhttp://www. alternet. org/story/11000/ Arthur John (2007) Race, Equality, and the Burdens of History, State University of New York, Binghamton

Effects of Guilt in Crime and Punishment Essay

Guilt is a force in all that has the ability to bring people to insanity. When guilt becomes great enough, the effects it has on people go much deeper than the surface. People’s minds and body’s are overpowered by the guilt that consumes them every second they live with their burden. The devastating effects of guilt are portrayed vividly in Dostoevsky’s fictional but all to real novel Crime and Punishment. In the story, the main character Raskolnikov commits a murder and suffers with the guilt throughout. Eventually his own guilt destroys himself and he is forced to confess. Through Raskolnikov, Dostoevsky bestows on the reader how guilt destroys Raskolnikov’s physical and mental well being, which, in time, leads to complete alienation from society. When one suffers with a great deal of guilt, their physical health quickly deteriorates. Raskolnikov’s physical suffering begins shortly after the murder with delusions and nonsense ravings while constantly drifting in and out of reality. He often goes into a state of â€Å"not completely unconscious† but is in a â€Å"feverish state, sometimes delirious, sometimes half conscious†(98) while blaming it on his previous sickness. Raskolnikov is being destroyed by his guilt. He is unable to physically live in society while he has such a burden constantly looming over him. When in the police station, Raskolnikov hears talk of the murders and with just a reminder of his crime, he quickly becomes weak. When he â€Å"recovered consciousness†(88) the men at the station undoubtedly notice his illness and point out that â€Å"he can barely stand upright.†(89) His guilt has driven him to a serious state of sickness. He can no longer function normally or even keep consciousness when he is reminded of his crime. Raskolnikov can no longer function normally because his guilt has destroyed is physical capabilities so drastically. The mental abilities of a person are stifled when they are suffering with a great deal of guilt. Along with his physical health, Raskolnikov’s mental health quickly deteriorates following the murder. He is in a constant state of mental delirium and has constant ravings that are very irrational.  However, Raskolnikov’s true state is shown when Razumihin tells him â€Å"You are delirious you know!† and Raskolnikov’s response is a bold â€Å"No I am not!†(93) Even though Raskolnikov is in a state of delirium, his problem is so serious because he is totally oblivious to his state and completely denies it when wise, rational men tell him that he is. Raskolnikov’s guilt has taken him from a wise, educated, scholar to being incapable of rational thought. As the story progresses, the guilt becomes increasingly heavier on Raskolnikov’s mind. Others begin to notice this to including Petrovich who describes Raskolnikov as a â€Å"moth near a candle† who will keep â€Å"circling around [him], circling around [him]† all the time â€Å"narrowing the radius more and more, and-whop!†(352) Petrovich is aware of Raskolnikov’s state and he knows that Raskolnikov cannot live with his guilt. He knows like a moth around a candle that it is only a matter of time before the guilt is unbearable and Raskolnikov will have to confess everything. Raskolnikov’s guilt becomes his biggest enemy as it continues to break down his mind and leads him away from normal society. As Raskolnikov becomes torn apart by his guilt, he begins to separate himself from society which leads to complete alienation from everybody. He becomes a man that is so different from everyone around him that he no longer belongs. With â€Å"a sweep of his arm†(96), a drastic realization falls on Raskolnikov as he flings the coin into the water. â€Å"It seemed to him, he had cut himself off from everyone and everything at that moment.†(96) Raskolnikov no longer puts value on what his society values the highest. He is terribly poor and hungry, but throws twenty cockpeckcs into the river and thus destroying any ties he still had with society. Because of his alienation, Raskolnikov is no longer able to express his feelings and emotions with anybody. When Raskolnikov claims of hearing things, Natasha tells him that â€Å"it’s the blood crying in [his] ears.†(96) Unknowingly, she realizes his disconnection from society as she tells him â€Å"when there is no outlet for it and it gets clotted, [he] begins fancying things.†(96) The blood in his ears is a metaphor for his alienation and how when there is no outlet, meaning he has no one to talk to, it clots and he imagines things, which is his state of delirium. As Raskolnikov becomes detached from society, he begins to make his own world in his head where his ideals are  his deciding factors. He even has reason for murder. He convinces himself that â€Å"it wasn’t a human being [he] killed† but rather he believes â€Å"it was a principle!†(223) Raskolnikov believes he has become the world’s superman and truly done a good deed by riding the world of an â€Å"illness†(223) to society. By this point, Raskolnikov has no ties to society as he has created his own value system and believes he has a license to kill. Raskolnikov’s guilt changes him such that he breaks away from society, which snowballs into him being completely alienated with no one who thinks on an equal level. Guilt is the main factor that drives Raskolnikov to insanity which leads to his alienation. Guilt attacks his physical heath making him drift in and out of consciousness, which makes him no longer function normally in society. During this, his mind is being consistently deteriorated by the guilt causing irrational thought. Raskolnikov eventually becomes alienated from society as he no longer thinks or acts like the people around him. Raskolnikov does not improve until he confesses and takes the consequences does he return to normal. Through Raskolnikov, Dostoevsky brilliantly shows the power that guilt truly has on a person.

