1st amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
This amendment guarantees freedom of religion, expression, assembly, and the right to petition.
The 1st Amendment is important because with out it, the government would be able to control a huge part of our lives that we should have freedom for.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Friday, May 16, 2014
Health Care
UNITED KINGDOM:
Average Family Premium: None
Co-Payments: None for most services
What is it?:
- socialized medicine
- government both provides and pays for health care
How does it work:
- administrative costs are low
- patients must see their GP before going to a specialist
- GPs are instrumental in preventive care, an area in which Britain is a world leader
What are the concerns? :
- long waits and limited choice
- the British government has instituted reforms to help make care more competitive
GDP: 8.3
JAPAN:
Average Family Premium: $280 per month
Co-payments: 30 percent of the cost of a procedure
What is it? :
- social insurance
- all citizens are required to have health insurance
- Those who can't afford the premiums receive public assistance
-Most health insurance is private
How does it work?:
- there are no gatekeepers
- Japanese can go to any specialist when and as often as they like
What are the concerns?:
- Japan now spends too little on health care
- patients may lack a medical home
GDP: 8
GERMANY:
Average family premium: $750 per month
Co-payments: 10 euros ($15) every three months
What is it?:
- social insurance model
- Germans are free to buy their insurance from one of more than 200 private, nonprofit "sickness funds."
- the poor receive public assistance to pay their premiums
How does it work?:
- Sickness funds are nonprofit
- fund managers are paid based on the size of their enrollments
- the sickness funds bargain with doctors as a group
What are the concerns?:
- some German doctors feeling underpaid
GDP: 10.7
TAIWAN:
Average family premium: $650 per year for a family for four
Co-payments: 20 percent of the cost of drugs. Up to $7 for outpatient care; $1.80 for dental and traditional Chinese medicine
What is it?:
- National Health Insurance
- all citizens must have insurance
- there is only one, government-run insurer
How does it work?:
- extended insurance to the 40 percent of the population that lacked it
- decreasing the growth of health care spending
- Every citizen has a smart card
What are the concerns?:
- Taiwan's system is not taking in enough money to cover the medical care it provides
GDP: 6.3
SWITZERLAND
Average monthly family premium: $750
Co-payments: 10 percent of the cost of services
What is it?:
-social insurance
- All citizens are required to have coverage; those not covered were automatically assigned to a company
How does it work?:
- universal coverage is possible, even in a highly capitalist nation
- Insurance companies are not allowed to make a profit on basic care
- They can make money on supplemental insurance
What are the concerns?:
- The Swiss system is the second most expensive in the world
GDP: 11.6
I think I would choose either Japan's or Switzerland's system. Japan's is beneficial because it has been so successful (although implementing it with unhealthy Americans would be interesting) and Switzerland's is nice because they are always getting everything right and we should be more like them.
Average Family Premium: None
Co-Payments: None for most services
What is it?:
- socialized medicine
- government both provides and pays for health care
How does it work:
- administrative costs are low
- patients must see their GP before going to a specialist
- GPs are instrumental in preventive care, an area in which Britain is a world leader
What are the concerns? :
- long waits and limited choice
- the British government has instituted reforms to help make care more competitive
GDP: 8.3
JAPAN:
Average Family Premium: $280 per month
Co-payments: 30 percent of the cost of a procedure
What is it? :
- social insurance
- all citizens are required to have health insurance
- Those who can't afford the premiums receive public assistance
-Most health insurance is private
How does it work?:
- there are no gatekeepers
- Japanese can go to any specialist when and as often as they like
What are the concerns?:
- Japan now spends too little on health care
- patients may lack a medical home
GDP: 8
GERMANY:
Average family premium: $750 per month
Co-payments: 10 euros ($15) every three months
What is it?:
- social insurance model
- Germans are free to buy their insurance from one of more than 200 private, nonprofit "sickness funds."
