HOW DOES THE BUDGET DEAL AFFECT THE MID-TERM ELECTION OF 2014?
A) Will the voting public see political compromise as a reflection of their values?
B) How will political actors more loyal to the party platform than political compromise do in the primaries for the upcoming mid term elections?
C) Do you believe Congress has acted in a way that reflects your interests as opposed to holding a hard line to party loyalty?
Use the chart below, the video clips and articles to frame your response. Please comment below and offer a well thought reaction to those who post above you. You will be graded based on your use of 4 different sources in your response:
1. The Chart
2. The videos
3. The articles
4. Reactions to other students without copying other students
Note: the above data may be seen with skepticism because Huffington Post is an extremely liberal news source. That having been said, the general ideas reflected in the chart are generally suppported by other new sources as well.
Videos:
Anouncement of Budget Deal between Republican Chairperson of the House Budget Committee Paul Ryan and Senate Budget Committee chair Sen Patty Murray.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4av3AJcyEfM
Republican Senator Ted Cruz opposition to the Bill
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwxFuIdZY0s
Republican Senator John McCain support for the Bill
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESwHmj5sc88
Artcles:
http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2013/12/18/the_budget_just_turned_into_a_campaign_ad_against_democrats.html
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/12/13/senate-gop-budget-deal/4012311/
Michael Novet
ReplyDeleteThe voting public would likely see this as a reflection of their values, the videos showed people both supporting and opposing the bills on the grounds of how it affects the American people. Paul Ryan, Patty Murray and John McCain supported the bill on the grounds that we must reach a compromise and avoid another government shutdown as it would be bad for the people and also on the necessity to eventually get America out of debt. Opponent to the budget, Ted Cruz, also spoke about the people’s needs, saying that it raises spending in the short term and would not be good for the people. The chart show that spending by Republican supporting independent groups has been extremely high as a of late, and as the Slate article says, an effort is being made to use this bill as an antidemocrat ad, therefore, the public likely views this bill as a Republican vs. Democrat matter, not a compromise between the two. This being the case, Democrats who stayed adamantly with the bill, and Republicans who can still claim to oppose it after allowing it to get cloture and then say there was nothing they could do but that they “passionately fought against it” will both be able to maintain popularity with their parties due to party loyalty in a matter that appears to be a bipartisan dispute. Congress has primarily not been focused on party lines, but rather on what is best for the nation. The bill did come out as a result of a Democrat-Republican compromise, and has some support from both republicans and democrats. Both Senator McCain and President Obama support this bill. Although some oppose the idea it is widely viewed as a step in the right direction, a way to break our previous bi-partisan pattern of lurching form one crisis to the next, and is a compromise rather than a plan supported by one party and opposed by the other.
As Mike previously stated, the public will most likely view this compromise as a reflection of their ideals because those on both sides of the issue have their reasoning associated with how this budget deal affects the American people. Those who support the deal say that the debt will be controlled following this deal and that living from shutdown to shutdown will halt, but those who are against the budget deal are worried for our veterans who will be facing pension cuts. These issues both deal with the lives of the American people, therefore this compromise is seen as a reflection of their values. Those who remained loyal to their party, like the Republicans rejecting the budget deal, will still remain popular in the upcoming midterm elections because the majority of their party is also rejecting it, therefore they will still be seen as rejecting Democrat values and remain in office. I believe that Congress attempted to refrain from party loyalty and tried to pass this budget deal as a compromise between the two parties, but the fact that an overwhelmingly large number of Democrats support the bill and very few Republicans are on board with them makes it seem as if this bill isn't in favor of both parties like Ryan and Murray claim it is. This deal is a good idea in that it's attempting to avoid more government shutdowns, but until each party is in favor of the new budget I don't believe that it's a very good compromise.
ReplyDeleteYes, the public will believe that a compromise is a reflection of their personal values. All in all, one of the major goals of the deal is to prevent any future government shutdowns. Because the last shutdown got so much press-time and a lot of citizens are ignorant of the actual politics behind the deal, many people will be in favor of the deal solely because it should avoid government shutdown, and it appears as if the government is trying to do something to help the people directly. Those people who are also aware of the politics behind the legislation will also feel as if they are represented because there is many different views and opinions on it. There are democrats that support it, republicans that support it, such as Senator McCain, and republicans who do not, such as Senator Cruz. Similarly, I believe that political figures who are more dedicated to their political parties will have better luck in the primaries. People are more willing to vote for members of their own party than members of another party. Plus, as Ryan had said, if a politician goes against their party, it is seen as rejecting the party's values. In my personal opinion, I agreed with Senator Cruz that the democrats appear to be voting with their party rather than for the people because of their unanimity. However, if the budget deal does help out the people like it is planned to, then it is also successful in meeting the interests of the people too.
ReplyDeleteMegan Byrne
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAs my classmates have stated above, the voting public will see this political compromise as a reflection of their values. The voting public will all agree with Senator John McCain and President Obama that there cannot be another government shutdown after seeing what we went through in October. The passage of this budget deal will take away the threat of a government shutdown for the next two years, as stated in the last article. Due to a majority of the Congress supporting the budget deal, people are not as quick to see Senator Cruz's point. As Mike stated, Ted Cruz said in the video that the new budget bill will actually increase spending now and this will hurt the people. I agree with Ted Cruz that passing the budget bill will do more harm then good. Yes, a government shutdown will be avoided, but the pensions of veterans will be cut and spending for now will continue to increase. Ted Cruz made a good point of saying that the government is doing what it always does and not addressing the real problem. No matter what the Congressman's view is on the issue I agree with Ryan that the political actors such as Ted Cruz, who remained loyal to their party and rejected the budget deal will remain in office after the upcoming midterm elections. The people voted them into office for their political views and party platform and therefor they will be reelected. The Republicans do seem to be a little worried about losing the elections though and as the chart shows, the Republicans are have been increasing spending to ensure that the incumbents remain in office. The only people who may be at risk of losing the upcoming midterm elections are the Congressmen who voted for the budget deal and as Former Rep. Allen West said in the first article, turned their back on the military. I think the Republicans more than the Democrats have reflected my interests as opposed to holding a hard party line. Like Megan and Senator Ted Cruz said, the Democrats all seem to be voting together. The Democrats are holding a hard party line and what one person such as the Majority Leader says everyone else does. While both parties are trying to pass a budget deal that supports the people, the Republicans are addressing the issues with the budget deal and debating whether it will benefit the people while the Democrats are just focusing on avoiding another government shutdown.
