Political Research Portfolio

Portfolio
Student’s Name
Institution

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Section 1
The voter ID laws refers to a form of identification that a voter is required to present
before he participates in a voting process. An individual may be required to present a photo Id
that will prove their identity such as a driver’s license, military Id, or state issued identification
card. The voter id law is important because it ensures that the person is eligible to vote to ensure
that the voting process is not marred by irregularities. It also helps to prevent individuals from
voting more than once. In some cases, the voter id is considered irrelevant as some people do not
see the essence of the photo id requirement. It is important to allow people to vote regardless of
the form of identification that they present on the Election Day. Some people may not have the
photo identification that proves their identity but may be in possession of their bank statements
that can prove their identity. Regardless of the form of identification presented during the voting
process, it is necessary for an individual to be allowed to vote as it is a democratic right that
should be exercised by citizens of the country as long as they have attained the voting age limit.
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and Association of Community
Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) are considered to be the main propagators of Barack
Obama’s manifestos. It is because of their desire to ensure that people understand the policies
that they are vocal in their activities. They make sure that people get to learn the importance of
the different projects that the current government intends to embark on. SEIU and ACORN are
important because they ensure that the citizens get to learn and clearly understand the current
government’s motives and depend on their support. On the other hand, the two unions are not
important as they have been accused in some instances of discriminating against people that have
a different opinion and do not agree on the operations of the government. Sometimes they tend to
give false information to the public so that people can support the government’s ideas, but in the
long run the projects are not accomplished efficiently. Those that oppose the government tend to
be subjected to criticism as they are seen as enemies of progress. It is because of this that they
face attacks and even arraigned in court as they are accused of misleading the public on the
intentions of the government. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and the patriot
Act are aimed at protecting Americans by detaining people who are considered a threat to the
country’s security. The suspects may have been involved in activities that are said to be illegal
and pose danger to the citizens of the country. They are detained without bail, access to courts or
attorneys. They are sentenced without having gone through the court system as their crimes are
considered to be more serious and their action guarantees the action that the state takes on them.
Although the acts of the people that have been detained may be of great concern to the
government and the general public, this does not mean that they should be denied the right to
access the courts, bail or attorney. It goes against human rights as no individual should be denied
the right to a court system. Any person that is arrested should undergo the correct court system
and the court should make a final decision on their case. Failure to do this may prompt an
uprising of people demanding the release of the person as it goes against the human rights of an
individual. No one should be denied access to an attorney or court, regardless of the accusations
that have been leveled against them. The second amendment indicates that a well-regulated
militia is important in a country as it ensures the security of a state and people are free to own
arms without being regulated. With the recent attacks across the world, a well-regulated militia is
important for the country as it helps to maintain the security if the country and its citizens.
Regular attacks affect countries negatively as normal operations are affected and citizens live in
fear. The right of citizens to own guns without being regulated is also necessary as there have
been cases of attacks on individuals and it is important for people to have the arms for self-

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defense. Although the second amendment states that the right of individuals to own arms should
not be infringed, it is important for a regulation to be put in place to control how the arms’
owners use them. There have been many cases where individuals use the arms to hurt other
people for no particular reason. People can access and purchase arms easily and this has made it
risky as some people do not know how to use them or use them for the wrong reasons. People
should be taught that owning the arms should be specifically to be used when their life is in
danger and they are acting out of self-defense. If a person uses the arms for other reasons except
for self-defense, they should be answerable in a court of law.
Agenda 21 is a plan of action that was stipulated by the United Nations that requires
action to be taken either globally, nationally, or even locally by organizations that are affiliated
with the United Nations. It focuses mainly on actions that have direct impact on the environment
and ensures that nations follow the plan of action to protect and conserve the environment.
Protecting the environment is a good idea that should be embraced by all countries across the
world as its destruction is harmful to individuals as wildlife. The environment can be controlled
by ensuring that the water sources are protected from pollution, the air should also be free of
pollution because its destruction leads to global warming. Despite the activities that a country
engages in, it is necessary to ensure that the environment is protected. This can be achieved by
having different organizations or arms of the government that are in control of the environment
and enforce laws that people should abide by to ensure that destruction of the environment is
controlled. Despite Agenda 21, being a noble idea, it is important to note that every country has
different policies that they follow to put their operations into effect. Making countries follow the
plan of action laid out in the Agenda 21 may affect a country negatively as they may not be in
agreement with some of the stipulated actions. The agenda should understand that different
countries have different modes of operation and draft the agenda to fit their operations. Fast and
furious was an operation that the USA president, Barack Obama designed to offer help to the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The operation aimed at doing
away with the drug cartels that existed in the country and hoped that it would help to distract the
routes that were used for trafficking drugs. The operation was, however, not successful as it
instead gave the criminals access to over 2000 weapons that were used to commit crimes in
America and Mexico. Drug use has been a huge menace for the country and the existence of the
drug lords has not helped in the fight against this problem. Having an operation aimed at ending
the problem is a good initiative as it will help to end the problem and ensure that it does not
recur. It is, however, important to ensure that an operation is carefully analyzed before it is
implemented to prevent giving the criminals more power than they had before. In this case, for
instance, the criminals were given access to more weapons and this was dangerous for citizens of
Mexico and America as they were used to commit crimes. It is also important to understand how
the targeted criminals operate as this will help to know their weakness and the best method to use
to end their operations.
Drones are constantly released to the airspace to ensure that the security of the country is
monitored. In most cases, they are important as the police cannot handle the security of the
nation on their own. The drones help to enforce security and alert the police when there are
issues that need their attention. Despite the advantages of using drones, there are privacy
concerns that have come up because of their use. People feel that their right to privacy is violated
and would prefer that drones are not used. The Benghazi attack happened in Libya where Islamic
militants launched an attack on the American diplomatic compound and killed the US

