Flipped Lesson: UK devolution

AP Comparative Government: Use the links here to complete this lesson on UK Devolution by Monday, Feb. 2.

BBC: A quick guide -- quick examples of devolved powers in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and the City of London.

BBC: Devolution 15 years in

This cartoon by Schrank from The Independent relates to a topic we'll be hearing a lot more about in the months and years to come: Scottish independence.
UK prime minister David Cameron and leader of the opposition Labour party Ed Miliband are in a rowing boat on Loch Ness. All of a sudden, a great tartan monster rises from the depths (in fact, it's Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, who is leading the fight for independence). Cameron and Miliband exclaim, "It's monstrous!".

EXPLANATION
The cartoonist plays on the two meanings of the word 'monstrous'. If you describe something as monstrous, you mean that it is extremely frightening because it appears unnatural or ugly (just like a monster, in fact). However, monstrous can also be used to describe an event that you consider to be extremely shocking or unfair. • She endured his monstrous behaviour for years. Both Cameron and Miliband are opposed to Scottish independence (and the consequent break-up of the UK), which explains their horrified reaction.

The Un-United Kingdom -- After more than 300 years of union, is Scotland ready to declare independence?

UK Polling Report: Scottish Independence Referendum -- Where is public opinion on the referendum vote tracking? Also check out the latest political polls of the parties in the UK.

Answer the following questions in the comment section of this post by Monday:

1. Define Devolution. Identify one institution created by devolution in the UK in the past 15 years.
2. The advent of devolution in the UK, especially since 1997, has complicated and confused understanding of the UK system vs. the US system. Compare/contrast the US constituional principle that relates most to devolution. How is the US principle similar? How is it different?
3. Give a quick summary of the Northern Ireland Good Friday referendum in 1998 and the prediction for the Scottish Independence vote (scheduled for Sept, 2014).

How Free Should We Be?

 

Question:

 

Should the federal government monitor phone and internet activity through federal offices, such as the National Security Agency (NSA), to protect the security of the United States and its citizens?

 

As a culiminating authentic assessment activity for the first unit in American Government (Traditional) we will deliberate or hold a Socratic Seminar on Monday on the question above. You will use the resources at CSPAN Classroom National Security & Surveillance site. This will be a 30 point assignment:

• 20 points -- Note-Taking Chart; Vocabulary Preview; Dialectical Journal (6 quotes)
• 10 points -- Your participation in Monday's deliberation/seminar

Articles should be read, and videos should be watched, with evidence from the texts incorporated in your writing. The written portion of the assignment will serve as your "talking points" for Monday's experience.

Some Rules of the Road for Friday's Experience

1) Talk to each other, not just to the discussion leader or teacher.

2) Refer to evidence from the text to support your ideas.

3) Ask questions if you do not understand what someone has said, or you can paraphrase what another student has said for clarification. (“I think you said this, is that right?”)

4) You do not need to raise your hands to speak, but please pay attention to your “airtime” – how much you have spoken in relation to other students.

5) Don’t interrupt.

6) Don’t put down the ideas of another student. Without judging the student who you may disagree with, state your alternate interpretation or ask a follow-up question to help probe or clarify an idea.

 

 

AV vote was "bitter blow for people who believe in the need for political reform."

Call this a Polar Vortex Contingency EC Lesson -- With the temp currently -3, 3 bonus points available for anyone that posts thoughts here today on the UK AV referendum in 2011.

In just the second UK-wide referendum in history over the Alternative Vote, the UK voted overwhelmingly in May, 2011 to reject changing the way MPs are elected - dealing a bitter blow to Nick Clegg on top of heavy Lib Dem poll losses. It was clear British voters chose to ignore process, wanting the government to focus on progress. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, and the Lib-Dems the strong supporters of electoral reform, also felt his side felt the wrath of voters' backlash of austerity measures. The BBC reported:

 Officials say 19.1m people voted in the second UK-wide referendum in history - a higher than expected turnout of 41%.

The final result put the Yes vote at 32.1% and the No vote at 67.9%.