ReplyDeleteOverall, after reviewing each article and video, the voting public will see their political compromise as a reflection of their values. After reviewing the video with John McCain on CNN, he just wants to prevent and avoid another terrible government shutdown. Like the other, shutdown it effected many people and Senator John McCain, "we want to prevent another government shutdown for the sake of the people". Some Republicans support the bill and want to go forward with the two year agreement but some don't want to move forward with the bill because they are uncertain with it. There will be a cloture vote on the bill and if it receives 60 positive votes, the bill will be presented on the debate floor. Senator Cruz, a Republican Senator from Texas disagrees with the bill because of what Ryan said with the military pensions and how it could effect our veterans and also he describes how the bill is not solving any of the problems the government is in as of right now. In the mid year elections, I feel like the politicians will get the people's vote if they make the correct and understandable decisions, that will affiliate and help prevent another government shutdown. In the article, about the campaign ad against Democrats signifies that only Republicans are making an effort to put an end to all this none sense and work with the Democrats; Meanwhile Democrats just want to work within their own political group. All in all, in full honesty, I don't believe Congress reflects my interest because though they are trying to work together, half of the sides support the idea and the other half doesn't. Like Ryan said, if they are only trying to come to an agreement to end government shutdown and not come up with a completely new and better budget, then whats the point of having these meetings.
ReplyDeleteParaskevas Xenophontos
I'd agree with those who say that most Americans will consider the budget deal a reflection of their values/wants. Americans don't want another government shutdown, so they'll support something designed to prevent it. However, there might be an exception to this rule: people who would have been able to benefit from programs that were cut. Someone whose military pension was cut might not be as in favor of the deal.
ReplyDeleteAs for party lines vs. political compromise during the midterm elections, the results are going to vary based on who's voting. If people like what the incumbent is doing, or at least don't dislike it (not everyone stays on top of politics and may just go by whatever party they consider themselves or the name they recognize) they're probably going to vote for the incumbent. Unless something happens in a particular district/to a particular incumbent that causes the people's values/opinions to change or an incumbent really annoys a party whip to the point where they are unable to obtain enough campaign funding, the incumbent is probably staying in office. This could possibly explain why the Democrats all seem to be voting together-they are more afraid of losing support from the DNC then they are of losing support from the district they represent.
I feel the public will see the compromises referenced in the first video as a mixed assessment of their values.While the public obviously would not want increased spending I don't believe they are in favor of cutting pensions from military veterans in order to decrease spending. Overall I feel that any compromise at all is a step in the right direction. Senators preparing for upcoming midterm elections who are adhering to party policies rather than advocating compromise in the future will more than likely fare well due to an incumbency advantage and because they are remaining firm in their stances. This might seem attractive to voters who are still reeling from the government shutdown which gave the appearance of unstable leadership. Although compromise and change is necessary I don't think people will be quick to change the status quo. I understand that the proposed deal would prevent another government shutdown and cut veteran benefits while raising spending and I feel that it will still pass. What I find peculiar is that the legislation will act as relief on military sequestrations which could lead to some military leaders voicing support for it according to Senator McCain. I also believe Congress has acted in public interest and has not adhered to party loyalty (at least concerning republicans) shown by an overwhelming 169 republican votes for a deal that is receiving republican opposition in the Senate because of key GOP issues that it works against.
ReplyDeleteAs previously stated, the voting public will see the political compromise behind the budget deal as a reflection of their individual political values. Following the government shutdown the people have been demanding a bipartisan government, and they received just that when Republican Paul Ryan and Democrat Patty Murray announced the new budget deal. While some politicians are against this deal, I believe that the political actors who are more loyal to their party platforms will remain in office after the 2014 midterm elections. As Jane said, all of these legislators were elected because of their loyalty to their respective political parties. I believe that incumbency and preventing future government shutdowns will trump supporting pension cuts for veterans, and other federal employees. Personally I believe that while congress is making a step towards bipartisanship, they are not doing enough. Rather than compromising on key issues the deal only focuses on common ground between the two parties as Paul Ryan said. Murray confirms that the budget hasn't addressed a single corporate tax loophole, or made an effort to make changes to social security and Medicare. However, fixing these problems is no easy task, and I commend the bipartisan effort to prevent any future government shutdowns.
ReplyDeleteJack Ryan
The voting public will certainly see political compromise as a reflection of their values. As Jack noted, with the recent government shutdown, people will be receptive to Republican Paul Ryan and Democrat Patty Murray’s new budget deal. Although most people are pleased to see this compromise, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are happy with all aspects of it, most notably cutting the pensions of veterans. I found it interesting when Paul Ryan said, “We knew that if we forced each other to compromise on our core principles, we’d get nowhere. That is why we decided to focus on where the common ground is.”