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ambassador and Foreign Service information management officer. Having embassies in different
countries is important as it ensures that the wellbeing of the Americans in those countries is
maintained and also helps to support the county in its operations. It is, however, important to
note that it can also be risky for individuals especially when there is an uprising in the host
country and the officials of a country are caught in the midst. National Security Agency (NSA)
refers to the arm of government that is tasked with global monitoring as well as processing and
evaluation of data and information. The information is used to understand the state of the
nation’s security as well as the threats that are imminent. The NSA is important because it helps
to provide the government as well as the military with important information that are important
for the running of the operations in the government. It also helps to prevent instances where the
nation may be attacked without the knowledge of the government leading to loss of lives and
destruction of property.
The NSA keeps track of what is happening across the world and gives special attention to
matters that may affect the stability of the government and interfere with its progress. Although
the NSA is important, it is in some cases considered a threat to the privacy of individuals as it
has been accused of hacking into people’s telephones, and social accounts to obtain information.
Although accessing information is necessary to understand the level of security, the actions the
NSA should not interfere with the privacy of individuals. The Islamic State of Iraq and al-sham
(ISIS) is an organization that has continually attacked different countries and people. It is
responsible for the death of thousands of people, destruction of properties, as well as
displacement of individuals. It kills attacks using nuclear weapons as well as hanging people
who are found to be in the county and do not belong to the country. Their mode of killing in
merciless and gives unusual demands to countries of the people that they execute. Bowing down
to the demands of ISIS for America would be a reasonable to prevent the numerous attacks
carried out by the group. It would ensure that Americans exist in peace without fear that an
attack may happen anytime. It would also prevent the loss of lives and destruction of property as
well as prevent people from seeking refuge in other countries. Although bowing to pressure
would be an ideal way to end the activities of ISIS, it would instead backfire on America as the
group may not stop its activities and instead intensify them. It is, therefore, not advisable for
America to agree to the terms and conditions that ISIS may give with the promise of ending their
activities. America should instead find means that can be used to end the issue putting in mind
the wellbeing of the Americans as well as citizens of Iraq and the neighboring companies. The
Iran deal was an agreement signed between Iran and some world powers such as the United
States, Russia, United Kingdom, France, and China. The agreement indicated that under no
circumstance should Iran develop or acquire nuclear weapons with the intention of attacking
other nations. This ensures that all the nations operate on the same platform without posing a
threat to each other. A country that has the ability to develop or acquire nuclear weapons is
considered a super power and can easily attack and defeat other countries making them unstable.
This, therefore, makes it important for nations to come together and sign an agreement that will
ensure such a country’s operations are controlled. Although the move to sign Iran deal was
necessary, it limited the operations of Iran and makes it hard for it to operate without being
answerable to other nations. A country should be free to engage in different activities and
projects without the fear of how its activities will affect other nations.
Nuclear weapons are considered a means of protection and Iran should not be controlled
on whether or not to produce them. With the rise of wars and tensions across some nations of the

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world, it is important for countries to maintain their safety regardless of the means they use. The
common core refers to the standards of learning that are enforced for English and mathematics.
This helps to give students a good foundation in their academics and ensures that they are
adequately prepared for their college as well as career life. Focusing on specific subjects is
important because it ensures that a student succeeds in their studies without having any problem.
It also helps teachers to understand the areas that the students have difficulty understanding and
helps them to overcome the challenges that they experience while learning. It is however,
important for teachers to also focus on other languages as they are all important for the
development and progress of a student. Instead of focusing mainly on two subjects, the common
core should be expanded to include other subjects such as sciences. Mandatory vaccines refer to
the vaccinations that a child is expected to get after they are born. These vaccines help to ensure
that the child is protected from falling sick, some of the diseases that children are vaccinated
against are dangerous and harmful to a child and can easily lead to their death. The vaccination
also ensures that the child has a healthy growth and development. Before taking a child for
vaccination, parents are advised to understand the various vaccines and their importance. This
will help to prevent instances where a child is vaccinated more than once without the knowledge
of the parent.
Section 2
Communism theory of leadership states that that property is communally owned by
citizens of a country. No one has the right to sell the property as it will deprive the other citizens
of their property and land. Citizens share what they have without being biased and ensure that
everyone is taken care of in the society regardless of their age. The theory was formulated by
Karl Marx who believed in the equality of all citizens regardless of their age, religion, or
language among other aspects that are used to define human beings. Marx believed that for a
common ground to be reached for all human beings classes of people should not exist and people
should live in a stateless place. To promote communism in a country that was divided into
different classes, the lower class people or those that lived in poverty were required to be given
some of the riches of the wealthy people. Sharing of wealth ensured that the classes were
eliminated and people coexisted peacefully without discriminating against each other. Although
people lived as one community, the government was in charge of the citizens and this is
supposed to ensure that the idea of communism is enforced by all individuals. The government in
this case is expected to distribute resources evenly across a country to ensure equal development.
According to Marx, there are three phases that are important in achieving the communism
idea and it includes that a revolution should take place so that the current government is
overthrown. This is because the existing government may not be in support of communism and it
is necessary to destroy any trace of the government. The second phase states that a dictator or
leader must be put in charge of the citizens. It is during this phase that the new government takes
full control of the citizens and makes choices for them. This includes education, religion,
marriage, or employment among other things. It is also during this phase that collective
ownership of property takes place and land that was previously privately owned is given to the
community. The third phase has never been attained as it requires all the non-communists to be
destroyed so that a communist supreme party can achieve supremacy. For communism to be
successful according to Marx, there should be a central banking system, government controlled
education, government controlled labor, government ownership of transportation