It comes as the Lib Dems suffered a rout in English local elections - and the SNP scored an historic victory in the Scottish Parliament poll.

A debate that was often about the complexity of electoral systems ended in the simplest of results.

 The No campaign won, overwhelmingly.

The rush to attribute blame, or grab the credit for that result, begins here.

Those who favoured the Yes campaign will argue they were defeated by the Prime Minister's campaigning power, a largely hostile press and a tough opposing campaign.

Those who backed a No vote will say they won the argument for the merits of the status quo, and persuaded people the alternative vote was complex and unnecessary.

The voters, of course, needed only to mark crosses on ballot papers. They did not have to explain their reasoning.

So campaigners who devoted months of their lives to this argument will never know what difference, if any, they made to the result.

Read Ross's thoughts in full

Bitter blow for Clegg, Lib-Dems

Snow/Cold Day: Time to "Slow Jam" Tuesday's State of the Union

 



Washington Post: A televised history of State of the Union

(Thanks, Ken Halla, US Government Teachers Blog)

Other than President Ford, everyone including W. Bush seemed to think the state of our union was good even as we entered two wars.  That and other similarities are very interesting and clearly ongoing if you watch the snippets from State of the Union speeches from Kennedy to the present.

Also, here is a short, but interesting read talking about how many people take part in writing the State of the Union speech.  The video below short clip on the making of the 2012 speech.

Also, EC available for anyone that completes A State of the Union Bingo Card like this one:

Download the blank bingo card

Fill each square with what you think Obama will discuss during his speech. Here are a few ideas:
  Executive Order Minimum Wage Bipartisanship
Across the Aisle
Tucson
Folks
Healthcare
courage of our convictions
strength of our union
political spectrum
our union is strong
michele
American jobs
China
GE
manufacturing
clean energy
state of the art
community
shared hopes
who we really are
great challenges
the American dream
our children and our grandchildren
On Tuesday, you might want to go to the "enhanced" White House page where you can get lots of extra tidbits about the speech as it progresses.  This means you will be able to watch the speech and see graphics at the same time.

What is the UK Constitution?

(From the University of London School of Public Policy)

Constitutions organise, distribute and regulate state power. They set out the structure of the state, the major state institutions, and the principles governing their relations with each other and with the state’s citizens. Britain is unusual in that it has an ‘unwritten’ constitution: unlike the great majority of countries there is no single legal document which sets out in one place the fundamental laws outlining how the state works. Britain’s lack of a ‘written’ constitution can be explained by its history. In other countries, many of whom have experienced revolution or regime change, it has been necessary to start from scratch or begin from first principles, constructing new state institutions and defining in detail their relations with each other and their citizens. By contrast, the British Constitution has evolved over a long period of time, reflecting the relative stability of the British polity. It has never been thought necessary to consolidate the basic building blocks of this order in Britain. What Britain has instead is an accumulation of various statutes, conventions, judicial decisions and treaties which collectively can be referred to as the British Constitution. It is thus more accurate to refer to Britain’s constitution as an ‘uncodified’ constitution, rather than an ‘unwritten’ one.

More

For more on Rule of Law among our CP 6 and the World, Print and refer to the following worksheets developed by Mr. John Unruh-Friesen, who teaches at Hopkins High School in Minnesota.

Democracy Spectrum

Legal Systems

Russell Brand a Political Statesman?

Above is the full Russell Brand interview with BBC Newsnight's Jeremy Paxman.

Here is the NewStatesman page promoting Brand's guest issue.

Read Russell Brand's manifesto for revolution - all 4,500 words of it - here.

Opportunity in comment section for an EC point or two, how many purely British social cleavages can you identify in Brand's words. Remember, With Words We Govern. Could Britain govern with his?

Immigration issues across the pond

(From the Daily Mail)

Benefits will be stripped from immigrants who cannot speak English, it has been reported.

David Cameron intends to make the cuts in order to slash the country’s welfare bill, according to the Mail on Sunday.

The Prime Minister reportedly wants to stop printing welfare literature in foreign languages and prevent claimants using taxpayer-funded translators at benefits offices.