ReplyDeleteAs many of my classmates have stated, I believe that political actors who are more loyal to the party platform will be successful in the mid term elections. The chart does show that Republicans have increased spending of their independent groups. Kate brought up a good point when she discussed how many people aren’t too well versed in politics, so they’d probably go to the party that they generally associate with or vote for the person whose name they recognize. However, there was a comment on the McCain video that I found interesting in which someone asked if his support of the bill was “just a political move on [his] part because midterm elections are near.” It surprises me that someone would think this especially since he’s going against the general Republican trend.
The fact that such a compromise even exists between the Republicans and the Democrats shows that Congress is acting in a way that reflects our interests. Ted Cruz does make it apparent that Democrats are essentially acting in line with party loyalty, however, Ryan and Murray’s new budget deal is definitely a step in the right direction. As Majority Whip Richard Durbin stated, “we should assume that all members of Congress in both parties hear the response of the American people to this final breakthrough in a bipartisan understanding"
The voting public can view political compromise as a reaffirmation that their congressmen and senators will produce results through bipartisan cooperation. However, it is apparent that the voting public can never be completely satisfied by a compromise because comprises inherently involve ceding a goal or desire in order for the act to pass.
ReplyDeletePolitical actors more loyal to the party platform than political compromise will most likely receive support from their fellow party members during the primaries. The support will translate into financial backing for campaigns. The chart shows that Republicans received substantial financial backing after the Citizens United decision in 2010. In 2010, the midterm elections, the Republicans won many seats in both the House and Senate. In the upcoming midterm elections of 2014, the chart will likely change again, to reflect an increase in Republican spending. The Republicans will likely win more seats in Congress – a reflection on the initial failure of Obamacare.
Overall, Congress has acted rather oddly. Why did most of the House Republicans vote for the budget while most of the Senate Republicans vote against it? The split in the Republican party shows that the Republicans are not holding a hard line to party loyalty. David Weigel’s article seems to speculate that the Democrats are going to receive most of, if not all of, the blame for the cut to veteran pensions. Ted Cruz’s speech may have the answer for why the Democrats are receiving the blame: party loyalty. Cruz claims that the Democratic Senators are intimidated by the Majority Leader, Harry Reid. Cruz urged the Democrats to stand up to Mr. Reid. However, in the same speech, he also states that it is “not that hard to buck party leadership.” Mr. Cruz reminds me very much of Jimmy Carter because of his outsider looking in, I’m going to fix everything attitude. Mr. Cruz’s actions (even though he is only one person) definitely support the notion that Congress does not act in a way that reflects our interests because it is apparent that his main goal is to agitate everyone around him instead of working on compromises. As many of my classmates have said, it is encouraging that the budget deal was created via a bipartisan effort. Evidently, as is the nature of a compromise, legislation that is introduced to Congress is bound to have opposition; in this case, the veteran pension cuts. Hopefully the detractors to the budget deal will not dissuade Congressmen from bipartisanship in the future.
In agreeing with my other classmates, yes the people will political compromise as a direct reflection of their values. Like Meghan Byrne said, the major goal right now is to prevent another government shutdown, and the best way to do this would be to listen to and react based on the values of the people. In the USA Today article, Senate Majority Whip, Richard Durbin stated, “We should assume that all members of Congress in both parties hear the response of the American people to this final breakthrough in a bipartisan understanding.” This statement clearly shows that government officials are listening to the people and their opinions are very important to them. The combination of the videos and the articles clearly showed that there are two sides to every story and really gave me a better understanding of the topic at hand. The video concerning Senator John McCain exhibited political party member going against party platform in an effort towards political compromise, while the opposite occurred in the video concerning Senator Ted Cruz. Both McCain and Cruz are from the same political party, yet they both had different ideas concerning the budget bill. Due to the fact that mid-term elections are coming up, I am not sure how these political candidates will do. Some members of the party will vote for Cruz because he chose to stay with the party, while more lenient members will vote for McCain because he is choosing compromise. The elections will be tricky and honestly I am not sure how these politicians will fare. I agree Mike in that I also believe that Congress is not focused on party alliances but on what is best for the nation. Having two different parties make the bill is a way for Congress to show that they are making deals to benefit their nation, not just their particular political party. I think the bill will prevent future government shutdowns and overall the benefits outweigh the consequences.
ReplyDeletethe above post is by Megan Musachio
ReplyDeleteI believe that the voting public will see political compromise as a reflection of their values because a common ground is met through political compromise as shown the first video with Paul Ryan and Patty Murray. As a result of two powerful, but opposite government officials compromising, they made an agreement that keeps the government functioning without gridlock, and thus without a shutdown. By looking past their differences, both Murray and Ryan have realized that disagreements cause a price for the people to pay. Political compromise proved in this situation that the job market and the economy can only turn around for the better because compromise creates certainty. I disagree with some of my classmates that political actors more loyal to the party platform will do better in the primaries because political compromise is what is going to make the country thrive better than it has in the past few years. Senator Ted Cruz points out that doing whatever the majority leader says to do and not opposing legislation that is not beneficial to the country as a whole can be problematic. The Republican’s split opinions allows for more discussion and more compromise, rather than agreeing in a one sided manner. In the best interest of the country, political actors more loyal to political compromise should virtually do better in mid term elections. I do not believe that Congress has acted in a way that reflects the people’s interests because if they had from the start, it would be more likely that the issues of unemployment and government gridlock would not have been prolonged. However, I think that Congress is having a turn around in which the interested of the people are being acknowledged over party loyalty. Senator McCain said “We can’t do that to the people of this country,” in reference to another shut down. The voice of the American people is becoming more vital than party loyalty, as it should. This is reflected in the Senate Majority Whip’s quote “we should assume that all members of Congress in both parties hear the response of the American people.” So, while the people’s needs were put second to party loyalty for a period of time, I believe that Congress is moving on from that period of time and is starting to put the people before party loyalty.