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and communication vehicles, government ownership of agricultural means and factories, total
abolition of private property, property rights confiscation, heavy income tax on everyone,
elimination of rights of inheritance, and regional planning. In a communist society that Marx
described, the government holds the supreme authority through its total control of land as well as
means of production. The government distributes property and land among the people and
communism sets a standard of equality which is both economically and socially among the
citizens. The monarchy system of government is a system where a king or queen heads the
operations of a government. The monarch and her family participate in activities for the benefit
of the country. It can exist either independently or in conjunction with another form of
government. The most notable monarchy is in the United Kingdom that is led by Queen
Elizabeth. The queen plays a significant role in the development of the country and even
participates in crucial decision making processes for the benefit of the country. A dictator form
of government is where a certain individual is in charge of all the decisions of a country and he
rules without being opposed by anyone. Anyone that dares oppose the dictator faces problems as
he is discriminated against and may even be killed by associates of the dictator. In a country
ruled by a dictator, there is little progress as the leader only seeks to benefits him and those that
are close to him. They change constitutions of the country to benefit them without fear and attack
any person that is against them. It is because of this that such countries have low development
and their economy never experiences growth.
Section 3
The US constitution led to establishment of American fundamental law and national government
laws and guaranteed basic rights of the citizens. On 7 th September 1787, it was signed by
constitutional convection delegation in Philadelphia and it was presided by George Washington.
Under the first governing document of America, the articles of confederation, the national
government was weak and US operated like independent countries. During the convection,
delegates devised plans to form stronger federal government with tree branches; legislative,
judicial and executive along with check system to ensure no branch had higher powers. The first
America constitution, the Articles of Confederation, in 1781 was ratified when national
government was formed of single legislature, federation congress- there was no judicial branch
or president(Cullingworth, 1988).
On 11 th June 1776, three committees were appointed according to the second continental
congress in response to Lee Resolution. One of the created committee determined the form of
confederation colonies and was composed by one representative from each colony and its
principal writer was john Dickinson. The articles of confederation drafted by Dickinson was
named the confederation of ‘united states of America ’provided for a congress and the
representations were based on population and the national government was given all powers. The
first constitutional of United States every state retained its power as 15 th November 1777 and
every state had one vote in congress. To set the confederation in motion, ratification was
required for all 13 states due to disputes on voting, representation and western land.
On 4 th July 1776, the second continental congress that was held in Philadelphia approved the
Declaration of Independence while severing the colonial ties to the British crown. The document
explained the human right- all humans were equal and endowed by the creator with analienable
rights including liberty, life and pursuit of happiness. John Adams was a leader pushing on the

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states independence and was unanimously approved on July 2 and a five people committee had
drafted the formal declaration. It was an ultimately explanation of congress voting in declaration
of independence after a year from the time the American Revolution War. It justified the US
independence by stating colonial grievances against king George 3 and asserted some legal and
natural rights.
Section 4
The Supreme Court’s decision upholding the constitutionality of President Barack
Obama’s health care law made headlines this summer. But for states, its ruling allowing them to
opt out of the Medicaid expansion is likely to have the biggest impact over the months and years
ahead.
For the first time ever, the high court struck down a federal spending law on the grounds
that the federal money was being used as a club to force states to comply with Washington,
D.C.’s, wishes.
“In this case, the financial inducement Congress has chosen [for expanding Medicaid
coverage] is much more than relatively mild encouragement. It is a gun to the head,” said Chief
Justice John G. Roberts Jr.
The major theme of the court’s term concerned the power of the federal government and
whether the Constitution limits federal authority. On that score, the result was mixed.
The justices, by a 5-4 vote, said Congress cannot use its power to “regulate commerce” as
the basis for requiring all Americans to have health insurance. At the same time, however, a
separate 5-4 majority agreed Congress does have the power to impose a tax penalty on those who
can afford insurance, but choose not to buy it.
On the immigration front, the court said federal authorities had “broad discretion” to
enforce, or not, laws against illegal immigrants. The decision in Arizona v. United States blocked
three key parts of the state’s law from taking effect.
Medicaid Expansion
The high court’s Medicaid decision was most important because of the huge sums of
money at stake and its potential effect on other federal spending programs. Since the 1930s, the
federal government has steadily increased grant money and extended its grip over state and local
governments. “As of 2010, federal outlays to state and local governments came to over $608
billion, or 37.5 percent of state and local expenditures,” the dissenters in the health care case
noted.
The money, of course, has come with strings attached in the form of rules and
regulations. Grumbling aside, practically no one before this year had considered these
regulations unconstitutional. The golden rule of government has long been, “He who has the gold
makes the rules.”