According to the newspaper the measures, which were due to be announced on Monday, have been delayed following a row with Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister.

It is hoped the scrapping of foreign-language documentation explaining how to claim benefits will make it harder for immigrants to make use of the UK’s benefits system, while encouraging those already in the country to learn English. The measures would also save the money spent on translators.
The Mail on Sunday said the plans, which would also affect British residents who cannot speak English, have been drawn up by Iain Duncan Smith, the Work and Pensions Secretary.

A Conservative source told the newspaper: “The vast majority of voters will think this idea is plain common sense.

“It is unreasonable to expect taxpayers to spend huge sums on translators when people should be learning to read and write English.”

Liam Fox, the former Defence Secretary, said: “The principle is a good one but it needs to be introduced in a way that’s fair and reasonable.

“If it is, it will meet with general public approval. The ability to speak English is one of the most empowering tools in the labour market and we should be encouraging as many people as possible to learn it.”

The Mail on Sunday said there had been a series of private disagreements between Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg over the measures.

However, Tory sources reportedly said they were hopeful the changes will be confirmed later this week if the Liberal Democrats can be persuaded.

An unnamed official involved in the plan told the newspaper: “Cameron and Duncan Smith are very enthusiastic about it, but the Lib Dems had a wobble. They are nervous of being portrayed as being too harsh on immigrants.”

Keith Vaz, the Labour MP and chairman of the Commons’ home affairs committee, said: “In principle, it is a good idea, but it could cost the taxpayer more because if people are refused benefit and have a genuine claim, they will sue the Government.”

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/david-camerons-immigrants-benefits-plan-2014-1#ixzz2rHB2EyK2

Do 'Youdia' Believe Liberal Bias was in Student-run GOP Debate?

(From Chicago Tonight)

The special one-hour candidate forum, hosted by Phil Ponce, gave viewers an opportunity to meet the Republican candidates for Illinois governor. Chicago Tonight is partnering with the Mikva Challenge, a program that encourages Chicago youth to be active in the political process. During the forum, high school students from the Mikva Challenge questioned the candidates about jobs, gun violence, education and more. Joining us are Bill Brady, Kirk Dillard, and Dan Rutherford. We invited Bruce Rauner to attend but he declined.

Watch the full forum here: GOP Gubernatorial Candidates Field Questions from High Schoolers

My thoughts -- student political efficacy and civic engagement is non-partisan. "Democracy is a Verb" -- Mikva Motto

But in the Youdia, it's interesting how politcal events get spun.

(From Public Affairs with Jeff Berkowitz):

Should Republicans boycott WTTW's forums due to WTTW's liberal bias?

Liberal media bias at the WTTW/Mikva Challenge Republican Gov Candidate Forum
It has long been alleged that PBS and WTTW (Chicago Public TV) possess a liberal media bias similar to that of the other national broadcast outlets: CBS, NBC and ABC, and that of MSNBC, which has taken liberal media bias to new extremes. So it was not a big shock when liberal media bias made an appearance at yesterday’s Republican Primary gubernatorial candidate forum, sponsored by both WTTW and the Mikva Challenge (named for long time and nationally prominent Democrat, Ab Mikva-- former Congressman, Federal Appellate Judge and White House Counsel to Bill Clinton).

Liberal bias among the CPS/Suburban school students
The questions came from CPS and suburban students. These students are in schools staffed in large part by left of center faculty, producing students who will ask questions that are in large part politically correct and skew left. What would you expect from students who learn from faculty who belong to unions that are big time contributors to the Democrat Party and Democratic Party pols.

Liberal bias among Team WTTW- Marin, Ponce Arruza
Moreover, WTTW's host/Chicago Tonight anchor Phil Ponce specifically reserved the right to ask follow-ups for the students. Phil, in large part, is out of the business these days of conducting political interviews, but no one doubts he is part of the biased liberal political team led by Carol Marin at WTTW. When the WTTW political team, e.g., Marin, Ponce and Arruza have Democrats as guests, e.g., Senator Durbin or Governor Quinn, they are tame as tame can be, asking few if any follow ups. But, when they have Republican guests who don’t toe the Democratic Party line, well then, it is time for WTTW to get aggressive.