Construct a sonnet of 14 exact lines based on milton's paradise lost Essay

Construct a sonnet of 14 exact lines based on milton's paradise lost book 5 - Essay Example According to Raphael, when God appointed his Son as King of heaven, Satan was jealous and refused to accept the appointment. Sneaking away in the night with a third of the host of heaven, Satan convinced them that they were equal to the Son and should not have to bow to him. Only one angel, Abdiel, stood up to argue that because they were made by God, God was of a more refined nature even than themselves and so his son must also be. It is only through God that the angels have the wonderful life they have and therefore they should be glad to take example of what is right and good from both God and Son. Satan argued back that because they cannot remember being created, they must have made themselves and are therefore equal to God. Other arguments he brings into the discussion include ideas of skepticism, freedom, equality, and natural right (Hooker, 1996). Abdiel warns of the impending doom descending as the punishing arm of God, but still leaves

Managerial Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Managerial Decision Making - Essay Example ore.   Of course, there are also innumerable ways to "turn off" your associates and it is equally important to recognize these poor practices so that they can be avoided.   A disgruntled salesperson is unlikely to present a shining countenance to a prospective customer (Nowduri, 2013). Some store owners and/or managers prefer to drive rather than lead and this manifests itself in a tense and uneasy store atmosphere.   Fear destroys confidence as well as pride in ones place of employment; its effect on productivity is negative and destructive in the long run. It is desirable for management to be highly enthusiastic, articulate and effervescent although each person comes across in a different way (Al-Zhrani, 2010). Sincerity, fairness and candor are essential.   True personal interest in your associate’s problems is valuable. One of the very best ways to motivate is to consciously try to help bring out the very best in your staff and to do everything in your power to develop leadership talent and knowledge.   There is great satisfaction in being able to point to successful people and honestly claim that you contributed to that success.   This kind of interest comes through to all your people and enhances the image of your store (Riabacke, 2006). Motivation and teaching are closely related.   They should start from the first day of employment. Discipline as well as rewards are part of the motivation program.   Both should be thoroughly and constantly explained to be effective. Loyalty and pride are instilled by making people feel they are important to the business; that their opinions are sought and listened to; that they are respected as persons and treated accordingly and that they will share in the success of the business in the degree of their productivity and contribution.   This all comes under the umbrella of involvement;  Involving people to bring out the very best (Bazerman, 2012). No matter the size of your company, having a team of motivated,

The Danger Of The Encephalitis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The Danger Of The Encephalitis - Essay Example Before the man could have been successfully diagnosed, other essential information should have been obtained first. For a suspected case of encephalitis based on the symptoms, treatment should be specific for the particular cause of encephalitis (â€Å"Encephalitis Treatment,† 2008). This means to say that before the man in the case study was given medication, a differential diagnosis should have been conducted first. Moreover, in a suspected case of infection, the organism that caused the infection should have been indentifiidentifiedEncephalitis and Meningitis,† 2011). Aside from these information, the patient should have been tested first for a possible allergic reaction to tetanus toxoid for the allergic reactions to this medication are lethal and may even cause encephalitis (Gaublomme, n.d.; â€Å"Encephalitis,† 2010). Allergic reactions to tetanus toxoid are common among those with a history of hay fever, asthma, or other allergies (Gaublomme, n.d.). These a nd other information about the man’s medical history should have been obtained first before he was given tetanus toxoid. Pelosof, L. C. & Gerber, D. E. (2010). â€Å"Paraneoplastic Syndromes: An Approach to Diagnosis and Treatment.† (2010). Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Retrieved Nov. 11, 2011 from the MayoClinic: http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.com/content/85/9/838.full First of all, the man in the case study should have been diagnosed properly, especially with possible allergies to tetanus toxoid, which was the most likely cause of his death through encephalitis (â€Å"Tetanus,† 2011). Moreover, tetanus toxoid could have caused the anaphylactic shock that the man experienced prior to his death (â€Å"Tetanus,† 2011). The cause of his death could not have been a negative interaction between Ceftriaxone and the tetanus toxoid because these two drugs do not have any known harmful interaction (â€Å"Drug Interactions,† 2011).