Article Review
“Moderate Senate Dems prepare a balanced budget amendment” By Peter Wallsten
Introduction
Who: The article is about the house, senate, the president and the state legislature
What: The topic is about balanced budget amendment
Where: The United State of America
When: The amendment is to metamorphose the constitution and the changes applied thereafter in the governing of the country.
Why: This comes about after the proposal to reduce government expenditure and to limit the major facets that may lead to increase of taxes
How: The republicans in the senate are out and ready to support the proposed balanced budget amendment, and prevent the raise of taxes. All the power and drive attributed to the victory in the signing of debt-ceiling measure in to law.
Summary
The article concentrates on the tag of war between the republicans and democrats, concerning the enactment of balance budget amendment. The republicans believe that the balance budget management is the best recourse in reducing the government expenditure instead of raising taxes. However, the democrats are against it, raising many skeptics about any amendment. In addition to this, the president is against it, and getting the democrats to agree with the amendment will be a hard nut to crack.
Connection to Classroom
The article exemplifies how personal interest and power makes it difficult to do the right things and generate a prosperous change that can lead to a bright and thriving future. The house republicans are in the rectitude of gaining control attributed to the facets of fiscal victories they have achieved. They are against the democrats’ idea of increasing taxes and the power they have gained through the purported victories, has made it difficult for the government to make any changes that can help improve the economy. There is an aspect of gridlock ascribed to the lack of bipartisanship; in the article, this is wholly exhibited from the lack of agreement and differences between the two political parties. Similarly, for the amendment to be accepted there is a requisition of the acquiescence of the congress, preferably two-thirds, and 38 of the state legislatures, and this affirms the concept of gridlock and lack of bipartisanship.
Adapting the conception of check and balances, the president, the congress and the state legislatures, must work jointly to make laws and amend the constitution. In the article, Wallsten attests that accepting of the amendment or enacting of suggested proposals to law, has been exceedingly difficult. The president cannot increase the taxes without the consent of two-thirds of the majority in the house and senate, and, on the other hand, republicans cannot alter the constitution with the proposal of the balance budget amendment. In line with this, the president might be bypassed, if the congress manages to pass a proposed amendment. This creates an exception, which avouches the political doctrine of separation of power.
Concisely, the battle between the republicans and democrats on the balanced budget management is politically based with less input on economic benefits to the country. There is the struggle for popularity among the republicans that are likely affixed to the fiscal policy hopes and ambitious dreams they have on the 112th congress. Similarly, the democrats are on the lookout, and they are not ready to welcome any form of defeat and, public humiliation.
Reference
Wallsten, P. (2011). Moderate Senate Dems prepare a balanced budget amendment. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/2chambers/post/moderate-senate-dems-ready-a-balanced-budget-amendment-of-their-own/2011/08/02/gIQAn6GHqI_blog.html.