Why require a Voter ID
So, it was not a shocker to see Ponce get his ire up when a student questioned the Republicans about voter ID laws and they didn’t agree with the student that such laws obviously improperly imposed barriers to citizens voting. If you follow politics, you know that various states have passed voter ID laws. The laws reflect the thinking that if we can ask for ID from a person who wants to buy a drink or get on a plane, maybe it would be a good idea for a voter to flash his or her ID before getting a ballot, so that we are sure the voter asking for the ballot is who he or she says she is, i.e., not voting fraudulently.

No voter fraud in Chicago?
There are liberals who argue that there are not extensive studies demonstrating voter fraud. The conservative response is that: one, fraud is often concealed and thus not easily demonstrated. Two, there is quite a bit of evidence of voter fraud in Illinois (the old motto in Chicago—vote early and vote often), New Jersey, Louisiana, just to mention a few of our more notable, politically corrupt states.

Easy for most voters to acquire ID
There are conservatives who argue that there are not extensive studies demonstrating it is inordinately difficult for anyone to acquire a virtually free voter ID, as is offered in most states with voter ID laws. The liberal response? Well, for a liberal perspective, see Phil Ponce’s questions below. However, Phil may not be a real liberal. Perhaps he just plays one on TV. If so, he is an excellent actor.

Rutherford and Dillard go quietly into the night
The other striking theme, below, is just how tepid the response of the Republican Gov candidates was to WTTW’s liberal media bias. The biased question by Ponce was to Bill Brady, and Bill’s response was ok, but he could have gone on the offensive more. Neither Rutherford nor Dillard was asked the

Former 'biased' print journalist with Kirk Dillard.

biased question by Ponce, but they could have been more courageous by responding directly to the bias of the student question or jumped in and defended Brother Brady, since the attack was not on Bill Brady, per se, but on Republicans in general. Clearly, Rutherford and Dillard thought discretion was the better part of valor. Dillard made his reluctance to address this issue even clearer when I questioned him on the issue in a post debate press conference, with the Q/A on the relevant question with Dillard included, below.

Where was Bruce Rauner? (question mark edited in by possibly liberally-biased former print journalist editor of Political Warrior)
Rauner skipped the whole debate. No doubt this reflected Rauner’s political strategy of skipping 75%, or so, of the upcoming candidate forums because he can afford to use paid media to get his word out and he doesn’t want to provide a target for his Republican Primary Gov opponents, who are each trailing Rauner by considerable margins in the polling data.

However, Rauner could easily have argued that all Republicans should boycott any debates sponsored by WTTW. When all of the potential moderators have demonstrated liberal media bias, why would any Republicans attend any debates sponsored by such stations. Would Republicans appear at a debate sponsored by MSNBC and moderated by the likes of Chris Matthews, Rachel Maddow or anybody appearing regularly on MSNBC as a host/moderator? I don’t think so. In the same way, which Illinois Republicans would want to subject themselves to the liberal bias of WTTW.?

http://www.chicagonow.com/public-affairs-with-jeff-berkowitz/2014/01/should-republicans-boycott-wttws-forums-due-to-wttws-liberal-bias/

******************************************************************

Your Thoughts?



The Difference between the United Kingdom, Great Britain and England

Homework tonight, 65-74 in Hauss and comment here: 1) vocabulary term; 2) major themes of the section; and 3) wild cards = three (ie:comment on video above, an ID of a UK person of interest, a connective anecdote -- "It is a load of codswallop that Bono can't be a Knight because he's bloody Irish."

A really big show....Jimmy Fallon was Boss last night

Democratic Breakthroughs in the balance

 

(Above: Paul McCartney at the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize Event. Best rock front man ever for the world, Sir  Paul or Knight Bono? -- Bono can't be a Sir because he's Irish, we'll deal with that later)

 



The emergence of popular movements for reform were the driving force behind major gains in the Middle East last year, according to Freedom in the World 2013, Freedom House's annual report on the state of global freedom. However, a number of regions experienced setbacks due to a hardened and increasingly shrewd authoritarian response to these movements.