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When a group of state attorneys general, led by Florida’s Bill McCollum, sued to
challenge the Affordable Care Act, they targeted the Medicaid expansion. Before 2010,
Medicaid had long been “the largest federal program of grants to the states,” the justices noted,
with states in turn devoting “a larger percentage of their budgets to Medicaid than to any other
item.”
The federal law seeks near-universal health care coverage and expands government-paid
insurance for the poor to achieve it. The law required states to expand Medicaid by 2014 to cover
everyone under age 65 with incomes below 133 percent of the federal poverty line, which would
have added an estimated 17 million people.
“There is no doubt,” said Chief Justice Roberts, that the law “dramatically increases state
obligations under Medicaid. … It is no longer a program to care for the neediest among us, but
rather an element of a comprehensive national plan to provide for universal health insurance
coverage.”
The administration’s lawyers argued that the federal government would be paying 100
percent of the cost of the expansion in the first years, later dropping that to 90 percent. Justice
Elena Kagan said during the arguments that rather than a bad deal or coercive measure this
sounds like “a big gift from the federal government.”
Former U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement, who represented the 26 states who
challenged the law, said the threat of losing all federal Medicaid money if a state refused to go
along with the expansion crossed the line from a legal inducement to an unconstitutional
coercion.
That claim failed in all the lower courts, but found support at the Supreme Court.
“Given the nature of the threat and the programs at issue here, we must agree” the
required expansion is unconstitutional, Roberts said for the 7-2 majority. “The threatened loss of
over 10 percent of a state’s overall budget is economic dragooning that leaves the states with no
real option but to acquiesce in the Medicaid expansion. … Congress has no authority to order the
states to regulate according to its instructions. Congress may offer the states grants and require
the states to comply with the accompanying conditions, but the states must have a genuine choice
whether to accept the offer.”
Justices Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan agreed with this part of Roberts’ opinion, and
Justices Antonin Scalia, Anthony M. Kennedy, Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr. agreed
in separate opinions.
Roberts said the Medicaid expansion itself may continue, as long as the secretary of
Health and Human Services understands that she may not threaten any state that refuses to go
along. “As a practical matter, that means states may now choose to reject the expansion; that is
the whole point. But that does not mean all, or even any, will,” Roberts wrote. The four
conservative dissenters said they would have voided the Medicaid expansion entirely, along with
the rest of the law.

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Shortly after the ruling, Republican governors in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, South
Carolina and Texas said they would not expand their Medicaid programs, with others saying they
were likely to do the same. Yet other state leaders said they would welcome the extra federal
funds. Health care experts caution it may be some time before it is clear when and where
Medicaid will be expanded.
The court’s opinion is likely to trigger future legal attacks on federal spending programs.
If Congress requires states or localities to undertake a new duty or face a loss of funding, the law
will almost surely face a constitutional lawsuit.
Immigration
States did not fare as well on the immigration front. In the Arizona case, the court left
little room for states to enforce immigration laws, stressing that the federal government was the
“single sovereign responsible for … keeping track of aliens within the nation’s borders.”
Frustrated with the failure of federal officials to arrest and deport the hundreds of
thousands of illegal immigrants living in Arizona, legislators adopted S.B. 1070. It made it a
crime for illegal aliens to seek work or to fail to carry registration documents. It also authorized
the police to check the immigration status of anyone lawfully stopped and make arrests for
potentially deportable offenses.
The court blocked the first three provisions seeking work, not carrying papers or
committing deportable crimes on the grounds they were preempted by federal law. In the 5-3
opinion, Justice Kennedy said this state enforcement conflicts with federal law and policy. The
Obama administration said its policy was to arrest and deport aliens who were criminals, gang
members or repeat border crossers, but not illegal immigrants who are otherwise abiding by the
law. The court cleared the way for the state to begin enforcing Section 2, which authorizes
immigration status checks, but only with the understanding it would not “result in prolonged
detention.” Roberts, Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor joined to form the
majority. Kagan sat out the case. Scalia dissented, arguing that a “sovereign state” such as
Arizona should not be left “at the mercy of federal executive’s refusal to enforce the nation’s
immigration laws.” Thomas and Alito dissented as well.
Sovereign Immunity
Despite this setback, the doctrine of “state sovereign immunity” made a comeback in
other cases. The court ruled states and state agencies may not be sued for damages by employees
denied unpaid sick leave for a “serious health condition.” The 5-4 decision in Coleman v.
Maryland threw out a damages claim from a state court employee who sued under the Family
and Medical Leave Act. The ruling was in line with a series of decisions from the 1990s that
limited lawsuits by state employees. The most far-reaching criminal law ruling put new limits on
prison terms for young criminals. It was the third such ruling in seven years. In 2005, the court
abolished the death penalty for juvenile murderers. And two years ago the court struck down
state laws that imposed a life term with no possibility for parole for young offenders whose
crimes did not involve homicides.