ReplyDeleteNatalie Gramegna
ReplyDeleteBy compromising Congress is attempting to make both parties happy. However, either side cannot be fully satisfied. As Weigel’s article demonstrated an attempt to lower government spending was marked as an attack on military pensions! Proving that congress will never satisfy everyone. Ryan and Murray addressed a specific issue and spending needed to be cut, as the graph showed, and this Budget Cut was an attempt by both parties to see that particular issue through. This affected the public both positively and negatively. On one hand the government shutdown was paused but on the other pensions were cut. As Meghana expressed, Ryan and Murray’s Budget cuts are a step in the right direction. However, the schism in the Senate vetoing anything “anti-democratic” is causing much angst and little reform. Most people, except for maybe veterans negatively impacted by the cut, will see this compromise as a step in the right direction. The Democrats in the Senate that are loyal to their party platform are most likely stunting their chances for the mid-term elections. People want action, they want reform, they want results. By bashing cuts on spending they are not getting the results that compromise between parties did.
As Meghana and Jack stated, I think that the American people are seeing their hopes materialized in the new budget. I really appreciated how Ryan and Perry acknowledged the obvious differences between them—the “not playing for the same football team” line was quite funny—as well as the need for compromise. This realistic relationship between the two politicians was very refreshing to me, and the amount of compromise present in the budget is refreshing to the American people.
ReplyDeleteI think that political actors who vote strictly according to party lines will find very lackluster support in the midterm elections. After the government shutdown scare earlier this year, compromise is what many people want; compromise is what can be seen with this budget, and any politician who dislikes the budget because of partisan issues will be seen as petty and a part of Congress’s ineffectiveness. Some support will come to Republicans who vote against the budget as a result of the military pension cuts because some voters with relations to the military will appreciate the opposition, but many others will be very frustrated by these Republicans’ inability to work for the American people as a whole, not just consistent supporters of the Republican party.
Yes, I do think Congress is acting in a way that reflects my interests instead of holding close to party loyalty. This is the first bi-partisan budget since the Reagan era, so the budget’s own existence is a testament to American lawmakers making a better effort to compromise. Republican senators like John McCain who vote against their party’s wishes in order to achieve compromise are really testaments to how effective our government can be. I can only hope that this spirit will live on far into 2014.
Neither party is going to ave all their wants covered. In order to pass a budget that will work for the American people there must be a compromise. Each party will lose money towards their interests in the budget but it is what needs to be done. I believe that the compromise will reflect the public's interest because both sides had to agree and it wasn't forced upon one side from the other. As others have said that the goal was to prevent another government shutdown and to keep from postponing it over and over and i believe that this budget will keep that from happening. Ryan and Murray expressed that spending would be cut which is good in some areas and bad in others which in turn will have a positive and negative effect on the public. As midterm elections are rapidly approaching, I believe that now it will be better to be in favor of compromise than of hard party lines because the new budget plan is a compromise and is a reflection of the public's interest. Now that people will be happier they will be more likely to vote for someone who was in favor of something they liked than something that they didn't. The budget plans are a step in the right direction however there is still work to be done and neither the Democrats or Republicans are fully satisfied but the Senators and Representatives who vote against their party to achieve a compromise that will better the public give me hope that our government can function.
ReplyDeleteI think that the public will definitely see compromise as a reflection of their values. This bill, as Ryan and Murray have worked very hard for it to be, is a bipartisan compromise with the main goal of preventing future government shutdowns by establishing a working budget. Although Senators Ryan and Murray have worked hard, the rest of Washington doesn't care about the barriers that were broken down and how ground breaking it actually is for this compromise to take place and get this far. The rest of congress, the hard liners in particular just want what their party wants. It's mind boggling that you have a bipartisan compromise and there is still a way for the parties to choose a side and remain completely against the other party. For the most part, democrats are for the bill and republicans are against it. Of course, there are some not voting their party's views, which is incredible because it shows that some people in Washington are still voting for the people and not by party lines. With that being said, the hard liners are going to have a very hard mid term election. Although the news made it look like John McCain, a Navy veteran himself, is trying to take all the money in the world away from veterans, that little segment just secured his reelection. He is doing what the general population of America wants- no more government shutdowns. On the other side of the spectrum on this particular issue, Ted Cruz did not score any brownie points by denouncing both McCain for voting against his own party and the democrats for following the majority whip. He contradicted himself! The compromiser will have a much better mid term election. Do I believe congress is acting in a way that reflects my interests? Congress will never act in a way that reflects anyone's interests 100% but for the most part, a compromise is the best course of action to take on this budget issue because of the certainty that it will create.
ReplyDeleteThomas Sarant
I think the voting public will be divided over whether or not this compromise is a reflection of their values. Some voters will be pleased with the progress being made while other will be disappointed in the fact that their party was forced to concede on certain points. Eventually, I believed that politicians who conformed to their party's views will fare better in the primaries than the those who voted against their party's views. Voters want to be sure that their representative will vote the way that the constituents expect them to. I believe that Congress has acted in my interests as opposed to sticking to the party line. This can be seen in the Republicans who supported the bill even though other Republicans were opposed.
