Frontline

Facts:
President Bush was prepared to spend whatever amount of money necessary after 9/11.
The Government was keeping secret certain procedures after 9/11.
The main goal immediately after 9/11 was to defeat Al-Qaeda and kill Bin Laden.
'Graystone' was the name of the plan to kill Bin Laden.
The CIA had more influence than the Military.
Bush authorized Black and the CIA to wage a war on Al-Qaeda.
It was the largest covert operation since the Cold War.
The CIA considers 'Graystone' it's finest hour.

Questions:
What does the phrase "after 9/11, the gloves come off" mean?
Why was the Government hiding what they were doing from United States citizens?
Did anger have too much of an influence in immediate decision making after the attacks?
Was President Bush too impulsive in enacting 'Graystone'?
Why were the combat operations performed by the CIA?
Was the military offended by the CIA's take over of the plans to attack Al-Qaeda.
Ultimately, was 'Graystone' effective?
Was Black too aggressive right off the bat?

Interview

I ended up interviewing a friend of mine who I believe to be very knowledgeable about the government.  I began by asking him what he thinks about the current state of the government.  He said, if he was able to vote, he would have voted for Obama.  However, he now finds himself a republican.  He has followed the Republican debates and really likes Mitt Romney.  He strongly opposes "Obama Care" and thinks our country needs a more conservative leader who can get the economy back on its feet.
After talking about the current United States Government, I switched topics to the Constitution.  I asked what he thought about how the constitution should be interpreted.  He believes the Constitution was meant to be taken literally at the time; however to interpret the constitution literally is almost impossible due the the way our world has changed socially.  Then, we began talking about whether he thinks the Constitution should be changed.  Both of us agree that it is a very delicate subject.  To change the constitution can be wrong, and right at the same time.  Our country needs a new set of 'guidelines' to keep up with the times, but to alter our founding fathers' work is almost disrespectful as well.
Overall, this interview allowed me to realize another peer's perspective on our government as it stands today, and how our government was started.  It helps looking at concepts/issues from another person's point of view because it can enhance my knowledge and bring about discussions that would otherwise not have been brought up.

A People's History of the United States

The article "A People's History of the United States" described the thought process and motives that went into the creation of the Cnstitution. The main part of this article that caught my attention was the fact that most of the men who wrote the Constitution were wealthy and part of the upper class. It makes me wonder whether the writers were writing such an important document with bias. However, I do recognize the fairness that was also evident. The thoughts that went into the Constitution were revolutionary. Ultimately, I believe the Constitution was writtten very well. Although I can understand how people can think the Constitution needs change, I think the general ideas from 1787 can and have held up daily well in this day in age.
• Did the 55 men who wrote the Constitution write it in a way in which they were either consciously or subconsciously benefiting the rich, or upper class?
• Do you agree with Thomas Jefferson and think the uprisings such as Shay's Rebellion were "healthy for society"?
• Would you say that it would benefit the country for the Constitution to be changed/altered at certain times?
• Would you agree with the statement in the image below? "Your Country, Your Ideas"

Cartoon: Dragging the GOP Down

http://theweek.com/section/cartoon/0/219448/all-cartoons

Open-Ended Questions

1. Who is the GOP?

2. Why is there an elephant and what does it represent?

3. How does this relate to what is happeneing in the government?

20 Questions

1. Why did 31% of immigrants between 1900 to 1990 voluntarily return to their home countries?
2. Why did the people at the Constitutional Convention want to name the Episcopalian Church, the new Anglican church?
3. What Catholic school was burned down in the riots of 1844?
4. Why do most people born poor, stay poor?
5. Why was there a wave of immigration from Asia and Latin-America in the 1980's and 1990's?
6. Is "identity politics" ethical?
7. What are the different political cultures?
8. What is the "unfinished work" of preserving the Union?
9. Did the desire to speak one language create discrimination?
10.  Has PA established the English Speaking law(s)?
11. Approximately how many illegal aliens are living in the United States?
12. How many racial categories have been added to the census since 1790?
13. Why was the "multiracial" category rejected?
14. What does "the numbers drive the dollars" mean?
15. How accurate is the census?
16. Why did the INS open its doors so much in 1991?
17. Why did only some states levy a religious tax?
18. ^^Should a religious tax been unanimous?
19. how popular and how long did the "Know Nothing Party" last?
20. Will the United States become over populated?

Politics...

Before the first day of AP government, I had absolutely no interest in anything involving the government or politics.  However, I soon realized that even though I do not pay any attention to politics, I do know some of the basics.  I like to say I am pretty informed and up-to-date about what is going on in the world.  In class, I was able to recognize many of the faces put up on the smart board and unknowingly, understand who they are and what they are doing for the government.

This made me realize...  Although I do not have a particular interest in politics, our world is full of it.  And whether I like it or not, I am surrounded by it.  Just by watching the news, I guess I am subconsciously absorbing information about the world in which I live, and who is governing it.  

I feel like AP Government will allow me to finally learn about who I see on the news and give me the chance to dive deeper into what the government is, and who exactly the people are that run our government.  I can say that the few issues/concepts I am intrigued by are the education system, corruption in the government, and the views/morals of the different parties.  

Each of these concepts affect me directly.  I am a part of the public education system and I am curious to see how it is run, and how  decisions are made.  Also, I need to gain more knowledge about the parties involved in the government since I will be voting in the upcoming election.  I would like to be able to understand what each party and candidate stands for and eventually develop opinions on how each strategy and plan will ultimately effect the world in which I live.