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This year, the court went a step further and struck down “mandatory sentencing schemes”
that set life terms with no possibility for parole for murderers under age 18. “A judge or jury
must have the opportunity to consider mitigating circumstances before imposing the harshest
possible penalty for juveniles,” said Justice Kagan. The 5-4 decision in Miller held it was cruel
and unusual punishment to mandate a life term for these young offenders.
Since the 1980s, many states have adopted laws allowing juveniles to be tried as adults
and several have passed laws requiring life terms with no parole for certain homicides. In March,
the court heard the cases of two 14-year-olds, from Alabama and Arkansas, who were given life
terms for participating in, but not personally committing, a murder.
The court’s opinion did not forbid these life terms, but said the defendant must be given a
hearing to consider whether this is the proper punishment for an underage criminal. More than
2,000 prisoners nationwide were sentenced as juveniles to life terms with no parole under these
conditions.
In late June, the justices ended any expectation they might revisit the Commission
decision when they struck down a 100-year-old Montana law. It prohibited corporations from
making expenditures “in connection with a candidate or political committee.” The justices said
the First Amendment frees all independent political campaign spending, including spending by
corporations, just as they did in the Citizens United case in December 2011. “There can be no
serious doubt” Montana’s law is unconstitutional, the justices said in an unsigned 5-4 opinion.
The Montana Supreme Court had upheld the 1912 law based on the state’s history of “copper
barons” dominating government. State lawmakers may be interested in two more First
Amendment opinions handed down in June. In United States v. Alvarez, the court struck down
the federal Stolen Valor Act that made it a crime to falsely claim military honors. The
government had argued that knowingly making false statements is not protected as free speech,
but the 6-3 majority disagreed. The court’s opinion cast doubt on state laws that also make it a
crime to make false statements or false claims during campaigns.
And in Knox v. SEIU, the court extended the First Amendment to cover public employees
who object to unions and their political spending. In the past, the court said public sector unions
may collect bargaining fees from all employees. At the same time, nonmembers of the union
were given a right to opt out of any political spending by the unions, usually by seeking a partial
refund of their dues.
Speaking for the court, Justice Alito suggested the rule should be reversed. “Requiring an
objecting nonmember to opt out … represents a remarkable boon for unions,” he said. In the
future, “when a public sector union imposes a special assessment or dues increase, [it] may not
exact any funds from nonmembers without their affirmative consent.” While the ruling
concerned only a special, election-year fund, Alito’s opinion appears to encourage states to pass
stronger laws to limit how public sector unions collect dues or fees from nonmembers.
The court’s new term beginning in October promises major rulings on affirmative action,
voting rights and gay marriage.

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In Fisher v. University of Texas, the justices will decide whether state colleges and
universities can continue to use race in admission decisions. In 2003, Justice Sandra Day
O’Connor spoke for a 5-4 majority in upholding a limited use of affirmative action to help
diversify colleges and law schools. Since then, however, Justice Alito has replaced O’Connor,
and the balance appears to have tipped the other way. The case has at least one complicating fact
that could limit its national significance. Texas had a “top 10 percent” plan in the 1990s that
required the university to admit the top graduates of all high schools, which significantly raised the
percentage of minority students. After O’Connor’s opinion was issued in 2003, the university
decided to give preferences to some other minority applicants to increase diversity even further.
That led to the lawsuit filed by Abigail Fisher, an unsuccessful white applicant. The court’s
conservative justices could rule broadly against the use of race-based admissions, or rule narrowly
that an affirmative action policy cannot be justified if a race-neutral policy like the “top 10
percent” plan already had opened doors for minority students.
The court is also expected to rule on the Defense of Marriage Act in a case that concerns
the rights of legally married same-sex couples. By law and tradition, marriage has been a matter
for the states, not the federal government. But in 1996, Congress adopted the marriage act to give
states the power not to recognize same-sex marriages from other states. A second provision of
this law said the federal government would not recognize a marriage other than that between a
man and a woman.
Seven gay couples from Massachusetts sued, contending this second provision denies
them the equal protection of the laws. They cannot, for example, file a joint tax return, or if a
federal employee, cannot put their spouse on their health insurance plan. The Obama
administration refused to defend this part of the law, and the House Republicans hired former
U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement to handle the legal defense. The U.S. Court of Appeals in
Boston ruled the law unconstitutional on May 31, setting the stage for a Supreme Court decision
early next year.
Waiting in the wings is the much broader question of whether gays and lesbians have a
constitutional right to marry. The justices may face that issue early next year in a case from
California that struck down a voter initiative passed on Nov. 5, 2008, banning same-sex
marriages. Thirty-eight states and Puerto Rico have passed Defense of Marriage laws.
Before the year is over, the court is likely to have before it a Southern challenge to Section
5 of the Voting Rights Act. Since 1965, much of the South and a few other areas have been
required to seek permission known as “preclearance” from the Department of Justice or federal
court before making any changes to their election procedures, voting rules or legislative districts. 
No one disputes that this historic measure has been very successful in reducing
discriminatory voting policies. So successful, in fact, many argue that special scrutiny is no
longer justified. Texas and South Carolina have been locked in disputes with the Department of
Justice over their voter identification laws, and Shelby County, Ala., has sued, seeking to have
Section 5 struck down. One or the other is almost certain to get a hearing before the Supreme
Court.