ReplyDeleteKatie Cresser
As stated above, the voting public will see the compromise as a reflection of the values of the American people. The public will see the bill as a means of avoiding another government shutdown, which both parties hope to avoid in order to help get the country out of debt as well as gaining and keeping the support of the voters. Although Ryan and Murray both claim that the bill is being supported by both parties, the bill is supported mostly by Democrats, which means that Republicans in opposition to the bill will still remain in office because of their party loyalty and rejection of democratic ideals. Although the bill is the beginning of a bipartisan compromise, Congress will continue to be seen as holding party lines until support of the bill is equally democratic and republican
ReplyDeleteThe voting public will not see a compromise as due to the Republicans spending more and having more open seats than the rest. Political actors will be more loyal by using Pork barrel legislation to please their constituents so it seems like they are loyal to all their voters. Yes i do believe Congress has acted because the more open seats there are the more they have to act because they have to fill those seats. They want to make the constituents happy to get the votes they want so i believe they will act on things and issues that they think the public would want them to act on so they can please the general public. Mike DiBenedetto
ReplyDeleteI believe voters will see political compromise as a reflection of their values. American voters do not want to see another government shutdown occur and want Congress to come to some form of an agreement to prevent another shutdown from happening. Republican Paul Ryan and Democrat Patty Murray were proud to announce that a bipartisan budget compromise had been reached, which would prevent another government shutdown. This compromise takes away harmful cuts to education, medical research, infrastructure investments, and defense jobs. However, the pensions of veterans will be cut and, as Ted Cruz stated, the new budget will increase spending now. Clearly, this new budget will not completely satisfy anyone, but it will prevent a future government shutdown. I believe political actors more loyal to the party platform will do better in the primaries because voters tend to pick a party and then only vote for members in that party. However, I think voters need to change their mindset and make sure that they are well informed before they go out and vote. Voters should not view politicians who are willing to compromise with the other party as going against their own party. We need to start looking at what is best for America as a whole and stop the childish Democrats vs. Republicans mindset. The Democrats are holding a hard line to party loyalty, while some Republicans, such as John McCain, are starting to compromise and show support for the new budget deal. A majority of Congress is holding a hard line to party loyalty and I don’t see this changing in the near future.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with Katie in the fact that not all voters will see this as a reflection of their values. Most of the voters, who are in the middle or slightly liberal or slightly conservative will see this as a reflection on their values. However, those who are extreme liberals or extreme conservatives will not like the compromise. They will think that whatever the other side wants is wrong. After hearing what Paul Ryan and Patty Murray said, it sounds like this will be good for the nation for multiple reasons. One is the fact that there will not be another government shutdown in the near future. Another reason why this is good for the nation is both sides got things accomplished that they wanted. It sounded like both sides got what they wanted, and the major disagreements were left out of this bill, so neither party should oppose it. The political actors who are more loyal to the party platform will most likely not have as much backing in the upcoming mid term elections when compared to those who compromise. This is caused because those who stick to their parties will appeal more to the extreme voters. This is a problem, because there is a larger number of voters closer to the middle than those on the extreme side. This means people in the middle will want to vote for people who compromise, because they don’t necessarily agree with what both parties say, so they want someone who will do what is best for the people. I believe that congress has acted in a way that reflects my interests as opposed to holding a hard line to party loyalty. This was shown in the fact that two people from different parties were able to create a bill that included parts that both parties like.
ReplyDeleteJeremy Dreyer
The voting public will have a divided reaction to political compromise. People who have more moderate values will probably favor a representative who chooses compromise rather than a deadlocked legislature. However, people who are far right or far left will probably dislike any compromise because they may see it as going against the party. I definitely agree with Katie about how this compromise will divide the public votes since some voters will appreciate how their representatives compromised and other voters may feel that the compromise was going against strict party value.
ReplyDeleteAny politician who voted against their party or spoke out against their party may find it hard to earn political support, however the public may vote in favor of someone who compromised to get laws passed.
I liked how Senator Ryan talked about reaching a compromise by focusing on common ground rather than forcing the other party to change their core beliefs. Of course, every legislator works towards bettering the country as a whole and sometimes compromise is better for the interests of the voters.
Like most have agreed upon, the voting public will see compromise in the near future. The purpose of this bi-partisan bill is not only to attempt to mend the large deficit in our national budget but to help congressmen in the upcoming election. By voting yes on the bill, congressmen will be able to show their constituents that they are actively trying to work towards ending government gridlock, a problem that has plagued congress in the recent years. But this bill has much greater ramifications then it leads on, cutting money and pension going to retired soldiers will not be received well by the public. If congressmen were truly worried about their constituents and the welfare of this nation, why don't they forfeit their pensions and not the pensions of those who have offered to protect and serve this country. Also, if the bill is aimed at cutting deficit spending, why are there no immediate cuts in the budget? It seems illogical to be cutting spending in a couple of years if we are trying to stop the bleeding now. As for those that continue to vote with the party line, especially those who puppet the President and give into the needs and wants of the party leader and whip will compromise there good grace with their constituents in the upcoming primaries. The people want a congressman who votes with the needs of his constituents in mind, and those who continue to vote party line may be forfeiting their seats in the future. I think the upcoming primaries/elections are going to foster new change; its my contention that the american people are truly fed up with the lousy job congress has done, and i think that may result in more seats lost in the elections to come.
