FInal Essay

Alexa T. DosReis

1-20-14

Period F

Journalism

Today this country experiences a constant battle between good and bad, right and wrong, and what in the end is best for the United States of America. Right now we see debates on drugs, suspicions regarding the Olympics and terrorist involvement. Politicians are all over the news stating their side, their opinion, what they have educated themselves on. When one president goes another one prepares to fight for the open position.  The candidates spend millions of dollars campaigning, getting out to the world the change the could accomplish to make a difference for the country that allows every one to thrive. The terminology the use and the ideas they suggest might sound familiar to the politically educated man or woman, but what about the youth of America? Do the young adults now in college, ages ranging from 18-25, know exactly what they are listening to? So the question of my essay  is, are high school students educated enough to vote properly? In my search to find this out I decided to start with who influences us the most, adults. I went around and asked my teachers a series of questions just to see how they view certain aspects out our economy, society, and just how they got to the point to form their opinion. 

Question 1: Are you a Republican, Democrat, or Independent?

First I would like to provide the definition of each political party: "Republicans believe that each person is responsible for his or her own place in society. The Republican philosophy is based on limiting the intervention of government as a catalyst of individual prosperity/ Democrats believe that it is the responsibility of the government to care for all individuals, even if it means giving up some individual rights and/or subordinating enterprise and initiative/ Democrat Party administrations have pushed for the centralization of power in Washington D.C, with only secondary consideration for the rights of both individuals and communities/ Independents based their political decisions based on the candidate, not so much the party itself." (California Republican)

This question was indeed very straight forward; however you will see how it will be of help to me to know so I can understand why they gave answers they gave me for the questions I will cover later. I interviewed five teachers, and found there to be more of a variety than I had anticipated. I expected the stereotype of every teacher to be a registered democrat to ring true for a typical high school such as Norton High School. Four were registered Independent, and two were registered Democrat.  However one teacher of the independent party claimed they do tend to vote more republican, and one registered democrat claimed that if they could, they would go back and register as an independent. 

 

Question 2: Why?

I found that the Democratic teachers all gave similar responses. They felt the Democratic party respected the profession of an educator. Education as a whole they felt was valued more by this party than by that of the republicans. Now the registered Independents also had similar opinions. They felt that there was no need to sign up for just one political party when then can have the best of both worlds so to speak. Issues become different so this way as an independent, it is less risky not to subscribe to just one party. However the one teacher that said they leans more towards republican views, said I could in fact just mark them down as republican. This teacher gave a noticeably different reason for why they feel the way they do. They appreciate stricked immigration laws, and wants less handouts. 

Question 3: How do you feel about free enterprise?

Free enterprise is an "economic system in which private businesses operate in competition and largely free of state control." (The Free Dictionary) 

In oder to avoid the overuse of this teacher, I will identify each teacher as Teacher 1, Teacher 2…etc. Therefore, Teacher 1 felt free enterprise is good as long as there are core regulations in order to prevent monopoly. Teacher 2 is a supporter of it, but does also believe some regulations are necessary. Teacher 3 partially agrees with the idea of free enterprise, and does find some regulations needed. Teacher 4 feels it is essential for a healthy economy. Finally teacher 5 believes in it completely. 

Question 4: How do you feel about redistribution? 

Redistribution is "distribution; the transfer of income, wealth, property from some individuals to others caused by a social mechanism such as taxation, welfare, and stimulus…etc." (The Free Dictionary)

Teacher 1 commented saying taxes should be percentages based, but redistribution needs to be tightly constructed and monitored. Teacher 2  feels that when people who work hard for their money, it is hard to redistribute that. Teacher 3 wants higher taxes for the rich, and more help for the lower class people. Teacher 4 says it is fair,  but difficult to make work properly. Finally Teacher 5 says that people deserve what they earn. 

Those last two questions are two life changing concepts. Adults by now have a better grasp on the ideas better than a high school student would which led me to think of how much college students are aware of current political affairs. So I decided to ask one. This student is  senior at Wheaton collage, and I asked the same questions as I did for the teachers. The answers followed as:

-Democrat

- Feels strongly towards social issues like gay marriage and abortion laws, but does feel Republicans are better financially.

- Feels OK about free enterprise, and think Republicans have a better financial enterprise. 

-Feels redistribution is the biggest economic issue, but is still the student claims he is still learning about the economics of the country. Finally, this student feels redistribution should be  taken care of through social security.

In school I have a teacher that somewhat hints at her political preferences. This teacher always mentions Hillary Clinton, and how amazing it would be if we had a female president soon, and if it was her. My problem is, I do not know anything about her. I have no idea what she stands for because when politicians say they'll do something, it is most likely not going to happen. I feel lost when the news comes on and they are talking about foreign affairs, the confusion gets even worse when they talk about the economy. That is why I created this question because I am not alone on this. Our world, our nation, will be much better off if future generations are properly informed on the different ways our country functions, and to make it run properly.