 

While the number of countries ranked as Free in 2012 was 90, a gain of 3 over the previous year, 27 countries showed significant declines, compared with 16 that showed notable gains. This is the seventh consecutive year that Freedom in the World has shown more declines than gains worldwide. Furthermore, the report data reflected a stepped-up campaign of persecution by dictators that specifically targeted civil society organizations and independent media.

 

Among the most striking gains for freedom was that of Libya, which advanced from Not Free to Partly Free and registered one of the most substantial one-year numerical improvements in the report's nearly 40-year history. Burma and a number of African countries, including Côte d'ivoire, Guinea, Lesotho, Senegal, and Sierra Leone, also saw major advances. Noteworthy declines were recorded for Kazakhstan, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine.

 

The Middle East showed ambiguous results for the year. In addition to major gains for Libya, and

Tunisia's retention of sharp improvements from 2011, Egypt experienced relatively modest progress. The country held a flawed but competitive presidential election and direct military rule came to an end, yet the elected parliament was dissolved and President Morsi pushed through a new constitution under deeply problematic circumstances.

 

Moreover, the gains for the Arab Spring countries triggered a reaction, sometimes violent, by authoritarian leaders elsewhere in the Middle East, with resulting setbacks for freedom in Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates.

 

The report's findings were especially grim for Eurasian countries. Russia took a decided turn for the worse after Vladimir Putin's return to the presidency. Having already marginalized the formal political opposition, he enacted a series of laws meant to squelch a burgeoning societal opposition. The measures imposed severe new penalties on unauthorized demonstrations, restricted the ability of civic groups to raise funds and conduct their work, and placed new controls on the internet.

 

Citing an accentuation of repression in a number of critical countries, the report urges the United States and other democracies to demonstrate leadership in the struggle for freedom. It criticizes both the Obama administration and the Republican opposition for a reluctance to provide that leadership.

 

More

 

________________________

 

Your Freedom House CP 6 Assignment

 

In groups of four students (4) divide and conquer and drop knowledge on our six (6) case study countries. You will present your findings on how your country rates through the: political; economic and social lenses on Thursday. Did your country get more/less free over the last year?

 

____________________

 

Trends in comparative politics on the AP test are: globalisation and democratization. For reference, here are the College Board's briefing papers on these trends:

 

Briefing Paper - Globalisation URL

 

Briefing Paper - Democratization URL

 

 

Jihad vs. McWorld redux

As we move to a comparative mindset, we revist briefly globalization and the classic you will re-read this week. Your thoughts? Have they changed? Will they change even more?

http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2014/01/04/have-we-reached-the-end-of-globalization/


Jihad vs. McWorld

This article was from an American perspective a couple of years ago. How would the AP Comp 6 view these global issues?

http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/upfront/features/index.asp?article=f011810_challenges
What does this say about the views of some about Globalization?

We're No. 1 -- In lawnmower fatalities

 

 



@HuffingtonPost: Hilarious map shows what each country is best at, and it's probably not what you think http://t.co/LTR06rukyk

Check out what the CP 6 (UK, Russia, China, Mexico, Iran, Nigeria) lead in. What might this say about the regime?

Essential Court Cases for the AP Govt Exam

(From US Government Teachers Blog, thanks Ken Halla)

Print this list of and save it!
_____________________

Years ago I stole Rebecca Small's list of essential court cases and while I have made a few additions, it is essentially still hers.  But today I found this great list + definitions and it seems to be even a bit better.  Of course, based on the more recently released AP exams and free response questions or lack thereof (my kids laugh every year when I say THIS is the year ETS will have a free response with court cases) knowing a number of court cases won't make much difference, but knowing the key clauses WILL.