ReplyDeleteAs stated above, the voting public will see political compromise as a reflection of their values. Ryan and Murray were proud to state that a bipartisan compromise had been reached for the new budget. Due to the reached compromise, our country does not have to worry about any future government shutdowns. Although the compromise is a successful step forward for our different parties to work together, not everyone will always be completely satisfied. Even though a compromise was reached for the new budget, many programs received cuts, which may lead people who support these programs to be unsatisfied. What politicians need to start focusing on the interests and needs of their people. Although party ideals are important to recognize, politicians will be more successful if they listen to their people's needs and follow through with what they want, not what the party wants. I agree with Jackie in which voters need to be well informed with the issues at hand before they go vote. They should vote for the politicians that will best represent them in the issues that are being dealt with, even if they go against their party's ideals. Also, I believe politicians who stick with the interests of the people will be more successful in the midterm elections
ReplyDeleteI agree with Katie when she says the the public will be divided. Extreme Republicans or Democrats will not be happy to see their representatives compromising on issues that are important to them. However, those that are moderately indifferent to political issues would agree that political compromise is a reflection of their values, for example Republican John McCain voting to pass the budget which does not reflect completely Republican ideals. Most Americans would see immediate negative effects if the government were to shut down again, and that is why the compromise was reached by Senator Ryan and Senator Murray. However like Senator Cruz stated, the budget calls for more spending, which will of course lead to more debt for the nation. I think that representatives who are less loyal to their political lines will not, as Rebecca stated, have as much political support from their parties and find it more difficult to be reelected. I believe that congress should be a direct reflection of the peoples values, unfortunately this can never completely be the case. However, in this instance I believe that Congress has acted in my favor as compared to voting based their party ideals. the government shutdown as seen a couple months ago is nothing to fool around with. By passing this bipartisan bill, congress will avoid another government shut down and ultimately reflect the peoples interests.
ReplyDeleteGiovanna Codispodo
The general public who aren't skewed to the left or the right will see political compromise and agree with this bill. Almost all of the people in America want to keep the "status quo" and do not like change, so anything done to prevent a government shut down in the near future is ideal for them. Any moderate voter would agree with Paul Ryan and passing the bill because of they way he made the future sound for Americans. Cutting the deficit without raising taxes and preventing a government shut down sounds good to people because it's what they want. However, this bill proposes retirement cuts on the veterans which is distasteful along with the increased spending and debt that Cruz mentioned would occur. Everyone can't be satisfied because of how politics effect people's views and some people might just stick to their party and not budge. However, the explosion in 2012 of independent groups in he Republican Party spending shows how the money surge is in favor of the Republicans. The people might see this and see that the Republicans are looking to keep a normal government and help the people more than the Democrats are right now. I believe that the people are going to side with what they feel will benefit them more and no one wants a government shut down in the near future.
ReplyDeleteI believe that a political compromise between democrats and republicans, will show their constituents that they are ready to sacrifice some of their party’s wishes, in order to move the nation forward. The voting public wants a successful budget, and does not want another government shutdown in the future. In the videos and articles it seemed as if the democratic party whip had a lot of control, and was in turn able to lead the party to vote together on the budget. The republicans were not able to compromise as easily. There are pros and cons to a powerful party whip. With a powerful party whip a vote is achieved easier, faster and united. This in turn pressures members of the party to vote with their party, even if the member does not side with the party on a particular issue. In the case of the budget, the people are desperate for a compromise, especially after the media hype of the shutdown. I believe it will be more beneficial for a member of a political party to vote against his/her party to pass the budget, because it will show that he/she is committed to serving the people and not just his/her political party. Hopefully voters can see which congressmen voted against the budget only to stay loyal to their party. This comes down to the never-ending problem our country faces.... loyalty to political party or loyalty to our country? The main problem Republicans have with the new budget is the cut to military pensions, and the pensions of other federal workers. Like Dan said I think it is awful to be cutting money from our veterans, the people who have risked their lives to protect us. Congress sees this as an effective way of cutting spending over the next couple of years, but it is very hard to accept this way of cutting spending, as the only way. I think in the past Congress has acted according to party loyalty, but now people are becoming more and more upset with the lack of progress, and continuous government gridlock. Republican McCain is voting for the budget despite the cut to military spending. This sacrifice of political party wishes sets an example for the rest of Congress, and is what our country needs in order to move forward.
ReplyDeleteAs other classmates have said, the public will definitely see the political compromise as a reflection of their values. Its unacceptable for out government to have another shutdown and repeat what happened in oct. The political actors more loyal to the party platform will be more successful in the mid term elections. We need to prevent another shutdown and with the compromise we wont have a shutdown for another few years.
ReplyDeleteI do however agree with Cruz and that the bill will hurt more people in the long run due to more spending. The country will be in even more debt and taxed will be raised on the people.I like what Cruz said about the government not addressing the real problem which itsn't surprising. Everyone wants to have another government shutdown and reflect the peoples values, which is present in this bill.
The voting public will see compromise as a reflection of their values, however that reflection may never pass if enough opposition to bills is garnered. In terms of this budget deal, the voting public desires there to be no more shut downs. According to the first video, Paul Ryan and Patty Murray saw this as an opportunity to show how bipartisanship could be productive and helpful, however, it is evident with information presented in the USA Today article that a group of republican senators do not agree. Although the budget agreement passed, the kind of opposition shown by this group of senators reflects the problem of the voting public wanting their representation in the government when political actors are more loyal to their party platform. Those who stick to their party lines may very well do better than those who vote against the party's wishes in the primaries because of support from constituents who do not believe in certain compromises and the party itself. According to the chart, sticking to the party line will most certainly get a candidate funds to campaign if they're loyal.
ReplyDeleteCongress is acting in a way that benefits the people in this case because of the aim to avoid further government shut downs. Shut downs are not good for anybody and compromise is necessary to achieve the goal of avoiding them. It's the same situation that occurred during the government shut down in October when a small group of politicians could strangle the government into a gridlock and force a shut down here when senators such as Jeff Sessions oppose the budget passing because of how it would hurt him or his interests regardless of who it aids. Seeing as party line loyalty did rear it's head in this situation but did not prevail, for the time being Congress has acted in a way beneficial to the voters. The fact that the democrats are receiving most of the blame for the cuts to veteran pensions may cause future problems for the party even though many republicans are backing the very same bill. Tim's reference to Jimmy Carter is apt, and the outsider looking in strategy seems to be used by a number of politicians looking to gain support. Finally, Congress has acted for the voter by compromising here, while also some incumbents may be risking their seats according to the slate.com article. While I don't think this particular scenario will definitely unseat those incumbents, it's a boon for all of us that, for the foreseeable future, the government won't shut down again because of party loyalty.