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It is easy to see why clashes between Systems and their flagships are inevitable,
especially when resources are constrained. Any System leader worth her salt will work to wring
out of all of its units the utmost complementarity, efficiency, and productivity in order to achieve
the policy goals of public investment in higher education. Increasingly, System officers will feel
compelled to align their efforts with the purposes of governments, above all with governmental
interest in workforce training and economic development.
The CEO of a research flagship, while subject to the same imperatives as the System with
respect to workforce and economic development (though in a different key than others, than, say,
the leaders of the community colleges within the System), will tend to weigh those ends against
other values—a level of undergraduate education, for instance, adequate to participation in the
institutional mission of creating and applying new knowledge. Any flagship leader worth her salt
will measure success against other research universities, not just in serving the purposes of
government through economic benefits but in a dedication to teaching and scholarship across the
disciplines that values the disinterested pursuit of knowledge as much as applied research:
theoretical as well as applied physics; basic science in molecular plant biology as well as the
provision of know-how to small and large-scale farmers; art and art history as well as
architecture and urban planning. The challenges for executives operating state-wide higher
education Systems and the flagship research universities within those Systems have grown more
baffling with each passing year. From UMass and UNC to LSU, Wisconsin, and Oregon, we
hear regularly about frustrated and embroiled leadership.
Public Systems have always been subject to strains, both within themselves and beyond,
extending to the broad political and economic arenas within which they operate. But today those
inevitable strains have been intensified by reciprocally aggravating causes. A new model of
leadership is required. In order to secure leaders with good odds of success, governing boards
must cultivate a deep understanding of how to assess leadership competencies and match them to
the kaleidoscopically changing demands of these complex organizations.
Both Systems and their research university flagships are loosely linked confederations of
heterogeneous components. Former University of California President Clark Kerr believed the
leaders of multiversity need to accept that some parts of their organizations will always be
discordant with others, if not actively at war. A mega-System like the State University of New
York illustrates the diversity of activities and entities that makes complex, competitive
relationships inevitable: 64 post-secondary institutions, from technical and community colleges
to research universities; healthcare systems comprising multiple hospitals and academic health
science centers; nearly 500,000 students; nearly 100,000 faculty and staff.
But big research flagships—with medical schools, hospitals, and healthcare systems; with
extensive research facilities; with thousands of faculty and staff and tens of thousands of
undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in hundreds of degree programs across a
dozen or more colleges and schools; with vast real estate holdings and physical plants; with
technology and business incubators, extension services, and experiment stations; and with
burgeoning auxiliary enterprises (housing, parking and transportation, athletics, and fund-raising,
among many others)—rival statewide Systems. They too cross thresholds of diversity,
organization, and interconnectivity such that interactions among the parts give rise to
organizational cultures, behaviors, and outputs that are not predictable in linear ways, that are

13
larger than the sum of the parts, and that reflect internal conflicts and synergies which emerge in
surprising ways.
That is to say that both public Systems and their research flagships are what mathematical
modelers call complex systems. Leadership of such systems requires extraordinary acumen in
many domains. Because the opportunities and dynamics are always already emergent there is a
premium for leaders who combine analytic and executive skills with an intuitive grasp of
complexity, broad intellectual sympathies, and unusual levels of altruism and empathy.
Section 5.
A free market is a situation where the price of goods and products in the market are set
freely by the sellers and consumers. The executive order has full access to the law and ensures
that the law is well implemented. Between the year 2009 and 2016, the president has signed 238
executive orders.
Section 7
An executive order is an order issued by the US president having the force of law to the navy,
army or any section of the executive government. It is a presidential policy directive that
interprets or implements federal statue a treaty or a constitutional provision. The power of a
president to issue an executive order comes from US and Congress constitution and it does not
require congressional approval (RUDALEVIGE, 2012). Barrack Obama has issued 235
executive orders during the time he has served in office. Some of the executive orders are
controversial and raises debates from media and the public; one unusual order is the gun policy
issued on 15 th January 2016(KLAREVAS, 2003).
The president’s executive actions were based on reducing gun violence but the most
controversial was his plan on cracking down some of the unregulated gun sales. He warned the
individuals engaging in gun shows and internet sales and do not obtain licence and subject their
buyers to regular background checks will be prosecuted by federal. The order states that, any
person who wilfully engages in firearms arms without legal license is subject to five years
imprisonment. In the crackdown in internet sales, Obama act is on the belief that too many
sellers in the business are purporting to be private sellers so as to avoid the need of licensing.
The aim of the gun control by the president is ensuring that all involved in the business conduct
background checks (RUDALEVIGE, 2012).
The action has real effect on gun violence as online firearms dealers have licences and they
perform background checks through local licensed dealers. It is illegal for a seller licensed or
private to sell a firearm knowingly to one who is prohibited from owning guns like violent felon.
Legitimate private sellers are not required to do anything by private sales should perform
background checks are not required. A threshold number of firearms in defining who should be
licensed gun dealers and frequency and quantity of gun sales are relevant.
Section 8
California Fresno county court supreme judges

14

Glenda S.
Allen-Hill
F. Brian
Alvarez
Brian M. Arax
Donald S.
Black
Jane Cardoza
Hilary A.
Chittick
Jonathan B.
Conklin
Adolfo M.
Corona
Mark E.
Cullers
Mary Dolas
Kristi Culver
Kapetan
Gregory T.
Fain