 

First Assignment of 2014 semester: ID and explain faces of 2013

 

On Tuesday we will turn our attention to the study of comparative government & politics (remember "politics -- though it "ain't beanbag'' -- is easy, governing is hard."). For you first intro assignment, like a mini-FRQ, in the comment area of this post Identify each of the faces on The Week's final cover of 2013, and explain whether they are a U.S/International face and why we might talk about, or need to know about these people in a political science class.

Also, I will add some other questions for fun in the comment section. For government's around the world, will 2014 be better/worse than 2013?

Christie's Bridge Scandal (forgive the pun) a real "Feeding Frenzy"

From AP Government Textbook Author Larry Sabato, Director of the UVA Center of Politics  @LarrySabato:

A feeding frenzy — as defined by the book of the same name — is “the press coverage attending any political event or circumstance where a critical mass of journalists leap to cover the same embarrassing or scandalous subject and pursue it intensely, often excessively, and sometimes uncontrollably.”

Not all feeding frenzies are the same, but they generally can be classified into three levels of severity:

• Mega Frenzy: The infrequent “black hole” frenzy that sucks in most available media light and dominates the news for weeks or months. It is remembered as the dominant story of a particular election or era: Watergate, the Iran-Contra Affair, and Bill Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky all qualify.
• Full Frenzy: A major event that connects to a candidate’s existing subtext — that is, the way journalists think the real person underneath the public exterior is defined. An example is Gary Hart’s reckless extramarital relationship with Donna Rice, which he was pursuing even as the candidate invited reporters to “follow me around. You’ll be very bored.” The revelation effectively knocked Hart out of the 1988 Democratic presidential nominating contest and confirmed lingering suspicions about his character.
• Frenziette: The summer squall of feeding frenzies, which seems important at the moment but fades quickly and has no real impact. A New York Times article about John McCain’s interactions with a lobbyist in 2008 is an example. The story, which seemed to suggest far more than it proved, didn’t appear to hurt McCain in the slightest.

 

_______________________

 

BTW, these toll booth caused "traffic problems" in New Jersey happened in September. Gov. Christie fired his deputy chief of staff today after he claimed "he had no knowledge" of the ordered lane closures until yesterday. Your thoughts? And what type of "feeding frenzy" would you define this as.

Should Congress and the President pass legislation to raise the federal minimum wage of American workers?

How much does it take to live? Play the game SPENT.

Question: Should Congress and the President pass legislation to raise the federal minimum wage of American workers?

As a culiminating assessment activity for the first semester in American Government (AP and Traditional) we will deliberate or hold a Socratic Seminar on Friday on the question above. You will use the resources at CSPAN Classroom Minimum Wage site. This will be a 50 point assignment:

• 20 points -- Note-Taking Chart; Vocabulary Preview; Dialectical Journal (5 quotes)
• 20 points -- Your individual one-page postition paper
• 10 points -- Your participation in Friday's deliberation/seminar

Articles should be read, and videos should be watched, with evidence from the texts incorporated in your writing. The written portion of the assignment will serve as your "talking points" for Friday's experience.

Some Rules of the Road for Friday's Experience

1) Talk to each other, not just to the discussion leader or teacher.

2) Refer to evidence from the text to support your ideas.

3) Ask questions if you do not understand what someone has said, or you can paraphrase what another student has said for clarification. (“I think you said this, is that right?”)

4) You do not need to raise your hands to speak, but please pay attention to your “airtime” – how much you have spoken in relation to other students.

5) Don’t interrupt.

6) Don’t put down the ideas of another student. Without judging the student who you may disagree with, state your alternate interpretation or ask a follow-up question to help probe or clarify an idea.

Minimum Wage Laws in the States - January 1, 2014

Minimum wage by comparison

 

We will end the semester with a policy analysis of whether or not to raise the minimum wage domestically. Then next week we start to look out at the world. Review the chart above. Note that Germany just passed minimum wage policy this year -- 8.50 euro/hr = 1,289 e/year.

 

(Thanks, Teaching Comparative Blog)

In the USA, it's seems inevitable that calls for a higher minimum wage come from labor interests and resistance to the idea comes from business interests.

So, what should we make of the UK's biggest business lobby advocating higher wages? Or, is this just journalists emphasizing the unusual part of a conventional message?