Though I don’t think that the members of the public prefer to compromise on their core issues, I do think that they would like to see a greater sense of collaboration among politicians in Washington. This sentiment stems from the public’s increasing dissatisfaction with government gridlock, specifically that which led to the recent government shutdown. As a result of this, I believe that Americans will vote for politicians, like Paul Ryan and Patty Murray, who not only fight for the issues that are important to them, but also understand that the needs of the nation come before partisan political agendas. Though both of these aforementioned politicians were not completely satisfied with the bill, their ability to compromise ensured that there will not be another budget crisis during the next two years. As Mr. Sarant mentioned, even John McCain, a veteran, put up with the provisions of the bill that were detrimental to military retirees because he felt that it is of utmost importance that the government not be shut down again. Unfortunately, there are still many politicians, both Republican and Democrat, who are less willing to compromise. Ted Cruz, for example, insists that Democrats were unwilling to budge with regard to that contentious provision which reduces the cost of living adjustments that are added to military retirement benefits for personnel under the age of 62. For this reason and others, many Republicans have dug in their heels. Will voters punish these obstinate politicians in the upcoming midterm election? It depends on the importance that these voters place on specific issues in comparison that which they place on the overall well-being of the nation. Since elections have also become extremely media-based, the upcoming election will also be greatly influenced by campaign ads, which both parties have spent more money on since the Citizens United decision. Personally, I feel that Congress acted with the best interests of of the nation in mind, and I hope that both the Republicans and Democrats will be more open to compromise in the future.
ReplyDeleteNo matter what the majority of the voting public believes, compromise will mostly be a reflection of their values. At this point there isn't much of a choice. This being a bipartisan bill, there isn't much else anyone could ask for. It is a compromise; a combination of ideas from two opposing party members, so it will, most likely, apply to the majority of the voting population. That being said, it really doesn't matter how much it applies to the views of the voting population, because what truly matters is the passing of a budget so as to prevent another government shutdown. As Joe pointed out before, there is an increase in public opposition to government gridlock. Many people already bear some anger towards Republicans that opposed the last budget and caused gridlock, so what would the attitude of voters be towards any who oppose the current budget be? Especially those who would dare oppose a budget made through a compromise involving a Democrat and one of their own. This idea is perfectly outlined in a statement by Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin. He didn't see that Democrats have the votes needed to bring the budget to the floor, but understood that it would be political suicide to oppose and even defeat the budget bill that, if passed, would prevent another government shutdown from occurring for another two years. This is the same reason why republicans like John McCain would feel so strongly about passing this budget, because despite any opposing beliefs they may harbor, they realize that what is most important is the passing of a budget and the prevention of further gridlock. The upcoming mid-term elections will prove to be much more difficult to succeed in for those who are more loyal to the party platform than compromise. Ryan and Murray worked to provide a bipartisan budget that would best represent both parties and that would be most likely to pass. Being a compromise, it did present both sides with ideas they may not have been comfortable with, but a member of the Senate has to think about one thing in particular over everything else, and that is re-election. Of course, their own beliefs may factor into their decisions, but what is most important is the opinion of those they represent. And so Senators like Ted Cruz, who choose to oppose a bill, may be standing up for their own beliefs, but they are giving themselves a lower chance for re-election come mid term. I feel that congress has indeed reflected my interests in its actions. By passing a bill made through compromise, they have given way to the opportunity for more of it to occur. I personally enjoy compromise. Along with many other people, I find that my views rarely coincide with one party in particular, so when it occurs, I'm usually content with the outcome. Along with this comes the fact that a government shutdown was prevented. Gridlock only hurts the country, and a shutdown is even more detrimental. True, those who opposed cutting military pensions (a total of $6 billion in cuts as stated in the Slate article) were not very happy, but what matters more is that the country functions properly, and the killing of this budget would have prevented such functioning.