Kimberly A.
Gaab
Lisa M.
Gamoian
David Andrew
Gottlieb
Jeffrey Y.
Hamilton, Jr.
W. Kent
Hamlin
Arlan L. Harrell
Alvin M.
Harrell, III
Gary D. Hoff
Michael G.
Idiart
Dale Ikeda
David C.
Kalemkarian

Timothy A.
Kams
Jon N. Kapetan
Debra J.
Kazanjian
James A. Kelley
Rosemary T.
McGuire
Kathleen
Meehan
Kimberly J.
Nystrom-Geist
Gary R. Orozco
Don Penner

Dennis A.
Peterson
James
Petrucelli
Houry A.
Sanderson
Edward
Sarkisian, Jr.
Alan M.
Simpson
Jonathan M.
Skiles
Mark Wood
Snauffer
D. Tyler
Tharpe
John F. Vogt
Denise Lee
Whitehead
Francine
Zepeda

US Supreme Court judges
 John G. Roberts, Jr., Chief Justice of the United States,
 Anthony M. Kennedy, Associate Justice
 Clarence Thomas, Associate
 JusticeRuth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice,
 Stephen G. Breyer, Associate Justice,
 Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr., Associate Justice,
 Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice,
 Elena Kagan, Associate Justice

15

Fresno County Supervisors
Brian Pacheco – District 1
Andreas Borgeas – District 2
Henry Perea – District 3
Buddy Mendes – District 4
Debbie Poochigian – District 5
Powers of the judge according to article 3.
In all cases influencing diplomats, other open priests and delegates, and those in which a state
might be gathering, the Supreme Court should have unique locale. In the various cases before
said, the Supreme Court should have investigative purview, both as to law and certainty, with
such special cases, and under such regulations as the Congress might make.
The trial of all wrongdoings, aside from in instances of reprimand, should be by jury; and such
trial might be held in the state where the said violations should have been conferred; yet when
not submitted inside of any state, the trial might be at such place or places as the Congress may
by law have coordinated.
Section 9
Mass media is the means through which information are transmitted to large numbers and
they include; television, radio, newspapers and internet. News media are the one who provide the
information and the news and the outlets which they work. Times Warner is a multinational
media and entertainment headquartered in Times Warner Centre in New York City. It is the 3 rd
largest television in the world in filmed TV, television network and entertainment after Comcast
and Disney in terms of revenue. It was formed in 1990 after merging of Warner’s
communication and Time Inc. and it gives more funds to Democratic Party than republican
(Brenner, Day, & Ness, 2009).
The Walt Disney Company is a multinational media and entertainment headquartered at
Walt Disney studios in Burbank California. It’s the 2 nd largest in the world after Comcast and is
one of the news media accessed by majority of Americans. The media was founded by Roy O.
Disney and Walt Disney from Disney brothers cartoon. It established itself from America leading
animation to live action films, television and theme parks. Disney Company funds political
parties but it does not disclose the party (Brenner, Day, & Ness, 2009).
Public broadcasting service is a public television program distributor and broadcaster
headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. It is a non-profit organization and a prominent television
programs provider to public TVs in America. It was founded in 1970 by Hartford N. Gunn Jr and
is a program distributor providing television services to its users. The New York Times is an
American paper founded in 1851 and published in New York City by New York Times. It has

16
been regarded as a national newspaper record and it is read and available to many citizens
(Lasner, 2014).
Section 10

Poll questions

This poll was conducted among 10 peoples selected randomly on political issues. 4 people
(40%) approved on the way Obama handles the US economy while the rest disapproved. 70% of
the poll agreed with the gay marriage legalization while 30% was against the law with argument
on separation of the church and the government. Six individuals agreed with increasing global
warming law and urged the government on introduction of alternative energy production that
was friendly. The remaining four individuals believed that global warming was a natural
occurrence and no law would reduce it.
On the issue of immigrants learning English, 7 people agreed on the need to learn English
for then to attain citizenship. 3 of the individuals stated it not to be a requirement but they should
be given an opportunity to learn out of their will. 6 people agreed on the decriminalizing drug
law while 4 were against it, they commented on the best way to deal with drugs is; discouraging
and prohibition of all drugs including alcohol and tobacco. Seven people suggested that the
government should cut public spending in order to reduce national debt.
70% were against the extension of aid to the Israel government stating that it is one cause
of national debt. 30% supported the Israel aid because even though it adds to 1/3 rd of all aid, the
Israel uses it to buy American military hardware. Patriotic act received 50 to 50 supports from
the poll members, 5 supported it and 5 were against it. 90% of the individuals suggested the
decrease of foreign aid, especially to American enemies while 10% voted for increasing funds. 3
individuals voted for the need to rise retirement age for social security while 7 people were
against it. Many were in the opinion that individual should not benefits from the security funds
while still working.
Section 11
Party platforms are set political principles, strategies and goals designed to address
pressing political issues. Platforms from each party are broken down to declarations and planks
that that speak on each specific issue and the candidates are given a clear political position on
which they can campaign with. The Tea Party movement is known for its conservative position
and it calls for the states reduction of federal deficit and national debt by reducing government
spending through lowering taxes. It focuses on reduction of scope and size of the government by
advocating for an economy operating without government insights. They are concerned more on
economic issues than social issues; they target the growth of the economy of the state (Bonotti,
2011).
The Democratic Party platform is creation of a lasting economy and built from middle
out, by reclaiming the middle class economic security and rebuilding it through; out-innovate,
out-educate and out-build the world. The democratic vision is seeing an American great
opportunity and economic security, driven by education, innovation energy and infrastructure
and with a tax code that creates jobs and brings down American debts. The party believes in