CBI: Firms must pay workers more as economy improves

The head of the UK's main business lobby group has said too many people are "stuck" in minimum wage jobs, despite an upturn in the UK economy.

John Cridland, director general of the CBI, said businesses should deliver "better pay and more opportunities" for their employees.

 He told the BBC: "If we get productivity going, we are creating more wealth, and we can share it."

Recovery should be sustainable before wages increased, he said… 


 In his annual new year's message, Mr Cridland said despite economic growth, there were "still far too many people stuck in minimum wage jobs without routes to progression, and that's a serious challenge that businesses and the government must address."

Mr Cridland said businesses must support employees in "every part of the country" to progress in their careers and help young people get their first jobs…
Meanwhile...

Ed Miliband in new year cost of living pledge

Labour has a "credible and affordable" plan to help families struggling with the cost of living, Ed Miliband has insisted in his new year message.

 



 The opposition leader said the issue of living standards would again be his focus in 2014, accusing ministers of wanting to "change the conversation"…

Labour says the UK is still in middle of the "biggest cost-of-living crisis in a generation" and, with prices rising faster than wages for most people, the majority continue to feel worse off…

While he was not promising people "easy answers", Mr Miliband said Labour's plan to freeze energy bills for 20 months from June 2015, expand free childcare and crack down on payday lenders would "tip the balance towards hope" for many families struggling in the current climate.

"People do not want the Earth. They would prefer some very specific promises, specific things about what a government will do," he added.

"All of this is adding up to a programme for how we can change things. It is clearly costed, credible and real."…

___________________

Post here, the name of a comparable organization linked to the government here as to what the CBI is in the UK.



Popp Points show who put in extra effort this semester

With posts today, congratulations to Amana, who moved up to a tie for sixth place in the Popp Point extra credit posting. While more of you posted this year than last, still surprising to me that just 5 students overall qualified for the maximum 10 extra credit Popp Points for using the Youdia to your credit. Remember, YOU are the GOVERNMENT. Congratulations to Katyayni G. -- the 2013 Political Warrior champion!


1st Semester Popp Point Leaders

1. Katyayni G. 15 (10 EC points, Political Warrior debate with Ryan H. put her over top)
2. Anna L. 14 (10 EC points, 11 posts on 1/5)
3. Eric O. 12 (10 EC points, no posts over break. Lost lead.)
4. Akshaya I. 12 (10 EC points)
5. Katie B. 10 (10 EC points)
5. Grant P. 10 (10 EC points)
6. Amana G. 9
6. Tara P. (sociology) 9
9. Ryan H. 7
9. Alex S. 7

Others: James O. (6); Caitlin F. (6); Pei C. (6); Kayla A. (5); Gloria G. (5); Lisa C. (5); Scott C. (5); Ashley Y (trad. gov. 5); Brianne S. (5); Brendan G. (4); Howie (4); John C. (4); Clare H. (3); Joshua A. (3); Juliet O. (3); Jack C. (3); Morgan L. (3); Dawn C. (2); Ben C. (2); Carly L. (2); Saafa B. (2); Ester F. (2); Hot Pocket (2); Austin W. (2); Bailey Y. (2); Mahum Z. (2); Nathan W. (1); Jeff E. (1); Tad W. (1); Stephen S. (1); Sami B. (1); Nick B. (1); Remi Y. (1).

Like/Dislike? Youdia weighs in on Winter Storm

Not that I expect you Political Warriors to weigh in on the side of criticizing District 204's decision to cancel school today, but people took to their Youdia Soap Boxes to state their claims against their government action to shut down roads, schools and meetings.

Until further notice, NO VEHICLES except police, fire and other emergency vehicles are to be on the road.

Lake County Commissioner and Lake County Sheriff John Buncich have declared a state of emergency for all of Northwest Indiana. Until further notice, only emergency vehicles, law enforcement, medical and highway department vehicles are to be on the roadways.

___________________

To me the closures make sense. But not so much to others. In NW Indiana this morning, INDOT had to "rescue" drivers/cars that went around barricades.