ReplyDeleteI don’t know if the right question is whether or not the public will see compromise as a reflection of their values, but more so, whether it will help them FORGET about the childlike behavior and the overall idiocy of Congress as a whole just a few months prior when their bickering ended in a Government shutdown for two weeks. The slight upsets for both parties that are included in this budget bill, such as the nonexistent close on corporate tax loopholes for Democrats, and the nonexistent changes to Medicare for Republicans, will make some of the general populace angry about those misfortunes, but overall, happy about the budget, and forgetful about the shutdown. So yes, in agreeance with Jenna and Schulte, I do think Americans will, once again, in the midterm elections, be friendly to their incumbent Congressmen and Senators. As for the hardliners in the Senate and the House, such as Senator Ted Cruz, I believe they will do very well in the upcoming elections. Not only will they have the incumbent advantage, but every Conservative will have their backs for having stuck up to the Liberals and not having given in. They will get support from both the moderates in their districts or states, as well as the hardliners. The moderate Republicans, on the other hand, will get the votes from their fellow moderate constituents, but may lose some of their more Conservative base for not having stuck to their principles. Either way though, this being the first time in what seems like a long time we’ve seen effective political compromise, I think both sides, whether hardline or moderate, will do rather well in the midterm elections, especially considering the mass amount of money incumbents can now afford to use on the campaign trail. The only officials that may see some backlash are some Democratic Senators, that is, if Republicans make a strong outcry again in October about how they “abandoned the Veterans,” for cutting their retirement benefits. Otherwise, the public may forget about that detail and think more about the mesmerizing idea of overall compromise. I personally believe that on most issues, compromise is the way that Congress should run. If the Government keeps going the way of “All or Nothing” mentality, we’re going to end up getting nothing done. With this budget bill, we can see that both sides of the spectrum got some of what they wanted, most notably in the stopping of cuts to both education, a Democratic goal, and Military bases and operations, a mostly Republican goal. The Senators and Congressmen who speak out in favor of compromise, with a typical hardline following, such as John McCain, are the ones that can truly help the Legislative branch run smoothly, and we need more of that type of legislator that can help promote compromise.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the voting public will only see the compromise as a reflection of their own values only if it is beneficial to them. There are to many people in the unites states to please everyone, and by coming to a compromise no one is going to be 100% happy. The politicians are trying to please the American people and with it being so close to the mid term elections, passing a budget that would prevent another shutdown will suffice. I feel that many of the politicians only look out for their parties supporters when they need something out of them, such as their vote. If this weren't the case, the two parties would have worked together to resolve the budget before the government shutdown back in October. Although many politicians are like this, some are not. Politicians like Paul Ryan and John McCain are looking out for the interest of the American people and are looking to avoid another shutdown, whereas some are just looking for other means to fix the budget and please everyone. Personally I feel that as senators such as Ted Cruz have their hands tied behind their back,because they want to help the smaller portion of the people affected by this bill in a negative way, I.e.the veterans but know that by doing this is will only hurt themselves. I also feel that many politicians are acting a certain way to ensure their reelection in the mid term elections, which means acting with the American people and possibly going against their political party.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the public will see compromise as a reflection of their values but more as the only way to avoid government shutdown. We saw what happened in October when the politicians stuck to the party beliefs and values: millions lost jobs without pay for days. John McCain is absolutely right; to go into another shutdown in January would be borderline pathetic in the leadership category. He said it himself that he didn't like the new provision to the bill but is still going to vote for it because he understands the consequences if he doesn't. As for the diehard party politicians, especially in the case of the republicans, I'm not so sure how this reelection will go. Do we really want the same people who brought us into shutdown being re-elected? I would still be nervous with all of them being re-elected republican or democrat that refused to budge even a little. It's a bipartisan bill which means there has to be compromise. This is where majoritarian politics comes in. Obama-care was already passed, it was time for the Republicans to accept that and not let it stop anything else, but instead they used it as a hostage and said if you don't revoke this we will shut the government down because we are not compromising. I think Congress is acting the way it should've been trying to act in September and October, but now it's a little too late, they have lost some of my trust in them. It's great that they can compromise but that's their job. Ultimately, both parties need to rethink their approach on the budget bill passing and then use that model as a rubric for the rest of the law-making processes
ReplyDeleteI agree with Tim, I think that rather than going for what the public actually wants they're more focused on preventing gridlock and trying not to look incompetent to the general public.
ReplyDeleteI also think that what Ted Cruz was saying was right, the Democrats are not voting for what the public wants or needs and are very focused on their own agendas and seem to be sucking up to the Majority Leader rather than doing what's right. I think that it's great that they didn't cut or halt spending on education and medical advancements however they did made cuts like Cruz and McCain said that will severely hurt people who are dependent on the government such as the Veterans and the people who are out of insurance due to Obamacare. Not only that but I agree that in the near future we will be seeing ourselves in greater debt because like Cruz said they're not addressing what needs to be addressed. Although I don't pay taxes right now and I may regret saying this in the near future, but I truly believe that taxes should be raised, at least a small percentage, and the government should focus more on the faults in Congress and how those faults are affecting the country and ignore their own party's agendas until the major faults are fixed. The country is hurting and will continue to hurt until spending is fixed and the debt is gone or at least as close to gone as we can make it. I believe that then, and only then, should there be talk into cutting certain taxes.
As John McCain said in the video, we cannot have another government shutdown. McCain knows that if no action is taken and gridlock continues people will continue to lose faith in their own government so even though it hurts veterans and he is a strong representative of veterans, he has to support it. For political action to occur there must be compromise. Neither party really gets an advantage from no action but if the parties can attempt to make some sacrifices then they will be able to make some gains as well. I think that especially with the government shutdown and lack of faith the public is increasingly developing towards congress due to it, some form of action needs to be taken to help rebuild some trust in congress from the public. As Paul Ryan and Patty Murray mentioned in the video by working together, and compromising, they reached a bipartisan budget compromise that will prevent a government shutdown and gridlock. By finding areas of common ground and through cooperation the government can stop going from crisis to crisis. Ted Cruz, on the other hand, is taking a different approach in getting public support. Instead of improve of government he’s pointing fingers at the people who are trying to get something done because that by making the bill unfavorable to the public, opposing it is an easy was to gain public appeal. Then he turns on his own party and says that his fellow democrats won’t stand up to party leadership even though they are all aware that they need to pass this bill to restore public faith. This is ironic because by supporting this bill is a step forward and away from government gridlock. In the past, especially recently with the government shutdown loyalty to the party has often been the reason for government gridlock. Not taking action is not the way to act in the public’s interests. People have often been siding with their party mainly because as shown in the graph, adherence to the party line will help a candidate get funds for campaigning. Also, Political actors more loyal to the party platform will do better in the primary elections because the party is going to vote for the person who they feel best represents their interests. However in the general vote the politicians who are more in the middle and less representative from the party have the best opportunity to get general votes from those who don’t necessarily vote republican or democrat every single time, but political actors first concerns are getting their parties’ nominations.
ReplyDelete