- the poor receive public assistance to pay their premiums
How does it work?:
- Sickness funds are nonprofit
- fund managers are paid based on the size of their enrollments
- the sickness funds bargain with doctors as a group
What are the concerns?:
- some German doctors feeling underpaid
GDP: 10.7
TAIWAN:
Average family premium: $650 per year for a family for four
Co-payments: 20 percent of the cost of drugs. Up to $7 for outpatient care; $1.80 for dental and traditional Chinese medicine
What is it?:
- National Health Insurance
- all citizens must have insurance
- there is only one, government-run insurer
How does it work?:
- extended insurance to the 40 percent of the population that lacked it
- decreasing the growth of health care spending
- Every citizen has a smart card
What are the concerns?:
- Taiwan's system is not taking in enough money to cover the medical care it provides
GDP: 6.3
SWITZERLAND
Average monthly family premium: $750
Co-payments: 10 percent of the cost of services
What is it?:
-social insurance
- All citizens are required to have coverage; those not covered were automatically assigned to a company
How does it work?:
- universal coverage is possible, even in a highly capitalist nation
- Insurance companies are not allowed to make a profit on basic care
- They can make money on supplemental insurance
What are the concerns?:
- The Swiss system is the second most expensive in the world
GDP: 11.6
I think I would choose either Japan's or Switzerland's system. Japan's is beneficial because it has been so successful (although implementing it with unhealthy Americans would be interesting) and Switzerland's is nice because they are always getting everything right and we should be more like them.
Earth Day
"A Fierce Green Fire" is a documentary about the importance of saving the
environment and the measures U.S. citizens go to in order to get the
attention of government officials. Topics that are discussed include: the toxic waste in a
New York neighborhood causing birthing defects, and the destruction of
the Amazon rainforest in the 80's. This film enlightens people of pressing issues that are normally swept under the rug.
Hopefully, this documentary will spark something in the government. It
already seems like it has.
A Fierce Green Fire. Dir. Mark Kitchell. 22 Apr. 2014. PBS. Web. 15 May 2014. <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/a-fierce-green-fire/watch-the-film/2924/>.
On Twitter last year, Greenpeace made public that they were headed out in boats to try and prevent a specific oil rig from digging. All 30 of the men aboard were charged with piracy and led an overall unsuccessful mission, but the event still launched the beginning of a technological approach to the environmental movement. The use of social media websites such as twitter and facebook, has given environmental groups such as greenpeace have been gaining support and spreading awareness among young people.
This is a letter to the editor written about a previously printed article encouraging people to get involved with preventing climate change. The writer discusses how she was once a firm supporter of the EPA and member of the Sierra Club. In recent years, however, this person has seen evidence that lead her to lose faith in the EPA and other environmental government programs. She believes these groups have suspicious motives that involve controlling more aspects of people’s lives; specifically, how, when and where people use energy.
Martin, Kate. Letter. Call 23 Apr. 2014: n. pag. Print.
A Fierce Green Fire. Dir. Mark Kitchell. 22 Apr. 2014. PBS. Web. 15 May 2014. <http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/a-fierce-green-fire/watch-the-film/2924/>.
On Twitter last year, Greenpeace made public that they were headed out in boats to try and prevent a specific oil rig from digging. All 30 of the men aboard were charged with piracy and led an overall unsuccessful mission, but the event still launched the beginning of a technological approach to the environmental movement. The use of social media websites such as twitter and facebook, has given environmental groups such as greenpeace have been gaining support and spreading awareness among young people.
Bush, Daniel. “Plug In, Act Out - how tech is transforming the environmental movement.” E.E. News.
E & E Publishing, 18 Apr. 2014. Web. 9 May 2014.
<http://www.eenews.net/stories/1059998114>
This is a letter to the editor written about a previously printed article encouraging people to get involved with preventing climate change. The writer discusses how she was once a firm supporter of the EPA and member of the Sierra Club. In recent years, however, this person has seen evidence that lead her to lose faith in the EPA and other environmental government programs. She believes these groups have suspicious motives that involve controlling more aspects of people’s lives; specifically, how, when and where people use energy.
Martin, Kate. Letter. Call 23 Apr. 2014: n. pag. Print.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Essay 21 & 22
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap10_us_govt_politics_q1.pdf
1)
a) Individuals can influence policy by exercising their rights to assemble and petition.
b) Grassroots mobilization is used to rally the support of the public. Lobbying uses direct contact with policy makers to try and effect their decisions. Litigation uses court decisions to gain policy preference.
c) Interest groups are forced to disclose all contributions, funding and activities.
2)
a) The merit system is good for rewarding success and excellence.
b) The large structure of the federal bureaucracy allows it to be self-maintaining and independent. Having specialized units within the bureaucracy increased the complexity and allows it to be independent since it already has specialists in many areas.
c) Congress can use approprations to reward or punish an agency. The courts can make rulings which limit bureaucratic activity. Interest groups can use their first amendment to try and sway the opinions of the previous two institutions.
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