Here were some comments on Facebook:

Garry Szumsky · FollowFollowing

This is NOT a state of emergency. It is a SNOWSTORM. This is the midwest, and it is near Lake Michigan. We get these in Winter. We've been getting them in Winter for hundreds of years. The blizzard of '67 dumped 23 inches of snow on us. Wind gusts were up to 53 mph and drifts were up to 6 feet high. I was almost killed in that one, and no one declared any "state of emergency". In the blizzard of '79 we got 19 inches of snow, which was on top of the 10 inches that were already there. Building were destroyed in that blizzard, and all city trains were disabled. No state of emergency. In '99 we got 22 inches of snow in 2 days, 18.8 in 1 day alone - the single most amount of snow in 1 day ever in Chicagoland. we had 60 mph gusts and lake Shore Drive had to be shut down because of water from the lake freezing the road solid. That blizzard caused 43 deaths, either from exposure or heart attacks while shoveling. No "state of Emergency declared.

Last winter, schools were closing BEFORE a snowstorm even arrived, based solely on the predictions of weathermen. That storm never arrived. Now we have a "state of emergency" over, what? is it up to 6 or 7 inches yet?
Someone wants to make wimps out of all of us. We are being taught to be afraid of everything, even NORMAL WEATHER CONDITIONS that our parents and grandparents took for granted would happen. This is not only sad, it is a tad frightening.

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Aaron Thomas Gibson · Lansing, Illinois

Ok I'll drive where ever when ever I want!

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Jorge Big-g Urbina · C.e.o/founder and owner at Titanium Productions

Are the county's going to notify our employer's? Btw it's our choice to be on the road. on my way to work or to joy ride . You can't stop us.

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Craig Wilson · OTR Driver at USA Truck

Driving is a privelidge not a right and they do have the right and power to stop you.

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Jeffrey Machado III · Top Commenter · Front Range Community College

At least call it what it is, Martial Law. It may be wise not to go out, but police do not dictate freedom of travel. Now, if someone chooses to go out, they should not expect to get assistance from anyone else. If you are not free to make decisions, even really bad ones, you are not free at all.

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Elizabeth Moore

Don't get me wrong...I'm not going anywhere, but how on earth does the "Lake County Commissioner and Lake County Sheriff" have authority to speak and dictate closures for "all of Northwest Indiana?" Typical Lake County, lol.

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Joe MolonLabe · Top Commenter · Consultant at Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated

Why not just say "No emergency services for drivers" instead? This isn't Nazi Germany, you can't tell people they no longer have the Right to travel.

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Sharon Kelly · Harper High School

The more control we give this darn goverment the more they CONTROL US!!!! Still refuse Obama Care!!!! Sue me then I'll quit my job so i cant pay you!!!

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David E. Artman · FollowFollowing · Top Commenter

Yes, Sharon. I can already see the government tanks lined up on 41 to blast you off the road.

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Margaret Center · FollowFollowing · Works at Body By Vi - Visalus (Independent Promoter)

Oh My Goodness people maybe they are just tired of digging people out of ditches and other vehicles. Use your heads obviously it isn't safe.

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Alicia Marie Hicks · Photographer at Alicia Marie's Photography

it always amazes me how people can bring Obama into ANYTHING lol

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To be fair, most of the comments supported the County Government's decision to call off road travel and criticized the Soap Box sarcastics. Still, this is more evidence of "Politics (or shooting off your mouth) is Easy, Governing is Hard." And how citizens assess of governments at all levels are spending our money. Not really related here, but graphic below breaks down federal revenues.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What can the Olympics teach us about governments?

The basic question I have is, "Are hosting the Olympic Games good for governments and its citizens?"

When we case study Russia and China together, the Sochi Games will be underway. This article from Business Week gives us insight into Governing v. Politics in Putin's Russia.

The Waste and Corruption of Vladimir Putin's 2014 Winter Olympics

A look at how this week’s cover got made.

Does the editorial decision making re-enforce U.S. stereotypes of Cold War Russia?