17
insourcing so that the state can out-build the world through cutting tax to companies that ship
jobs overseas for a special interest and offer tax breaks for companies investing in the USA. The
state aim is to create good and well-paying jobs to the USA citizens, through forming and
enforcing hard labour laws. The democrats are committed in to reforming, remaking and
rethinking on governmental issues through formation of accountable and transparent government
(Valelly, 2011).
Republican Party platform concentrates on creation of jobs by a having roaring jobs that
match with the roaring economy. They talks of the restoration of a constitutional government,
this is achieved through every bill citing provision of constitution in its introduction. They talk of
sustainable jobs and economic growth- through America agriculture, energy and environmental
policy. The party also has a commitment in conservation by believing in the peoples’ moral
obligation to be stewards of by basing environmental policy to common sense. It works towards
reforming government to serve the people by not on improving management but also on
restructuring government (Valelly, 2011).
The Libertarian Party platform believes in the liberty for all, it opposes taxation in all
forms and opposes the entitlement programs that deal with revenue loss. It strives in eliminating
all federal subsidies to prevent political corporations and all antitrust laws. It restricts public
domain on immediate pubic use and gives away or sells most public properties to private owners.
It eliminates the postal service by transferring government properties and services from public
schools to landfills to the private owners. It calls for the abolition of amnesty and Selective
Service System for any citizen that restricts the draft (Valelly, 2011).
Section 12
Move on is the largest progressive, independent and digitally connected organizing group
in US it combines rapid response in political campaigns with deep strategic analysis. It is made
of two organisations; Civic Action and Move On org and focuses on advocacy and education and
provides civic tools to the public (“Move On Home”, 2016). Tides foundation approach values
smart risk taking, respect and empathy, engages with people whose lives are affected and work
beyond and between cultural boundaries and traditional sectors (“Home”, 2016). Media research
centre is a politically conservative content analysis founded in 1987 and based in Reston,
Virginia- it undermines traditional Americans value and states the existence of liberal bias in
media (Smith, 2012; “Media Research Center”, 2016).
The heritage foundation is a conservative think tank based in Washington D.C. and it is
the most influential conservative research organisation (“Conservative Policy Research and
Analysis”, 2016). The Centre of American Progress is a progressive research organisation in
public policy and it is dedicated at improving Americans lives through progressive actions and
ideas (“Center for American Progress”, 2016). Human Events is a conservative American
analysis and news website taking its name from the first line of US declaration of independence.
Media Matters for America is a progressive media watchdog in us and its mission is monitoring,
analysing and correcting all conservative misinformation of us media (“Human Events –
Conservative News, Views & Books”, 2016). Weather Underground organisation is a left-wing
founded on Ann Arbour campus, emerged from campus based to Vietnam War to the civil rights
movement (Smith, 2012).

18
Organizing for America was a community organizing of Democratic National Committee and it
mobilizes supporters to favour Obama legislative priorities in health care reforms (“Organizing
for Action”, 2016). Freedom works is a liberation and conservative advocacy group in
Washington D.C; it trains volunteers, assists campaigns and encourages mobilisation and
interaction of citizens and politicians (“Lower Taxes, Less Government, More Freedom”, 2016).
Centre for Self-Governance is a liberty non-profit, non-partisan educational that is dedicated to
training citizens in applied civics. National review is a semi-monthly (van Hiel, 2011) magazine
that was founded in 1955 by William F Buckley Jr, its online version deals with conservative
news, opinion and commentary (“National Review Online”, 2016).
Section 13
Absentee ballot is used when a voter will be absent from their town or city during Election Day
or cannot vote at the polls due to religious belief. The ballot is used by physically disabled
individuals with conditions that prevent them from voting at their polling station. The absentee
ballot can be mailed to an individual or arrangements done to vote at town or city hall.
Provisional ballot is used in recording votes when there are question about voters eligibility and
it is used when a voter refuses to produce photo ID. It is also used when the name of the voter
does not appear on electoral roll, voters ballot is recorded or when the voters registration is
inaccurate (“BALLOTS AND PUBLICATIONS”, 2008).
Government bond is a debt security the government issues to support it in spending and it mostly
used in the local currency. Federal bonds in America include; treasury bond, savings bond,
treasury inflation protected bonds and others. Before any investor invests in government bonds,
they should consider interest risk, inflation risk, political and country risks (“BALLOTS AND
PUBLICATIONS”, 2008). Prop in politics is used to designate political parties and individual in
legislature who support the incumbent government as against opposition. It is a measure o
proposed legislation that is proposed to voters in a popular plebiscite for its approval.
An office ballot is a ballot on which candidates are listed on alphabetic order in columns under
the office they are nominated with or without party designation. It is preferred when a political
party had exceptionally gubernatorial or strong presidential candidate (“BALLOTS AND
PUBLICATIONS”, 2008). In conclusion, the USA government has grown politically and laws
are enacted daily with new methods of transmission. The news media is a leading method of
spreading information and internet is the leading social media the old laws are still being used
and they are the baseline today.

19

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